We recently connected with Missy Ladner and have shared our conversation below.

Missy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The mission of The Beauty Exec is to bring convenience and quality cosmetic products to makeup wearers like myself without the costly prices of more well known makeup companies in my industry. I have been involved in the beauty industry for years and I have collected tips and tricks and different product ideas from makeup trends I see online to products from high end name brand cosmetic companies. I use my experience as a makeup artist and avid makeup wearer to hand pick, design, and curate the products that I bring to my customers. There is a story of origin behind almost every product I sell. They were born from an idea where I had a light bulb go off and I said, “ AH- HA! This is something that every makeup lover needs!” I did my research and found the best quality, innovative products to put on the market and I learn from customer feedback as well as personal use of my products to make changes and upgrade my business as I go.

Missy , 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?

I got into the makeup industry when I was just a teenager and used to watch video tutorials on how to use makeup in different ways to perfect my skills. I took this a step further by creating an account on Instagram to showcase my makeup in hopes of promoting popular big name makeup brands and being recognized. I applied to and started working for some well known makeup retailers such as Sephora and even became a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics. While working from dusk till dawn daily, I was exhausted and feeling like I wasn’t fulfilling my true purpose in life. I knew I needed to be the boss of my own story, not just someone who spent my days busting my butt to help someone else fulfill their dream. I realized, some of us are workers, and some of us HIRE workers.. I wanted to be on the latter end of that spectrum. After brainstorming, I decided to start a cosmetic company. I took the legal steps to ensure my company was legitimized and started creating! I created my business name, got me a logo, and created my website and social media accounts.. I started searching for companies that produce the products I was interested in selling and weeding through them to find the best ones to fit my companies mission. I started working with some companies to design makeup including my best sellers- my paraben and cruelty free eyeshadow pallets that are made from recycled materials and are all custom designed by me. I make sure to provide safe products and my company proudly stands behind vegan and cruelty free products.

The main problems I address for my customers are makeup wearing convenience issues. I provide certain things such as a face powder pallet that I call the Complete Contour Pallet which has six tones from very light to dark so that you can achieve all of your highlighting and contour from just one pallet without having to buy multiple products. One of my favorite convenient products is the Complete Brow Stamp Kit that comes in four different shades, and includes an eyebrow stamp for quick and easy eyebrow styling and ten different eyebrow shaped stencils so that you can achieve any brow look in a matter of seconds. I also offer a variety of three highlighter pallets that have six different shades each- so that you can have multiple highlighter looks from just one pallet. All of these products were inspired by my experience in having to apply makeup quickly and effectively from living with a busy schedule and working on clients in my makeup artist career. I wanted to bring convenience and good quality, affordable products to my fellow makeup wearers.

I want my customers/ clients to know that I am not just the CEO of The Beauty Exec, but I am a small business owner, an artist, a worker, a mother, a homemaker, a busy bee just like everyone else in my community, and my dream is to bring something beautiful to my community and get to know people with likeminded interests and passions. My mission is to make a customer/client feel beautiful and confident and bring convenience to their lives to help them achieve whatever look they desire without breaking the bank.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for my business has been small business vendor markets in my area. I have met so many amazing small business owners and made tons of connections with likeminded individuals and creative minds. Sometimes I have had to drive hours just to show up at a pop up event, with my young infant daughter in tow- and I’m sure most of my small business compadres recognize me as the makeup girl with the baby at this point, which is a fine label if you ask me. The vendor markets are amazing. I have gained a new appreciation for small businesses and I absolutely love the atmosphere around all of the vivacious and motivated entrepreneurs. I highly recommend checking out a vendor mall or pop up event to everyone- there is just something special about getting products from the creator/ business owner themselves, face to face. I love meeting my customers in person. It is the best feeling to see someone return that has shopped with me previously, and seeing returning customers wearing the makeup they’ve purchased from me makes all of the traveling, money spent, and dedication so worth it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I use social media as my main source of advertising and marketing. Personally, I seek new friends or follow numerous new accounts daily. Consistency is key- I know we’ve all heard that one. I found that Facebook is an amazing way to make connections. I may have had Instagram for a year and maybe 200 followers, but on Facebook- I have had for a couple of months and over 1000 connections and hundreds of followers on my business page. I would recommend to anyone with a small business to create a professional business account on every social media platform and consistently create ads and content promoting your products or services. Post atleast once a day- even if it is just a story post. Reach out to potential influencers/promoters for your brand just as big named companies do when they are seeking influencers for their PR lists. Keep your accounts professional. I do not post about my personal business or post personal photos on my business accounts; and when you message people from your business accounts, keep it professional. Think of yourself as a business owner and a professional company and conduct your conversations as such also. Follow companies similar to yours to get ideas about how they market and you’ll see the difference between a business profile and personal profile. Videos are good eye catchers. I would recommend making videos of yourself making, wearing, or using your products and share them regularly. Most people will be attracted to watching someone use the products more than just looking at a picture of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebeautyexec.net/store
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.beauty.exec.llc/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100083052563190/