Success Requires Letting Go of People’s Expectations of You (Jackie Aina)

24:54Let's talk about the start because Forever Mood, you decided to start and you weren't thinking about it as like this big business. How did you fund it? Did you have to go out and raise capital? Did you self-fund? What did that look like? Because I feel like I read something somewhere in my research that was kind of along the lines of, it was kind of difficult for you to raise because there had been like complexities with maybe things that you'd said in the past or done in the past or brands that you've worked with in the past that made it even more difficult for you as a black woman to go out and raise the capital to start this brand.

25:28Now, I don't actually, like, I can't prove that, but sometimes I do feel like, hmm, are you punishing me? Did I drag one of your brands? That's fine. I ain't going to stop though. No, I'm just kidding. But no, we are fully self-funded up until now. Still fully. We have not chosen to be self-funded or you felt like it was just impossible to raise capital. We've had conversations, but like nothing has really materialized just yet. I'm sure one day it'll probably happen, but we fully took a good chunk of money to start it. And it's so, it's crazy because one, it was way more expensive to launch the brand than we initially anticipated.

26:14And then because, I don't know if I'm supposed to say this. Don't say it if you drive go comfortable saying it. It was like a quarter of a million. Yeah, that's it. I mean, it's a lot of money. It was a lot more than I thought. It's a lot of money and it's not a lot of money, but I think it's really important for people to understand because it was your money. But also it was like my neck on the line. This is what I'm saying. It's your money. It's your reputation. And it's not like you have like a lot of quarter of a million to just put into things willy-nilly. So it would have meant an enormous amount to you.

26:41So this was like money that you had basically made that you were then investing in yourself. Okay. Okay. Right. Collectively, too. Like it wasn't, I don't think that some was like the first week, you know what I mean? Like collectively, like within the first year, probably. Yes. Well, because it drips. That's how it goes. Yeah. I know. I know. But also we had to completely restructure because when we started the business, Emma, like what we thought was supposed to be or was going to be like six months of inventory basically sold out in four hours. Which is a good problem, but a problem nevertheless.

27:16less. So frightening. Yeah, frightening. I looked at Dennis and I was like, close the laptop. Please. I literally felt like I was going hysterical because I was just like, there's no way. You must have at the same time been like so, so happy. I was so scared. You were scared. So tell me, what did the business look like in the beginning? Like, what did you do? It's you and it's Dennis. And talk to me about the product and how you started. We got introduced to like, like a, I guess you could say like an incubator, like a manufacturing company. So they already had been creating candles for themselves.

27:49They had their own brand and then they were doing it for other companies. And they were like, yeah, we'll just like, do it for you, white label. So like, okay, great. Like I can pick all the fragrances, I can customize. And they were like, yes, absolutely. We already have the team in place. Like everything's already in place, whatever. So it was a good arrangement until it wasn't. and I will say it was a great start. Okay. What wasn't good about it? Because I feel like this is the trap that people walk into, right? It's like somebody knows something you don't know and they can provide something that you desperately need and you're like, great, let's go.

28:24But what did that look like when it went wrong? When it went wrong, it became very apparent that there was a severe lack of transparency about things they should not have been not being transparent about. Costs. A lot of things. It would be like, oh, we're capable of doing this. And then they were very much not. So we ended up like, it's like a divorce because you go into business directly with them and you're married and your finances are intertwined and your day-to-day lives are intertwined and you're friendly with their employees. And then when we decided, okay, okay, I think it's time for us to just amicably try to work our way to something that has a bit more structure in place.

29:11Oh my God, it's not just like a month of going your separate ways. It took us like well over a year. To untangle yourself. Untangle, yes. And then we had a warehouse with them that we went into business with, with a five-year lease. Oh, oh. What do you wish you'd have done differently? Not that. Not sign that contract. we would not need that building. But isn't it so, it's so hard in the beginning because you're trying to find a trusted partner. I mean, look, what I've done in the past and I've had good suppliers and vendors and bad supplier and vendors. And I would say almost every business that I've had that's been successful has started with a vendor partnership, a supplying partnership that has just stood the test of time.

29:57And it's so interesting because I remember it like it was yesterday with Good American. And still to this day, we are almost nine, 10 years down the line. I am still making, I'd say 20 % of our assortment with the factory that we started with because they were an amazing vendor and amazing supplier. But you don't always know what questions to ask. You don't always know how to vet that person. You don't always know the personalities that are involved. So I guess you guys just fell foul to an experience. What do you chalk it up to? Yeah, well, yes. And also like most of my background was working with like beauty and cosmetics.

30:36So asking my fellow founder friends, they would, you know, they didn't have as much knowledge to pass along in terms of working with fragrance, candles specifically, vendors and that aspect. So we just kind of had to like take a bet. But you know, I gotta take my own advice. Like I was never gonna launch if we didn't make that mistake. And so listen. It got you out. It got you in the market. Yeah. You had an amazing start.

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31:42I'm trying to understand where the company kind of is now. Like, because you're at Sephora. Yes. Like, which I'm sure for you must have been like the dream. It was something that I was like excited about. But I knew very early on that I did not want a retail partnership to define who we were. I'm actually glad that we did this because initially I was like terrified of doing this. But Dennis was like, we should like wait until we kind of understand, like we find our own footing first before we like just get thrusted. Because Sephora actually, Sephora was like knocking on my door years before we started working on Forever Mood.

32:19Because they heard I was working on other things and they were like, we just want to know what Jackie's working on. They were like excited and eager to work with me, which I really like because they really do put their money where their mouth is. Their commitment to really putting the 15 % in the 15 % pledge starts even before the products exist. Like they don't play. They do not play. No, it's the support and it's the infrastructure. It's the mentorship. It's the guidance. It's the, you know, the seminars and the meetings and the get togethers and the advice. It's like they really walk the walk and talk the talk.

32:50They for sure do. And I'll give them full credit for that. And I know not everybody has the same experience, but I think in the grand scheme of retailers that really put their money where their mouth is and support founders, they really, really do it. What did getting on those shelves actually require for you guys? And what changed operationally after you were InstaFora? Ordering way more product. So that was like a big adjustment because it was like, well, yeah, like we get high volume orders on our D2C website. but like it's different when you're in a retailer. Way different. And then also, you know, Sephora, they want you kind of like on a calendar.

33:28So, and they're like two years out sometimes and it's like, whoa, girl, we're trying to recover from the last six months, boo. Like, can I catch up? Like it's, it's a - You're a baby business. You're a baby business. Activated inside a monster. And they're ready to go. One thing I love about Sephora though is they love, you know, they love it in the kitchen moment. So they love sitting down being like, we just want to know what you're working on. Like, we just want to know what's on the pipeline. So that's really exciting. And that has allowed me to think a lot more forward in terms of launches and stuff and to be way more proactive.

34:01It definitely felt like it lit a fire under us because we had to quickly learn how to adjust to work around the retail calendar, retail. Has it been lucrative in what you imagined it would be? I went into it not expecting it to be that, no. And in fact, I did not want that to be the majority of our business. And to this day, it's still not. Say more about that. Why not? Because I need ownership, boo. Like I need to like, I need to know that people are coming for us. So the byproduct of going to a Sephora is like, you love us and it happens to be a Sephora. But I want the customer who's pulling up and buying.

34:37Because if it's out of stock on Sephora, if your product's not that great, you're not going to be excited enough to like go straight to the website and order it. But when I like something, if it's sold on an Ulta, if it's sold on a Nordstrom, I'm finding that product. Of course you're finding that product. I also think it's a really good note for anyone that's building a brand that a single retailer destination brand is not a brand because then you're at the mercy of that retailer, right? And that has nothing to do with just Sephora. It's the same if you're just Nordstrom or just Ulta or just anything.

35:08It's like you have to have a diversified offering. And I think that we could name countless brands that have all their eggs in one basket, meaning that they are entirely beholden to one retailer. And guess who runs those brands? The retailer. And you have no leverage. Not the owner, not the founder. And so that is just a recipe for disaster. Talk to me about what you think the recipe is for a successful creator brand, given what you know and where you are. I think personal detachment is really important. So the answer to this will probably vary depending on who you ask. But, you know, some people love being front and center and the face of and the name of.

35:47And I don't think that's a bad thing, but I do think that comes with challenges because then you quite literally are the brand. But I and Dennis, my co-founder, really wanted the community to be the brand. What's your aim? Like, what are you trying to build? What would you wish for this brand? I don't need a billion dollar valuation. I don't care. Like my standards are lower, Emma. Like, honestly, I don't care about that. I don't. Yes, I think that more founders shouldn't care about that. I don't really care about that. I think it's wild where we are right now because most businesses don't get billion dollar valuations.

36:25Most businesses are not unicorns, but that doesn't mean you can't make a really good living, employ people, have a nice life, make money off of them. Like the two things can be true. You can have a business that's not worth a billion dollars and it's still be a great business. A great business that you can pass on for generations. I want to continue to build a company and a brand that really fosters a healthy work environment, that centers community, that also centers luxury, that's still attainable and aspirational. Because that was also the thing that really motivated us to start Forever Mood is I felt like everything was either too kitschy kitschy or like way too out of reach.

37:10And there was nothing in between. Yeah. I really wanted fragrance to be like a little less stuffy. Like fragrance, you know, like back in the day when we would buy fragrance, we would go to the mall and you'd have this like strange man with pants that were too damn tight, putting a little fragrance on a little blotter and being like, smell this. And it's like, girl, bye. Like, I'm just trying to go to Zara. Can you please get out of my face? You know what I mean? Like, it's not fun. There's nothing like, I don't even know what, what are you selling me? And I wanted to create a completely different experience for the average fragrance consumer.

37:38And I feel like we've done that really well. And I want to continue to do that because as much as you can say you love perfume, most consumers, and I don't say this to be insulting. I'm saying this like factually, like have no clue what it means if I say something is ylang, ylang, like they don't know what that smells like. They know it smells good. Yeah. That's why the name of the brand is Forever Mood because every single thing we launch really centers, like, how does it make you feel? Is there any part of you that cares about the money? Like, forget the billion dollar brand thing. Like, how focused on building a real business that is worth something or brings you money, are you?

38:22I love money. That's the best part. But it's definitely not... I don't think that's the motivating factor in general. I think if you're motivated by money, you'll just do anything. Like, you won't have no standards. You'll just do anything for a check. Is it important? Hell yeah. Especially as a woman, like some people were like, oh my God, you're so... Poverty is traumatizing. I ain't going back. So I'm going to put every single thing in place to make sure that if I'm not, especially if I'm not enjoying this, because this job is hard, kind of make money. Yeah, like I'm going to... I like money.

38:59I don't feel bad about saying that. I mean, I'd be a billionaire. I mean, oh gosh, every day. I feel like, especially with content creators, you know, like you're supposed to be relatable. You're supposed to be humble. And those are great things, but that's not the only part of me, you know? I know, so listen, I don't think it's just for content creators. I think it's more specifically for women. You know what's so crazy? Like you're made to feel really bad when you're poor because you made poor decisions. You weren't leveling up in life. You probably didn't have the ideal education. You also can't pay rent.

39:31You're constantly cursed. and I didn't grow up in a household where I was raised around a lot of financial literacy. That's why I loved your episode, Melody Hobson, because I live for like, teach them young. Like, yes, girl. Like, I really respect that. That was the exact opposite of my upbringing. But you're made to feel terrible when you come from a certain, especially in this country, when you come from a certain socioeconomic status, it's all you, you just haven't worked hard enough. You haven't done this. And then you make money. I'm still supposed to feel bad, girl. a buy, please. I've already, I've already, I told you I came from the trenches.

40:07I'm not going back, but it's like a mental thing in a way. Cause it's like, it's your fault if you're poor, but then if you make something of yourself, you're a terrible person. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. What do you think when it comes to kind of like financial and legal lessons, what has been critical to protecting your longevity? Because again, you've been in the business for a long time. Do you think there were things that you learned or things that happened that have kept you safe and have kept you like where you are in a good position? I have to say, shout out to my man, girl, because his background in investment banking and his background in finance in general has truly opened my eyes to so much.

40:49I remember there was a time where I was going to give away a really big equity share of the business in exchange for working with someone who at the time, because I didn't understand what that really meant. Like a staff member, you mean? Kind of, yeah, basically. And it was huge. It was like 40%. And what they were requesting - What were you thinking? Why would you have done that? I thought it was like, oh, well, if I work with them, is that not? Dennis was like, hell no. And then I was like, okay, well, what would be more sensible? like 20 %? And then he was like, okay, what's 20 % of$400 million?

41:37Do you think that's worth what this person is doing for you currently? And I was like, no, not really. And I was like, oh, that's really like, it really came. And you know what? He also didn't make me feel embarrassed for like not knowing stuff like that. Fair. Because I didn't know, like I genuinely, this was before we started, by the way, this was like before the brand existed, but I didn't really understand what equity meant in the long run. Like I didn't understand. I think I didn't have a big understanding of like what they were asking for. Like they were trying to sink their teeth into me.

42:13And he was just like, no, it doesn't work that way. And now these conversations, instead of them being like, should we talk about 20 % equity? It's more like 0.5. That sounds fair. I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah. All right. Maybe we're hiring a consultant and like, some of these consultants, they make a lot of money. They make a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands. But let's talk maybe what an equity share could look like, you know? So that is the invaluable stuff that I've been able to learn over the years. Thankfully, just being able to do this with someone who knows better and understands like, what these parts, like what does this stuff actually mean?

42:56And what are you giving up? You know, What is this person really asking for? Do you have a team around you? Because I'm assuming more in the influencer days, you would have had a manager and an agent and a publicist. What does that look like now? And what has the shift been from the content creator days to you being a founder? It's really scary. There's a lot of teams. There's a lot of teams within teams. There's a bunch of different mini teams around me. And as of recently, I've had to learn that, okay, a lot of these teams are not communicating with each other. and we got to be all on the same page.

43:29It was really an adjustment for a while because there is so much support, but at the same time, it's a lot of working parts that sometimes are not always moving together. So I feel like the past two years, I've been learning how to like, okay, let's make sure that the machine is like all, everybody's writing in the car together. And who runs your business today? My business as in me, myself? Both actually. Who runs like when it's you, yourself and when it's Forever Mood? I mean, it's essentially me and the teams that work around me. So me, like I have editors, I have a producer, I have a, like I said, editing team.

44:07They're all working around me and they're all working in support of me. Right. Basically. And then in the business, are you the CEO of the business? No, hell no. Dennis is pretty much like operations manager, CEO. And it'll be probably like that for the foreseeable future. Yeah. Am I wrong in thinking that there was a pullback around your social media presence at some point? Yeah. This came up earlier, right? Yes, girl, this was necessary. I was going through a midlife crisis. So it was like 2020. It was the year we started Forever Mood. And obviously the world was shut down. Nobody was leaving their houses.

44:48Nobody was going anywhere. The world was in like a state of crisis. So, and then also like nobody was wearing makeup. So it just felt out of place doing YouTube tutorials at this time because it just felt like a little weird. It felt a little inappropriate, you know? But then I still had my audience being like, no, this is escapism. Like you should still keep uploading, but it just didn't, it didn't really feel appropriate. And then that was when I realized, oh, I've actually like never taken a break from YouTube ever. And that's not normal. Like at that point, cause this is 2026. At that point I had been on YouTube for over a decade.

45:31Wow. And I never, never taken a break. What is never taking a break? Like you're uploading how much, how frequently? No more than two weeks. Wow. So here's what happened. I took a year off from YouTube, but then I'm a creative person. So I still wanted to do something, but I was like, okay, well, I love all these like cleaning tutorials and I love home decor, but I've never really like, cause people on YouTube do not like a pivot. They do not like a rebrand. They don't like when you do, girl, go put that damn lipstick back on. Like, I don't care what vacuum cleaner you're using. I didn't ask. So I never really felt like I had the freedom to do something different.

46:10But then I was like, oh, okay. well, you know, like, what if I started a separate Instagram account where I can do everything non-makeup related? And that's what I did. And this is, this is lavishly. This is lavishly. Lavishly. Lavishly, yeah. So in 2020, I was like, you know what? While I'm not doing YouTube, let's just do something different. And it was also, I think it was also more cathartic than I realized at the time because I wanted to start doing more luxury content. And I went into it knowing, okay, this is going to rub some people the wrong way. And that's okay. You don't have to be for everybody.

46:45But I think at that point, I had already acknowledged, like, I don't really want to be for everybody. Like, it's okay, you know? And also, like I said before, like, I'd always been the makeup girl. So I kind of feel like, well, you weren't married to Relatable Jackie anyway, because I always just talked about makeup. Totally. So this feels, I feel like I'm allowed to kind of go out there. Yeah, you're allowed to evolve. You're allowed to change. Yeah, I do feel like I was allowed to do that. I think starting that separate Instagram account was like, okay, let's keep my core audience intact. And for everybody else who wants to dabble in something different, I can do it.

47:18You got something new over here. We got something new over there.

47:30Talk to me about, I think it's such an interesting time in history, actually, that you started Forever Mood because it was like post George Floyd, this unimaginable thing had happened and the ripple effects of what that meant in our country from a political and economic point of view, but more in culture and specifically in business and black business was kind of unimaginable. And I've spoken to so many brands. I see it in many, many things that I'm involved with and invested in that they had this like unbelievable kind of start trajectory or uplift in their business that fell off in an unbelievable way.

48:16Did you experience any of that? First of all, nothing could have prepared me for the uprise of support like that. Like I had never seen anything like that. But I'm going to be honest with you, Emma, as quiet as it's kept, most people don't really credit the way that they should. I genuinely feel like, and you know, people can disagree, but I genuinely feel like the makeup community was kind of like years ahead on that specifically. I agree with you. I agree. Definitely. You mean, you mean like black creators supporting black, black, like, like prioritizing. It's not a, it's not a debate. I think that there's actually data support in it.

48:54The kind of lifestyle wellness, beauty, makeup community as a whole was way quicker than anybody else. Years before. And people before Fenty, like some people say that Fenty, I'm like, no boo, we were at grounds that like, it was actually like, everything that led up to Fenty, that's why Fenty did so good. I remember one time it was me, it was another creator, Alyssa Ashley, another creator, Alyssa Forever, if I remember correctly, we started this thing called the Bomb Challenge, Black-owned makeup brands. And we literally had to explain to people like, hey, like Black-owned makeup brands are not just for Black people.

49:29We started that conversation in like 2016, 2017. It was that early. I think it was like 2016. Before 2020, before. So actually like 2020 was just kind of like catapulting. It was actually kind of like gratifying to see because it was the first time I've seen non-Black people really say I'm prioritizing spending, you know, from a Black founder. And it was just like, oh my God, like that became our norm in a way. So. But it came and it went, right? I think it's some, for some reason, I don't know what it was about 2020 that it peaked like that and then dropped down so bad. And it was just like, we were doing so good.

50:05We were doing so good. And to answer your question, we experienced definitely not as severely as a lot of other brands. But yeah, of course, naturally, like, yeah, we definitely got. And we also remember we launched in 2020. So we had that meteoric rise. And then all of the stuff that had been happening socially, politically in 2020 had drove people to want to like reactionarily support brands. But that's like, I don't want that to be the only reason. I don't want you to just be giving me a pity. I want you to like the product. Do you like the product? Do you like the product? So how are you thinking about building and stewarding this brand?

50:43Towards what and how in the future? Definitely being a global fragrance brand. Continuing to disrupt the niche fragrance space, because that's what we are. We are a niche brand. Great space to be in. It is. You can launch weird stuff. a tomato candle and people like, yeah, listen, there's a community for everybody. Oh, for everybody. For everybody. And also I think that your space has become really competitive, but what it's shown is that there's so much room for, and when I say alternative, I mean like the non big box, big brand fragrances, right? Like outside of a Calvin and a Dolce and a Chanel and a Dior, like people want their, They're more individualistic in the way that they come to, you know, wanting to show their, you know, personalities.

51:35And I feel like you have a brand that's in a space that is growing like so quickly. There's so much appetite for it. So you really can build whatever type of business you want. I feel like we're in the like, if you know, you know era. Right. Okay. Do you want to be in the if you know, you know era? Well, I mean, like, what I mean is like, oh, like if they were a scent, people are very into like, this is like my signature. It's gate cap. Totally. It's like, it's not a brand that's on every shelf. So people are kind of like into that vibe right now, especially in the, you know, fragrance girls at our core.

52:09Sometimes we were a little snobbish about our signatures, what we love. And it's really fascinating to see that because the opposite of that is like, oh, buying the fragrance that's like wildly popular. But if anything, I feel like now people are like, no, like I want it to be a secret. We're definitely not a secret, but you get what I'm saying. I get it. Is it going to plan? Is this what you imagined when you were back in your influencer days or even when you like decided, right, I'm done with this influencing, I'm taking a break. Is this what you imagined when you said, I'm going to start a business?

52:43I never thought that this one would be the one to take off like this at all. but that was when again that was another like big milestone for like younger Jackie who's always had to like put everyone else first who's always had to like do what my parents told me to do or do the respectable thing like go to college because also I don't think you mentioned this but like I was supposed to go to school and be a pharmacist I dropped out of college at year two I think I just assumed because yes girl that was my 50th life I think I imagined I was supposed to go to med school. I was supposed to be a pharmacist.

53:19Your parents weren't dreaming of YouTube for you. Child, they were dreaming of that white coat booing it. No. You were like, no, that's not what I'm doing. No, absolutely not. But starting Forever Mood was the first time I really did something that I just wanted to do. It wasn't expected of me. It wasn't necessarily something that people were asking for. They were asking for something completely different. Yeah. They were expecting. No, you were supposed to just have a makeup brand. I was supposed to have a makeup line, And of course, and I was like, no, I'm actually going to do this. Just kidding.

53:51I'm going in another direction. I'm going to do this. And even if it feels like I still want to do it, I just want to try it. I just want to say that, like, I need, I will sleep at night knowing that I did my childhood dream. Because my literal childhood dream was having a perfume brand. How do you think about, and listen, you're extremely young, but how do you think about - Extremely young. I'm not that young, Emma. You are young, girl. It's pushing 40. You're not young and I'm not young. We're young. I wonder what kind of legacy looks like for you. Beyond the business, the product and the platforms, how do you want to be known in the grand scheme of things?

54:30In the fragrance world, which is largely still ran by white men, I want to see more Black voices because Black people are obsessed with scent. We interact, we're obsessed. don't be the person everywhere on a kids everything socially don't be the person that shows up to wear without deodorant black people gonna flame you yeah we're like obsessed with scent we're obsessed with cleanliness like all of it and I want my legacy to continue to stamp like the black voice black point of view on fragrance doesn't mean only for black people obviously but it's like this is what it's your point of view it's my point of view it's like my storytelling.

55:15Yes. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't see a lot of that in the fragrance space in general. So I'm a huge fan, by the way, I'm going to shout out Chris Collins because his brand is like, oh my God. It's beautiful. And he really makes sense for not just Black men, but like it literally is like from a Black person's nose. Like, beautiful. The storytelling, Harlem Candle Company, Harlem Perfume Company. Oh, I love Harlem Candle Company. Like, can you think of a little more blacker, like part of the U.S. than Harlem. Like I just, I love the storytelling and the point of view, but make it for everybody.

55:52But like, this is what aligns with me. It's about distinction. It's about having a point of view and doing something that feels like it comes from a place that is not there. It's not being thought about in the same way. So that gives you huge distinction. So what do you still aspire to? Definitely having a global brand. I don't see me wanting to work forever. I think that eventually when Forever Mood gets to like a certain milestone, personally for me, I would be okay with letting it go. I'm definitely not one of those people that's like, work until you die. Like, no girl. It's not me. I'm like, work until you die.

56:29You are a workaholic. I can never imagine that I will not have a job. I mean, I'll be doing something, I'm sure. But like, eventually, I don't. But you're like, no, I want to like. I want it to be for fun. Yeah, facts. If that even is a thing. I want it to be with them. Do you have a number? Is there like a place, a space, a number? Give me the number. Give me the number. I can't because then - Give me the number! Come on. Just the glimmer. Like, tell me where you're - Where is your head at? Where would you be satisfied? You'd be like, that's satisfying. I can't say it on camera. I'm going to make you tell me after.

57:03I can't. I'm too African for this question. I'll tell you. Girls. Bad girl. Like, I can't say it on camera. Okay, can I just tell you why? Even if you don't say it now I have a number I want you to start saying it Let me just tell you When I had my first company In my 20s In my head I said If I could sell this thing For 20 million I would die I'd be so happy And it came true Wow By the way The company was not worth it Secondly of all I don't even know Why 20 million Like I don't know I don't know why that was the number. Sometimes, you know, when you say these things. Okay, fair. You create a plan for these things.

57:45Okay, fair. And you work towards these things and then they happen. So I'll get the number out of you off the camera. Okay, fair. Okay, we're going to move to rapid fire. Oh, I love a rapid fire. Yes. I'm the worst at rapid fire. I say every day. I didn't realize you're dyslexic. My husband's dyslexic. Really? This is crazy because I feel like that's really an entrepreneur superpower. Apparently it's just been recognized by LinkedIn. Dyslexic thinking is now officially a skill. I think it's a skill. I think it's a skill. All right. What is the first thing you do in the morning? I do not go on social media and I put on a sermon.

58:20So either Pastor Stephen Furtick or Sarah Jakes Roberts. One of the two. Yeah, me too. She's a magical girl. She's incredible. Like a magical woman. She really is. Watch this space, babe. Okay, what's the last thing you do at night? I eat popcorn. Do you? I do. I need to stop, actually. And people are like, microwave popcorn has carcinogens. No, first of all, microwave popcorn is - I don't like stovetop. No. I don't care if it's short in my lifespan. Oh, wait a minute. You don't like stovetop? No. But you like just out of a packet, just the ready popped pop. I don't care if it's GMOs. I don't care.

58:56No, sometimes. Listen, I eat a lot of bacon. I think that you could have one bad thing. No, because it's like you said the GMOs. It's like, it's a carcinogenic. I'm not giving up bacon. I like bagged popcorn, microwave, meat down. It's one thing. It's one thing. One thing. Okay. One's got to go. Blush, mascara, or lip liner? I have good lashes, so mascara. Bye. But not lashes, though. I can still wear my lashes. Yes. You still get your lashes. She's still got a full face. Strategy, okay. What's the last beauty product you used to the very last drop? It's actually expired. So I had to throw it away.

59:30No, it was a concealer. Concealer. It was starting to burn. I was like, oh girl. Time to pack it up. It's like time to go. I don't want to drag them. You know what though? If it was tingling, it's probably made with like not as many preservatives. So that's probably what it was. Yeah, it was a concealer. And I shouldn't have been using it anyway. It was empty. So it was that milk concealer. It's a good concealer. Okay, fine. It's a good concealer. It was good. It's a good concealer. What's an unpopular skincare opinion that you have? Oh, this is hard because it's like person to person. So I prefer mineral sunscreen.

59:59I prefer the ashy one it's really bad Emma I can't I know I can't but hear me out though zinc oxide if you have oily combination or acne prone skin is incredible for your skin whenever I wear a chemical sunscreen I always break out really? every time you're gonna walk around with that like ashy face? I have to well you know what it's great underneath makeup so that's how I get away with it okay fine so then you just slap the makeup on over it but I'd rather have an ash film over my face that I can wash off at the end of the day than have dark marks because it works better. Okay. What is a book that changed your life?

1:00:39Well, what makes you think I read, Emma? No, I'm just kidding. I really, I really actually like Anastasia Suarez's memoir. Oh, you do? I really did, yeah. I haven't read it. I have it upstairs and I will read it now because you said. Yeah, she's gone through some grit. Like, damn. She's a superwoman. Yeah, she's insane. in the best way possible. I love her. But it was a really good book. Okay. I really enjoyed seeing her from the bottom story. Oh, yeah. It certainly was from the bottom. Yeah, I had no idea she was leaving. She escaped the communist country. It was some real tea in that book. No, she did.

1:01:14I mean, now that's a journey. That woman has been on a journey. Yeah. Amazing, my darling. Thank you so much. Thank you. Loved every second. Thank you.

1:01:27If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favorite listening platform. While you're there, give us a review and a five-star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend. We'll be so grateful. Aspire with Emma Greed is presented by Odyssey. I'm your host, Emma Greed. Executive producer, Ashley McShann, Derek Brown, and me. Our executive producers from Odyssey, Leah Rees-Dennis, Asha Saluja, Lauren Lagrasso. Producer, KK Sublime. Stephen Key is our senior producer. Sound design and engineering by Bill Shultz. Angela Peluso is our booker. Original music by Charles Black.

1:02:03Video production by Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, and Carlos Delgado. Social media by Olivia Homan, Catherine Bale. Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sydney Ford, my teams at The Lead Company, and WME. Maura Curran, Josefina Francis, Hilary Shuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson-Rose, Tim Meekle, Sean Cherry, and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you could DM me at aspire with Emma Greed. Greed is spelled G-R-E-D-E. That's Aspire, A-S-P-I-R-E, with Emma Greed. Or you can submit a question to me on my website, emmagreed.me.