We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angel Morgan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Hello, my name is Angel Morgan. CEO of Anjewls Cosmetics. My entire business has been based off of risks I have took to elevate my career. Since, making my first investment or finding a vendor who will distribute good product. Having a successful business takes making decisions that will hinder ,affect and grow my line of work.Nevertheless, just not any risk. You have to be able to think about the longevity of that type of exposure. Ask yourself questions like, “How will this impact my business?”
“If I take this risk what influence will it have on my business?”
“Will it upraise my business in any shape or form?
For example, having to find a good vendor. When finding a good vendor it may be difficult because, when you’re ordering your product for the first time you have to test your product which, could take months. Your allowing money that you worked hard for In the hands of a stranger who you have only had a conversation with on a phone.Never met in person. That’s a chance you have to take when it comes to having great product. But, always be aware that you will be taking a gamble and the particular reason for the circumstance is that the result may not always be good. If you do get bad product back ,just remember it was an investment to grow your business. You will make mistakes, importance you will learn new skills and advance already existing ones. Taking chances could open monumental opportunities for not just your business but, you as well. Having to take a risk makes you an outstanding entrepreneur. You become more of a strategic person who is conscious of there decision. Always, remember the risks you take the less scary it becomes.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Angel Morgan CEO of Angel‘s Cosmetics. Born and raised In the city of Chicago. I was raised on 45th in the Robert Taylor homes and later move to 79th after they tore down the buildings. As a kid growing up in Chicago you were taught how to survive and watch your surroundings. A dream was only something you do when your asleep. Parents were too busy on drugs and or alcohol. Gangs on every corner. Women being promiscuous. It was definitely hard. I was always in church. No, matter where I moved. I was surrounded by elders all the time installing a life lesson in me. Not to mention being raised by grandparents. My church always felt like a home away from home. I loved being there. My first love was writing music and singing. I was told to shut up so much that I stopped believing that I wanted to be a singer. Until, I met this woman who lived next-door to me on 79th. She gave me the opportunity to run a candy store on my own. She taught me about sales, inventory, and customer service. My love for make up comes from my grandma. I used to watch her put her lipstick and liner eyebrows on every time she will leave out the door. Although, she was going through a lot in the moment from losing two of her children, one to the streets and having to raise four Grand children all over again where she later adopted us as her own. Right, when she thought she can relax. She always walked out that door looking her very best. No one knew exactly what she was going through because, she carried it so well. So, looking back at her doing her make up made me feel as if it was a super power or a reminder to yourself “ you have this no matter what.” Or a shield to block people judgments .her strength and her confidence is what makes me a great businesswoman seeing her is where my love for make up started. So, my brand is a representation for women who are confident or women who want to find confidence within themselves.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

On March 16, 2013. I was a young woman with a bright future attending South shore leader ship. I was already homeless. So, I thought what more can life throw at me if I’m already struggling to stay afloat. I was going to school even though there was some nights I didn’t even know where my next meal will come from. I even started working at Victoria’s Secret making more money than I’ve ever seen. I have scholarships, and college ready. My life was set. I was at a friends house when I decided to go on Facebook to just scrolling to see how everyone day is. I started seeing comments such as “Boog you got this”
“You going to pull through”
My brother “friends” didn’t even give his family a chance to know he was shot before they told Facebook. It became a trend in Chicago to be the first to say your friend was gone pull through first. To me it felt as if it was a race to receive more clout from the person who was either shot or died. During, that time so many of my friends outside of school, like ones I grew up with was lost to either gun violence or put into the DCFS system because their parents not taking care of them correctly.
Here I am seeing that my little brother was shot. It’s funny how things work ,how life works .How something from you so precious that you didn’t know was precious at that time but, was so precious to you can be easily taken away from you. Yes, I’ve had endured mini deaths before. It’s different when it hits home. I knew, as soon as I seen the Facebook status that he was gone. So, me being at this friend house I ended up calling my big cousin but, more of my brother because we were raised in the house together. I called him and asked him where Arrell was at. He told me Mount Sinai. My friend drove me over to the hospital. It’s a lot of things going through my head because here it is my brother who birthday is September 7 and my uncle who was shot more than 16 times died on his birthday has died the same way his uncle did. In that moment , I was taught to pray and ask God if he can save my brother. As I am pulling into the hospital emergency room front door I see a cop sitting in his car eating a donut with his partner and me running into the hospital but before I can run into the hospital I am stopped by four cops at the door and patted down. They were checking to make sure that I didn’t have a weapon. I was pointed in the direction to go into a room and wait to hear something from someone in the hospital. Here, it is the next day early like 3am . The same cops I say coming in eating a donut in the car, we’re the same ones to ask my aunt to point out my little brothers body. She came back to the room yelling he’s gone. I haven’t heard her cry like that since she told us my uncle shavel died. In that moment I questioned my whole existence. I thought since i praised god as good girl was doing or went to school to make sure life didn’t beat me. I thought he would here my prayer to keep my brother here. Why him and not me kept replaying in my head like my favorite song to a melloney that was a consistent reminder he wasn’t here. I was mad at everyone. His friends who posted him, my family. Everyone. I was dropped off at my grandmothers house to tell her the news because my aunt just could not have the strength to do so. I was so numb. Walking up the stairs to knocking on the door. Looking at her she knew something was wrong but didn’t know what. She sat down already shedding tears. I told her that Arrell was no more. She yelled she knew it, she knew it. My grandfather consoling imy grandma. At this point, it’s 7am in the morning. All I could think about was I have to go to school. I went to school and no one knew what I was going through I kept it all hidden. But, I started skipping school not going to practices. Stopped filling out college applications. Cut my hair off. I was going through it and didn’t even know how to deal with it. We’re taught so early to move on from deaths. But never how to deal with them. Seeing my baby brother in a casket at 16 changed my life. After that, deaths started coming like a holiday. My cousin, my aunt, and my grandfather. It was to much. I didn’t want to be around what ever this was. So, when the first chance came for me to leave Chicago. I ran and I’m glad I did. Because I started to see that it was more to life than what I was seeing in Chicago. Such as black business. These entrepreneurs didn’t have to go to school for a degree. But, they had a dream and stuck to that dream regardless how hard life was to them. Seeing that inspired me.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

My daughter is on a cheerleading team and never did I think that she would be the reason I am so successful. On her elite cheerleading team they wear make up. Never did I ever think to push my products to them. But, a nice women name Sonya came up to me and asked if I would be interested. I was in disbelief because that never came to my mind. Going into her first competition I’ve noticed that there were hundreds maybe thousands of people I can reach my products too. Not just dance, but actors, red carpets, or even runways. My mind started to explode with ideas. On where I can push inventory out too. Sonya has been looking at me constantly post my make up brand or talk about it. I was so plugged in to my business. That I started not to care if I was getting noticed. Having to make new product or drop it. Come out with products that’s actually shows up the color it is on black skin was important to me. My make up is for all skin tones. Being in cosmetics have open my eyes to different areas in the make up world. Sometimes taking those types of risk are truly important to grow your buisness.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.anjewlsllc.com
• Instagram: Anjewlsllc
• Facebook: Angel Morgan
• Youtube: Angel Morgan
• Other: TikTok Anjewlsllc