We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anna Warner-Mayes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anna below.
Anna, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Color has always colored my moods and I always loved the power of color to invoke or ‘describe’ emotions. When I first got cancer in 2008 as a young wife and mom of three, I was devastated. The cancer was in my neck so after the first surgery, I was unable to speak for months afterward. After two more recurrences in subsequent years back in my neck and surrounding lymph nodes, I realized I was using lipstick and the many colors to convey my moods to the world around me, especially during the times I could not speak; red when I felt like I was strong enough to fight, nude when I wanted to disappear into the background, deep plum/raisin when I was ‘frying’ in the throws of radiation, etc.. In 2017, I got my 4th cancer diagnosis and found out my cancer had spread to my lungs making the diagnosis Stage 4 metastatic cancer with distant metastasis. The prognosis wasn’t great. After the initial devastation wore off, I knew I wanted my fight to count for something. I wanted others in my same shoes to not feel alone, I wanted to help bring joy and expression to other cancer fighters and the only way I knew how was the same way I found expression, lipstick. I began the journey of forming the company, contacting manufacturers, cosmetic chemists, branding experts, etc and launched The Lipstick Journey in January 2019. It’s been an incredible journey of passion, love, and heartache getting to know other cancer thrivers. I love it and I get to send my heart out to others in the form of lipstick. Today, my cancer is still stable and I will continue TLJ for as long as I’m alive.
Anna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a cancer thriver. When I started TLJ, all I knew about the beauty industry and lipstick was the brands I loved, the textures and formulations of lipsticks I loved the most, and some of the key ingredients I cosmetics (both good and bad ones). I had a vision of the colors and the texture of lipstick I wanted and I relied on cosmetic chemists to get the formula and colors right for me. I knew I wanted them to be vitamin enriched but also not having any of the toxic ingredients found in some cosmetics. The process took a little longer than expected but I am so happy about my products. My main mission for the company is to let other cancer thrivers know that they are not alone and also to bring a little joy to their day. Along with this I donate partial proceeds to smaller cancer organizations I have personally worked with, and I offer a buy one/give one,. For every purchase, you have the option to send one to a fighter/survivor you know, or I will give to a local cancer support group.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My whole company has been a story of resilience but the most difficult time in terms of the business itself was during the height of pandemic (2020). I launched a lipstick company in 2019 and it was on a fantastic trajectory. Then, almost exactly one year later, the world shut down. Not only the fact that people were no longer leaving their homes, but when they did, they were in a mask (no need for lipstick). I decided to make it my mission to not only create the buy one/give one in 2020, but that I would try to sell 2020 lipsticks and give away 2020, or cash equivalent, to other cancer thrivers. By January 2021, I had was able to surpass that goal, all while anxious being a cancer fighter myself in a pandemic.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
After coming up with the idea of the business and calling various manufacturers and chemists, I had an amount necessary to start. Initially I was looking at small business loans but realized the process would take some time. Considering the fact that I started the company after a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, time was not something I thought I had. My husband and I agreed to sell some property we were holding on to for a small future family vacation home, and the rest, we were able to borrow money from a friend who believed in me and the business.
Contact Info:
- Website: TheLipstickJourney.com
- Instagram: @thelipstickjourney
Image Credits
photo with orange blouse @katstevensonphoto Photo with white blazer and products @aprilwashereblog