As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lea Black.
Lea Black, the dynamic force behind Lea Black Beauty®, has firmly established herself as a leading expert in premium natural skincare and topical CBD products. A Texas native now residing in Miami and Los Angeles, Lea is a multifaceted public figure, reality and radio personality, published author, mother, wife, and tireless charity fundraiser. Her commitment to health, beauty, fitness, and wellness for both women and men has been unwavering for over four decades.
Her journey in skincare began in 1985, inspired by the numerous compliments she received on her own radiant skin, sparking a dedication to creating high-quality, effective skincare regimens. In the ’90s, she achieved remarkable success with her global beauty company, which boasted hundreds of products and offices worldwide. She focused on training and employing women in sales and teaching them how to be independent. As her collections evolve to meet modern skincare demands while maintaining their foundational excellence, Lea remains dedicated to expanding her skincare family with only the finest products that meet the highest standards, solidifying her reputation as a trusted authority in natural and CBD skincare.
In this interview, she dives into the challenges, wins, and wisdom she’s gained from over a decade of transforming online businesses.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur in the beauty industry, and what led to the creation of your brand or product line?
I never planned on being an entrepreneur in any business. It just turned out that that’s what comes naturally for me. I had worked for a skin care company, and I sold more than everyone else in the company combined, so I decided to do my own thing. Plus, I’m very particular about the quality, science, and ingredients, and by doing my own thing, I can control that. If you make a great product at a good price, customers stick with you.
As a woman navigating the beauty business world, what unique challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve never felt like being a woman was a liability. I’ve always felt like it’s what you make of it, so I never let that stand in my way. Still, I’ve had many challenges, everything from financial to working with people that didn’t have my best interest at heart, to struggling to find the proper distribution I’ve done everything from Home Shopping Network to multilevel marketing to retail to the suntan industry when Sun tanning beds were popular to direct marketing to International offices and distribution. Now that we do online sales, I’ve learned the business the hard way and capitalized on what I’ve learned.
The beauty industry can be both competitive and demanding—how do you maintain personal well-being while growing your brand?
I’ve always felt like in business and life, you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with, so I’ve surrounded myself with top talent, and the top talent people that I have are highly committed, have tremendous integrity, and always put the customer first and try to do the right thing. I found that if you don’t compromise your values and integrity, and you do the right thing by other people, it somehow always works out, maybe not on your timeline, but eventually.
Which networking strategies, communities, or collaborations have helped you build meaningful connections in the beauty space?
It always goes back to the people that you meet and interact with. If you meet and interact with creative, interesting people, then you can make things happen.
How do you approach mentorship—both as a mentee and mentor—and how has it influenced your growth as a beauty entrepreneur?
I don’t do much mentoring anymore, but at one time I did seminars every single weekend for probably 10 or so years in a row, including Saturday Sundays, and holidays where I did training classes and everything from goal setting to overcoming objections to finding out what people are looking for and how to fill that for them to making prospect list to basically every aspect of business. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to watch people whom I have trained and developed thrive, and some of them have become highly successful, working in various businesses. Skincare was a vehicle for learning business, and some of them stayed in the beauty industry, while others transitioned into other fields. However, they knew their worth and were willing to demand what they were worth in life, rather than what someone else was willing to pay them.
What strategies have worked best for gaining loyal customers and building trust in your beauty brand?
We always ensure on-time delivery and offer top-quality products at fair prices. We treat every customer as if they are our first and last, because, as they say, the customer is always right. Our goal is never to lose a new customer, and we hope they will refer others to us. It’s a classic, grassroots approach: word of mouth, doing the right thing, taking care of our customers, putting ourselves in their place, and being there for them because it matters – and because it’s the right thing to do.
Which marketing techniques (such as social media, influencer partnerships, content marketing, or events) have been most effective for your business, and how do you measure their success?
I measure success in two ways. Of course, we need to make a profit; without it, we can’t stay in business, develop new products, or provide the customer service our clients deserve. However, I also value success based on the satisfaction of happy customers. Do they keep ordering? Do they recommend us to their friends? What works for us is having a strong customer service team and providing products that deliver visible, noticeable results. When clients see, feel, and experience positive changes and their friends comment on how great their skin looks, that’s success.
Can you share a major setback or turning point in your beauty entrepreneurship journey, and how you navigated through it?
When I used to do a lot of exporting, I learned the hard way that a country’s economic changes can affect everything from the food they eat to the skincare they use. I’ve had to navigate various global crises and economic situations, such as those in Prague, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia. However, I always managed to recover, and eventually, I started focusing more on the US market, which is much easier to control and plan for.
What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to women who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey in the beauty industry?
Be committed, surround yourself with people who work hard whom you can trust, and don’t give up.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that guides your decision-making and leadership as a beauty entrepreneur?
I’ve always said that I live my life as if everything matters, because I think it does.
Here is our signature question: “What Are The 5 Things You Need to Overcome Self-Doubt and Build Confidence?”
Confidence, knowledge, courage, not taking things personally, persistence, and thinking big/being a visionary.
Confidence: I’ve never really had much of a problem with that because I jump in and then I dig myself out of the hole.
Knowledge: I’m an information junkie, so for me, I love learning and I love being self-taught. I grab the things that interest me and think will help me, and I don’t waste a lot of time with useless information. But knowledge is something you have to have if you’re going to be in business. You need to know about your product and the skills to run a company and generate a bottom-line profit.
Courage is something that you have to sometimes dig deep for. For example, launching a product line in a country where you don’t know the customs and language, and then just going in and figuring it out minute by minute.
Not taking things personally is a difficult thing to do, especially when you’re totally immersed in your business, and then you realize that other people aren’t. It’s hard to wrap your head around people that maybe you think are loyal and really committed to you and to your business, and then all of a sudden, you find out they’re not, and it’s jarring. And it is hard not to take it personally, but you’re only as good as your last performance, so if you dwell on that, you won’t get much further.
Thinking big: You know, I came from a small town in Texas, so for me, thinking big was moving to a cosmopolitan city. Then, when I moved to the cosmopolitan city, I felt big was selling outside the state. Then, when I started selling outside the state, I thought big was selling in Puerto Rico. And then, before you know it, I realized I can sell products anywhere as long as I have great products at a good price and am willing to do what it takes to win over the customers and keep them happy, in many cases giving them opportunities that they never really thought they would have before, perhaps in sales or business. Additionally, I believe it’s great to help others achieve their goals and dreams, and if you can do so by offering them a business opportunity, then I encourage you to do so. It’s the right thing to do. It’s great karma, and you’ll feel really great about it.
And I would add to all of the above that being grateful and having gratitude is your multiplying power, and when things don’t go the way you think they should, claim them good, and perhaps something good will come out of it.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I had unlimited power, I would ensure everyone had peace, prosperity, and opportunity, and would be generous with it. However, if I had to focus on one thing, it would be fairness. I believe everyone deserves a fair chance in life, and that being extremely wealthy, intelligent, or influential doesn’t make one’s life any more important than that of a homeless person asking for a dollar. So, if I had magical powers, I would convince the world that there’s plenty for everyone, and we should all wish each other well and share the abundance.
