Canvas Rebel Interview with CEO

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angelica Codner . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angelica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business?

I’ve had some crazy stories, but this one is beyond crazy. After a year in business, I started to offer wholesale packages for lipgloss and those who wanted to start their business. I was helping this young lady to start her business from scratch. She already had her name in mind and was still figuring out the color schemes. I offered 60 lipgloss in the wand and squeeze tubes flavored and pigmented as requested. After the item was shipped, she asked me where I got my lipgloss labels and certain things I used for my business. I became skeptical of this individual. I offered resources other than my own to assist her at no cost. A few weeks later, someone dm me with an image to ask if this was my business. The young lady created her business as a replica of mine. The only difference was the name. I’m talking about the same font on labels and the brand name, the same color schemes, the same background item for product images, same tubes (as the one I gave her that I don’t use for my business anymore). When I contacted the individual to ask her what was happening, she played the victim and said she got her idea from YouTube. My intention was not to argue or to express how she made her business a replica of mine; I just wanted to wake up from this dream. Another incident, I started my business about six months before this individual. I thought this individual was a friend of mine, but they had plans. She told others that I was pushing out products fast and shouldn’t be doing that. When I confronted the person explaining, they threw a fit to the point of crying and vomiting; I was shocked by their behavior. I never imagine someone being such a liar. Fun fact, a month later, the product I launched that I shouldn’t have, according to her, was a similar product she launched (of course, not the exact recipe/formula). I’m not the only one with crazy stories, but I can’t make this stuff up. As business owners, ensure you protect your business, recipes, and formulas like your babies. People are willing to copy and feed off your success when they have no idea what you had to go through to get there.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Angelica Codner. I am the owner of Angelic Cosmetic LLC™️. I am currently a senior at Alliance College (formerly known as Nyack College) in their BSW program. As an entrepreneur, I launched Angelic Cosmetic, formerly known as Modesty Gloss, in December after being racially discriminated against by clients and employers on my job. I reported the harassment and was terminated. With no blueprint for creating and succeeding in a business, I needed to get released from my job to learn about this hidden skill. Being inspired by God and friends, I launched my industry.

Angelic Cosmetic offers vegan, gluten, and cruelty-free beauty products. I specialize in lip care products such as lip gloss, scrubs, lip oils, chapsticks, and lip liners. During the pandemic, the business expanded to organic hair products, including beard oil for our Kings and facial products. After ten months in business, I offer all your cosmetic needs, including body and skincare.

As a business owner expanding during a pandemic has not been easy. It takes a lot of consistency and determination. Without consistency, it is impossible to be successful. Angelic Cosmetic s here today because of God’s promise. Also, it is something I love doing, not just for the money. To be passionate about something is to pursue it until you can live it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My journey to resilience started before the start of my business. After losing my job to racial discrimination, I had a lot of bills, depressed with no funds. One thing led to the next, and I found a new hobby; making lipgloss. This hobby then turned into an online business. Angelic Cosmetic is a limited liability corporation established in April 2020. I started December 2019 with $50, and at the height of the pandemic, the monthly sales were $600-900.

Within six months, we had expanded to hair care and body care. A year later, I launched a makeup line. It was not easy getting here. There were many times when giving up felt easy. Due to the decline in jobs, many businesses were developed and almost seemed overpopulated in the industry. I had to develop strategies to make Angelic Cosmetic known worldwide.

I remember staying up until 4 in the morning, coming up with new ideas for promoting and marketing, and developing new formulas. As a “small” business owner, you are automatically the photographer, videographer, content creator, and so on. From 2020 to the year 2021 was a challenge. Many slow days and months without $400-900 in monthly sales. Sales started declining, and I had to figure out something else.

At times I felt overwhelmed and burnt out. I utilize TikTok dancing and trends to promote my products, email and SMS strategies, Facebook and Instagram live reels, stories, etc. Often, I create all these contents and rarely get any sales. I’ve asked myself several times, “why bother?!”. Despite the sleepless nights, a lot of tears, doubts, and comparison questions, I kept going knowing that I did not come up with these recipes and ideas on my own. If God trusted me with this, then it would be successful. Angelic Cosmetic has impacted lives throughout the United States of America, Jamaica, Bermuda, Paris France, and Japan. The journey didn’t get easier. Last year, in March, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My absolute worst nightmare came to life. I was depressed and hopeless. It took prayer and faith to come alive for me to realize that I have the recipes to help my mother. While undergoing chemotherapy, my mother could not use certain products with chemicals. Since my products are chemical-free, vegan, cruelty-free, they were the perfect items for her. At this moment, my journey as a business owner became more purposeful. I was capable of making hair growth oil and body products for my mother to use during chemotherapy. A year later, my mother’s hair had grown more and was healthier. I look at the what-ifs. What if I have given up, then what then? I wouldn’t have been able to perfect my craft to bring results to a cancer patient. At this moment in time, resilience became a part of my story.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One major lesson that I had to unlearn and learn is there is no such thing as overnight success. Being hard on yourself based on where you are in business will not do you any good but cause mental exhaustion.

Some people are lucky to have overnight success, but I don’t believe in that. I think every business owner will experience some loss before they become successful! I view my “losses” as lessons. It doesn’t make you a failure; it simply means pay less attention to this. At the beginning of my business, I did a lot of polls hoping to provide new products to my customers, or I always thought whatever the customer asked for, they would get it. They will do the polls alright, but items weren’t moving fast enough or barely even moving. Now, I’m stuck with these products and items for months on the shelf. Now, I pay less attention to polls. Not that I don’t care for my customers, but it’s not an effective method to expand your business. Ballots should be used on Instagram to catch your followers’ attention to engage with your page and not bring new products to your business. This decision is something you have to decide on your own and create strategies for how you’re going to promote and market the products before launch. I’ve wasted a lot of money and supplies doing this and not taking the time to advertise effectively and market. I didn’t fail; I learned! Trust the vision and move at your own pace! Wanting the customers are good but letting the customers need you are better! You will never go out of business.⠀⠀

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Contact Info:

• Website: www.angeliccosmeticllc.com
• Instagram: _angeliccosmetic
• Facebook: Angelic Cosmetic LLC

Image Credits
Coche Productions