We recently connected with Jassma’ray Johnson and have shared our conversation below.
Jassma’ray, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
At 6 years old, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness- this not only affected my insides, but my outsides too. I was diagnosed with Graves disease- some symptoms included puffy skin, bulging eyes, and hair loss, and that’s just to name a few. For years I struggled with anxiety and confidence, and I distinctly remember being in 4th grade, crying in bathroom stalls because my features began being made fun of heavily. As a Black girl at a predominantly white Elementary school in the middle of Iowa, I was different from the majority that surrounded me- the way I talked was different. The way I looked was different.. My skin, my face, my hair. Everything about me seemed to be too big- from my nose to my eyes, to my lips, to my personality, and to my voice.
Being a black girl is being a subject of ridicule. Bullies made me feel extremely insecure about myself, and my lips in particular seemed to be the butt of everyone’s jokes. At the time, having bigger lips seemed to be a crime , and I truly hated myself for that. I tried to find comfort in television, but the version of beauty that mainstream markets pushed was the complete opposite of me. Pale skin, blue eyes, small lips and small frames. I felt alienated and invisible at the same time. It wasn’t until I discovered the black sitcom Moesha that inspired me to become the author of my own story and to redefine what beauty meant to me.
Moesha was a brown skin girl that had big lips, box braids, and a keen sense of style. Every episode, her lips were layered in the prettiest shades of lipgloss and lipstick. Not only was she beautiful, she was talented, confident, poised, and headstrong- never letting anyone dim her light and she went after every opportunity despite the hurdles. I had finally seen someone on the television who I could relate to and she was beautiful – but most importantly – for the first time in forever she looked like me. Moesha is what inspired me to start investing in my own beauty. I asked my mother to purchase me a lip gloss, but she told me that it was not age appropriate. The jokes were getting worse at school, and I knew that feeling pretty was a protest and I was determined to create my own revolution, so I did not let my mom stop me.
I was taught to use my resources- so one day I hacked into my neighbors wifi and was able to look up different formulas that would help me create my own lipgloss. Unfortunately, we did not have any of those ingredients in my house, but my innovation skills led me to use what we did have – a tube of vaseline and a packet of kool aid. 4th grade me stood behind the stove and mixed the two ingredients until I created my very 1st lipgloss. My family didn’t have the funds to invest in making this project into anything bigger than an at home craft, but the memory stuck with me forever. Ever since that day, I learned how to love myself a little bit harder.
Time went by, and I started attending Iowa State University. As a Black girl at a predominantly white institution, I was reminded of my childhood self. I felt ignored and didn’t seem to fit in at my college. Similar to 4th grade me, I decided once again that I was going to change the narrative to my story.
Mixing activism and innovation, at 18 years old, on February 4th, 2020, and from the dorm room of Friley Residence Hall, my brand was born. It took me a couple of months to prepare for my launch. A lot of research, YouTube videos, and trial and error to get the perfect formula. I started with only one lipgloss, but now I have a little over 13 products, shades, lip balms and scrubs. I had to figure out where I was going to create and where I was going to sell. I made magic right in my dorm room, and would meet people on campus to sell them products, My cosmetics were like magic- something to make the small number of women of color around me feel powerful in a place where we had been silenced. My middle name is Sámone, a name of french origin meaning TO BE HEARD- and my brand is doing just that.
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 Jassma’ray Johnson and I am the CEO and Founder of a socially conscious cosmetics company. Simply Sámone LLC- where we create handmade cosmetic formulas that enable all women to feel beautiful, confident, and revolutionized in their own skin while encouraging, inspiring, and empowering. Currently, I am a senior at Iowa State University majoring in Psychology with minors in African American Studies and Communications.
At 18 years old, and from the dorm room of Friley residence hall, my brand was born. I am a student turned social entrepreneur- my childhood adversity sparked within me a passion for social justice, innovation, mental health and marketing. My core values include healing, service and change- which helps drives the intentional things I do behind my brand,
I handle all things Simply Sámone: production, packaging, digital marketing and content creation! I have developed racially-diverse formulas that work for all skin types. I offer high quality, socially conscious, organic and vegan beauty products.
Right now, my focus is lip care- I have hand developed 13 unique products & shades that focus on wide ranges of hard to match skin tones, advocating for all women to radiate self love and to feel their best. I believe that feeling pretty is a protest.
Simply Sámone is an evolution of making beauty a reflection of real life. Our unique and authentic marketing is like no other. We not only center on darker skinned women, but we also have a focus on members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and wider shaped bodies- redefining what is deemed as “beautiful” and challenging racial practices and standards within the cosmetics industry.
Growing up with a chronic illness exposed me to how inaccessible health products can be. There are huge gaps in access, quality, and affordability. This experience has made me intentional when thinking about price points and client outreach. For a long time what defined luxury was the degree of whiteness and inaccessibility it had to communities of color- but my brand works to change that. We are bringing natural and healthy beauty to shelves, salons, and online stores within urban communities at an affordable price.
Last but not least, we go beyond just beauty. Simply Sámone provides opportunities for people who are marginalized & service to the community – something major brands aren’t doing. I create 6 service projects a year that promote mental health, wellness, & service that progress the growth of racial inclusiveness, education, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
I want to push Black excellence by showing others that their dreams do not just have to be dreams, that they can turn them into a true reality just like me. I have partnered with organizations like the Iowa State Daily, Fraternities and Sororities on campus, and local businesses across Iowa to host my own workshops and provide donations to the community. This past summer, I partnered with East High School to create my very 1st scholarship. The scholarship was $1,000 and open to women of color pursuing post secondary education to aid in their endeavors. When I created my business, I promised to use my platform to uplift and empower. I will never forget where I come from, so giving back is essential to me. My customers are not just getting quality products, they are also getting a wholesome experience knowing that their dollars are being used to promote change.
Operating a business while attending my university is no small task, but I dedicate time to take the proper steps to run our business effectively and efficiently, which is something that I am most proud of.
My consistency and hunger to excel continues to pay off. Within the last two years, I have launched my MVP, participated in Iowa State University’s top entrepreneurship program, CYstarters, advanced my entrepreneurial skills at the Okoboji Entrepreneurship Institute, was a Top 13 finalist for the Amazon Web Based Services Pitch Competition, 1st Place in Iowa’s GSEA (Global Student Entrepreneur Awards) and advanced to semifinals, placed 1st in Iowa State University’s Pitch Off Competition, and made the Top 100 for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Conference that took place in Chicago this October.
I have been enrolled in the LAS Innovation and Entrepreneurship academy for two years- where I have been matched with a mentor and grown my leadership skills and entrepreneurial mindset. We are currently sold in 1 retail location and many more will be added in 2023.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I created my business on February 4th, 2020- from my dorm room right before the pandemic hit and college campuses had to make students evacuate and the world was shut down. At the time, I was only offering lip gloss products and I operated by hand delivering my products. With a national pandemic, people were sick, losing jobs, money, and didn’t feel safe. How was I supposed to make an income and deliver products when no one wants to leave the house? When there is a high risk of getting sick? Who wants to spend money on lipgloss when no one can see it under their mask anyways? I had to stop to think critically before my business failed- so I pivoted. I did my research and taught myself how to create organic based lip balms and created a customer facing e-commerce store. Now, my customers can still where their mask on, while having healthy and moisturized lips- and we can reduce the risk of sickness and contact by having an online store. I could have easily gave up, but I refused! My business survived a national pandemic, and that inspires me to take on any and every challenge I May face.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think the personal relationships I created at the beginning of launching my brand is what built my reputation within the market. I used to operate by hand delivering goods- I created and still do create impersonal relationships with each and every customer, trying to create trust within them. This trust makes them feel comfortable with voicing concerns or praises. I always put my customers first and listen to those concerns and praises in order to perfect my craft and make my products the best they can possibly be. This has built a strong and trust worthy reputation for me as a business owner and my brand Simply Sámone within the cosmetics industry. By living my truth and making beauty a reflection of real life no matter what shape or form that comes in!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://simply-samone.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simply.samone_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simply.samonee
- Twitter: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiXtZLiifL8AhUjjIkEHRngAvgQFnoECAcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsimplysamone__&usg=AOvVaw3zsDb7N5jHjnUwhq1wD-a9
Image Credits
Suzanne Corum-Rich