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

Kimberly, appreciate you joining us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today

If I could go back and start my entrepreneurial journey over there are a few things that I would have done differently. First, I wouldn’t have spent the amount of money that I did on trying to provide an expansive product line. I would have start with one item, probably lipsticks, and spent that money marketing the product. If no one knows about your business, it doesn’t matter how many items you have to offer. Second, I would have joined accelerators and programs that help me craft my business plan, fine tune my mission, and offer funding resources ( access to bankers, grant money, loans, etc.). Joining these programs help you network with other like minded people as well as people that can propel your business to the next level. Last, I would have networked more. The later part of 2022, I really started to go to events and put myself in spaces that had people in my industry and outside of my industry whether it be a trade show or a local networking event. Having a network of fellow entrepreneur will help you in areas that you ma be struggling with because these people have probable already been through the issues you’re experiencing. Also, you will find accountability partners who help you stay true to your business goals. With this being said, I believe if I would have started my journey doing these things, my business would be further than it is now.

Kimberly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Loving Lacquer Cosmetics is a minority owned cosmetics company that sells art inspired makeup products (lipstick, lip lacquer, lip liners, beauty tools, and more) that enables customers to express their creativity through the application of makeup. Our customers use makeup to enhance their natural beauty, as a tool to express their creativity, and to conceal problem areas. All these activities lead to a boost of confidence and self-fulfillment.

I have always been a creative person. In 2011, when I was a college student, I was inspired to start a nail polish line because I liked expressing my creativity through nail designs. I owned over 50 bottles of nail polish and would polish my fellow freshman dormmate’s nails to earn money. This hobby was a stress-free, creative outlet for me and allowed me to build relationships with the girls living in my dorm. I originally began mixing pigments and clear coated nail polish to create custom nail polishes and the idea took a back seat as I focused more on my college studies. In 2015, my senior year in college, the idea resurfaced when I chose to research the beauty industry for her a project in my class. During this time, I had also taken a strong interest in lipstick and other beauty products. I had plans to begin selling my nail polish creations online after graduating from college, but due to disheartening comments from a chemistry professor at my school that I sought out, I chose not to move forward with the plans.

I’m also an art lover who is inspired by the art around me. I have friends who are artists that draw, or paint and I noticed that there were many similarities in the tools and techniques that painters and professional makeup artists use to create their work. Through conversations with artists, I realized that makeup artists struggle to find people that view makeup artistry in the same light as well-known artists such as Andy Warhol and Monet. In 2019, I decided to finally take the steps to launch the cosmetics company that I always wanted. I wanted to merge my two interests: art and beauty, while solidifying the makeup industry as true artistry in the eyes of the public. Starting this company gave me an outlet to re-discover the artist and creative within myself.

I’m most proud of our recent placement as a finalist in the Houston Community College Business Plan Competition. The program was demanding and I’m happy to have secured funding as a result of participating.

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

Loving Lacquer Cosmetics was launched in January of 2020. We were making sales online and doing local pop-up shops, which is valuable to connect with consumers for sales and marketing purposes. Things were starting off well, but little did we know, in March of that year everything would shut down. People began to work from home with the cameras off or only were dressed from the waist up. This affected us as a beauty brand that sells makeup because a lot of women no longer felt like they needed to focus on getting themselves dolled up for work or any other outing. At this point, we had to figure out how to pivot. We began to focus on selling items that could be seen from above the nose such as eyelashes, eye shadow palettes, and promoting gift cards. COVID 19 truly put a damper on the plans we had to promote the brand to the community. Launching a business during the pandemic was a challenge, but it taught us how to pivot, be a problem solver, and remain resistant to change!

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

When starting my business, to find vendors to create my products I initially purchased a vendor list from a page on Facebook. I didn’t use any of the vendors from that list but it did give me a starting point and showed me where to start. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have started my search for a manufacturer/vendor at a trade show.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lovinglacquercosmetics.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovinglacquercosmetics.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovinglacquercosmetics.com