Inspiring Lives with " Rich London Beauty" for Fashion Gxd Magazine
Written By Samantha Cee
Rich London Beauty: Founded in 2015 by Marina Richards, a London girl gone stateside, RICH LONDON BEAUTY is all about bringing a touch of Blighty to the USA. As any Londoner will tell you, the Big Smoke has its own unique charm and style that sits somewhere between urban grit and refined chic. Passionate about city life, make-up, and looking good, we’ve based our Lip Melange brand on the typical city gal. But we know we’re not all the same, nor do we feel the same each day, which is why our range is so varied. With shades ranging from fever reds to demure nudes, whether you want to go glam ’n‘ bold or soft as an English rose, we’ve got your back. Take a look at our exclusive interview with the rising brand " Rich London Beauty" below.
Instagram: @richlondonbeauty Facebook: richlondonbeauty
Twitter: @richlondonbeaut
www.richlondonbeauty.com
" Ignore anyone who discourages; you only need you to believe in, nobody else."
Fashion Gxd Magazine: How do you find people to bring into your organization that truly care about the organization the way you do?
Rich London Beauty: RICH LONDON BEAUTY is a family affair, so I’m lucky enough to be able to brainstorm with them and pick their brains for advice and opinions! Outside of family, the majority of our team have found us via social media, and each and every one of them was an easy decision for me – they’re all so great at what they do. These are talented beauty enthusiasts who work as Beauty Ambassadors to help promote the brand on social media by creating different makeup looks highlighting our Lip Melangès. We outsource much of our creative work to a small group of freelancers, who I found after some trial and error and now thoroughly enjoy sharing our vision with.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What three pieces of advice would you give to others who want to become entrepreneurs?
Rich London Beauty: I love this question! I have a few golden rules for getting where you want to be. One: be fearless and dream big – really big. Two: keep going. Perserverance is key – there is no beginner’s luck in business. Ignore anyone who discourages you; you only need you to believe in you, nobody else. And three: don’t be afraid to go it alone. If you can’t find a worthy partner or investor, invest your own time and funds into bringing your idea to life.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Rich London Beauty: The only thing I would do differently is to start sooner as there’s nothing more rewarding in life than seeing your ideas come to life and people gravitating towards them. Everything else was a learning curve, and we’re all constantly growing and learning – it’s part of the human experience, after all!
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur ?
Rich London Beauty: Resiliency, focus, and the ability to self-reflect! To be a successful entrepreneur, you must, must, must be able to push yourself through the ups and downs and understand that there’s every chance you won’t see a return on investment right away. You also have to be able to focus, with single-minded obstinance, on getting stuff done! And without self-reflection, you can never improve yourself or your business.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Rich London Beauty: Wow, I wish I had a really insightful answer for you but so far, we’ve been lucky enough not have experienced any major road humps so far! I think one of the most difficult things to overcome, which we touched on earlier, was finding the right creative team to work with. You have to really be able to trust those you work with and they need to understand your brand’s vision as well as you do. For both of these things, communication is key. Without that, no relationship will work.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How many hours do you work a day on average?
Rich London Beauty: I work crazy hours! Usually between 10 – 15 hours a day. I’m a full-time property manager and bookkeeper managing a multi-million dollar portfolio. Between that and RICH LONDON BEAUTY, I’m certainly kept on my toes. But long hours are what it takes to get where you want to be and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :Describe/outline your typical day?
Rich London Beauty: Working on these hugely demanding projects means that no two days are ever the same. One day I could be prepping documents for a home sale closing and generating leases for tenants, another I could be reading up on the latest beauty trends and fulfilling orders. Usually a pretty crazy mix of both areas! Life’s never boring, that’s for sure.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Rich London Beauty: My family is really important to me and being so busy with multiple projects can take its toll on how often I get to communicate with them outside of RICH LONDON BEAUTY matters. My mother, sister, and nephew are all based in London, so FaceTime is a must for us; but there have been times when I’ve simply not been able to take their calls during my working day or missed out on family gatherings. A lack of time is the downside to entrepreneurial life and it can be hard.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What motivates you?
Rich London Beauty: Community is a key motivation for me. RICH LONDON BEAUTY donates a portion of every sale to CITY LIVING NY, a New York City non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth coming out of the foster care system to achieve their personal goals and reach for their dreams. I think it’s so important to give back to the community, no matter what area you work in. You can visit http://www.citylivingny.org/ to learn more about their organization. The ability to influence my friends and loved ones to follow their dreams is a big one too. It’s something we should all do and I love discussing friends’ projects with them. And, of course, there are my customers. Getting their positive feedback seriously brightens my day! But we all love a compliment, don’t we? I just enjoy knowing that they’re enjoying the products – because that’s why I created them, to make people feel good.
Fashion Gxd Magazine: How do you generate new ideas?
Rich London Beauty: Often, new ideas come to me at random. I never know when I’ll get my next hit of inspiration! But more often than not, they come from brainstorming, using current trends and market research. It’s important to network, keep an open mind, and always explore new ways of thinking and doing things.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Rich London Beauty: A ton! Ask any entrepreneur and they’ll tell you the same thing. A lack of free time is a huge thing for me, and it means I can’t spend time with friends and family as often as I’d like. I’d also love a little more sleep, if I’m honest! In the early days, being broke can be an issue and you really have to keep thinking ahead and not let it get you down. It’s all worth it in the end.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?
Rich London Beauty: I see RICH LONDON BEAUTY as a household name worldwide, alongside the likes of KKW BEAUTY, KYLE COSMETICS and FENTY BEAUTY. Our goal is to have an extended beauty line, offering a wide range of beauty products from body butters, foundation, highlighters, and maybe even beard balms for the guys. Diversity is key for us; I want to be able to offer something for everyone without losing focus of the brand. As for myself, I see myself being in position financially to run the daily operations of the business, create job opportunities, own multiple investment properties, and have a family of my own.
Photography: ASHLEY NAOMI PHOTOGRAPHY
