Empowering the Entrepreneur: My Lipgloss is Poppin’

Considering the economic climate we live in, having more than one job is the norm. However, something beautiful and new is taking place. No longer are people just going out and finding a second form of employment many people now are creating their own jobs. Becoming an entrepreneur is the new wave and that spirit is ever-present in our community like never before. Why work for someone else when you can create your own profit driven by your passion? Work shouldn’t feel like a chore it should feel like fulfillment, so this new series is dedicated to those who are satisfying that fulfillment and creating their own reality.

To kick off the series, I sat with Ms. Eva Pritcher, 33, native of Brooklyn, New York, who now resides in Hoffman, NC. She is founder of Kandiface brand, which encompasses her make-up artistry and new line of lipgloss, Kandigloss. Trademarked with logo and all, Pritcher is serious about building her brand and continuing to expand her efforts.

Pritcher is a full time CNA, but doesn’t enjoy it.

“I hate it. It can get nasty at times and it hurts when you lose a client. And the strain on my back…it’s a lot to being a CNA. People don’t realize what we go through.” 

She got her start doing makeup as a hobby, but it quickly became something that begin to generate profit.

“I started taking a liking to makeup and my mother was like, you should do other people. I was like, no,” she says. “My mother was like try it on me, and she said, that looks good now go do somebody else,” and thus her make-up artistry was born.

Pritcher is quite shy and loves to make sure people are satisfied with her product. “Everytime, I do somebody though, I’m nervous and my heart starts jumping, my hands start sweating,  hoping that they like it.”

The name of her lipgloss is Kandigloss,  which grew out from her make-up artistry brand, Kandiface.  Her brand started as a nickname and she just ran with it.  “This guy I knew started calling me “candy” and I thought, makeup looks like candy,  that’s the name, I’m going to call it that.” She paid $300 to get the name and logo trademark and from there she was ready.

Just like many of us who look to youtube and google for everything, do-it-yourslef related, one day Pritcher decided to look up how to make lip gloss. From there, she researched sites that she could order a sample pack with the ingredients and once the order came in, she started mixing.

Her first batch of lipgloss sold at 5 dollars a tube and she got a really big response and so she ordered more. “I ordered 100 tubes and sold out of that in a week in a half. At that point, I was like alright, I think I got a winner here,” says Pritcher with a smile.

The demand was high, but luckily her kids were there to offer her a helping hand. “It takes me about an hour to do about 20 tubes. It’s a lot of work, but my kids help me and I put them on payroll. I pay them 5 dollars an hour. They like money too, so they don’t complain.”

Business is going great for Pritcher, but in the spirit of a true entreprenuer, she says, “it can always be better.”  She continues, “I always sell out. This is my fourth time ordering, I’ve only been in business about 2 or 3 months and I’ve basically sold almost 3,000 tubes. I’ve had people order from all over.”

When asked what keeps her motivated, she quickly replied with a laugh, “Money!” However, her true motivation is her children. “Girl I have five kids and it’s expensive,” says, Pritcher.

The reviews she receives also keeps her motivated. “I love the feedback and I read everyone’s comments on Facebook. I didn’t expect it to really be this big. The demand has died down, but I think I’m just going to make more colors.”

However, running a business is not all sunshine and flowers and has had some challenges. “My biggest challenge is trying to make everyone happy. You have a lot of people around you that want discounts or want you to look out and you can’t look out when you’re trying to make money.” 

She is also displeased with the lack of local support. “The saddest part though is that most people down here that I know don’t support me, I get more support from strangers in other places.”

But nothing will keep Ms. Pritcher from continuing to grow and expand. She has received a lot of offers regarding partnerships and local store owners wanting her to sell her Kandigloss in their shops. She is hoping to start a mink eyelash line in the future and is even pursing her business license with hopes in opening her own boutique.

Her words of advice to other entreprenuers: “Just do whatever it is you want to do and go hard. Don’t let anyone cancel your dreams, just go hard.”

Kandigloss is currently available is seven colors, Unicorn, Cotton Candy, Storm, Dusty Rose, Berry Crave, 24 Karat, and Barbie Beach. They sell for $10 each and are available for purchase at www.kandiface.bigcartel.com. Tax and shipping is not included in price.