The Breakfast Club - Boss Moves & Breaking Points: Black Women, Business & Boundaries

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

This episode of The Latest with Loren LoRosa comes straight from Miami at the Accelerate Her Awards — a powerful gathering of Black women leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers. Loren sits down with beauty founder Melissa Butler and content creator/entrepreneur Jenee Naylor for an honest conversation about success, burnout, boundaries, confidence, and what it really takes to build a brand while protecting your peace. From hustle culture and breaking points to navigating visibility, leadership, money, and self-worth, this episode pulls back the curtain on entrepreneurship in a way that feels raw, relatable, and inspiring. The ladies also open up about failures behind the scenes, learning resilience, and why Black women deserve rest, wellness, and wealth.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild.

I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a homeguard that knows a little bit about everything and everybody. You know if you don't lie about that, right? Lauren came in hot. Hey, y'all, what's up? It's Lauren the Rosa, and this is the latest with Lauren the Rosa. This is your daily dig on all things, pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. So you guys know I've been in Miami for the Accelerate Her Awards, which is a global leadership conference with powerful women.

These black women get together. And I mean, these are millionaires, billionaires, women that are making decisions. These are the decision makers, the who's who's. But more importantly, these women are women that are coming together because they want to pour into each other. They want to fill each other's cups. They want to celebrate each other and they want to uplift the people that are coming next. And I am so blessed to have been in conversation as one of those people that are coming next. And to receive the bossy award as a celebration and a notch and an official welcome, you know, into this leadership family.

You know, this conference has been amazing. Shout out to Kimberly Blackwell, who has an agency that puts all these things together. I mean, sponsors range from everybody, you know, from Visa and, you know, I got to do a fun activation with Meta, Disney Travel, Wells Fargo. I've met so many people this past weekend. Ran into my girl, to Kara, from America's Next Top Model as well. Yeah, just, I mean, Pastor Jamal Hope Bryant, Kamala Harris spoke. I could go on for, I ran into Terry Vaughn, had a great conversation with her as well.

I could go on and on for days. And thanks for supporting me. A lot of what they talked about while I was here at this conference was the podcast in our audience. So I appreciate you guys always. Thank you, honey. Welcome. Ladies. The floor is yours.

Hey, ladies. Hi. Hello. How y'all feeling? Amazing. I'm excited to be here. I love this conference. It's just a warm hug.

It's my first year being here. And I mean last night I came in I was really tired But when I walked in I received like it was we were in church last night when I walked in And then just now on backstage I told you guys that that was like the first like group conversation I've had and that felt like a hug So we were talking a bit you know backstage and they were like oh what are we gonna talk about and I was like you know I had prepared notes and then as I was coming in here I was like there's so much I naturally want to know from you women because you are so successful But you also show up so much that I'm like we're not going to do the notes we're not going to do just going to talk. We're going to have sister conversation. Y'all down for that? All right.

So my first question in anybody can take this is when you are working in the industry where you have to show up so much, like I know you're in front of the camera a lot, you're modeling your own brand as well, you know, you face of your brand as well, but also I think when people here show up or be the face of, they only think about like a influence or someone who's taking a photo for a website or, you know, doing interviews. But you show up every day, sometimes even if you're behind. the scenes because your meetings, phone calls, Zooms, you have employees, how do you take care of yourself in the midst of all of that? I mean, really take care of yourself, not I get a 30-minute net. We were kind of talking about it, but for me it's self-awareness, knowing what you need.

We talked about like when you don't answer the phone or when you, I'm a huge proponent of just like knowing what I need when I need it and being okay with that and not feeling like guilty about it. I don't, I have slow mornings. That's something I promise myself as an entrepreneur when I work for myself. I'd rather stay up all night than get up early in the morning, so I'm going to have a slow morning. But I also don't talk on the phone all day and just like chit-chat with people. I don't have it to give.

I'll call you back. And that's just what, but also people know that. Like when I'm around other people, they're like, your phone never rings because I'm busy. This is the work day. I have to work. So I feel like being aware of like what you have to give people and when you need to kind of like risk. There's also like, you said you're on the go all the time and you get home and you're just kind of like closed off to the world.

That is very much me also. And that's okay. That's what I need to kind of like rejuvenate myself so that I'm not only giving to my audience, but also my team and making sure I can show up for them and be on 100%. I love that that came natural for you because you were what? A year in? Ten months. Ten months. Ten months for my brand, yeah.

So I've been doing the lip bar for four. 14 years. And I think I grew up in hustle culture where it's like you're supposed to give. You're supposed to grind all night. You're supposed to wake up early in the morning. And taking care of myself really took a back seat. It wasn't until COVID that I even gave myself permission to be Melissa. That's why if you notice if people, if you've come up to me, you're like, you're the Libbarker. I'm like, I'm Melissa. Because I had to remind myself that. I was a human first, not a business owner. And I think as a black woman, we grow up in this world where we are used to wearing the weight.

We're used to caring so much for our families, for our teams, for our communities, et cetera, that it was not natural to me. I actually had to go through a breaking point to say, Melissa, you deserve more of you. Yeah. And in that breaking point, I just created serious boundaries. I'm like, oh, I don't work after 5 o'clock anymore. I don't work on the weekends. When I'm tired, I'm comfortable saying that I'm tired. When I don't want to show up, I say no.

But that wasn't necessarily the case. And I don't think that that's how a lot of people grow their careers, grow their businesses, because we didn't know that we had permission to do that. It's a lot of unlearning. It's a lot of unlearning. It's something from my previous career, the first year of, like, working on my own, I would have to tell myself, like, it's okay to take a break. It's okay.

It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. You feel like you need to feel every hour of the day. Yeah. Because you're like, well. Yeah, you'd have a productivity mom.

Absolutely. You're eating productivity, like Pac-Man. And so I have leaned into wellness. I've leaned into fitness. I work out a ton. I realize that if I don't work out, I'm an angry person. I journal. I rely heavily on my journal because sometimes it's like you just have that emotion that you want to get out.

It's not that you don't have anyone to talk to. I am so fortunate to have a great group of friends and family and even my team. I couldn't do this without my team. But sometimes you just want to be with you. You want to sit with your emotions first. And I have found that fitness, meditation, massages, Reiki. I've done all the things, but working out and journaling and also just sleeping has been a game changer. Like, I tried, I try really hard to prioritize seven, eight hours of sleep at night.

I Heart Radio is throwing it back. Twenty Tess, the decade. To the days of huge hits. And unforgettable items. A nonstop stream of the biggest and best. Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katie Gaga, the weekend. And more. All your decade defining favorites.

all in one place. Hi, it's Katie Perry. Hey, it's Bruno Mars. This is Kesha. Find 2010's The Decade on the free IHeard radio app. Preset the station, so it's always one tab away. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all. Embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on The Look Back at a podcast. I'm Sam Jett and I'm Alex English Each episode we pick it here

unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack I'm down to talk about crack on day

but just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now so Thank you for finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You talked about a breaking point, and I don't know if you have one that you want to share, but it made me think about, I caretake for my mother and my grandmother. And I remember I got into a point where like I physically passed out because I was trying to keep up at work and that you know that space was new for me as well too

And I felt like if I didn't keep up for work I was out of sight out of mind and because you know at the time I was in the newsroom I was the only black girl there and you know I was like if I if I dip they're going to just replace me get rid of me and I can't afford that right When you're in that breaking point it feels like oh my god my world is over if I don't learn how to get back on the horse What was your self-talk in that moment where you got yourself to your appointment where you're like, I don't want to come back here again. Here are the things I need to do, and I'm okay with that. It was really that I'm worthy. So, like, the way I think about the lip bar is, like, I had the nerve to serve.

I had the nerve to center of black women. I had the nerve to say that our beauty was enough. Like, that took a lot of gumption. That took a lot of confidence because it's not what the broader industry was doing 14 years ago. And so when I think about the how and why I started, it's like, well, Melissa, you have to have that same nerve to love yourself enough to show up for yourself. Not just your customers, not just your community, not just your team members. And I think that's a hard thing to do, but it was just a moment of defiance. It was a moment of defying what the world's success looked like.

And I think that, you know, now 2026, 14 years later, I love that wellness is being. being prioritized because that certainly wasn't in the case. And so it's just a matter of like deciding that you are good enough for the fruits of your labor, frankly. Because like we all work so incredibly hard. Why wouldn't I take the vacation? Why wouldn't I do the thing? Why wouldn't I sit back and look at the world that I've built? And the vision and passion that you have for your brand, no one can replace that. Like you're saying, you do feel like you have to be visible. Yeah. You're going to get passed by and people are going to forget about you. But no one's serving the community, I'm serving in the way that I'm serving them. So they will be there.

Let's stay there for a second, too, because one thing I noticed about your brand, not even just 12 p.m. studios, but like, you know, you're vlogging on YouTube. You are very present across social media as well, too. Everything. Right? No one can do that like you because when we are fans of you, it's physically like you, right? That means you have to pick and choose when you allow that to be shut off and realizing that you, just walking outside of your house, could turn into a photo-out moment or like where's your on and off switch on the influencer side of it, right? Because if I'm a fan on YouTube and you're out and about and you're not blogging but I see you, it's like I want that interaction, I want that, but that may be

your off day. So how do you figure that out in the space of 2026? We take out our phone, we live, you know? It's so funny because I also am very aware of my community. Like this is my community, right? It's black women. So I know when I need to be on and that's just a part of my job and responsibility and I'm happy to do it. But I know I'm like, hey, if I'm going to Tyson's Corner, that's like the luxury mall, I'm going to see the Queens. I'm going to see my audience. So that's what it is.

So I need to be prepared. I need to make sure I look ready for photos or I'm just in a headspace. And if I don't got it that day, then I need to stay home because, or I need to go. There's parts of town where I'm like, my audience is not going to be here. I might go to a barbecue place. It's in a little hole in the wall. I'm like, this is. I'm good here.

No one's going to ask for a picture. Like these people don't know who I am. So that's just like a part of life. But I make sure I can show up and go places when I know my people are going to be there. You know what's interesting about that? Like I have been so anti-social from the beginning of time. Like I know that the lip bar would be so much bigger if I were to truly step into being the face of the brand. Like I'm the face of the brand because people are.

I know you got that advice on Shark Tank, right? People remember me from Shark Tank, but I'm not the person like camera. to the face all day. I'm not the person who's creating content. It is not natural to me. And I have struggled with that over the years, mostly because that is where a lot of the growth is coming from. It's like, oh, you're supposed to create the content.

You have to invite people into your world. And I have been so intentional about deciding to keep my world private. Like, people don't know that much about me. People know like Melissa was on Shark Tank. People know what I allow them to know. And like, yes, I'll be vocal about things that I think that my broader community needs to know,

but people don't even know I'm in Miami right now. But I think that one of the things I want us to get out of the habit of is thinking that there's only one path to success. There are many paths to success. There is not ever going to be one singular way to get it done. Like math, math is incredibly complex.

And I think that you have to be comfortable with leaning into the thing that you are good at. I am good at understanding the community. I am good at connecting dots. I am good at understanding emotion and understanding the gaps in which our community are not being served. That's my superpower.

Being a content creator and editing is probably not it. I also know that it's not it because that shit is hard as hell. Yes. Like, if you have ever tried to, like, create content, I'm like, oh, I have so much respect for Janae because, wow. And it's even harder when you don't like it. Yeah.

Like, I love it. So it's not, like, I'm like, I can't wait to get in bed and like start editing. Meanwhile, it's that hard thing. And I'm like, I'm kind of unwilling to do it. Like, I give myself in many other ways, but that's not going to be my ministry. Yeah. And that's okay. And, you know, one of the things, talking about creating content in Jane, like,

even before meeting you here, like, you're one of the people that, like, you're consistent. I know like when she coming, she is coming. And I mean, the details are together. The look is together. It's like, and it doesn't feel like the aesthetic is forced. And I love people who make content that way, right? I was on your website. I was telling you this.

I was on 12 p.m. Studios website preparing for this conversation. And the first thing I thought I'm like, I don't know if people understand the importance of a product shot when you were an entrepreneur trying to sell a product. But I was like, wow, her photos are. amazing, but they're so simple. But the details are there. And both of you ladies, I know, because I know you were making things out of your kitchen forever, right? Because the details are so important to you guys. I want to hear about a time, though, because you do details so well that the details weren't done right. And how did you deal with that internally? Because if you

take it so serious, I know it hurts when it don't go well. This is something I'm still learning because I feel like nothing in this process has gone exactly the way I've wanted it to. And it's, I think, just learning as an entrepreneur. Obviously, you don't know as a consumer what my goal is and what my hope is or my vision is. But from launch day, we didn't launch with the products I wanted to. Like, there were certain things that weren't ready and we couldn't push it back anymore. The first shoot didn't go well, and we had to scrap it and hire a whole new team and do a whole different shoot. Obviously, no one knows that, but that was devastating.

to me when we spent most of our budget on that shoot and then had to like basically ask for favors and my husband had to hop in and do stuff. So there's so many things and I kind of was holding myself very accountable and like being very difficult on myself. And I had to say like, this is new. This is new for you, but also this is the way of business. Like things are not always going to pan out how you expected and how you hope for it, but you need to just keep it moving and elevate, right? Like the website you're looking at, that was not the website we launched with, but we also needed to launch with what we were capable of and what we had the capacity to do.

So I'm still in the learning phase of that. I think one of the most important characteristics of a leader, of an entrepreneur, is resilience. And with that resilience, there's an understanding that things will go wrong. Like, I expect things to go wrong. I don't freak out when they go wrong. I'm like, oh, okay.

I'm still in the freak out place. That went wrong. I've accepted it. Now, what is the solution? I get very action-oriented. Also, I think one of the things is just like reliance. So there's resilience and there's the reliance, the reliance on your team. And like, no one is in your brain but you.

No one has your exact vision but you. And so when you trust people, when you are hiring people, when you are giving entire functions, like I don't own a single function of the lip bar, That means that things will go wrong. And that's okay because you have to have room for people to learn. It also allows you to grow as a leader. So when things go wrong, it literally doesn't bother me. I love it when things break.

I love it because it means that my team is going to get better. It means that I learn how to communicate my vision, my goals, a little bit sharper so that the next time we can fail at a different thing. I think that failing is so beautiful as long as you fail forward. Now, if you're continuously making the exact same mistakes, then baby, you're, you might be in the wrong business. But the goal is to get better. I mean, that is the name and game of capitalism. There's always more.

And I think that that has been the most painful part of being an entrepreneur. Because you don't realize that when you're starting this business with the goal to serve or to show up for a specific community in a way that they are not currently being served, like you see. start in a very purpose-driven way, and then you start growing. And then you're like, whoa, I hit that milestone. What's the next one? And every single year, there is a new milestone, which means that every single year, you have to work slightly differently to reach that new goal. So you've got to get comfortable with shit breaking. I-Heart Radio is throwing it back. 20s, the decade, to the days of huge hits and unforgettable items, a non-stop stream of the biggest.

and best. Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katie Gaga, the weekend, and more. All your decade defining favorites all in one place. Hi, it's Katie Perry. Hey, it's Bruno Mars. This is Kethe. Find 2010's The Decade on the free I-Heart Radio app.

Preset the station so it's always one tab away. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball of college football or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When you talk about, you know, starting out with this, like, purpose and you want to help everybody. And, you know, I just think about, like, someone.

who's like really really young in business not even like the age but just like first six months out right of their first business it's like such a green eye like I can solve every problem I can do all these things and then you get to the point where you're making money and you bring in a capitalism conversation I think that that's or capitalist conversation and I think for black people and for black women that conversation has always been one that like some people are willing to have and some people aren't because there's the whole conversation about it gets to a point where some industries are like they lean in on what people are weak with, right? So, like, you guys are in beauty, fashion.

They appeal to people's weaknesses to make them want to buy, right? But you guys remain good people throughout it. And I think a lot of people are scared that once you start making that money and you are okay with making your money, you're a black woman out here doing it, that now people change how they think about you as a person morally. How do you guys deal with that as successful black women? Go ahead.

I think the first thing is that we can't be afraid of money. Um, money is not a bad thing. We need money to eat, to feed our families, um, to fuel the future generation. And I do think that we have condemned making money in some facet. It's like, you know, you root for that person when they're on the ground floor. And as soon as they are trying to, um, grow, which requires a different version of them, it's kind of like you expect them to stay in that same place. And I approach that with honesty.

I approach it with integrity. I am a very transparent person. I've made it my personality to be honest. Because I never want people to assume things about me. Ask, and I will give you the real answer, and I've used that with my family, with my friends, with my customers and my community. And so it's like, yeah, one day I do want to sell the lip bar.

and I actually think it's a great thing. I understand that some people may think it's bad. You know, so it's like it's just about approaching things with honesty and integrity. But also it's understanding that our broader community may not know the why. And so I take a very serious responsibility in helping to educate them. Like, why are these beauty brands selling? Why are these beauty brands failing? like what does it require to raise capital?

Like we don't really know the ends and outs of business beyond rooms like this, right? So we are in a very privileged room right now, but the masses for black people in this country have no idea how any of this works. And so it's a lot of assumptions that go into it. And I think that we as leaders in this space, we have to approach it with honesty and integrity and with a heart in educating our people if we want to see more from our communities. And if you want them to stay on your side, like you said,

I feel like it's also a balance of, I think we both have this in common with our brands where we are serving, it's community first, is the goal. So even when we do promotional assets or campaign shoots, I'm never trying to dig at the emotion of insecurity to get you to buy something, right? It's about building a community and you being a part of something. I want to make sure you feel seen

with diversity in our campaign. So it's always community driven and I'm here to serve you. I want you to feel, have a luxurious experience at an approachable price point. So I'm offering more than I feel like I'm trying to get.

So I feel like there's a good balance with like the, yes, money is kind of the byproduct of what I'm doing and that's what comes in. But my goal is to make you feel good and make you feel seen. Got you. I love those answers.

I do. And I was excited to come to this space to feel that as well. Like, because we do. Like, you get to a certain point. And you see it. You see people have conversations about women who have acquired a certain amount of success financially or whatever. As if this isn't the same person who may come from whatever she came from or whatever the case may be.

And it's very unfortunate. When and if you guys could talk to yourselves way back when your first day of business, what would you tell her as the woman you are sitting here as today? trust people to help you. Failure is okay and don't be so hard on yourself. I was talking to you earlier. The last fourth quarter, I feel like almost broke me because it's also a balance of my business is new for my brand, but I also have a creator business,

and that business has been thriving since 2019 when I became a creator full time. So I'm also on the journey of learning to balance two businesses and clocking out of this job and into this job, and I do both all day long. And trying to do that and learn how to be the CEO of this new brand was very difficult. So just giving myself more grace. You do it, girl.

Give yourself some grace. You're doing it in front of the world, too. And that part. I need to tell myself that. That's why I said it to you. You said fourth quarter almost broke you. I'm going to tell you a really quick story that's an aside. So Jenae and I did a collab last holiday.

It was November. It launched. It was beautiful. It was fabulous. She was fabulous, all the things. Our items got held up in customs for six weeks. For drugs. Why?

I don't know. Were we smuggling drugs? No. Why they decided to search them and hold our items for six weeks for drugs. I don't know. Still don't know. But when I tell you, that was a time that I was panicking. because we had to be very vulnerable and open.

And I don't know if you were getting crazy messages, like, my order is taken too long. And we had to just address people, and sometimes people don't necessarily want to read, or, you know, but we are sending, I don't know, maybe five different emails on sort of like what's happening. And when I say Q4 almost took me out, I mean it almost took me out.

I don't even remember the question, but when you said that I had a flashback to what was happening my Q4, and I was like, oh yeah, last, you know, four months ago, it was a storm. But I would tell myself to just be confident, to be confident and who I am and the mistakes that I would make and my ability to do exactly what I set out to do. Beauty is so male-dominated. It is dominated by white French men.

period. And so going into it, even though they were not thinking about my customer when we started, you know, it's been really challenging to navigate, you know, pushing on our suppliers, pushing on our retailers to remind them that, like, I actually know more about my customer than you. And sometimes it gets really easy to listen to the powers that be, those manufacturers, those suppliers, those retailers. And so in those early days, I wish I would have reminded myself that, like, I am starting

because there is a gap that they don't see and to just do it scared. And so I was so scared in those early days because I didn't know anything. I was on Wall Street. I went from Wall Street to beauty. I knew nothing about it. And so if I would have had the confidence those early days to keep pushing on some of those more challenging conversations, I think we would have had a different path. And our path was still fine.

It was still ours, and I'm still very proud of it. But early on, it would have been a confidence conversation. Isn't it crazy when you look back at those times, though? You talk about confidence and not being harding itself. Once you make it out of it, it's like you had no idea what was on the other side, but God, I'm so grateful I made it to the other side. Right? I think that's a great note to end the conversation on ladies.

You guys have been amazing. And I hope, you know, for everyone who's been out here listening to this conversation, you realize, number one, that nobody has it all figured out. Because these ladies right here, if you follow them anywhere on social, you buy any of their product, I swear by lip bar, I love your content. It feels like they have it all figured out. But you hear them say they're figuring things out as well. They're figuring out.

They're fixing. They're maneuvering, but they're doing it. They're doing it scared. They're doing it in front of the world. So we commend you, ladies. Congratulations on everything. And, yeah, girl, you got it. Y'all a birthday.

Okay. Thank you. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day

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This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but, celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where

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