Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Lundmark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I worked at a marketing agency before starting my own business and I always wanted to venture out on my own. I did some consulting work but I never found my path. That was until I realized that my Autistic sister in law needed a path too, and she needed someone to help create it for her. I suggested that we build a business together, using her interest for beauty and my passion for marketing. Every part of me wanted to play it safe and save up to buy product before we launched. However, I knew this wouldn’t happen immediately, and it wasn’t certain it would work. So my fiancé suggested that I do pre-sales. The idea of selling something I didn’t have yet terrified me. There were so many what if’s that came to mind. What if the products don’t come, what if something’s wrong, what if people get angry waiting, etc. But I decided to launch pre-sales, posted on social media, and within two weeks we had made enough to place our first order of product. Two months later, we were able to ship it out, and the business has financed itself ever since.

Anna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Beauty By Jenna is a natural lip care company dedicated to creating job opportunities for disabled adults. Co-founded by myself and my soon-to-be sister-in-law Jenna, who is Autistic, the brand crafts USDA-certified organic lip products here in the USA. We offer fruity and tinted lip balms, plus a new Strawberry Peach Lip Scrub, now available in small shops nationwide. With features on Good Day LA and Spectrum News, Beauty By Jenna is making its mark in the beauty industry.

Our Story:

Four years ago, Jenna moved in with her brother and me. She didn’t speak until age five and still requires 24/7 support, but she’s always dreamed of having a job and more independence. After completing beauty school, we realized how few opportunities exist for Autistic adults—despite their talents, around 80% remain unemployed.

That’s when we decided to create Beauty By Jenna, not only for Jenna but as a space where others in the Autism community could find purpose and pride. Since launching in January 2024, we’ve reached customers in 49 states and gained over 5 million views on social media. Our goal is to become one of the largest employers of disabled adults in the U.S., giving this talented, often-overlooked community the chances they deserve.

Today, we’re proud to have an Autistic team, including a packager, photographer, and graphic artist. Together, we’re redefining beauty by making meaningful products and spreading joy. We’re excited to grow, expand our product line, and build a company where everyone’s talents are celebrated.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Our entire business has been built organically through social media! The most important thing I can recommend is to practice learning the art of video content. It’s a skill that takes time, and took me over 11 months of posting almost daily to feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it. But social media is the best place for you to announce your brand and build an audience. Here’s how you build an audience: Start by creating a product you care about. The reason you care about it will probably be the reason someone else cares too. Craft a story around this and how you came to care about this topic. Share this story on social media in video form in a way that builds curiosity so that people want to learn more. You will start to find the people who care about your product and your audience will naturally form. Also, don’t be afraid of learning how to make content from youtube! I’ve watched countless videos on creating “hooks” and viral videos, and it’s definitely paid off.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A few months into our business, a very trusted friend recommended us to an organization that was hosting an event for female investors in silicon valley. Because we love this friend we decided we would take the risk and donate over $500 worth of product to this event so that every attendee would get lip balm and learn of us. This was a big chunk of our inventory. Well, the package never arrived. The tracking said it did but the people at the event in San Fransisco said it never came. Also, they wouldn’t reimburse us for the expense. So we lost a big chunk of inventory, a large portion of our company’s money, and just felt really discouraged. It was a bummer. But what could I do? The package wasn’t turning up. I could have been worried about that amount lost and dwelled on it but instead I said this is part of business. You win some, you lose some, even silly situations that didn’t need to happen. And we went on to have our best month ever just two months later!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopbeautybyjenna.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybyjennaofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-lundmark-171351215/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@beautybyjennaofficial

Image Credits

Crystal McCord