Jerrod Blandino's millennial makeup empire is going strong with Gen Z, too. He says entrepreneurs need to remember 4 things, most of all be unique.
Dominic-Madori Davis
- Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson are the cofounders of the popular makeup brand Too Faced.
- The company, founded in 1998, has grown to become one of the best-selling makeup brands at Sephora, and it has a whopping 13.2 million followers on Instagram.
- Blandino and Johnson told Business Insider about their career beginnings and give key pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
It's nearly impossible to enter a beauty retailer today and not see Too Faced products lined up on the shelves.
The brand, cofounded by Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson in 1998, is known for its millennial pink aesthetic, "Better than Sex" mascara, and glittering eye shallow pallets. In 2016, the brand was bought by Estee Lauder for a staggering $1.45 billion.
Ironically, Blandino used to work at the Estee Lauder beauty counter back in the 1990s, a time when he says "everyone was taking makeup way too seriously."
"It was very regimented, very controlled, very step one, two, three, four," he told Business Insider. "I just realized very quickly, being a guy working behind the counter, that they were missing the fun, creative dream aspect of beauty."
He said his experience behind the counter inspired him to cofound a brand that would inspire people to "dream and to reinvent themselves every day to express themselves."
"This is all about giving you self-confidence in the world to go conquer and do anything you want to do," cofounder Jeremy Johnson told Business Insider.
The branding of Too Faced has allowed it to remain a millennial favorite for over two decades. It's one of the best-selling makeup brands at Sephora, and has an acclaimed mascara that, for instance, won the 2020 Allure reader's choice poll. But the brand is proving Gen Z-friendly, too. It has 13.2 million followers on Instagram, and had a lip plumper go viral on TikTok back in the spring.
"The world's getting smaller — the internet and social media, it's brought us all so much closer together," Blandino said. "These social stars, these kids on YouTube, these fabulous and amazing makeup artists, these boys and men, who are wearing makeup in their own way — it's just such a whole new, amazing world of beauty that we're just so thrilled to be a part of."
But of course there are some aspects of business that are universal, and Blandino shared four pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to create their own robust brands.
Look to create a brand that is authentic
Blandino said authenticity is very important for both brands and entrepreneurs looking to create a company.
In fact, creating something authentic should be at the heart of a business, as should developing authentic relationships with customers and brand partners. The latter, he said, are an important and "incredibly" powerful way to get brand messages across.
"The days of just paying somebody to you show your product, while there is no relationship with the brand, are gone. I think people see through that and it's disingenuous," he said. "It is so important to align yourself with social stars and influencers who you believe really vibes and is on the same beat as your brand."
Embrace new technology — yes, even TikTok
New technology platforms seem to pop up every decade or so, but Blandino said it's important to embrace each and every one of them.
"It's just another layer of creativity, another layer of expressing your brand and connecting with your client in a very immediate way through something that's incredibly entertaining entertainment," he said.
"It's incredibly similar and totally different in many ways, but in the end, it is just about connecting with your customer, with your client and sharing your brand through a really personal way."
Aim for your company to have a unique perspective and purpose
It's also important for a company to have a unique perspective, vision, and purpose, Blandino said.
"You must come in with something new, with something personal," he continued. "Otherwise, the world doesn't need another Too Faced. You know, it exists."
He stressed that aspiring entrepreneurs need to have perseverance, and it's important to truly believe, not only in yourself, but also in the company you are trying to create.
"You've got to have a belief deep down that the world needs you," he continued. "It can't just be, 'I want to be rich.' You need to have a passion and a purpose to bring something to the world."
Being an entrepreneur will knock you down — but it's important to get back up
Blandino is all too familiar with stress, but said that it's imperative to never give up — even if there is a a new "struggle" every day.
"From having a retailer in the very early days, declare bankruptcy and take a bunch of your products and not pay you, to figuring out when you have something super-successful — how can you order enough of it and catch up to catch up to the momentum?" he said, recounting his experiences launching Too Faced. "That's something we still still struggle with today, but you don't give up. You find a way, you don't give up. Failure's not an option."
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