We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittani Payton . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittani below.

Brittani, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I first want to say I am overjoyed just to have the opportunity to share my story with you all! My name is Brittani Nicole Payton, and I am 36 years old and from the city of Jacksonville, Fl. I am the owner and founder of Brittani Nicole Beauty LLC , where my vision is to “Simply Inspire”. We are a cosmetic and skincare line that caters to the everyday woman – beauty comes in every shade, but this line was created with the woman of color in mind .

I have a story of perseverance, strength , grief , and passion to share with the world.

I’ve always had a love for Beauty ! I previously worked as a Business Manager in Cosmetics at a high fashion retailer . While working in skincare I encountered women in all walks of life – many of them being very wealthy but seemed to still desire more in life . What I quickly realized is that some of these women only came in to buy products to fill a void, make a friend , or talk about the issues they dealt with at home . My job became less about selling and more about INSPIRING. My heart became burdened for these ladies and I literally said to myself “I want to create a brand that Inspires a woman to be great BEFORE inspiring her to buy.“ No one else has done this , so I will be the FIRST. With the Cosmetics Industry being so competitive , I promised myself I would be a category of ONE.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The journey to entrpreneurship was very difficult . I was burning with passion , but did not have the resources or finances to pull through. I became very discouraged during this process beginning in January 2020. My boyfriend, Scott Simpkins, who has been my biggest cheerleader , support system and and prayer partner decided to help me on this journey by purchasing a desk, my business license , and a rolling case to put product in. I hired a business coach , who I couldnt really afford , but her success rates and her words of wisdom intrigued me. Every decision i made seemed to cost me , but I knew these were building blocks for my future.

My mom was right there with me during the planning stages , and was so excited about what was to come ! She spent time trying out products with me , giving me her honest opinion , and let me do many makeovers on her .

A few months before I launched , tragedy struck my family in a way I had never experienced in my life . Looking back , the average person definitely would have completely given up on opening a business.
My grandmother passed away , my dad was hospitalized in critical condition with Covid , and I lost my job. I felt I had no strength left to start this business , but I pushed through ! I made it happen because I refused to let the dream die . I wanted to make my family proud , and most of all make myself proud !

On September 29 (my birthday) , I officially launched Brittani Nicole Beauty . I was overwhelmed with grief and joy at the same time. My decision to move forward touched many peope who witnessed the hardship I had been through . I defeated the odds, and it was so surreal to me …

I want to inspire all those women who feel they can’t accomplish their dreams . Through my brand I will accomplish this , all while providing a luxury line that with amazing products.

My product line includes foundations , powders , lipglaze, lipstick , eyeshadow , highlighters and a skin care line as well ! We also recently launched beard oil and beard cleanse for Men!

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

I built my social media pages ORGANICALLY. I joined Facebook groups full of people who shared common interest with me and would participate in engagement post ! Anytime I had an opportunity to introduce myself or business I took it . I connected with individuals and had real conversation about myself , my business , and my plans to network with other likeminded individuals .

My best advice for anyone just starting out is to be consistent , be real , and be receptive . Social media is a great place for advertising , but you have to sell yourself before you sell your product ! Your audience has to believe in you before they believe in what you sell .

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

When I was almost ready to launch my business , I was set on the manufacturer that I liked and wanted to work with . I had worked on my logo and submitted all of my paperwork only to Find out that they could not go forth with my request . I became very upset , and called my business coach , the amazing Jasmine Morales (Levels on Demand) and explained to her my Dilemna. She said something to me then that I will carry with me as I grow in business :

“Don’t be married to the process !” – She told me that there will be times where logos may change, or products will be discontinued , etc . You have to do business as usual and be able to pivot around what seems to be a roadblock . Needless to say , I found another manufacturer who was in tune with my vision and everything I desired . Definitely a lesson learned .

Contact Info:

• Website: Brittaninicolebeauty.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/brittaninicolebeauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittaniNicoleBeauty
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittani-nicole-beauty-250418273

Image Credits
Professional Photos by Bracy Photos