It has been an amazing four years in business. When I started TOK Beauty back in June 2016, I did not know what I was in for. It is a roller coaster of emotions having your own small business, and 2020 has been extremely tough for everyone. But, in four short years I have learned so much from the industry, made some improvements to packaging and sustainability, have had amazing opportunities and great days come along while also facing disappointments and hard days as well. I am proud of what we have built and I am so grateful and thankful for everyone's support so far.
This past year was an exciting year for us with the opportunity and debut of our products on QVC. June is also QVC’s 34th birthday and I am thankful to be a new vendor with them this past year through The Big Find.
Through that experience I met some amazing people in the beauty industry. I wanted to take this time to highlight my experience, and a few of the people and brands that I met so that you also have a chance to get to know them.
When I first walked into the audition room at QVC Studio Park in West Chester, PA in August 2019, I was rightfully nervous. This small town girl from Canada was about to present my clean beauty line to a group of top executive judges at QVC. Women and men were presenting ahead of me and I was the second last of the day to present. As I sat in the waiting room I remember meeting some amazing people.
One woman came out of her audition like a shining star. Her name was Lia Valencia Key. She was the first person I saw that day to get the golden ticket and even though we hadn’t met, I remember giving her a hug in excitement. Her energy is infectious. Lia is the creator of a jewellery line and aims to spread joy and love everywhere she goes.
Next I met an amazing QVC host named Valerie Stup. Valerie has a smile that will light up the room with a welcoming nature that will calm all your nerves. She definitely made me feel better and she is another bright light at the QVC/HSN Studio Parks.
I got to my audition that day and met the judges. The judges included: Courtney Webb (Olympic Medalist), Mally Roncal (Celebrity Makeup Artist), and three top executives at QVC, Rob Robillard, Ellen Lennon and Anna Baker. They were so kind and made the experience exciting and memorable. That day I received my golden ticket! It was time to head to media training and a media event in New York before the big on-air date in February 2020.
Before media training I connected with a couple other Big Find winners. One in particular, Jaclyn Gray. A kind and generous person, she is willing to help anyway she can. She has a beautiful jewelry line called Celebre.
At media training and the media event for The Big Find beauty winners I met many more amazing people and brands:
1. Follain - Tara Foley
I was so excited to meet Tara at the media event in New York. She has built an amazing clean beauty brand and also has several locations across the US that carry various clean beauty brands. Upon meeting her, she was so kind and humble, with a wealth of knowledge especially surrounding the clean beauty space. I would recommend checking out Follain www.follain.com
2. Mented Cosmetics - KJ Miller and Amanda Johnston
I love how KJ and Amanda started and built Mented Cosmetics. Mented Cosmetics was built out of a need and want for themselves; they couldn’t find the perfect nude lipstick for their skin tone. They saw a gap in the market and wanted a solution. Speaking to KJ specifically in New York, and seeing their brand, it was a good message of ensuring inclusivity in the beauty space. I would recommend checking out this brand www.mentedcosmetics.com
3. BeautyStat - Ron Robinson
Ron Robinson is a chemist and has created an amazing Vitamin C Serum. Published in hundreds of media outlets such as Vogue and Allure, Ron has a wealth of knowledge on all things related to beauty products and their ingredients. Check out his brand at www.beautystat.com
4. Maison 276 - Angel Cornelius
Angel was one of the first people that I immediately connected with. Very warm and nurturing personality. She has a line of shampoo on QVC that is targeted towards women that have silver or blonde hair. This is a brand worth checking out! www.maison276.com
5. Act and Acre - Helen Reavey
Helen is a celebrity hair stylist, and her and her husband have designed a cold pressed detox shampoo and conditioner line that is clean. They are extremely humble and sweet people. Helen has a ton of expertise surrounding hair care and strongly believes that you need to detox and clean your scalp for healthy hair. I recommend checking out this brand too. www.actandacre.com
While I could go on about more brands and people that I met, I encourage you to check out The Big Find winners. There are some amazing brands there.
When I went on-air in February with Mary-Beth Roe I was nervous, but felt calm with her. She is an amazing host that wants all people to succeed. QVC and the community really are a great organization of people. Check out my on-air debut here with Mary-Beth. TOK Beauty on QVC
I am excited to continue meeting more people, more brands, and to continue working with QVC as TOK Beauty grows and evolves. In our next year of business we are launching new products and more sustainable packaging.
Thank you for all your support this past year and stay tuned for what's to come!
Tara, Owner
TOK Beauty