Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Angela Weinberg, co-founder, and CEO of Kolorete Cosmetics, located in San Diego, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Kolorete Cosmetics is a new, luxury color cosmetics brand specializing in the lips category. About one year ago, we set out to create the most hydrating and healthy lipstick formula on the market while still maintaining that glam, color-pop look that you'd demand from a lipstick. I formulated our product myself from 100% high-quality, clean/organic ingredients, as well as designed our packaging from scratch. Customers enjoy our products because they can't find our formula or color combinations anywhere else.

With the help of my Co-Founder, Johanna, we cater toward the inclusive and AAPI market. However, our brand is made for everyone, and I consciously choose our colors to work for people of all skin tones, from fair to dark in the shade.

We launched Kolorete Cosmetics not but 4-5 months ago. We have received extraordinarily positive feedback, maintaining an authentic, 4.9-star rating across all products.

Tell us about yourself

I've had an unconventional career path thus far. I've made startups and entrepreneurship my life, not because the 'idea' of it sounds nice, but because it's genuinely the best career path that I've found that fits with my personality.

I started my career as an artist at a world-renowned print studio as an apprentice. For two years I mixed and color-matched inks and worked on limited edition prints with some of the most influential artists of our day. I was not 100% satisfied with the ethical landscape of the fine art world, witnessing a large socioeconomic gap between artists and collectors. I knew I wanted to pivot into the ethical business sector that supported artists and entrepreneurs in low socioeconomic positions and/or international relations.

At that point, I realized my deep interest in entrepreneurship, and I knew that's where I wanted to go, so I set out to learn as much as I could from experience. I joined a Fair Trade subscription company as their 4th hire and, over a period of 4 years, built a network of relationships with artisan communities in over 150 countries around the globe. I built multiple departments from the ground up while I was there, including Supply Chain, Product Development, Merchandising, and Operations. It was a huge learning curve!

When COVID hit, the whole world changed, and I changed with it. I felt it was time to set off on my own path to start my own business. It was one of my lifetime goals to create a truly organic and sustainable cosmetics company that could do good for customers and for the world. At that point, I connected with my colleague and now business partner, Johanna, a Filipino entrepreneur, immigrant, and influencer, about joining forces to build her life's dream of starting a lipstick company. With our shared interest, Kolorete Cosmetics, a natural lip care company, was born.

Every day I am motivated by the prospect of taking something that does not exist and making it a reality. Building a business is like setting out to create a work of art: it takes planning, creativity, dedication, flexibility, risk, and ambition to make it a reality. It is filled with incredible ups and downs, but I wouldn't want my life to be any other way!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

On an organizational level, I feel the most purpose in my work when I can successfully support my team. I truly find meaning in lifting people up and supporting their career development by helping them fit into jobs they both are talented at and enjoy. On a personal level, I feel the proudest of myself for my work on formulating KOLORETE products from scratch, and I feel grateful we can promote our products without hesitation as the most hydrating lipsticks on the market.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Startups are extremely fast-paced, learning-rich environments, demanding you to move quickly, confidently, and precisely as possible in your decision-making. This makes them very fun! But the environment generally creates urgency, stress, and excitement all wrapped up in the same moment. Figuring out the balance between all of those emotions, for me, is the biggest hurdle.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Instead of leading to start a business and determining a product/service to satisfy that desire, train yourself instead to look for a problem in the world or a gap in the market, and solve for it. The purpose of a business is to satisfy the need of a potential customer, not to satisfy your need to start a business--although, in a perfect world, it would do both. Unless your product/service solves a problem people want to solve, it's unlikely the company will succeed. Understanding this will also help you pivot your business if ever needed because you will be more motivated by solving a problem than attached to your original ideas.
  2. Be certain of 'why' you are doing it and be very honest with yourself. If any part of you believes you may be doing it for the wrong reasons (e.g., attention, fame, and even money in some cases), then don't do it! Only start a business if you are 100% certain it is in line with your personal goals and values. It is an incredible amount of work, time, and pressure to put on yourself; you'll need your good intentions to motivate you through the hard times. Not only that, but customers can feel authenticity from founders, and giving anything less than your all may come back to bite you in your efforts.
  3. Get used to making mistakes; you will make a lot of them and learn from them. Arrogance is not the answer to any of your problems. No matter how talented, intelligent, likable you are, stay humble.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Only my expressed gratitude to my Co-Founder, Johanna, and all of our KOLORETE customers! Thank you for having my back at all times, and I am looking forward to seeing where we grow in the future.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://koloretecosmetics.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koloretelips/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaweinberg/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.