We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mado-sue Dembele a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mado-Sue thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Believe it or not, the spark for my business journey ignited during my college years, around 2011-2012. I can almost close my eyes and feel the vibrancy of those days as if it were yesterday. Picture this: walking the historic yard of Howard University, the number one HBCU in the country. It was a transformative time for me—embracing independence, discovering and owning my feminine energy, and crafting my unique sense of style through fashion and beauty.

This was more than just a period of self-exploration; it was where I found my voice. I remember my close friends constantly asking, “Who does your lashes?” “Where do you get your hair extensions?” “How do you style your outfits?” It became clear that people were naturally drawn to my aesthetic and my perspective on beauty and fashion. That’s when I realized I had a unique and valuable voice in the beauty space.

However, like many young entrepreneurs, I didn’t know where or how to start. What I did know was my passion: empowering others to embrace their individuality through style, beauty, and self-expression. For me, beauty has always been more than skin deep; it’s about self-identity, confidence, and celebration.

Fast forward to January 1 of this year. With a renewed sense of purpose, I wrote “Deusay Beauty” on my vision board. That act was more than symbolic; it was the first step in bringing a years-long dream to life. I quickly established Deusay Beauty as an LLC and committed to turning my passion into a tangible, thriving business. My initial focus was on selling luxury strip lashes through my online Shopify store. But my vision extends far beyond that.

My ultimate goal is to revolutionize how beauty products are accessed. I plan to launch vending machines stocked with my favorite beauty essentials—strip lashes, cluster lashes, lip gloss, and press-on nails. It’s about convenience, accessibility, and empowerment for women on the go.

What excites me most about this journey is the opportunity to fill a gap in the beauty market while staying true to my mission: celebrating the beauty and diversity of self-expression. This isn’t just a business; it’s a movement. I’m creating a space where beauty meets empowerment, and I couldn’t be more excited about the journey ahead.

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 Mado-Sue Dembele, and I’m the founder and CEO of Deusay Beauty, an online beauty brand offering luxurious yet affordable beauty essentials. I’m a proud Black millennial, fashionista, and beauty enthusiast based in Philadelphia. I’m also a first-generation American—my parents immigrated from Ivory Coast in West Africa, and from an early age, they instilled in me the value of hard work and entrepreneurship. Watching them build a life in a new country inspired me to dream big and take charge of my own journey.

My love for beauty and business was sparked during my time at Howard University, where I earned a degree in Marketing. Walking the historic yard, I found myself immersed in a world of self-expression, style, and confidence. This is where I fell in love with lashes and realized their power to transform not only a look but also a person’s sense of self. That love grew into a passion for helping others feel beautiful and empowered through beauty.

I didn’t stop there. I went on to earn a Master’s in Communication from Southern New Hampshire University, further sharpening my skills in brand building and storytelling. Today, I’m proud to say that I’m implementing these hands-on skills in my business every single day. Alongside running Deusay Beauty, I currently work full-time as a Marketing Manager. This role has deepened my expertise in connecting with audiences and crafting impactful campaigns—tools that have been invaluable in growing my brand.

At Deusay Beauty, we specialize in premium mink strip lashes designed to enhance your natural beauty and boost your confidence. But my vision doesn’t stop with lashes. I’m working towards launching vending machines that will make beauty essentials—strip lashes, cluster lashes, lip gloss, and press-on nails—accessible anytime, anywhere. My goal is to redefine convenience while maintaining the quality and glam that my customers love.

What sets Deusay Beauty apart is our commitment to celebrating self-expression and individuality. We’re not just selling products; we’re creating a community where beauty and empowerment go hand in hand. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most important lessons I had to unlearn on my entrepreneurial journey is the fear of showing my face and using my own voice to market my brand on social media. For context, I’ve always been a more private person when it comes to my personal social media. I rarely post on my feed and prefer sharing glimpses of my life through stories, which feel more fleeting and low-pressure.

However, when I launched Deusay Beauty, I quickly realized that building a brand required a completely different approach. I couldn’t hide behind my products or logo; I needed to step into the spotlight and shout about my business from the mountain tops—even if it felt uncomfortable at first. I had to remind myself that my passion and authenticity are what make my brand unique, and those qualities needed to shine through in my content.

Initially, I was worried that posting frequent business-related content would annoy my followers or even lead to people unfollowing me. But the truth is, the people who believe in your vision will stick around and support you, and those who don’t were never your target audience to begin with.

Once I embraced this mindset, I leaned into the discomfort and started sharing more of my entrepreneurial journey, my face, and my voice. The more I showed up as my authentic self, the more I connected with my audience. This shift not only helped me grow my brand but also taught me the power of vulnerability and storytelling in marketing.

The lesson here? Don’t be afraid to show up for your brand unapologetically. People want to connect with the person behind the business, and your authenticity is what will ultimately set you apart.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One story that perfectly illustrates my resilience comes from the early days of launching Deusay Beauty and building my Shopify website. Shopify seemed like the right choice, but learning to create a user-friendly, visually appealing site was an uphill battle. I spent countless late nights watching tutorials, tweaking my layout, and testing different features to ensure my customers had a seamless shopping experience.

After launching the site, I was eager to see the sales pour in, but the reality was far different. Those first few weeks were slow—painfully slow. It felt like all my hard work wasn’t paying off, and I started questioning whether I had what it took to succeed. But instead of letting that initial disappointment defeat me, I chose to see it as a learning opportunity.

I dove deeper into refining my website, learning about the most effective apps to enhance my store. I discovered tools for email marketing, abandoned cart recovery, and improving customer navigation, all of which made a noticeable difference in user experience and engagement. I also optimized my product descriptions and visuals to better reflect the high quality of my lashes.

At the same time, I doubled down on my marketing efforts, using social media to drive traffic and connect with potential customers. Slowly but surely, things began to turn around. Sales started to pick up, and I saw firsthand the impact of resilience and a willingness to adapt.

That experience taught me two invaluable lessons: success takes time, and you have to be open to continuous learning and improvement. Today, I’m proud of how far my business has come and the strong foundation I’ve built. Resilience, coupled with the determination to keep learning, has been my greatest asset in overcoming challenges and growing Deusay Beauty.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://deusaybeauty.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deusaybeauty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?viewas=100000686899395&id=61559689565299
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deusaybeauty?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc