One of the most rewarding parts of this business journey (besides helping you show your loved ones how much you care) is being part of the women-owned small business community. We have had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with so many inspiring female entrepreneurs all over the country. Today's post is from Latrice Love, Founder of Liplove. Her dedication to her faith, her customers and her vision is truly inspiring. We hope the words below inspire you as they have inspired us. 

Like with most things in life, my journey to launching Liplove was not at all linear or expected, though in retrospect, things have all conspired to bring me here. 

From being a fashion and lifestyle blogger in college while living in Houston (over a decade ago when blogging wasn’t considered a career), to dropping out a semester before getting my BA in Media Studies to go to art school and pursue a creative degree, my path has not been traditional. Even as a child, I didn’t always fit in, whether I was in my neighborhood, at school or with my peers. 

Art school was the first place I felt okay to finally dream out loud and live the life I really wanted, no matter what. It allowed me the flexibility to have fashion design electives, combined with required courses in business law, store planning, art history, fashion illustration, marketing - and the list goes on.

It was a rigorous course load and my professors are all notable professionals in their own right who went above and beyond to empower me. My marketing professor, a successful agency owner, coached me on how to package my services and start my first business as a marketing consultant and creative director while in art school (and working full time at a nonprofit).

Right around graduation, I was recruited on LinkedIn by a startup agency for a contract digital marketing role with upward mobility. I accepted, then received the opportunity to grow into a full time role, then into management.

From there, I set my sights on becoming a director, and once that was achieved went through executive development training. Before I resigned, I was in the process of being groomed by the CEO to become president of the company, all while working in a women-led environment.  

My career grew quickly, from entry level to executive in three years. The experience was like no other, and I still look on that time in my life with awe and gratitude. 

In that time, I was blessed to learn, lead, mentor, grow and work with a powerhouse group of marketers, publicists, communication specialists, content creators and more. The CEO, who was a mentor to me on so many levels, modeled what it looked like to go all in on your purpose and ultimately it was her leadership, along with lots of prayer, a 30 day fast and a leap of faith that led me to launch Liplove.

At the time, I wore more makeup than I care to admit, and started researching the ingredients in the products I was wearing. That sparked the process of first looking for clean cosmetics that fit my skin tone, and when I wasn’t able to find products and a community where I could just be me, I decided to create it. The first Liplove collection launched with just four products and has since grown to include bestsellers like the Rose Glow oil blend, available right here at Le Wren.

Fast forward to now, almost four years since I left corporate, and my journey makes more sense to me now than it did back then. I have had insecurities, failures, growth, healing, joy, fulfilment and so much more along the way. And everything I have been through led me here.

Now, my mission is to hold space for women and girls to be themselves and love themselves from the outside in.

That’s why all Liplove products are 100% plant based and cruelty free, and made with responsibly sourced ingredients from around the world. Every formula is also waterless, giving the maximum benefit in each blend.

Beyond products, Liplove is a community where you can be yourself, no matter where you are on your journey.

I believe that the words we speak, habits we set, and what we think have just as much power and influence on our health as the products we use. So at Liplove, you will find real talk about wellness and self care, along with encouragement to make it through whatever you are facing.

I am grateful to connect with you on the journey and hope my story inspires you to do just as much as you dream, have faith, and go forward fearlessly.