Episode 016: The Seastar of Cosmetics Brand Development & True Intelligence; Donna Lopez
Beauty Brand Developer
Donna Lopez was not someone who thought she was very smart and was never told that she was highly intelligent. But she always wanted to do something big with her life, even as a youth. A wrench got thrown into the system when she became a teen mom. But she refused to let an assumed trajectory defeat or define her. Instead, she took control of her life when opportunity knocked. She gained traction in her career by stepping up and asking for roles she didn't even know the titles of or was even offered. She put together powerhouse teams and partnerships in the cosmetics industry and became a force to be reckoned with wherever she dedicated her time. She finally realized she was smart, after years of defying odds, management and belief system with her performance and her ability to produce results. Donna used and still harnesses her EQ, IQ, grit and out of the box thinking and dedication to the industry and systems to grow companies she works with beyond belief. Today she is considered a beauty business expert and continues to dominate the industry.
This Seastar has proven herself time and time again in her career and as a mom with a purpose besides just surviving. She is proof that people who aren't told that they are traditionally intelligent can actually reach higher heights than other's prescribe to them and most importantly uncover true intelligence by the art of just simply "doing". Donna is an American dream. She went from an entry level, minimum wage worker at an Origins store as a teen mom to SVP at Sephora, to Buyer for HSN, to executive at Boxy Charm, to now Founder & CEO of her own company Making Lemonade to help develop and market cosmetics brands. She is a shaker/mover/changer for humongous corporations and start ups alike and if you are thinking to start a cosmetics line, this is your woman. Her website is here. Launch date is October 1, 2020 so check back then.
Mel & Donna talk about her career path and the moments, discoveries, and realizations that brought her to founding her own company Making Lemonade. Her experience as a teen mom and person who achieved self-actualization through the corporate cosmetics industry, has defined her as an icon for young women who have been told that they may not make it in life as a true success story. If you are that girl, don't believe them. Just "do". The dance around doing will not bring success. JUST DO, she says. She urges people to be strong and to have courage to just go after what you want, even if you don't know what the title of that role actually is, or how to get there. Just use your mind, it's stronger than you think, work hard to figure it out, and it will all work out.
As Donna says "There is nothing you can't do. If you are persistent, you will get it. And if you are consistent, you will keep it." Also, Donna wins best laugh ever award. We love this Seastar and cannot wait to follow Making Lemonade moving forward and see all the brands that emerge from her new venture.
