We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzette “Su” Bourgeois. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzette “Su” below.
Suzette “Su”, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I am named after one of my great grandmothers. Suzette is the French version of Susie; my grandmothers name was Susie. The line is named after myself and my grandmother as a way of paying homage, without her of course I wouldn’t be here. My mother always said she was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen, and she named me after her. Everyone describes her as having a big personality and she didn’t take any mess from anyone. I guess we are similar in a lot of ways. I believe the name also embraces our Louisiana Creole heritage in which you will find my cosmetics line is largely influenced by.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a child, I was always engaged by art. It was a way for me to express myself early on other than using words. The ability to capture the beauty of anything in any moment but from your own perspective is something that I was always passionate about. My Mother’s (Michele) side of the family is from New Orleans, and everyone is pretty much talented in some art form or another. My Grandmother Lorraine was an artist, and she had her own photo lab where she focused on photo restoration as well as oil paintings. One day while visiting my grandmother at her Photo Lab, she gave me a disposable camera and from then on, I knew what God put me here to do. I went to school for Video Production at the Art Institute of Atlanta and graduated with academic honors. The film industry is tough, and cutthroat plus filled with men who don’t respect your position. It wasn’t easy at all and on top of that, I was the only woman to graduate in my field that semester, so the pressure was on! Following that, I pursued my degree in Theatre Arts at Clark Atlanta University, which was a life-changing experience. When I graduated from the Art Institute, I knew how to work in my field. After attending Clark Atlanta, I knew who I was as a person as well as a professional. I received full support from my Professors and Department Chair. PANTHER PRIDE!
Now I know you’re thinking, how did that make you want to become a makeup artist. Or start working on your own cosmetic line? While attending school for both degrees, I was trained in every area so there isn’t a job you can’t do. I started doing a lot of costume makeup for plays and even some small productions. This made me want to perfect my craft and do more. I started working for Clinique in 2013 and from there, my love for cosmetics grew even stronger. I learned more about skin types, face mapping, skin treatments, etc. I also noticed very quickly how different brands do not focus on darker tones. I knew I wanted to start a cosmetic line, but I kept getting distracted with life. I lost my brother Lance to Cancer; he was my right-hand man for everything. A few years later, I was promoted to an upper management position in cosmetics. I also suffered from more losses throughout several years that distracted me from everything.
One major loss was my Grandmother Lorraine, she gave me my mustard seeds. There’s no telling where I would be or how long it would’ve taken me to find my vision if it weren’t for her. The only way I was able to get through that was finding solace in knowing that God had a plan. After that, I became closed off and unavailable emotionally. I was tired of the people I loved being taken away from me, so I decided to focus on what couldn’t be taken away from me and that was God’s plan for me. I love to make others happy and feel good about themselves, makeup is my outlet. It’s not just a lipstick shade, it’s the confidence and how it makes my clients feel after they’ve had their application that keeps me going. To know that I can help others see the beauty I see within them, and that the World should see within them is a beautiful thing. Going back to knowing that the cosmetic industry doesn’t focus on darker tones as it does fairer tones, I got sick of it! I got sick of mixing shades, finding alternatives and women with darker complexions having to spend more money because the right shade wasn’t available. That’s when Susie Que Cosmetics came into play. As of 2020, I was still working on getting funded but of course everyone needed business funding at that time due to the Pandemic. So, I went out and made it happen while maintaining my regular bills. Now, I’m working to complete a full line of cosmetics specializing in all tones. Various products are currently available online including fashion statement accessory pieces.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My reputation in this business has been built based on the type of person I am. When I am interested in a service or product my expectations are great customer service, honesty, product knowledge, integrity and a personable experience. Everyone is different but I’ve found that having these expectations are a great tool while doing business. I hate feeling like I purchased something that I don’t need or really want because my needs weren’t examined thoroughly. I like to let people know that their business matters to me because it’s supporting my dreams. There’s a bigger picture here. I’m not just doing this to benefit myself but others as well. My craft and expertise are ultimately a gift from God. I’m not here to sell anyone a dream but help them get closer to them. A person’s appearance can affect everything about them, and it tells you a lot about them. I believe we were all put here for a reason and part of mine is to help the World become a better version of itself. Therefore, I always make sure I do my best to provide quality service and products.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
In all honesty, the initial capital to start my business came from hustling! When I say that I mean, I worked a full-time job and picked up extra work on the side. Some days I didn’t eat, sleep or think about anything but the actual goal at hand. I ended up losing my full-time job before the pandemic due to things I can’t discuss due to legal agreements. However, I was smart with my settlement and funds received during the first part of the pandemic. While many others were buying unnecessary items and going on trips, I was in the lab LITERALLY! No days off! I had to find my way and there was and still is nothing you can tell me. It was extremely rough on my pockets because everything was coming directly from my pockets. Watching my mother make it happen my entire life and attending Clark Atlanta, taught me to always find a way or make one. I’ve never excepted no for an answer when it comes to my goals. I advise everyone to not be afraid to do what it takes to make what you envision your reality.
Never Settle.
Contact Info:
- Website: SusieQueCosmetics.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/SusieQue_Cosmetics
- Facebook: facebook.com/susiequecosmetics
Image Credits
Marcia Warren @MarciaPhotographer on Instagram