We were lucky to catch up with Mikeal Jinae recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mikeal thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

In 2021, I had an idea to create and launch a lip gloss as I was inspired by the early 2000’s aesthetic. During this time, I was using FENTY’s lipgloss and had just run out. I absolutely loved the texture and the color of Rihanna’s gloss and decided to research how to make lip gloss. Lip gloss had always been a staple for me especially living through the early 2000’s where MAC lipgloss was the thing to have. After doing a ton of research, I decided to try it out and create a lip gloss that used all natural ingredients as well as create a formula and color ALL could wear. After a few tries, I finally created my perfect formula. I tested it out for a few weeks then I asked a few people to test it out. Honestly, this was the most nerve racking part as I had to wait on their feedback. When I received their feedback, my heart was so full as they all said they loved it. Not one person knew each other but they all gave me the same feedback of ” It feels so good on my lips! I love the color, and my lips feel moisturized.” I knew right then and there I was on to something.

As time went on, I kept thinking about all the feedback I was getting on my gloss and decided to start a self care beauty line that focused on self love, self confidence, and self care. One thing I know is when you look good you feel good and that was something I kept in the forefront. I also reflected on my self care regimen and realized I had been practicing self care my whole life but I didn’t notice it because it had become a lifestyle. Once I arrived at that realization, I wanted to encourage this lifestyle for all. Especially after something as devastating as the pandemic, I wanted to share this lifestyle to help build back our self confidence.

In 2022, I started doing research on different natural oils and how they benefit our skin. I had seen a great opportunity to support people with their self care journey and decided to create an LLC and jump into this beauty business head first. I had no idea what I was doing to get this process going, but what I did know is that I wanted to embark on this journey. Come to find out, California was giving the opportunity to create a free LLC and a friend of mine had shared that she got her LLC and walked me through the ins and outs of how to complete it. I saw this as a sign and an alignment for me to get my business off the ground. We utilized all resources to ensure we had the correct documents to support our business. While figuring out the logistics and the paperwork, I had to still learn how to build a website for myself as I was working with a small budget. Needless to say, there was a lot of self execution and a lot of learning in this beginning stage. On October 17, 2022, I became an official business owner with my LLC. I was so proud but I knew more work had to be done.

December 12, 2022, I launched M’Jayelle showcasing 3 products. This was such a monumental moment for me. To go from just an idea to executing and launching my self care line was an example that I can do anything I put my mind to. Owning an LLC was just a goal on my journey and I achieved that. Today, M’Jayelle is still growing and now offers lip scrubs, body scrubs, and a body souffle, with plans to introduce more products to use during your self care journey.

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 Mikeal Jinae and I am originally from San Jose, CA. I moved out to LA in 2012 to pursue the life of entertainment. I was a professional dancer for 12 years and worked with many artists. After deciding to change my career of dancing, I decided to go to school for Fashion Design at the Arts Institute in Hollywood. In 2015, I graduated with my Associates Degree in Fashion Design and decided to go back to retail which I had done many years prior. My plan during this time was to work in retail to make a living while working in the fashion industry as an intern. Though that was my plan, I did not take that path. I was promoted twice within my job and decided to see where this path would take me.

In 2021, the pandemic hit and the world was shut down. I was laid off from my job and I was on unemployment. I remember talking to my friends about how much down time we have and how this would be the perfect time to do all the things we wanted to do. I began a tiktok channel (@mikealjinaelee) and focused on fashion and dance since that was my specialty. I started gaining so many followers and figured why not introduce a new brand, that’s where it all began. I created a clothing line and was very inspired by the early 2000’s era. Remember how everything was about bling, your lip gloss had to be extra shiny? Body sprays and lotions were also a really big deal at this time. So I decided to create a lip gloss in addition to my clothing line.

Once I figured out my formula, I let a few of my friends try my gloss, and they all loved it. One of my friends said, “Girl you are onto something and should consider the beauty industry”. She did mention that it can be hard but with what I have already, I could really set myself apart. What makes my gloss special is it being hand crafted and made with all natural ingredients. Not only do you have a gloss that has a nice sheen and neutral color, M’Jayelle’s gloss keeps your lips moisturized. After all of the feedback I received, I decided to really take this self care beauty line seriously. One thing I focused on with my product is ensuring you reap all the benefits of the ingredients used. From dry skin to chapped lips my product assists with nourishing your skin to make you feel confident.

As time went by, I realized how imperative it is to truly take care of yourself. Whether that be taking time out to nourish your skin, or taking time out to learn how to appreciate and truly love yourself. One thing that I am most proud of is being able to create a product that is beneficial, healthy, and safe. To be able to create formulas that work and to be able to support my followers with their self care journey. One important thing I want my followers to know is…..Learning to love yourself starts with how you treat yourself and that is what I want to share with our Beauties. It is my goal to support you on your journey and help you realize self love conquers all.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

When choosing a platform to sell on you want to make sure the tools given are useful for what you want to accomplish. Although I was a huge advocate for Squarespace, I decided to use Shopify as the home for M’Jayelle. Shopify has many great tools to assist E-Commerce businesses. They have made it very easy to connect all of the resources needed to do marketing and sell. One thing I love most about the Shopify platform is the customer service. They are extremely helpful and are available whenever you need them to assist you. Shopify has made navigating their platform user friendly. You do not have to be a tech guru to build an intriguing website. I have considered using Amazon business or Etsy to sell my product. I believe both platforms have their benefits depending on how you want to sell your products. Each platform has their own fees so my advice is do what is right for you.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience is the tougher part of the job. It requires consistency and transparency. Although M’Jayelle is a new business, one thing I found to help build your audience is constant posting on all social media platforms. You have to be ok with reminding people you exist as well as engage with them. Another way I have brought more attention to my brand is marketing. Instagram and Facebook both have marketing tools that allow you to choose your demographic by location, age, and sex. This method allows you to really target the audience you are seeking to buy your brand. My biggest learning and is not talked about enough is your brand aesthetic and photo/ video quality. People love nice things and truly shop with their eyes. Especially being an E-commerce business you want to focus on creating a lifestyle that people would enjoy, and show them how they can achieve that. Although the social media algorithm plays a huge part in your success with reaching people and capturing your audience, the above mentions will really help you achieve your reach and gain more clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mjayelle.com
• Instagram: @mjayelle_beauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/MJayelle/100092188076550/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: Tik Tok: mjayelle_beauty

Image Credits
Want to give a shout out to my friend Courtney for taking such beautiful photos of my brand ( photo in red)