We recently connected with Suhay Gonzalez and have shared our conversation below.

Suhay, We appreciate you joining us today. How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.

From the moment I had the idea to create Seis Cosmetics, I knew quality was non-negotiable. My mother was my main inspiration but her battle with a malignant brain tumor made me conscious about the ingredients and process. Finding a manufacturer required a lot of research, interviews, face to face visits and thorough discussions. Based in Florida it is a requirement to meet Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards but that was not enough for me personally; I strived to also meet European Union (EU) compliance since they ban more than 1200 ingredients in my company’s category. It’s important for me to offer vegan, plant based and items free of gluten and parabens, to include a product made with organic ingredients.

My manufacturers are exceptional and have more than 70 years of experience and comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). I decided to work with them because of the excellent customer service and level of expertise, plus their ability to understand my objective was critical.

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 background and context?

I’m a proud mom of an Army Veteran. I’m also the daughter of an independent and resilient woman. My entire life I’ve worked in the accounting, auditing and finance field and currently serve as the Chief Financial Officer for a federal agency. Despite my successful professional career, I have also appreciated makeup and cosmetics. I was born and raised in New York by a latin mother who refused to leave the house unless she had a little lipstick or lipgloss. When my mother lost her battle to a Glioblastoma brain tumor, it affected me emotionally and spiritually. One day, I woke up and refused to be depressed. I made the decision to use my creativity and knowledge to build Seis Cosmetics. As a makeup enthusiast, I took all my lessons learned from buying cosmetics, all my years doing my makeup and created what I wanted to purchase. I also became what I wanted to see, a woman of color owning, leading and offering exceptional lip care products and quality color cosmetics. Most importantly, as the founder and CEO, I pledged to donate a portion of the profit towards brain tumor research in honor of my mother. For the readers, if you’re passionate about anything, pursue it!

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

Social media has changed how we’ve known business to be. I started building my presence on Instagram and Facebook three years prior to launching. I initially did it to secure the company’s name but as I conducted research and engaged with others, I started to build momentum. I posted some sneak peaks, behind the scenes and posts to intrigue interest. Once I launched, it was amazing to see how many customers were tagging and sharing their content. Consumer generated content is the best review and referral. My advice to any new entrepreneur is to ensure you have quality images, schedule your posts and engage with your audience. Remember to include detailed captions and always provide excellent customer service.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I keep in touch with my clients and foster brand loyalty by sending emails to capture reviews, offer discounts to returning customers, paying attention to the comments and engaging. It’s important to listen for the ask and stay current with up and coming trends. Launching new products is also needed. Sometimes it is not only about the product, flexibility for example, is also important. During the pandemic we offered a variety of payment options, i.e. 4 installment payments to customers. As a business owner, it’s imperative to be customer centered because people will always remember the experience and return for quality items.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.seiscosmetics.com
• Instagram: @seis_cosmetics
• Facebook: @seiscosmeticsllc
• Other: Tik Tok @seiscosmetics

Image Credits
Rebel Brand Management, South Florida Inspire, Suhay Gonzalez