We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kevin Freiberg. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kevin below.
Hi Kevin, thanks for 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?
So I’ve been in the cosmetics industry for just over a decade now, and the journey to landing where I am now was a wild one! I landed a job at Sephora while I was still in college and working as a hairstylist, and this idea started to form for my own line of products. In 2017 I started to literally sketch out logos and I would research the key ingredients in all my favorite products I used from Sephora- and imagine how I could make them better.
Years went by and I continued to test out samples and nothing ever really stuck. I constantly doubted myself, doubted how I would make skincare, even doubted if anyone wanted what I was trying to create.
It took the pandemic happening and losing my stability in the industry for me finally put my back into it and finance the line. I sat down, googled my heart and soul out, and started mapping out the production process. I had to find a lab to produce the formulas, a manufacturer for the packaging, trademark attorney, licensing, the entire nine yards.
I will not sugar coat this, it was overwhelming. I felt so small compared to what I had to accomplish to even have a physical product, but I managed! I made lists of priorities and took those day by day. Now, after all the labor and stress, I have a finished product that’s being set for a January 2023 launch!
Kevin, 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?
If you had to relate me to anything, you’d relate me to beauty. I started out sweeping hair salon floors when I was 17 and now at 27 I’m attempting to launch a beauty brand (FREI BEAUTY).
I’ve worked in all areas of the beauty industry, from salons to retailers to film and production; I have seen it all. Like a kid in a candy store, I’m always searching for a new flavor of my career to excite me!
I now currently work in e-commerce and production, creating images for a lot of the brands you love & wear daily! I offer professional hair and makeup services and I’ve been known to dabble into bridal and milestone events too.
The thing that sets me apart from anyone else in the industry is my heart. I have spent my entire career lifting up as many as I can. If you call me, I’ll answer. If you need training, I’ll have you over and we’ll go through some tips and tricks. On set, I go where I’m needed and lend hands to any artist in need. I believe with all my soul, knowledge is power. If I can share what I’ve got and how I got it, I can leave a legacy behind and build future professionals who will continue to inspire!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding your business is the struggle. If there’s anything that will kill a dream, it’s funding. I knew launching FREI BEAUTY that I never wanted to have public investors or loans. I wanted my baby to come to life, exactly as that; MY baby.
I’ve worked 7 days a week for so long I’ve lost track. I became a workaholic, and I lived for my career. I saved and instead of purchasing my inventory all at once and launching- I’ve been doing it in steps. Pay for the groundwork, get the licensing, get the foundations moving- then with your next bundle of savings, invest in the next step!
There’s no set time on a dream. You make it happen exactly at the pace you can afford.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Flexibility has saved my dream so many times I can’t even count. You MUST be able to adapt to changing times if you want a long lasting, fruitful business. When Covid shut down the world, I was a coordinator for Shiseido Brands and I lost that position. I had no income, nothing to work with, so I pivoted!
I started offering at-home hair and makeup services (safely and masked up) and I launched online booking for a premium price where you could click a button and I’d be at your home- to keep you feeling beautiful and supported.
When times get difficult and things change, don’t give up. Use that to inspire a new direction. It doesn’t have to be a permanent direction, but you just might discover new paths to achieve your same goals!
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Image Credits
Katie Parker Rixon Whitney Smith Zach Arias