Biz and Beauty Spotlight: Lisa Price, Carol’s Daughter
Finding perfect hair and skin products can be difficult. When you’ve tried everything and nothing works, why not create your own? That’s what entrepreneur, Lisa Price did. Lisa Price began concocting beauty products in the 80s while working on the set of The Cosby Show. She sold her products at flea markets, and out of her house. As her brand expanded in the early 90s, she searched for the perfect name. “When I was thinking of a name for my company, I brainstormed by making a list of what I was and of a list of things that I wanted to become. And one of the things that I was was Carol’s Daughter. It just gave me little goosebumps and I knew that was the name,” Price candidly expresses in a YouTube video. Price cited her mother as her source for inspiration and clarity. “As I was growing the business, I would sometimes feel overwhelmed. But my mother taught me to smile through adversity, to know that I wouldn’t be given the job if I couldn’t do it. It’s appropriate that the company is named after her,” explained Price in an advice column with the Daily Beast. After years of being in business, her mother jokes: “Have you made enough money for me to sue you for using my name?” In 1993, Price created a mail-order and online business which led to her grand opening of a store in Brooklyn in 1999. The mission of the company is “to fulfill the beauty needs of the diversity of skins that make up the tapestry of our world by creating high-quality hair, body, and skin care products, made with natural ingredients.” A major catalyst in the expansion of Carol’s Daughter was record executive, Steve Stoute. Steve Stoute gathered investors such as Will Smith, Jay-Z, Andrew Farkas, Jimmy Lovine, and Tommy Mottola to generate a $10 million dollar deal with the company to make it a national brand. “I had seen the product and I thought it was a new category that could be introduced. Our voice should be able to control and manage it for the marketplace,” explained Stoute in an interview with the New York Post. Beauty ambassadors Jada Pinkett-Smith and Mary J Blige were the first faces of the brand. Since the launch, Solange Knowles, Cassie, Mary J. Blige, and Selita Ebanks have graced the ads of Carol’s Daughter. Part of being a successful brand is adapting to technology and listening to consumer needs. Facebook and Twitter have been pivotal in the success of Carol’s Daughter. “What I love about it is that instant gratification that I can have an idea in a meeting and want to know what will people think about it and you can go on Facebook and say ‘hey would any of you be interested in a lotion that did this or a shampoo that did that’ and you can get instantly answers to that question and know if you should even go down that path.” “One of the most important lessons that I learned during the days of the flea market was how critical it is to listen to the customer and give her what she wants,” says Price. She’s doing just that with a variety of products specializing in hair, body, bath, and skincare products. Carol’s Daughter’s flagship store is located in Harlem, New York. The beauty brand is also available in larger markets such as Macy’s and Sephora. Visit her website at www.carolsdaughter.com. --Ashley N. Jeter
“If I wasn’t into you,
I’d probably date yo shoes”
–Dom Kennedy
It’s common to associate sneakers with the fly men in our life but recently, our favorite tennis shoes have been given a very feminine facelift. From Teyana Taylor, to Rihanna & Rita Ora, even down to Kim Kardashian, sneakers have made their way into the hearts of glam girls. We’re sure music editor JFK and associate music editor Mikey can appreciate a bad chick in some retro kicks. Check out our favorites: