- 2 weeks ago
Blogger-turned-founder tells us why she loves a roadmap
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00:00Well, I'm really excited to talk with you. Um, I think, you know, so this is, uh, this is before
00:06we recorded, maybe this gets pulled in or not, but I remember Booker's telling me, um, in her
00:13conversation with you that you had like taught yourself how to do all your makeup on YouTube.
00:18And is that correct? Um, and I remember, uh, I loved, I remember hearing that and be like,
00:26okay, no, I need to do that. Cause there's, there's some people on YouTube that I really
00:29love that do makeup. I don't watch a lot of beauty talk, but not, no, I mean, beauty tube.
00:35Um, but when I heard that I was like, oh no, I definitely want to do that. And then she
00:38was
00:38like, I wish I could do that. I wish I had the time to do that. And I was like,
00:42wait, I was like,
00:42cause I didn't know you. She was talking to me about you. And I was like, does she have kids?
00:47And she was like, no. And I was like, that's it. Cause I also don't have kids. And I'm like,
00:51oh no, I can find the time to carve out now that I know that that's something that you could
00:55teach
00:55yourself. But I think that's like, that's a whole, that's just something I always want to,
00:59it's something I'm really curious about because I feel that especially for black women, again,
01:05like this is not for pot. This is just like a warmup, like thought. I just think that there's
01:10something really beautiful about having enough time to teach yourself something to give to yourself.
01:16And I feel like a big part of not, of me not having children yet, even though I was a
01:20doula for 15
01:21years before I came into this line of work. Um, I just know how much it takes to do that.
01:28And I know that there's still so much I want to give to myself, to my energy, to my creativity.
01:35And that's not about being selfish. It's actually just about being aware, you know, aware of the,
01:41it's such a underutilized tool. I think, especially if you just want to feel good, of course you can
01:48always find somebody to do your makeup, but it's one of those things to just like sit with yourself,
01:52know what you like. At this point, no one, I haven't met anyone that can do my makeup better
01:56than me. Now I've been doing it for a long time at this point. Um, and obviously I know my
02:00face
02:01for all these years more than just like a brand new person that meets me. So I never like put
02:05it
02:05on anyone else. I'm like, I just know what I like. I know what I'm used to. Um, but it's
02:10like
02:10such a service to just be able to like make yourself feel, feel better, but also like
02:16play, you know, sometimes I have to remind myself, like, just because I'm doing my makeup
02:20doesn't mean I have to do 10 TikToks. It doesn't mean like this turns into a workday. Like I can
02:24just like play around and screenshot something from Pinterest. Cause sometimes I don't like watch
02:28a whole video. I'll just like, I have like a mood board on Pinterest of like, I call it face
02:32of the
02:33day where I'm just like, Hmm, you know, I don't have anywhere I'm specifically going today. So I can do
02:37any kind of makeup. So what can I do? Oh, let's try this blue liner thing. Let's try this like
02:42purple, you know, and then I just keep looking at it. I'm like, Hmm, looks like they did this.
02:47You know, as long as I don't have like a time constraint. Then you can really get into it.
02:52Yeah. No, but I think that that's, but it's so rewarding. It's super rewarding. And I feel like
02:57that's actually a really great place to start our conversation. Cause there's something that you
03:01just said that I think is really interesting. You were, you said that
03:07face of the day, you would find a face of the day on Pinterest. You're like, I like that. I
03:11want to
03:12play around. And then you kind of have to tell yourself like, I don't have to do 10 TikToks. This
03:18doesn't have to turn into a work day. And I think that's such an interesting self-talk track because
03:25I think for people who aren't, you know, full-time creators, you know, aren't maybe entrepreneurs
03:32where their job also includes being a creator. It's interesting. You have to talk yourself out
03:39of what someone would not consider work is work for you. I think that's just a really interesting
03:45thing. Can you talk a little bit more about that? Like that line between the thing that you do for
03:50pleasure and the thing that you also have to do for work, the self-talk track of just like,
03:57I can do this for fun. It doesn't have to be work, but also like your work is fun. So
04:02just
04:03finding that balance point. I'm curious about that. Yeah. I'm actually, I have to remind myself
04:08of that when it pertains to a lot of things, because so much of my personality is about being
04:14efficient and like making the most of everything. So I'm like, Oh, how can we like get the most out
04:20of this day or the most out of this makeup? Oh, you got dressed today. Like, what can we do?
04:24How can we be like strategy and efficiency of like making sure, you know, I squeeze everything
04:30out of every little opportunity. So sometimes I have to be like, Hey, you could just do the one
04:34thing. Literally yesterday is a Sunday, you know, I should be relaxing, but I had something that was
04:38new that I just wanted to get ahead of. So I did my makeup and did all the things. And
04:43then before I
04:44like would relax for the day, I was like, maybe I should film a YouTube video. Maybe I should,
04:49you know, like I'm dressed and I feel like I should do more. And I was like, you know what?
04:53No, I'm just gonna go put on some casual clothes, sit on the couch. Like I have some family coming
04:58over later. It's okay. We did what we were supposed to do, but sometimes it's like, that's not even
05:03enough. Cause I'm just like, is that the most productive way like to utilize everything you
05:09did? So I just have to remind myself, sometimes it's just for the enjoyment. Like that's okay too.
05:14It's just for yourself. It doesn't have to be, especially if you're carving out the time,
05:18it also doesn't have to be for outside people. Like I feel like sometimes when I tell people,
05:22like I practice makeup, they'll be like, well, I'll do that the next time I'm getting ready to
05:26go somewhere. No, no, it's not about going somewhere. Cause then that just adds more
05:31pressure. Like it's just about, you can just enjoy it and look at yourself and, you know,
05:36get, gain some tips and some knowledge. And that's enough too.
05:39You know, I love hearing that, especially for someone, I was just literally saying this the
05:44other day, like I'm not a big makeup person. Like I love looking at it. I love the colors.
05:49I love playing with it, but it's hard sometimes to give myself permission to just be like,
05:55put it on. You're not going anywhere. It's okay. It's, you can do that. So I find every
05:59conversation I'm having, especially recording this podcast, I always love what I, I get to
06:04learn. Cause you're giving me permission to be like, just go home and play. Like you did
06:07when you were little, you know, there's no waste. There's no way it feels. Yeah.
06:10Oh, this was a waste of a face. This was a waste of the light liner. This was like,
06:15it's meant to be used. Like when's the last time you used up a makeup product?
06:19Exactly.
06:19You're probably not wasting it.
06:20Yeah, exactly. I wonder where that idea of wasting a look or wasting makeup even comes from.
06:26Do you know?
06:27No, I don't. Cause I, I'm so like into the mindset. I feel like, you know, like in 2016,
06:34it was like, you did your makeup for everything and anything. And it was just like the fun of learning
06:38and like trying something new and being able to say you could do something. Like you could do a
06:43winged liner or like, you know, I mean, in 2016, it was like very crazy makeup, but it was like,
06:47you just wanted to learn. You just wanted to practice. You wanted to try and say like,
06:52if you liked it or not, if you're going to use it on a night out or not. So I
06:55try to,
06:56that's the frame of mind. I try to get back to.
06:58Yeah, no, I love it.
06:59There's no waste.
06:59There's no waste. Okay.
07:01Either I add it to my Rolodex or I throw it out.
07:03Yeah, exactly.
07:04Keep that in the chamber.
07:05Next time we have an event.
07:06We're going to whip that out.
07:07Mm-hmm.
07:08Mm-hmm.
07:09So let's go back to the beginning of your story. So it starts on the floor of a Target store.
07:15Can you take me back to who you were then before all of this? And do you miss that time?
07:23Or does this feel just right?
07:26Oh, well, this feels perfect. But I was, I would say I was very eager. I always told people I
07:33learned
07:33how to be, I feel like a business person through that role. I learned a lot about, I mean, I
07:41was
07:41running a store, managing a team, leading people. Like I really learned how to be, one, I feel like
07:48an adult, but also like how to be a leader, how to be a team player. And I was just
07:54so eager to be the
07:55best. I have a very competitive nature, but I think in a way that like lends itself to me,
08:00like how can I be the best and show up the best? So at that time I was just like
08:05eager to learn.
08:07It's like check every box. And like, I loved having like my monthly statuses with my boss.
08:13And like, I loved keeping a Rolodex of like, here's what I got to do to be the best. And
08:16then
08:16like meeting again in three months and be like, okay, you told me to do this. And I did all
08:20the
08:20things like, what's next? So what's the next promotion or what's the next, how do I get the
08:23next bonus? So I was very like eager and excited to be a leader. At that time I was like
08:31a campus
08:32recruiter for our district. I ran a store and my favorite thing was like teaching and training and
08:37getting people promoted. Also, I looked outside of my like day-to-day duties. So she was an eager
08:43beaver. I mean, that's, that's a whole thing. Where was that? Where were you at that time?
08:49What part of the country? This was in the DMV. I think back then they called it like a
08:54executive team leader. I don't know if that role was still the same. So you had like a portion of
08:58a store when I first moved here. Then I got promoted and ran my own store. And I opened a
09:02store on the
09:02university of Maryland campus, which was super exciting. And then I transferred and then I ran
09:09a $65 million store. I had 300 team members and it was super exciting. And then at that time I
09:15was a
09:15campus recruiter at Howard university and it was just like the best. Wow. That's amazing. You know,
09:21so I really, so, okay. There's a couple of things I want to talk. There's a couple of things I
09:25want to
09:26click into, but specifically this to start, what does it feel like to manage that many people and
09:32to be driving that much revenue? Because there's, there's a difference, right? You know, I think a
09:37lot of times when we're hearing conversations about female entrepreneurs, it's about starting your own
09:42business. It's about scaling it. And then eventually you get to 300 employees and you're talking about
09:47that journey, but it's rare to hear about that kind of more on route moment when you're actually
09:54working for a larger company and managing all of these people and a company that's not your own,
09:59but feels like your own, especially being in the DMV, especially being in our community.
10:04So I would just love to hear a little bit more about that. Cause it's just, I'm a retail girl.
10:10So I'm just curious about, yeah. Like how did I'm curious, how did that feel?
10:17It was honestly so good. Like I thrive on like a lot of moving parts and, and routines. Like I
10:24learned so much about like having a routine, making a strategy, like things, having a place
10:31and like making sure everyone follows what the plan is. So I was fortunate that the first door I
10:37opened was a really small store on that University of camp of Maryland campus. So it, I kind of got
10:42to see both sides. And then by the time I got to that store, right, I understood how to lead
10:48through
10:48other people, how to make sure I'm teaching and training, but also trusting people with their ideas.
10:53Um, so it was really great. Cause I got to do everything. Like I, I got to be in the
10:59weeds
10:59of like, there's a change in soft lines today in the women's department. Like I can help the team
11:03as just like a teaching and training and team building thing, but also I can lead, you know,
11:08the black Friday prep, which is like the super bowl. And that requires, right. I got to go overnight
11:13with the overnight team. We got to like do all the bulk orders. My store also had like when the
11:18store
11:18started shipping items, we had like a whole warehouse in our basement. So I would have to
11:23work with that team as well. So it was great. Cause honestly I saw like full circle of like what
11:28a
11:28business can be and, and how to, again, lead through other people and like rollouts, different
11:34strategies. And it wasn't about like what I can do. It was how do you like teach and train and
11:38motivate
11:38other people and then get them to execute your strategy, but also lead through them and trust people
11:46to do what they, what, you know, you can do what you taught them to do.
11:50So thinking about trust and just being able to lean into that, can you talk a little bit about
11:56high, low lux? Where did that come from? I'm having a sneaky suspicion that it might've had
12:03something to do with just the work and the line of work you were in, what you got to see
12:07and trying to connect the dots there. Can you share a little bit more about that?
12:11Yes. It literally came just from my everyday life. I mean, at the time when I started on
12:18Instagram, I worked at Target and obviously I shopped everywhere, but most of my things,
12:23like I didn't luxury shop. I didn't, I think my first luxury purchase was with my first bonus
12:28check at Target. So while I was starting kind of my online persona, it was my first kind of like
12:36little dabble into like, Oh my God, I'm getting this really big check to me, which was my first
12:41bonus check. Like, I don't even know. I didn't even go in luxury stores. So for me, it was like,
12:46I shop pretty much fast fashion. I shop at the mall. I shop, you know, and I shop at Target.
12:51So then kind of building a few little luxury things, I was like, okay, these are, you know,
12:58high price points, low price points. And it was, honestly, I just wanted something kind of clever,
13:03but that represented me. And I always think to myself about like the future of whatever I'm
13:07doing. So at the time, I think I had a different name and I was like, you know, I want
13:13something
13:13that really feels like me, that I'm really proud of, that tells people exactly what they're going
13:17to get here. And I remember I was on a plane and I was just like writing down a bunch
13:21of names. And
13:21at the time, I don't know why I put high and low together, but it just felt like that's what
13:26I
13:26share. I'm always going to share those things, but I'm sharing the highs because it's new to me.
13:32I was, it was always about like, this is me learning, you know, about luxury items or
13:38designer items and when they go on sale and how to find them and how to shop pre-loved,
13:42which is where I started. So I just like, I want to share the things that I'm learning. It's not
13:46that I'm an expert, but I feel like I am an expert at like what's at Target and what's at
13:51Zara and
13:52what's at Forever 21. So I'm kind of sharing both. So that's kind of how the name came about.
13:57And making both of those things feel great also. So that was the important part of the
14:02luxe part was that like, it's neither one, like the luxury isn't necessary, but you know,
14:08if you want to treat yourself, this is kind of how I'm doing it.
14:11And, you know, that makes a lot of sense in the sense that the most interesting influential people
14:18really are just living their lives and inviting you in on it. And I think that's what really comes
14:24to mind as you are telling me the story. It's just like, I was already doing it. So I felt
14:29like
14:30I might as well share what I'm learning with more, with more people. So one thing I want to ask
14:36you
14:37is this idea, and it's obviously, it's something I deal with myself all the time, you know, as black
14:43women, there is this pressure to be perfect, especially as you start to have more and more
14:50visibility. And when I say perfect, it's not about being good or bad or not making mistakes.
14:55It's about this pressure that you are visible and people are looking to you as a role model and,
15:02and you need to live into or live up to or live inside whatever the construct that is built around
15:10you or is being built around you. And so to me, that pressure to, to show up a certain way
15:19is,
15:20is what I mean by perfection, whatever your community has grafted onto you. How do you negotiate
15:26that? And, and especially in the transition from your initial online persona, initial kind of
15:33influencer background into building your now company? I'm so passionate about this topic
15:40because I always tell people, I let go of the idea of perfection a very long time ago. I don't
15:49think
15:49it would be sustainable for me to do this job. If in my mind, I was striving to be perfect
15:55every time I
15:56showed up online. And I also don't want to be held to that standard. Now, do I want to present
16:01myself in a
16:01way I'm happy with when I come online? Yes. And those are my standards that I set for myself,
16:06but I always told myself, I cannot live or die by what people say about me. Right. So I can't,
16:13as much as I love, you know, someone to tell me they like my outfit or they think my hair
16:17is cute,
16:17or I look really pretty. I appreciate those things, but they also can't fill me up because on the other
16:22hand, someone's going to say the complete opposite and that can't bring me down. So I always tell people,
16:28I'm just showing like this, when people say like, oh, it's all fake and the internet is fake and what
16:33you see, that's not the case for everyone. Like this is me today. And all I'm doing is turning the
16:40camera on and presenting what I would present if I walked out of my house. And honestly, I don't have
16:47time, especially if you're doing this and you're my age, around my age, or you're just very busy.
16:52It would be far too time consuming to strive for perfection or, or a facade every time I got
17:02online to like, think that hard about what I'm going to do and what I'm going to say and where
17:06I'm going to film and what this is what it is because that's all I have time for. I remember
17:11I
17:11was vlogging once and my friend that had never seen me vlog was with me. And I like picked up
17:16the camera
17:16and like said my little intro and then like, you know, said something and then turned off the camera.
17:20And she was like, you only do one take. And I was like, well, it's a vlog. Like, it's just
17:24life.
17:24It's not, we're not going to sit here and do multiple takes until it, because there's no perfect.
17:29There's no like right or wrong. It's just, it's just, this is how I talk. This is what I would
17:35say.
17:35If you, you know, if I pick up the phone and I was FaceTiming you, this is what I would
17:39say.
17:39So that's what I say to the vlog, but it's also no right or wrong or no striving for perfection.
17:43So I have let go of, I always have, even when I'm like sharing things, I'm like, I'll do like
17:50a hair
17:51video. And I always will say, the first thing you need to like, remember is like, we're not trying,
17:58we're not striving for perfection. You're gonna like turn yourself in knots. If every time you try
18:03to do your makeup or whatever, you're trying to make it as perfect as, you know, the makeup artist
18:09to the stars. We're just trying to like, I just want to look pretty. I just want it to look
18:13pretty
18:14good. I just want it to look nice, but it doesn't like, we're not going to the Oscars. It's really,
18:19none of this is that this, this vlog I'm shooting, it's not going, you know, to the theaters, to AMC.
18:25It's, it's all fine. And we all just spring to like, enjoy what we're doing. But also if perfection
18:33was the goal, again, I would never have time to do anything, or I would have so much anxiety about
18:38doing anything that I wouldn't be as consistent as I've been. So that was a long one.
18:45Oh, it was a good one. Because let's talk about age for a second, because there's something that
18:51you just said that I think we don't talk enough about. You just said if, so you just, excuse me,
19:00you just said that, you know, at your age, if you were striving for perfect, you would not
19:06be doing this the way that you're doing it, or as frequently as you're able to do it.
19:11Yeah.
19:12What does that mean? Where's that coming from? What are you, what are you actually trying to say?
19:17Because I feel like there's a lot of younger people maybe listening to this, who are just
19:21trying to figure out how to get out of their own way.
19:25Yeah.
19:25Can you talk a little bit about that?
19:26I just think the, honestly, at any age, I just think the consistency and longevity is hard to
19:33sustain and maintain if you are putting on an act every time you show up online. That is draining,
19:41that is exhausting. Now, obviously, you cultivate your own world, right? You decide if you want to
19:46show up on TikTok in a headscarf, right? That's not my thing, but that's not my brand. But I also
19:53am
19:53fine with showing up online without any makeup on, because that's how I would go out into the world,
19:58or, you know, I'm fine with like showing up online in sweatpants, as long as I feel good. But it's
20:04like, I always think about what can I maintain? I'm in this for the long haul, no matter what the
20:10pivots look like, what can I maintain? And what can I be consistent with? And I know I wouldn't be
20:16able
20:16to say, okay, every Tuesday and Thursday, I'm going to do X, Y, and Z on YouTube. If I felt
20:21like, well,
20:21my hair has to be perfect, not just look nice, right? It needs to be, you know, style to perfection,
20:27and I need to make sure I get my nails done, and I need to make sure I have a
20:29new outfit, and I need
20:30to... The post would be few and far in between, because that's just too much pressure for most
20:36people to maintain. And when people say they get super burnt out, or they, you know, don't want to
20:42be consistent, or they find it hard, it's because they are trying to put on a costume and a front
20:50so
20:50that they can do their job, when really their job is just to be themselves.
20:55Yeah. And I mean, thinking about that, this idea of, you know, being yourself, you walked away
21:01from Hilo Lux, the name that made you famous, to build 12PM Studios. What was the scariest part
21:09of that evolution?
21:13Well, initially, just changing the name is like, you've built this thing, and now it's just going
21:17to go away. But again, looking to future me, at the time when I changed from Hilo Lux to just
21:24my name,
21:27it was the infancy of 12PM Studios. It was the, you know, first little, like, I need to build
21:33something, okay? What could I do every day and love? And in my mind, I just knew I didn't want
21:39to build that next thing, and not have people know me as my name, right? I'm like, you know,
21:47I always think about if I'm on Good Morning America, I always say, so if they call me out,
21:52how do I want them to introduce me? What do I, you know, and how am I going to talk
21:56about whatever
21:56I'm there to promote? Like, I want them to call my name. I want them to say, welcome,
22:01Janae Naylor and 12PM Studios. Like, I don't want them to say Hilo Lux. Like, what does that mean?
22:06That's fine that that's where, like, my blog lives or information lives, but, like, I don't want that
22:12to be me forever. I want people to know me as me, and if I'm going to build anything, I
22:18also want
22:19that to be tied to me. So I kind of thought, like, this is, there's no better time than now
22:26at this
22:26point, because as much as I feel like I've built so much already, I'm only going to build more. So
22:32we're kind of, like, it actually needs to happen immediately before I build the next thing and add
22:38on to whatever my online persona is going to be. But it was very scary, because I felt like, well,
22:44what about all the people that already know me? This is gonna, you know, I felt like it was very
22:48much
22:49starting over, but, you know, people rolled with it. It was, I feel like it was more in my head
22:54than
22:54anything else. What was the moment that you knew you needed to make that change, though?
22:59Was it, was it a few things coming together, or was there, like, a, you just woke up one day,
23:05and you're like, oh, I think it's time. No, it was. I did have one TV opportunity,
23:12and that just, like, kind of opened my mind to, like, possibilities and what the future would be.
23:18And then it was, I think it was the Today Show. And on that, you know, they said my blog
23:26name,
23:26and that's how they introduced me. And I was just like, there's no, it has to be now. It has
23:32to be
23:32before this happens to me again, or, and, and, or happens at a larger scale, or on a bigger stage,
23:39or, you know, because at that time, I think I was just talking about trends. So it was fine.
23:42But then as I started to think about building something of my own, I'm like, now this is going
23:48to get, I don't see how this wouldn't be confusing. If I get this opportunity again, and I come on,
23:54and they say, hi, Lil Lux, and then 12 PM, and then Janae Naylor, hey, who, who is this? So
24:00I was
24:00like, I just want to streamline things a bit. I think I should just go by Janae Naylor. And I
24:05also,
24:06the other big push for me was at that point, thinking about a brand, I always like to have a
24:11roadmap.
24:11I always say I'm not, most of us aren't reinventing the wheel, right? Sorry.
24:16So I looked at people that I was like, this is the lane I want to go down, right? They
24:21have the
24:21career trajectory that I want to emulate. They have created their persona online. They have created
24:27a community. They have built a brand. It is doing very well. All of these people go by their first
24:32and last name. So no matter what my feelings feel about it, the, the, you know, this is showing me
24:41that this is probably the right move. So let's just bite the bullet.
24:47So it's interesting. One thing that's come up again and again in this conversation so far is
24:53this idea of the future and roadmaps. You're a very future orientated person, which is a very
25:01powerful and rare quality. Not many people want to really think that far in advance. And then when they
25:08are thinking far in advance, they are scared or thinking what's the worst thing that could happen.
25:15But I love getting to meet you for the first time and hearing the word future over and over again.
25:21And then, you know, getting to the realization that, you know, the target collection, future
25:27collective, you know, that, that, that word is, it's like almost a mantra in your life. Can you talk a
25:34little bit about what that, what that was like to get to that point, to get to that collection
25:41and, and yeah, just this idea of this for this forward future momentum, like how that kind of
25:46lives, lives in your energy?
25:50Yeah, that was honestly, it was really unreal. I, I remember the call and they were like,
25:57oh, we want to have a call and like pitch you something. And at the time I think I did
26:01like
26:01one or two, just like one-off campaigns. Um, so I was like, oh, you know, there's probably be another,
26:07you know, maybe something coming up. They just want me to be a part of. And I remember like on
26:11the call, as they were like going through the deck, I was like, I, my, my face was probably like,
26:17what? And they got to the end and they were like, so what do you think? And I was like,
26:23I must've looked really uninterested. Cause I'm very much in my head when I'm like,
26:26like taking in information for the first time. They're like, what do you think? Like,
26:29would you be interested? And I'm like, of course, I, I honestly, I'm in disbelief. And they're like,
26:34oh, okay. We just thought you were like really not interested in the idea. I was like, no,
26:39I'm just really shocked. Like this just wasn't even on my radar of possibilities at the time.
26:45Um, and it was just insane to like, go back to a place and, and have this other role, right?
26:54I go into headquarters and like working with the merchandising team and working with the design team
26:58and all like places I've been many times for many years. And like, just in a different capacity
27:03was like insane to me. And then also like being able to like celebrate with teams I used to work
27:08with, like for the launch and the rollout, like go, I went back to the store I used to work
27:13at,
27:14and it was just so crazy to see the full circle. I feel like doesn't even encapsulate it enough,
27:23but just to see it and experience it with people that have seen me at so many stages was like
27:29the
27:29most exciting part and insane part. Yeah. I think, I mean, and how many years between your
27:37journey of, you know, being a few. So I left in 2019 and that collection, I think was 2023 or
27:472024.
27:48I think 2024. Yeah. Cause I was in this house. Yes. So I think 2024. So five or four and
27:54a half.
27:55That's fast. Cause it was a year of working on it. So at that time when we had that call
27:59three years, so that was kind of like, this is crazy. Yeah. But also meant to be, you know,
28:06and I think is just a really beautiful manifestation of you and your momentum and how you are just,
28:13again, this idea of moving forward. So I'd love to just lean into something really quick because
28:20Essence Fest is around the corner and I would love to get your take on just what are you wearing
28:28to
28:28Essence Fest? Cause it's hot and you're going in and out of the AC. It's a whole thing. I feel
28:36like
28:36I'm curious how you, I want to know how you put it together.
28:42Um, lightweight is always, you know, I'm a, I'm a linen girl. I'm a, um, I like a little short
28:48skirt, little dress, comfortable shoes. I love, actually love flat forms. I like some shorts.
28:55I like to be tall, but then you're comfortable. So I typically wear like a big chunky shoe
29:01during the day and at the concerts. Cause then I still feel like I'm up with the people, you know,
29:06wait, how tall are you?
29:08I'm five, three and a half.
29:10That's me too. I'm like five, two, five, two and a half.
29:12You know, but people are always very surprised. I think I give tall.
29:15Me too. I give, I give tall. People are like, Whoa, when they see me in person, they're like,
29:19Oh, you're so little.
29:21You're tiny. Thank you.
29:23I'm an adult.
29:26The number one thing is my fan. I am a, I am the very strong portable fan.
29:34Got to have it.
29:35Charger. Yeah. That's a non-negotiable. And then really it's about the beat. That's the,
29:41that's the main problem. It's like it lasting all, you know?
29:45Okay. So how are we supporting the beat? What are we doing here?
29:49Okay. I have a sweat proof system. Um, you need the Danessa Myers blurring balm.
29:56It's on right now.
29:57That's the base. Um, you need the Danessa Myers setting spray.
30:02It's on right now.
30:04And then you need this little trick of when you color correct.
30:10Or put your Danessa Myers blurring balm on, you set it with some powder.
30:15And then you put your foundation on top of it. That is my secret.
30:21Secret little, and it seems insane.
30:24Cause then you set it with powder and then you put foundation on top. That seems insane.
30:28But it works. Like that's my, like, when I need my makeup to just last and not move and not
30:32budge.
30:33That's what I do.
30:34So that's almost like your primer. You that's, that's the primer base basically.
30:38And then, and then you do your face.
30:40And that works better than just like relying on a primer.
30:44Cause it's like, you've already kind of locked in and then layers of setting spray.
30:47That also helps too.
30:49Yeah. Just to be like film, film, film.
30:52Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I love that. That's, that's, that's, that's a word. That's a word.
30:56Cause I didn't, I, it's, it's been a minute since I've been in NOAA. So I, and you know,
31:02it's so hot. And the last time I was there, the products we're speaking to were not in the world.
31:07So no, they weren't. No, no, no, no.
31:09Thank you to Danessa. She's out here saving all of us girls.
31:12My queen. Listen.
31:14We worship at the temple.
31:15Love her.
31:16Love her down, down.
31:18Also that Kabuki brush. I don't have it yet, but I, the Kabuki one, the one that's like the real.
31:25Yes. The best brush, best brushes in general.
31:29Yeah. Concealer brush is amazing.
31:31Very good.
31:31The whole thing.
31:32I'm a big fan.
31:33Okay. So let's talk about, let's talk about eyewear for a second, because I'm a big,
31:40cause I'm like, how are we talking about NOLA and we're not talking about eyewear?
31:43I'm like, ma'am, what are we doing? But, um, cause I, I have my glasses on before I sat
31:49down.
31:50I have my prescription in my sunglasses because I really like to, I'm a little light sensitive.
31:54I like to have that going on for myself, but so yeah. What are we thinking in terms of
32:00day to night? Are you a day to night shades person? Are we wearing them at night? Like,
32:04what are your thoughts?
32:05All of the above. I look, honestly, that is why it was so easy for me to like
32:12make this my product. Um, because it's really the only thing I care enough about to talk about
32:18every day. That's what I tell people. It's the only thing, it's my favorite accessory and it comes
32:23almost out of like, it became kind of a crutch for me. Like a few years ago, I wasn't like
32:30a huge
32:30sunglass person. You know what I mean? I was probably just like normal. If it's super sunny,
32:34I'm going to be outside. Um, and as I started to go to fashion weeks around the world, it became
32:39like a
32:41security blanket kind of, um, people like, once people start taking your picture in the street,
32:47you're kind of like, Oh my God. Oh. And then you see some pictures and you're like, Oh my God,
32:51I really like that was a terrible angle or the light wasn't on me or I was blinking. Now you're
32:55like,
32:55that's why people wear sunglasses. And then you get into rooms where, you know, you don't really
33:02know a lot of people and you don't feel as comfortable or it's not as inviting. It just
33:06became like a little bit of armor. I'm like, yes, sunglasses indoors also. Okay. So then we need
33:12our indoor outdoor sunglasses. So it literally became a thing where like every picture I had
33:16on Instagram, I had sunglasses on. My manager was like, I need you to take some pictures without
33:22sunglasses because we can't even see your face at this point. I'm like, okay, my bad. We went from
33:28like here to here. So yes, indoor, outdoor, nighttime, there's something for everything.
33:34Like there's a pair for every situation. There is. Do you have a favorite color lens? Because I,
33:42I find myself gravitating more and more. Maybe it's as I get older to like heavily colored lenses,
33:48like a yellow or orange, or even a pink. Like I got some glasses the other day with pink lenses
33:53and
33:53I was like, I like this. But when I was younger, I was not doing that. Yeah. I feel like
33:59the easiest
33:59to wear are a yellow that gives kind of like a vintage feel and then a blue. It's super universal
34:05and it feels more like a neutral than you would expect. Yeah. I actually don't have any blue lenses.
34:13Okay. We got to get you London blue.
34:16Willing. Open. I got you. It's literally, you'll wear it every single day. It's the number one
34:22frame that Law Roach wears from us. We love Law. Like if you go to his last YouTube video,
34:27he has it on. If you go to his last Instagram post, he has it on. He loves them. But
34:30it's just
34:31like a hint of blue. And it's just like, it just gives you a little.
34:35A little something. Did you, did you, did you two meet online or did you meet in the,
34:41in the, in the world of the shows? How did you two connect?
34:44That's a great question. I'm terrible at remembering. Cause I feel like I meet everybody online.
34:50Yeah. I'm trying to think.
34:54I mean, I'm sure, of course I followed him. Um, but we met. Oh, I remember we met in a,
35:00at an event that he was hosting and it was just like a dinner thing. Um, and I remember thinking
35:07to myself, I need to go introduce myself. Like it's Law Roach. And he was very like cordial and
35:12like kind of walking around and talking to people. And he came up to me and he was like, I've
35:17been
35:17meaning to talk to you all night. I love this outfit. I was like, oh, thank you so much. I'm
35:22like,
35:22Law Roach is like my outfit. Um, and we literally exchanged numbers right then. He asked me what I,
35:27do. And we just started talking and he was like, oh, you should, you should text me.
35:32You're like, absolutely. And that was probably like three or four years ago.
35:38Well, you know, it's interesting though too. And that's actually why I was curious because I think
35:42three or four years ago, he was very much on the ascent and really starting to penetrate culture in
35:49this really powerful way. But at the same time, it was still a little bit like, if you know, you
35:54know,
35:55and you really were able to like tap in at that, like it's because sometimes timing is everything,
36:01you know, it's not about, you know, the, the, the, the level of, you know, uh, the level of
36:07gifts or talent. It's just like being at the right place at the right time. And I feel like,
36:12you know, that's a perfect example of that because it's really about just like vibes.
36:18Like I'm totally vibes again, just how I don't show up online, you know, to be perfect. And
36:25it's just like, either it's fair or it's not like, it's either we mesh or we don't. It's,
36:31it's not life or death.
36:34It's not life or death at all. But I think that you're totally right.
36:37But sometimes you meet people and you're like, oh,
36:38I like this.
36:40We, we kind of vibe here. This is fun.
36:42Yeah.
36:42Do this again. Sometimes you're like, this was nice. Maybe never again.
36:45Maybe never again.
36:46Or, or it wasn't nice and never again, because that'd be happening to where I'm just like,
36:50thank you. I am good.
36:53Okay. Noted. Got it.
36:54Noted. Absolutely never again.
36:56Um, but speaking of absolutely never again, what is something that you wish other women,
37:04especially other black women out there who are thinking about starting their own thing,
37:09especially because, you know, as an entrepreneur myself, I raised venture capital. I sold my
37:14company, you know, there can be this idea. Thank you. There can be this idea that, you know, oh,
37:22you know, she can do it so I can do it. And I actually believe in this idea of the
37:29more you
37:30expose yourself to. Oh my God. Because I, I, I do feel that I'm one of those people that if
37:37I
37:37really can pay attention and get to see something, the closer I can get to see it, the more I
37:40can,
37:41I can emulate it. The more I can, I really resonated with that. When you mentioned in the
37:44conversation, you were like, okay, these people have these two, this is how they use their name
37:49and likeness in the world. I need to do the same thing. It's the cornerstone of like my life
37:53and like how I say more anything is like, I always say, and I feel like I learned this when
38:00I first
38:01started posting online, seeing is believing. And that has drove me so much in what I share because
38:08I know that, but also what I've been able to accomplish because I see someone. I remember the
38:15first time I met someone who their full-time job was being an influencer. Even when I started to get
38:20a
38:21few brand deals here and there in my mind, I was like, this is so cute. Like I'll have this
38:25little
38:25money and then my bonus, and I'm going to work at Target forever and be the CEO one day. That's
38:30the
38:30plan. I love that plan too. This little hobby is so great, right? Because it'll just be, you know,
38:36a couple little checks here and there. And that's great. And I remember I went to an event that I
38:42was
38:42like working with a brand and I met another creator. Her name is Dana Bolden. She's still a creator.
38:47She's fabulous. And she was like, oh yeah, you know, I quit my job last year and it just blew
38:54my
38:54mind. And I was like, this is your job? Like this is your only job? And she's like, yeah,
38:59you know, my husband's going to quit his job soon. And then she had kids and it was just like,
39:03you are a fully realized adult like me and this is your job and you've done it for a while
39:08now. And
39:10you're looking, you're just living, you're just living and you're sustaining and you're maintaining
39:14and you're thriving. And I remember I went home and I was like, okay, okay. That's,
39:20that was not what I was thinking where this would go. And again, as I started a business
39:25and just everything I did, I was like, there's someone that was like, okay, that's how I want
39:29to do it. That's how it can be done. That's a good roadmap. Okay. They did this and this.
39:35And it makes me want to share so much because I'm like, I would have never even thought to do
39:40the
39:40thing. If that person hadn't done it already, I would have never thought to start my business
39:44or share it that way, or, you know, share the behind the scenes of this. But I knew,
39:49I know I looked at somebody else's behind the scenes and that made me say, oh, maybe I'll do
39:53that too. Or maybe I'll try it this way. Or, oh, if they, if they can do it, I can
39:57do it. It's so crucial.
40:00Like that's the, I feel like that's the most important part of my job as a creator
40:05is like everything I'm sharing is so someone can see it and be like, I should start whatever
40:14I was thinking. Look how well she's doing. Or I should start sharing this. Look at the comments
40:19and how many people that helps. That's the goal. Cause it really, seeing is believing. It really is.
40:25It's the best way to like motivate, inspire, reach people. It's just by seeing the thing. And I'm a
40:30visual learner. So you probably are too. So that's also a thing, but even if you're not just like
40:36seeing it is like, this is real. This isn't, you just telling me you did the thing and telling me
40:42it was easy. If you're just showing up every day and showing me exactly how you got there,
40:48it opens up people's minds to possibilities. Yeah. You're totally right. I'm so passionate about it.
40:53I can tell. And I, I'm the same, like, you know, it is. And I think too, as black women,
41:00there's this responsibility to, to kind of build in public to your level of comfort,
41:06right? Because we don't have that many of us out there doing the things.
41:12So we need. You can't necessarily watch someone who's not black do it.
41:16It's not the same. It's not, it's not the same. Like I have those people. I have people
41:22that are my like North star, right? I'm like, oh, like Mariana Hewitt from Summer Fridays. I'm always
41:27like, I love what she's built. I love how she did it. Just seeing her is not enough.
41:34Cause I'm not her and I'm not going to get the opportunities and the chances and the partners and
41:39the people that have invested. I'm not going to get that, but it is nice to see, but I still
41:44need
41:44Jackie Aina. Cause I need to see how she did it. I can try to put them together. You know,
41:50I can try
41:50to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but I need it. And the more
41:54people I can see,
41:54the better, I need it kind of collected. I need to see what she did. I need to see how
41:58she did it.
41:58I needed Hanifa. I need to see what she did and how she did it. Like those are very necessary.
42:05And I can still go over here and say, oh, you know, when Summer Fridays was a year two,
42:09what did they do? Okay. You know, put it in my bank, but that's not going to necessarily happen
42:14that way for me. Yeah, it's so true. And I think that that's also what the beauty of this conversation
42:21is because it's a little bit of, okay, how did she do it? Or how do you do it? But
42:25also
42:27acknowledging how important it is for us to go looking for the resources, you know? And I think,
42:32again, it kind of brings us full circle in this conversation because this idea of teaching
42:37yourself how to do your own makeup, you know, you can, there's, there's so much you can learn now
42:42with YouTube and with all of these. There's never been a better time. Never been a better time.
42:47There's never been a better time in the history of the world. Exactly.
42:51To like, do the thing you want to do. We're so fortunate, even in my short lifetime. Like,
42:58I remember taking a year off college and I wanted to be a stylist and there was just no way
43:03for me to
43:03figure out how to do it. There was like, I remember watching the Rachel Zoe project and that was my
43:08first
43:09introduction to what a stylist was. And then I learned about June Ambrose. But in the middle of St.
43:13Louis, Missouri, there was no, there was no roadmap. There was nobody to show me. There was like,
43:19what do you do? What do you move? What do you, you just go to fashion school? I don't want
43:24to go,
43:24like I'm taking a year off from school. I don't want to just go to school. And now it's like,
43:28you can just make a way. You can just, again, you can find someone, you can, they're the roadmap and
43:33you
43:34can DM them or you can get their course or sign up to their live or probably watch their YouTube.
43:40And you can see them doing the thing you want to do. Yeah. And then you can get on YouTube
43:44and
43:44you can literally learn anything. Pretty much. You can build a house.
43:48Right. Period.
43:49There's like courses and classes and just, you can do it and you can do it from anywhere.
43:52Yeah.
43:53It's like, there's never been a better time. Like I'm so passionate about this.
43:58It's real though. And I mean, I think that's a beautiful place to also just pause our conversation.
44:03And hopefully there's a part two or a part three, because I just think that there's so much
44:07here to, to lean into, but I think that as much as there's so many complicated, very challenging,
44:14hard things in the world right now, especially for black women with what's been going on with,
44:20I mean, I could name so many different things, but I think in terms of the workforce, a lot of
44:26black women having to reinvent themselves or understand, okay, what am I going to do next?
44:31And I do think that, you know, the creator economy is actually not on a slump down. It's
44:37actually on a slump up with, especially with all of these new tools, AI, et cetera. There's just so
44:42many ways to just build out what it is that you want to do. And so I just love that
44:47you're so
44:48passionate about this moment being one of the best moments in, in our lives right now to start
44:53something of your own, you know, I really believe that.
44:57I hope people really take into the, like the full landscape of this economy. Like what you just
45:03talked about, there are so many roles because we're at a disadvantage right now, right? In the
45:10workforce, but in this economy of being a creator, there's so many roles that could be filled.
45:16There's so many, like outside of just showing up online, that is not for everyone. I never,
45:20and I'm never going to tell everyone to just, you should just be a creator. And it's just so
45:24much money. This is this, as much as we don't want to say, this is a difficult job. It's time
45:28consuming. At this point, I feel like I work every single day from sunup to sundown. And then I still
45:33show up on camera and that's not for everyone. It doesn't need to be, but there are so many other
45:37roles. There are people that need editors. There are people that need managers. There are people that
45:41need project managers, personal assistants and agents. And there's so many ways to be a part of
45:46someone's team or to be in the background or to be a leader of someone's team. And there's so many
45:52people that are looking for people they trust. Like, there's just so many opportunities outside
45:59of just being front facing. Yeah. A hundred percent. There's so many opportunities. And careers that can
46:03be built, you know? And I love how you just talked about the different parts of the team and,
46:09you know, and I think a lot of, you know, us are looking for people who want to do that
46:13work that
46:13look like us too. Because I built a team and it's so crucial, but like everyone on my team is
46:22a black
46:22woman. My art director, my project manager, my social media manager, my, um, my marketing manager,
46:30like at 12 P like, and being able to find people to fill those roles that of course know this
46:37industry
46:37and are experts in their field. They can do their job really well, but also can just like
46:42reflect back to me, not just what I want to see in here, but what my community wants to see
46:47because
46:48that's, that's what I'm building. I'm for a very specific person and woman for 12 PM and being able
46:54to add people to this team that understand what she needs. That's everything. It's everything.
47:03And I want more people to like, look out for those opportunities because they're there. I know so many
47:07people who need people and everyone doesn't have to be the one saying, welcome back to my channel.
47:13Hey girl, a word, no, it's really not. It's really not. And I get it. Like it's taken me years
47:26to just
47:26be able to like find the balance of it all. And everybody doesn't want to do that. And you shouldn't
47:31have to, to be able to make use of the one industry that's driving.
47:36Yeah. There's all of these other components that the industry needs. And I think even what's so
47:42great about this conversation is just bringing that to light. Cause oftentimes when we're having
47:46these kinds of dialogues, it's like, oh, well you could be a creator, but that's actually,
47:51there's so much more than that.
47:52There's so much more, so much more. So I hope that anyone listening to this today has many points of
47:58inspiration because I just think that your journey is so powerful. And also, um, it's so rich and it has
48:04so many layers to it that I think wherever you are in your life, there's something to take away
48:09from this conversation. So I'm so glad that we had time together today and I learned a lot.
48:15I'm very excited to get my glasses. I will be coming to find you.
48:20Please send me your address.
48:21I will do very much so. Um, but this has been wonderful and I'm excited to continue the conversation,
48:28you know, offline.
48:29Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
48:32And we have a new collection is the heat wave. It's our first full summer collection
48:36because we launched in the middle of summer last year. So we're super excited. We shot it in Joshua
48:41tree in the desert and it was just my dream. And it took so many people and moving parts,
48:47but it turned out so beautifully. And we have, I think five new styles and we're just so excited.
48:53And the face of the campaign is Kayla Nicole. Also super exciting. It's our first,
48:56you know, person to grace, you know, one of our campaigns. And I'm just so excited,
49:03like to, to share our world. This is really us building the 12 PM world and envision and
49:08what our woman and man do and how they live and where they travel and just how they like
49:13enjoy the summer. So I'm very excited. So it's out now. It's out now.
49:16I love it. I love it. I can't wait to see it. I can't wait to wear it. Anyway, this
49:22is wonderful.
49:23Have a beautiful rest of your evening.
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