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What product managers can learn from the story of a beauty product

There is much to learn from a good product story; how an insight leads to an idea, which becomes a product concept and grows into a business case resulting in developing a new product that is launched and grows through the product lifecycle.

Personally, I also enjoy learning from industries I’m unfamiliar with. So, when I discovered a new beauty brand that is in the formation process, I was excited to talk with its founder, Ginger King. She is a chemist with previous senior management roles at several large cosmetic companies. Her first product under her own brand, FanLoveBeauty, is a lip balm.

There is a lot you can learn from this interview beyond elements of the product journey. This includes how to speak with passion about your own product — something Ginger does well.

Summary of some concepts discussed for product managers 

[5:14] How did you create your first product for FanLoveBeauty?

My first product is a vegan lip balm designed for speakers or others who talk a lot. I got the idea because I wanted to create a healthier lip balm for my friend mentor Daymond John. My lip balm differentiates itself because it does not contain petrol or lanolin, two common but unhealthy lip balm ingredients.

[10:17] Once you had the idea, what happened next?

Almost all other natural lip balms use beeswax, but I wanted mine to protect bees and be vegan, so I decided to not use beeswax. Through competitive studies I found that most natural lip balms also don’t contain active ingredients. I added superfoods like flaxseed oil, mango, almond, and sea asparagus. The lip balm I now sell is my tenth formulation. A board of beauty experts and Daymond John gave me feedback on each formulation to help me arrive at the final product.

[20:07] What did you do to validate the need for the product?

 I did a pre-launch and received feedback from users. Some people bought the product during the pre-launch, and others I provided it to because I knew they were influencers who could give me valuable feedback and help with marketing.

[21:55] What is your target market?

I was originally inspired to make a lip balm for speakers, but my lip balm is for anyone who talks lot—podcasters, salespeople, teachers, and anyone else who uses their lips a lot. I know that if professional speakers like it, then a broader audience of aspiring speakers will also want it.

[25:07] How are you continuing to grow your marketplace?

My company is called FanLoveBeauty because I create products for people who inspire, educate, or entertain. Those people contribute a lot to society, but there aren’t any beauty products dedicated to them. I encourage people to work with me to give me product ideas. If you tell me about a specific artist or educator who has contributed to society, I will create a beauty product for them.

[27:06] How do you implement the brand concept of creating products for people with specific needs?

I call it FanLoveBeauty because fan love is very passionate—I want to create the very best products for celebrities whom people love. My social cause is donating to a suicide prevention foundation because some celebrities we love have committed suicide because of depression. Along the same line, I include mango butter in my products because mango helps people feel better.

Bonus Question: What is it like to have Daymond John as your mentor? What key insight has he shared with you?

I have followed Daymond John for ten years. Before asking him to be my mentor, I did my homework—reading all his books and watching his videos. We’re friends because I never asked him for an investment. We focus on relationships, not transactions. Don’t approach people asking what they can do for you.

A key insight I learned from Daymond John is, Don’t get investment too soon. Before FanLoveBeauty, I had another skincare brand, and I wish I had known this then. I got invested in very early, and the partnership fell through. It would have been far better if I had bootstrapped every single step.

Useful links:

• Ginger’s lip balm business, FanLoveBeauty

Innovation Quote

“If you never quit, you never fail.” – Unknown

Thanks!

Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.