Inspiring Lives with "Mercury Cosmetics" For Fashion Gxd Magazine
Written By : Samantha Cee
This week we sat down with the rising bran taking the internet by storm .Mercury III is a vegan cosmetic line inspired by the Universe. The colors are vibrant, pigmented, and full of energy. Three stands for the Universal Trinity: (Goddess, Daughter, and Spirit) (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and (Body, Mind, and Spirit). The Universe is full of light and darkness. Love is put into each color creation. Colors help us to discover our moods, emotions, and the core of our soul. Take a look at Fashion Gxd Magazine's exclusive interview with the rising brand .
"Have a detailed business plan, learn economics, and be willing to sacrifice for an end vision."
Mercury Cosmetics - CEO
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How did the idea for your business come about?
Mercury Cosmetics: Even though Mercury III officially launched online in 2015, it is an idea that I created as a teenager. As a teenager, I would always hand make my own hair products, makeup, and skincare. I learned a lot of this from my grandmother, mother, and sister. I was watching how they took care of hair and skin, without them realizing I was turning it into a business idea. I knew that I wanted to create a company that was colorful, vegan, and had a spiritual theme behind it. This is where the Universe from. The Zodiac Signs and cosmos connects us all despite our ethnicity, culture, or gender. I was also in the process of transitioning to a vegan, so it was very important that the company only created vegan and cruelty-free products.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How do you find people to bring into your organization that truly care about the organization the way you do?
Mercury Cosmetics: I have been blessed enough that many people have reached out to me to collaborate. I actually prefer the natural reach outs because it shows that people truly care about Mercury III and the change its trying to make in the vegan cosmetic industry. On the few occasions I have found people to bring into the organization, I mainly get to know their own moral beliefs. Even though the current focus of the company is makeup, a huge image we present is diversity on our social media sites and websites. I collaborate with people who love makeup, diversity, respect, and being creative.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What three pieces of advice would you give to other children who want to become entrepreneurs?
Mercury Cosmetics: Have a detailed business plan, learn economics, and be willing to sacrifice for an end vision.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Mercury Cosmetics: When I first started my business the worst piece of advice I was given was "Just Do It". I think many entrepreneurs find that Nike slogan to be very motivating or empowering. However, I learned that to just do it is acting on impulse, and not acting on strategy. Running a business is more than an idea. Running a business requires consistency and strategic layout to achieve daily goals. I would definitely make sure that I took my time doing it before I actually "Just Did It".
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur ?
Mercury Cosmetics: Motivation, Communication, Consistency
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Mercury Cosmetics: I have learned to surround myself with like-minded entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, as a woman and black-owned indie company, I have been put in situations where people have not fallen through on their part of the contract. As a result, I only learned how to be more strict and professional in how I approach collaborations and contracts. I have also learned how to properly budget and schedule things according to the growth of the company.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How many hours do you work a day on average?
Mercury Cosmetics: Since I hand make all of my formulas, I pretty much work 40 hours a week with Mercury III.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :Describe/outline your typical day?
Mercury Cosmetics: My day usually begins with me responding to all emails, customer responses, and social media messages. Communication with my customers is the most important thing to me, so it is the first thing I do when I wake up. After that, I usually engage with people on all social media sites. I then begin to look at any processing orders so they can be fulfilled. Creating the products is what takes the most of my time since I hand make all of the cosmetics. It takes minimum 3 days for me to make one order since everything is handmade fresh. After creating orders, I do more logistical tasks such as inventory, looking for new vendors, and possible collaborations.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Mercury Cosmetics: This is a loaded question, and I hope to one day share a full story about how being an entrepreneur saved my life. I always tell people that Mercury III saved my life even before the company itself was launched to the world. To make a long story short, the company helped me to not be a statistic of a black woman who grew up in a poor area of Cleveland, Ohio. When it comes to my family, I always try to inspire them through my arts. To really speak the message if I can do it, then you have better ability to do it than me.
Fashion Gxd Magazine :What motivates you?
Mercury Cosmetics: I am motivated by men, women, and children who have risen upon their struggles when every possible odd say that they should have been destroyed. I love to see people learn from their mistakes, and people who grow from their mistakes. I am not motivated by perfection, but watching people turn their flaws into magic.
Fashion Gxd Magazine: How do you generate new ideas?
Mercury Cosmetics: Since I love the Universe, my ideas honestly come from watching the Universe. I am always stalking Nasa's Instagram page to look at their images of the galaxies and solar system, this inspires me for new makeup colors. Currently, I am in school as a Doctor of Naturopathy, so many of my future formulas are being created in my head as I learn more about the mind and body. As Mercury III expands, the company will introduce a healing line, skincare products, and a herbal line. Being in school is helping me to generate new ideas for the healing line and herbal line.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Mercury Cosmetics: I have made a ton of sacrifices to be an entrepreneur. Most of these were not healthy sacrifices, and I learned how to sacrifice with grace. There were many nights where I did not have food because I felt that I needed to put my money towards the growth of my business. I had to leave my family in Cleveland and move to California so I could see myself in an environment where I could grow as an entrepreneur. I even had failed relationships because men didn't understand my entrepreneurial spirit, instead they were intimidated by it. I also pay for all finances out of pocket and made the conscious choice to not take out any business loans.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?
Mercury Cosmetics: In ten years Mercury III will be a company that offers makeup, skincare, hair care, healing products, and herbal products. We will have pop-up shops launched in several states, and also an annual Gala. In 20 years, Mercury III will have its first brick-and-mortar retail store open. Mercury III will also be international. Mercury III will also set up a scholarship program for young men/women in urban environments who want to start a business.
