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

Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

When I started Get Into The Limelight in 2016, I introduced and trademarked the Limelight, a high-quality selfie light that clips onto the back of a cell phone. My first order of Limelights sold out and I was already on to developing glitter-infused silicone sponges and neon-colored disposable cell phone chargers, building out my line of unique products one after the next. Things were going great!

But I realized that it was taking so much time and energy to create new products and keep my customers interested. I took a good look at my business model and realized that if I had a product that people would want to rebuy, my customer acquisition cost would be well worth it and I could grow at a much more rapid pace.

I’ve always loved self-tanner – it’s my go-to beauty product. One layer of self-tanner makes me feel unstoppable! With a background in product development and sourcing, I found a manufacturer in the US, experimented with different ingredients, shades, and scents, and tweaked the product until I got the perfect sulfate-free, paraben-free, and 100% vegan self-tanning product! The rest is history.

Having a product that people want to rebuy, sign up for a subscription, and recommend to their friends was an absolute game-changer in terms of scalability.

Lindsay, 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?

Hi! I’m Lindsay Schneider, owner of Get Into The Limelight and the creator of our award-winning self-tanning mousse.

I am a passionate product developer who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and I am inspired by my dad who bravely came out as gay in the 1990s. After traveling solo out of a backpack for four years, I’ve recently become a proud wife and mama. My story is anything but traditional, but I am proof that in order to be successful, you have to take risks and live every day to the fullest.

In my senior year of high school, I had taken over 8 years of Spanish language and I got accepted into my dream college, Washington University in St. Louis, to study pre-med and become a doctor. My path was set, and I wanted to take some fun classes during my last year in high school so I signed up for Mandarin Chinese. I thought it would be interesting to learn the complex characters and be able to read tattoos on random passersby.

I quickly became head-over-heels in love with the Chinese language and its intricacies and – much to my parents’ dismay – I realized that my heart wasn’t in the medical field. I ended up changing from pre-med to majors in Chinese, international business, and marketing. I studied abroad in Beijing and interned for a company based in both the US and China. After college, I was offered a position with this company in Dongguan, China and lived there for almost 2 years. In this role, I sourced all kinds of products for major brands and retailers: everything from leather sofas for JCPenney, stuffed animals for Edible Arrangements, and trampolines for HSN and QVC.

My parents had come around to my international expat lifestyle and had planned trips to visit me in Asia. Unfortunately, my dad never made it as he died by suicide in November of 2012. Although I was completely heartbroken, I truly felt like I was being taught a huge lesson: that tomorrow is never promised and to live every day to the fullest. Just like that, I quit my job but I made sure to take my procurement skills with me. I started my own company sourcing products for smaller entrepreneurial businesses that were focused on developing products geared towards millennials. Over the next three years, I had sourced all kinds of products for companies including Zappos, Electric Family, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, The Wing, and Common.

I was in and out of factories constantly and I noticed there were amazing beauty tools and accessories that just weren’t making it to the States. Enter: Get Into The Limelight. With just $500, passion, and persistence, I introduced and trademarked the Limelight, a high-quality selfie light that clips onto the back of your phone. My first order of Limelights sold out and I was already on to developing glitter-infused silicone sponges and neon-colored disposable cell phone chargers, building out my line of unique products one after the next. Things were going great!

I was working hard! It was beyond the expected 9-5, and I was plugging back in around 10 or 11pm to chat with factories all over the world. But no matter how much I worked, I’ve always tried to maintain a lifestyle of self-care which for me included going to the gym, cooking healthy food, and applying my go-to beauty product: self-tanner. One layer of self-tanner made me feel unstoppable, and I remember looking at my collection of self-tanning bottles at the time thinking that I had a love-hate relationship with each of them. I pointed to one bottle and thought: “I love this stuff but I cannot stand the smell!” I pointed to another bottle and thought, “This color is my favorite, but it’s super sticky!” and another: “Expensive and stains EVERYTHING!” Nothing I used had exactly what I was looking for in 1 magical bottle.

Sure, I specialize in sourcing furniture, promotional items, and jewelry in China, but as I’ve learned throughout my life, whenever I’ve taken a leap, there has been a net to catch my fall. Why would this be any different? Why couldn’t I take my product development expertise and find a source in the US to help me create the best self-tanning mousse out there? Challenge accepted!

I experimented with different ingredients, shades, and scents, tweaking the product until I got the perfect sulfate-free, paraben-free, and 100% vegan self-tanning product that smells like chocolate! The rest is history.

I definitely didn’t invent self-tanner. I simply redesigned, redefined, and improved upon what’s out there. Get Into The Limelight’s formulas are infused with hydrating, nourishing ingredients and EcoCert approved DHA, and because it’s streak-free, quick-drying, smells amazing, and is dermatologist approved for sensitive skin, it sets it apart from the rest.

Hearing genuine feedback from customers and influencers makes me so proud! I’ve had women with vitiligo and acne issues tell me that nothing works for them like our self-tanners, and when ambassadors and influencers directly message me to say, “I genuinely am obsessed with your tanning formula,” I know I’m doing something right.

I created the name Get Into The Limelight when introducing the selfie ring light, and I decided to keep it while pivoting the brand to promote a different kind of glow. I am determined to create the first self-tanning brand that shares the love of a healthy glow and instant confidence boost by featuring real customers and building an inclusive community.

As the daughter of a parent in an underrepresented group, diversity and inclusion has always been a huge part of my life. The sudden loss of my dad is the reason why I started this journey and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it’d lead me to grow Get Into The Limelight into what it is today.

Family is such a big part of my life. Without my family, there is no way this business would be successful. My mom has helped me pack up thousands of orders while I lived abroad and does it with 100% accuracy while working a kick-ass full-time job. My uncle, who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, says his favorite part of the day is when he gets to pick up the orders from my mom and drive them to the local post office. My entire family has been an integral part of the brand’s growth and success and I could not have gotten to this point without their support.

I’ve learned that we all struggle, life isn’t always easy, we make mistakes, feel defeated at times, and sometimes we even fail, but with passion, persistence, fearlessness, and optimism, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that we are exactly where we should be.

I am proud of how much Get Into The Limelight has grown and while it may have taken awhile, I’ve learned to embrace my story and who I am along the way. I call this brand my first baby, and now more than ever, I’m ready to take on my second. Cue my most important role yet: #momtrepreneur.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

It took $500 to start my business and each time I would sell product, I would reinvest it back into the business. I’ve bootstrapped my entire business for the last almost 6 years now!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I like to think my customers know they can always come to me not only for tanning application tips and tricks but also for life advice or even just to chat. I’m the face of the brand on social media and I’m always DMing, voice messaging, and emailing my customers personally. I love that my customers know me by name, and I also love asking for their feedback and opinions on major brand decisions. Keeping customers at the forefront of the business and treating them the way I’d want to be treated as a customer is what I believe to be the biggest driver of brand loyalty.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.getintothelimelight.com
• Instagram: @getintothelimelight
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/getintothelimelight

Image Credits
@nilsaprowant @sammisweetheart @misshollyallen @efergie13 @justinedivanna