How Lip Esteem is empowering women

January 03, 2023

Guided by the example set by her entrepreneur parents and her faith, Tameka Jones set out to create her own lipstick line, Lip Esteem.

With two entrepreneur parents, business runs through Tameka Jones’ veins. “They were diversity consultants for Fortune 500s as I was growing up and they were also ministers,” Jones says. “In every sense of the word, they created their own income and their own economic value themselves.”

Seeing her parents make their own schedules and have control over their work lives inspired Jones to want the same for herself. Her parents’ example was the first push toward creating Lip Esteem, a lipstick line dedicated to uplifting women. Jones operates

Everything in her life led her to developing her own makeup line, Jones said. Prior to the pandemic, Jones and a friend attended a local festival packed full of vendor stands and booths. Knowing her aspirations, Jones’ friend asked her why she didn’t have a stand, and said that he’d never seen a $20-an-hour billionaire before.

While his words stung in the moment, their straightforwardness urged Jones into starting to make her own products. “Sometimes when people try to move you to the next level, they don't necessarily say it in the words that make us comfortable,” she said.

Jones got started by making lip balms in the kitchen of her St. Paul, Minnesota, home. Her first attempts didn’t come out as planned, being either too shiny or so sticky that they didn’t come out of the tube. For a while, she put the project on the back burner.

It wasn’t until she was furloughed during the pandemic that she got the push she needed to launch Lip Esteem. “COVID and the temperament of society scared me enough to say, ‘You know what? It's time for me to work for myself, and to try to build a safer, healthier environment in society—one tube at a time,” Jones said.

Jones’ mom gave her $500 in seed money, which she used to purchase her LLC and logo, but everything else she’s put into the business has come from her own savings or grants she’s been awarded.

 

Caring for community

Jones’ work with Lip Esteem naturally aligned with causes she cared about in her community. In 2007, she started the L.A.D.Y. (Leader Achiever Determined Youth) Program, a mentoring group dedicated to teaching school-age girls about inner and outer beauty. The idea came to Jones during her time as a makeup artist, when clients asked her to change their noses, cheekbones, or their other features.

Those requests left Jones wondering. “When does that happen for women where we start feeling like we are not good enough, or we're not pretty enough? And I was like, ‘Oh, I know—adolescence.’”

When Jones was younger, she was in spaces where she was the only African American person in the room, and often found herself teased for her features. She tried to hide or disguise them, but one day she looked in the mirror and saw something different.

“I must have had the right color of lipstick or lip gloss on because I was like, ‘Oh, wait a minute. You people are haters,’” she said. “That had a lot to do with me starting a lipstick line.”

Jones is playful with the names of her lipsticks offering Purple Reign which is a nod to Prince and Rondo which harkens to her hometown. Rondo, a historic Black neighborhood in St. Paul, is where she grew up. "I'm a Rondo girl," she said.

And now, in the current state of the world, Jones saw another opportunity to help people feel their best. “I felt like lipstick was the one thing that made people feel like they were Zoom-ready,” she said.

Jones attributes her business motivation to her family, friends and her faith. In order to thrive in business, she says, one of the most valuable things is to believe in yourself and your mission.

“I think that a lot of times entrepreneurs just feel so much pressure to be this and to be that,” Jones said. “I wake up and I don't feel the anxiety that I used to feel when I worked for other people because I know that I'm doing this for a good cause, and for a reason that's greater than myself.”

 

 

Explore more inspiring stories from other featured business owners.

Learn about U.S. Bank

Related content

8 ways for small business owners to manage their cash flow

For small business growth, consider the international market

Business risk management for owners of small companies

Tech tools to keep your restaurant operations running smoothly

Digital banking and cloud accounting software: How they work together

Save time with mobile apps for business finances

How I did it: Grew my business by branching out

The moment I knew I’d made it: The Cheesecakery

Making a ‘workout’ work out as a business

How a bright idea became a successful business (in Charlotte, North Carolina)

Making the leap from employee to owner

Mapping out success for a small-business owner

Business tips and advice for Black entrepreneurs

Tools that can streamline staffing and employee management

How to identify what technology is needed for your small business

Planning for restaurant startup costs and when to expect them

What is needed to apply for an SBA loan

How small businesses are growing sales with online ordering

3 simple brand awareness tips for your business

5 principles for avoiding ethics pitfalls on social media

How small business owners can budget for the holiday season

Why credit cards should be the first choice for business payments

7 uncommon recruiting strategies that you may not have tried yet

How increased supply chain visibility can combat disruptors

6 common financial mistakes made by dentists (and how to avoid them)

Business credit card 101

How to apply for a business credit card

What kind of credit card does my small business need?

Do I need a credit card for my small business?

5 questions business owners need to consider before taking out a loan

How to establish your business credit score

5 ways a business credit card program can grow your business

Building a business with a great product and a greater purpose

How running a business that aligns with core values is paying off

Meet the Milwaukee businessman behind Funky Fresh Spring Rolls

When small business and community work together

How a family-owned newspaper is serving its community

How tenacity brought Taste of Rondo to life

How Gentlemen Cuts helps its community shine

How Lip Esteem is empowering women

Community behind Elsa’s House of Sleep

Honey Luxury Beauté: growing a side project into an eye-catching beauty business

How Shampoo’ed is transforming hair and inspiring entrepreneurs

The San Francisco bridal shop that’s been making memories for 30 years

How Al’s Breakfast is bringing people together

In a digital world, Liberty Puzzles embraces true connection

Celebrity Cake Studio’s two decades of growth and success

How a travel clothing retailer is staying true to its brand values

5 ways to build your business through community engagement

Disclosures

Start of disclosure content

Loan approval is subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Interest rate and program terms are subject to change without notice. Mortgage, Home Equity and Credit products are offered through U.S. Bank National Association. Deposit products are offered through U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC.