Rising Stars: Meet Tanita Winchester

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanita Winchester.

Hi Tanita, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been that little girl that dreamed big. Big imagination and big dreams. I grew up in a small town in North Carolina where the best thing smoking is football, a ride down the “strip” and working a factory job, possibly making no more than $35,000 a year. Now to some, that may be great and that’s fine for them but me? I already knew that wasn’t going to be my life because I always wanted MORE. And continue to strive to be better and crave more every day with my business: A’jah Lip Cremé. I formed my brand A’jah Lip Cremé because I want to leave my daughter something that she can fall back on, you know I’m trying to build generational wealth out here lol! I started building my brand back in 2014 when I purchased a lip product that to me, was a little on the expensive side.

After the purchase, I regretted it of course, out here trying to ball outta control with tax money, lol. My Mom was in the car and heard me regret the purchase and then said some magical shit: “Why don’t you just make your own?” And that sparked the process! So from 2014 to 2015, I did my research on lipsticks and lipgloss, basically the ingredients and trying to find out what was safe for the lips and what was not. So finally, in 2015 and after experimenting like crazy, June 15, 2015 I did an online launch of my brand. Now, it wasn’t all peaches and cream when I first started. I didn’t have lipgloss tubes at the time so I would go to the container store and get these small little cup-looking containers and fill them halfway and I also purchased lip applicators from my nearest beauty supply store and passed them out as samples at my job to women to give me feedback lol. Over the years, my brand has grown from the little containers to lipgloss tubes now (I had to get professional) and I also travel up and down the East coast, selling and showcasing my products at different vendor events and pop-up shops. I can say where I am now is a huge step from where I was and I’m still evolving and growing each and every day and I’m not going to stop until my brand is a household name and on billboards across the United States.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Listen baby: Entrepreneurship is NOT for the weak! I quit every other month, lol! I think for me the challenges are watching how these beauty brands just pop up out of the blue and have been in business for 3 to 6 months and they making hella money while I have been beating down the highways and networking and doing all this promoting and everything and I still ain’t job optional 😩! But like I said, entrepreneurship isn’t easy. I had to learn to do not watch them and watch MYSELF. It does get very discouraging and at times, I just want to throw in the towel and give up but I have to remind myself and quote the rapper Rocko Da Don: “You just do you, Imma do Me” lol! Yes, the market for beauty is saturated but every beauty brand is DIFFERENT. Yes, one beauty brand may have all products but me? I specialize in lips only and I sell more than just lipglosses. I give you personality and give you experience as well. That’s how I overcome those obstacles and challenges.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I want people to know about my work is that I’m putting my blood, sweat, and tears into what I do. I’ve been making lipglosses and lipsticks since 2015. I’ve also ventured into making different products such as shea butters and men’s beard products as well. The work that I’m producing is QUALITY work. I don’t want to give people cheaply made shit lol. Then people will be like, I’m not buying from her. I make sure to give the people quality products, all while showing them my true self and making a true and genuine connection. Nobody wants to shop with a business who doesn’t give a damn. In business, you have to be the boss AND put yourself in the shoes of the consumer because ultimately as entrepreneurs, we are also someone else’s consumer as well. So the work that I put out is always going to speak for itself.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Y’all gonna laugh but FOOD. Food makes me happy 😁! I love to eat and experience new restaurants. I’m not into the standard chain restaurants. I tell my people real quick: “I don’t do Applebee’s love” 😂😂 I be tryna go to all the new spots with the exotic names for food! And the best part of my happy: I get to experience these restaurants with my 2 favorite people: my Mom and Daughter 💕.

Pricing:

• $9 for all lipglosses
• $15 for all matte lipsticks
• $15 for beard oils (I sell men products too!)
• $15 for Shea Butter

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ajahlipcreme.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ajahlipcreme
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AjahLipCreme