Never Stop Learning: Interview with Kimber Jaynes and Steve Jackson, Founder and CEO of Borboleta Beauty
I recently went spoke to Kimber Jaynes and Steve Jackson. Kimber is the Founder of Borboleta Beauty and Steve is the CEO of Borboleta Beauty.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Kimber: I never planned on starting my own brand in the beginning. I was just passionate about helping other lash artists get the best education and products. I did not know anything about e-commerce so I sold lashes out of my car for a year then launched my e-commerce business. After the site launched I knew I had something that was going to change my life and so many others; it just took off. I learned quickly that scaling the growth of the company was my biggest challenge. This taught me hiring the right team is critical and letting go of control and magnifying what I am good at is a key to success.
Steve: I started my career with some very large companies, Shell Oil and then Frito-Lay. While I was seeing a lot of success in what I was doing, I often struggled with the fact that I didn't feel like I was making much of a positive impact to society. That hit a pinnacle for me during a flight where I sat beside a cardiologist who thanked me for sending him more patients (I was a plant manager for Frito-Lay at the time). While I chuckled at his comment, I realized I needed to find the 'why' behind what I was doing. I quickly realized that what brought me the most joy each day was my daily interaction with the people I worked with. I realized I could make someone's life at home much better simply by making work a satisfying and happy environment for them to be. Genuinely building up others around me has been the key to success for me. Kindness and building is reciprocating and is not dependent on industry. This has allowed me to find success in the food industry and now the beauty industry.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Kimber: I saw a lack of skill and knowledge in my space. I jumped on it and became an expert in technique and product. I started training others how to do lashes, then sold them my product. When I first named my brand I thought big. I did not just think of professional lash products, I thought I wanted a beauty brand. That's why I named it Borboleta Beauty, not anything lash-related.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Kimber: I saw this momentum happening in my business. I loved what I was doing every single day. I was excited to pack my 10 orders. I worked all day and late at night networking, developing products, and planning my goals. I was so excited about the potential all I could think about was how to make my business bigger. My best advice is to just do it, and do it with a big vision and excitement. I also tell others looking to start to never ask for permission from anyone but yourself.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Kimber: Networking and fully immersing myself in my industry have been key. Growing Instagram was literally the first thing I did. I remember being there 12 hrs a day liking, commenting, direct messaging 100+ people a day who I wanted to send samples to. My best advice to take your business to the next level is realize when its time to hire experts, real experts. Not friends or people who you think will grow into a position but people who you can learn from who will grow your brand to a new level.
Steve: Growth requires a strong foundation. In every company and position I've had, I always look first to my team. It's critical to surround yourself with people who are experts in their field and who believe in what you are trying to accomplish. Once your strong team is established, it's important to provide a strategy that allows the team to run. While it's important to follow up, it's critical to have patience and allow your team to do what they know how to do. Trusting them to do their part in the vision is a solid recipe for success.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Kimber: Always be talking about what you do to anyone you meet – you never know who you will meet. That goes for sales and marketing too. Another big marketing piece I have learned is be different. Do not copy anyone. Assess early what you are as a brand and what you are not and stick to that.
Steve: This may not feel like a sales/marketing tip, but make sure your product or service is top-notch quality. I'm a firm believer of ensuring that any product I sell is one that I would buy and recommend to my friends and family. Once you have that, you can be confident that once someone has your product in their hands, they will be customers and advocates for a long time.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Kimber: I think being self-aware is key. You will never be perfect, you should always be learning, and be open to feedback. You only can grow as much as you open yourself to learn.
Steve: I'm a huge fan of servant leadership. My favorite leaders have been the ones that were there to help remove obstacles for their teams and the ones that cared about my overall development (career and personal). Career development requires kindness, but also some very hard and direct conversations. Good leaders need to be willing and able to be both direct and kind.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Kimber: Communicate and listen. This has been a huge area of growth for me. It goes a long way to listen to a team member and validate them without needing to be the one owning the conversation. I learn more when I listen than when I talk.
Steve: It's okay to fail and to let others fail. When your team understands your expectations, knows that you trust them to do their job and that it's okay for them to make mistakes, they will absolutely flourish. We all grow from our mistakes, but not from dwelling on them.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Kimber:
Take care of your mental health. For me exercising daily has changed who I am as a business owner.
Manage your time, plan your day the night before and wake up early.
Never stop learning, listen to podcasts, ask advice from people who have something you want, pay attention to what you can learn from everyone on your team. Then apply that knowledge.
Steve:
Be kind and patient with yourself and with others. Don't let the stresses of work keep you or your team down.
Take care of yourself physically and mentally. Take real time with your loved ones. If you take time to live life joyfully, you will be better at your career.
Keep learning and never be stagnant with your growth. The world is quickly changing and we need to keep up with it!
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Kimber: Never be afraid to evolve as a person, as a business, and as a team. It's how we continue to be inspired by what we are doing.
Steve: Enjoy the moment. If you focus too much on the future, you will miss today and have regrets tomorrow.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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