Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melody Gomez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Melody, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I had a problem, and I fixed it. As a woman who wears makeup, the end of the day was always the most challenging for me, washing off my makeup. I used to downright skip it after a long day as an attorney and just wash my face int he shower in the morning. As time went on I tried every product you could think of, terrycloth towels, wash cloths, single use makeup wipes, etc and none of them did the job right. Finally, when I was pregnant and extra exhausted at the end of the day, I decided to put this problem to bed, once and for all. I did research on different materials to try and find something that was gentle for all skin types but still effective. I found a manufacturer who was willing to work with someone who knew very little about what she was doing and we worked together for about a year to develop the perfect product, a BRIYO.
BRIYO is a reusable face cloth. You can use it to wash your face and remove your make up and best of all it is environmentally kind. Unlike traditional washcloths, it doesn’t have to be washed after every use. BRIYO can be washed once a week with your towels, no special soap or handling required. Once it’s washed it’s good to go for another week. It’s also good for up to 90 washes so no need to invest in single use products made up or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Since I created BRIYO I was my face everyday and thanks to BRIYO it’s more than just a checkmark on my to do list, it’s a luxurious experience that starts and ends my day, everyday.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a first-generation, Latina and an attorney by trade. My long hours as a litigating attorney contributed to my inspiration for BRIYO because I often found myself too exhausted to simply wash my face because of the time I knew it would take to get it done. Being first generation I am intimately aware of the guilt we carry when we afford ourselves small luxuries, which is why I ensured BRIYO was affordable for all people who wanted to add a bit of self-care to their everyday face washing routines.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
My business is entirely self-funded. My husband and I were able to set apart a portion of our savings at the end of the year so I could put in my first order for the launch of BRIYO. Every single dollar we have made we have put back into the business, investing in my idea and my dream. Since I lounged in November of 2024 I have developed a steady source of customers online and have expanded to spas and retail. We also were recently able to design a travel version of BRIYO which we are launching around the holidays.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Organic advertising and social media has been the best strategy for growing my clientele. When I first launched, I assumed (naively), that I could get BRIYO to a few influencers and I’d be off the races. Turns out the social media market is totally inundated with influencers who are willing to make a video about anything, so it’s really hard to find someone with a following who will also purchase the product. After a few months of seeing no return on that investment I decided to start making my own videos and gifting BRIYOs to influencers, macro and micro alike, for their honest review and no requirement of posting unless they wanted to. I found that these types of posts and videos got me the most traction and sales because it was people who genuinely liked the product and weren’t being paid for their review.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://briyoskin.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/briyoskin
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briyoskin
Image Credits
Katelyn Morris