Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Quita Michelle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Quita, appreciate you joining 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.

In 2019 God gave me the vision to go out and do what I love, encouraging women to feel and look beautiful. The idea for HQC came because I wanted women to celebrate inner beauty. We all know that true beauty is only skin deep but, in a world, where everyone is focused and judged on outer beauty, many women have forgotten that true beauty is within. Many have lost their inner beauty trying to keep up with what the world defines as beauty. I launched HQC with the goal of creating quality, innovative cosmetic products for women of all origins and for everyone who wears our products to discover their true beauty (Queen) within while using our products to express it outwardly! HQC “For the Queen in You”

Quita, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi Queens, my name is Marquita (Quita Michelle) Toliver, and I am the Founder and Visionary of HQC. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, as a child I have always loved everything about beauty!! Helping others look and feel beautiful has always been my passion. But for a young girl, growing up in the projects comes with many challenges, especially a girl told she would never be anything. No one plans to become a teen mother, high school dropout living on welfare. Despite the dark days, I would envision myself changing the narrative. When everything around you fear to dream and refuses to see beyond the current circumstance, one can easily fall prey to becoming a product of their environment.
Becoming a teen mom lit a fire under me to press my way through my first-born son gave me a reason to live again. After giving birth to him, I decided to return back to school. Before 2004 there had yet to be a graduated female in our family. In May 2004, I became the first female in my family to graduate high school. I walked so that the women to come after me could run! So, imagine the joy I felt to witness five more females in my family graduating!
Yes, the girl many told she would never be anything had broken a generational curse! It felt great showing my younger sisters and cousins that graduating high school is possible.

“God doesn’t put limits on us, so why should we”!

A Queen is never afraid to experiment. My experimentation was to become the change I desired to see. 2018 turned out to be one of the best years of my life. A Queen’s position, her throne comes with seasons of challenges. I miscarried, and this led me into a dark, depressing place. With only two months remaining to obtain my associate degree and I wanted to quit! Here’s the truth, I wanted to die. I had no hope. Then, I Surrendered to God and started to rebuild my life with the very bricks’ life had thrown at me. I persevered and developed my confidence, mind, and joyful spirit back. Determined to unlock the Queen God created me to be and live in my purpose!!
April 30, 2018, I became the first person in my family to hold a college degree. During my healing, life became defined. I started playing in makeup. I had no clue what I was doing, but the feeling I felt while playing in it was amazing. It was therapeutic for me. Makeup helped me express how I felt outwardly. Like a “Queen Created by God!

I launched HQC Cosmetics, a company curated for women like myself, discovering the Queen within. At HQC there is no judgement, makeup is art, discover your true(inner) beauty within and express it outwardly. The Queen God created you to be is within your inner beauty!! Unlock HER! Thank you for being a part of this Journey!!

xoxo

Quita. Michelle

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

Before I stepped out on Faith and went full time with my business, I was a school bus driver for Houston ISD, drove for uber eats part time, worked as a home health care provider, and filed income taxes during tax season to invest in my business. That how I saved the initial capital to start HQC.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

HQC uses a vendor to manufacture our products. Finding the right vendor can be challenging, all through purchasing a vendor list online may be the easiest way to go. I didn’t purchase one. I put in the work and did my own research on different manufactures, tested plenty of samples until I found a manufacture that can meet the needs of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: hqbeauties.com
• Instagram: hqc_cosmetics
• Facebook: HQC Cosmetics

Image Credits
Pure Image