When Jamie O’Banion launched her BeautyBio brand in 2011, she was among one of the first firms to venture into the organic skincare arena.
“People didn’t get it at first; they didn’t know what it was,” she said. “We were ahead of our time simply because there wasn’t enough market education. And as a small brand at the time, I couldn’t educate the entire market.”
Back then, O’Banion’s patented GloPRO microneedling skin regeneration technology was almost unheard of by consumers. “I vividly remember going on air live on HSN to launch and thinking, ‘Should I even use the word microneedling? It sounds a little intense.’ I came up with about a dozen other ways to say needling.”
The GloPRO facial microneedling tool sold out on HSN in just 12 minutes—and sales haven’t slowed down for O’Banion’s Dallas-based cosmetics and beauty accessories empire, which was named an Allure Best of Beauty Award winner in 2017.
O’Banion shared advice from her role model, her mother: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” to motivate attendees to empower themselves to act today. These were just a few of the kernels during the 45-minute lookback at her entrepreneurial journey at Dallas Startup Week 2020.
And O’Banion’s five takeaways to building your own brand?
- Begin with the end in mind.
Have a pressure-tested, scalable plan to begin with–and make projections for best- and worst-case scenarios. - Always be customer-obsessed.
Know and define who your target audience is, and never lose sight of what they’re looking for from your business. - Guide the ship.
Leading means defining the destination, setting priorities, and creating systems of accountability so people can follow you. - Embrace the power of pivot.
Don’t be married to doing the same thing over and over. (That’s the definition of insanity!) Assess, make changes, and move a different direction, if necessary. - Find joy in the journey.
Financial motivation is subpar fuel. “There is no dollar amount for when you’re on a red-eye flight to London,” O’Banion confessed.
- Begin with the end in mind.
Bonus! Happiness is 100 percent tied to expectations. “If you can have a very frank and honest conversation with your heart about what you’re endeavoring to build, what your sacrifices will be, and you’re able to align your expectations, you will be able to look back over your shoulder and gasp at what a beautiful view you’ll see,” O’Banion said.
O’Banion’s talk was part of the Women of Innovation tract at Dallas Startup Week 2020, highlighting the experiences of local female entrepreneurs.
Held virtually this year, Dallas Startup Week 2020 continues through Friday. To see the full lineup of speakers, or to register yourself, click here.
