Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sebastien Tardif, Co-Founder of Veil Cosmetics, located in New York, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I created Veil Cosmetics based on my obsession with complexion and my desire to improve cosmetic textures in order to have the best possible finish; a skin-like finish. I want my clients to be able to forget about the makeup they're wearing and go about their day feeling their best and refreshed. You can count on Veil Cosmetics' refined textures and its skincare-infused formulas to not only feel great on your skin but also to do good for your skin with our quality sourced botanicals and ingredients. Unlike most celebrity-based brands out there, there is an actual professional makeup artist creating Veil's products based on experience and answering actual makeup challenges encountered whilst behind the scenes at work. We love the no-makeup makeup look at Veil Cosmetics, so for those of you that love skin, that love to show off your skin and not mask it, you've come to the right place.
Tell us about yourself
I'm Sebastien Tardif, creator, and co-founder of Veil Cosmetics. I have about 25 years of professional makeup experience behind my belt, which includes being a celebrity makeup artist. I've worked with Jane Fonda, Olivia Palermo, Naomi Campbell, and Nelly Furtado, to name a few. Countless runway shows I've directed, which is a big passion of mine because that's where I developed my love for real-looking skin. I've also worked for a ton of glossies like Glamour, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, etc. And that's also where I have experimented and developed my complexion obsession. This all led to creating my own brand based on my complexion obsession, being able to create superior textures infused with skincare ingredients and offer these products to my clients because they were all clamoring for this finish that made their skin glow, that made their skin look hydrated, yet, not looking made up.
What motivates me to do what I do every day is finding and meeting new clients, seeing that business is expanding and that I'm in full control of my business. I'm not reliant on monstrous, picky retailers that are going to say yes or no to what I want to create. I'm not reliant on a corporation with a heavy chain of command, where the titles are more important than the actual work being done. Been there, done that. I really enjoy working for myself with a tight-knit group of people. I work with Rick Maneiro, who is in charge of operations, and there's also Parker Stene, who is in charge of sales and business development. We're a great team, and we hire a few consultants to help us expand in the fields that we're not specialized in, and that is the best of both worlds.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is to still be around after ten years of having created Veil Cosmetics. Longevity is truly a pride and a joy. To know that my business keeps on thriving, that I'm finding new clients all the time, and that I have a very strong base of faithful customers that enjoy their complexion products.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is to find your own motivation and to constantly find inspiration to keep the business running and evolving. When I launched ten years ago, Instagram pretty much launched at the same time, actually. And now it's an influencer world, and the influencers were really not a thing when I launched, so we had to adapt to that world. Business is constantly evolving, and that's the biggest challenge. Technology is very heavy now. We have to rely on a lot of IT/web-based solutions and new ways to get the product seen and to get the product in the hands of the consumer. That's the constant challenge.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top three list I would give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today would be, first of all, make sure that you have a passion for what you do. Passion is irreplaceable, and money alone is never enough to push you forward. You have to love what you do. Second of all, if you want to be fully in charge and love being an entrepreneur, make sure that you do business with people that you enjoy doing business with. Thirdly, surround yourself with people that do things that you do not do, that complement your talents and skills.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
You can find us at VeilCosmetics.com. That is our website, and we just refreshed it, so we'd love for you to check it out. Give us a follow on Instagram @VeilCosmetics one word. After having suffered a major hack back in April. I lost my Instagram account for about five months, and that was the most devastating event that happened to me as a business owner; now that I've been able to recoup my account, I would really love it if you give us a follow; I handle the account myself, so you'll hear it from the horse's mouth and get the best tips and hacks about Veil Cosmetics.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://veilcosmetics.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeilCosmetics/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veilcosmetics/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/veilcosmetics
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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