Celebrities often use their undeniable influence to launch a business that impacts the culture. These celebrity entrepreneurs create beauty, skin, clothing or haircare brands that align with their purpose.
The process of creating a business is not easy. It requires time, thought, authenticity and creativity. Similar to everyday business owners, celebrity entrepreneurs have to balance all of the ebbs and flows of their personal and professional life with the needs of their business. It isn’t an easy task for anyone; however, these celebrity entrepreneurs find the time and prove that anything can be accomplished.
While the journey of each business owner is unique, some celebrity entrepreneurs serve as a good example for those who desire to run their own business. They have become the blueprint for everything from marketing to quality products. Here’s some business lessons you can learn from celebrity entrepreneurs who’ve launched their own brands.
Beyoncé: Versatility is an Asset
Beyoncé Knowles is a versatile businesswoman. With multiple businesses under her name, including Cé Noir perfume, Parkwood Entertainment, House of Deréon and Ivy Park, she teaches all aspiring entrepreneurs the beauty of creating. Each product aligns with something close to her and shows her fans another side of her genius.
Her latest venture, Cécred, is a haircare brand inspired by her hair industry roots. When the “16 Carriages” singer was younger, she would spend time in her mother’s hair salon. There, she swept hair and watched her mother optimize the health of her clients’ hair. The haircare brand allows Beyoncé to pay homage to her roots, while showcasing her passion for hair health.
Ayesha Curry: Allow Happiness to Inspire Your Brand
Ayesha Curry created a brand to help people find joy and gratitude in everyday life. Lifestyle brand Sweet July is a labor of love for her. Curry weaves in the passions that are close to her heart. Everything from the brand name to its offerings connects to something special in her life. Sweet July is a love letter from Curry to Oakland. It pays homage to the month all three of her children were born and when she married her husband, Stephen Curry.
The Sweet July brand includes a website and a quarterly lifestyle magazine about female empowerment. She owns an Oakland-based shop of the same name, featuring her own products for self-care and home decor. The storefront also includes thoughtfully curated items from beloved Black-owned brands and products from Bay Area-based makers.
Tia Mowry: Self-care and Confidence are Catalysts to Success
Growing up in the limelight is not easy for anyone. Actress Tia Mowry admits that she struggled with her confidence when she was younger. She and her sister, Tamara Mowry, were told that their curly cues were distracting. The twins were often compared to the character Buckwheat from The Little Rascals, who had “poofy” hair and buck teeth.
After decades of not seeing her hair represented in the industry, Mowry launched 4U by Tia. The haircare brand offers affordable products that are safe, clean and sustainable. Inspired by her own journey to loving her hair, 4U by Tia has a mission to make the journey to loving your natural hair simple.
Rihanna: Dare to Do Something Different
Fenty Beauty is a makeup brand for everyone. Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, when there was a lack of representation in the beauty industry. In attempt to address the longstanding issue, the business mogul set out to create a truly diverse makeup line. The ultimate goal was to service the traditionally hard-to-match skin tones and develop formulas that work for all skin types.
The brand’s core value is “Beauty for All,” which embodies Rihanna’s universal and inclusive approach to makeup and beauty. It was a risk that paid off. Today, Fenty Beauty is the wealthiest celebrity beauty brand. The brand is worth more than $2.8 billion, according to Forbes.
Tracee Ellis Ross: Create a Brand True to You
Tracee Ellis Ross knows a lot about authenticity. Ross candidly shares her lifelong journey with her hair in interviews. She also speaks out about the historical perpetuation of self-hatred toward Black hair and society’s limited definition of beauty.
The “Blackish” actress created PATTERN Beauty to address the lack of representation and the limited products for curly, coily and tight-textured hair patterns. Inspired by the unique dance and song of Black hair, PATTERN Beauty aims to give Black hair the support it needs to be its true self.