22 February: Selena presents on the annual list by Create & Cultivate of 100 women who making moves and redefining the future!

Selena be presented are among 100 other women who made it into Create & Cultivate’s annual list of women who are making moves and redefining the future of the workplace!
Check out an exclusive interview with Selena and read business advices from her below:

You’re a prolific pop star with three solo studio albums—Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015), and Rare (2020)—and an actress with numerous television and film roles, including Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” What inspired you to launch Rare Beauty and pursue a business in the beauty industry?

Selena: Launching a beauty brand is something I wanted to do for many years, but I knew there needed to be a mission behind it. I’ve been vocal about how I’ve felt the pressure to look a certain way, so I wanted to create a brand that changes the conversation around beauty and perfection. Too many people in the world are trapped by unrealistic standards of perfection, and at Rare Beauty, we are on a mission to help everyone celebrate their individuality by redefining what beautiful means. We want to celebrate why you’re rare. I want people to feel beautiful exactly how they are. I believe makeup is something to enjoy, not something you need.

Mental health is something that is very close to your heart. Your business Rare Beauty donates 1 percent of all sales to the Rare Impact Fund, an organization you created to increase access to mental health services. How are you making a difference and pushing the beauty industry—and our culture—forward?

Selena: Rare Beauty is a safe, welcoming space that supports the mental well-being of our community. We promote self-acceptance and help people feel less alone in this world. Rare Beauty isn’t about how other people see you. It’s about how you see yourself. It took me years to feel comfortable in my skin, and now I want to reach as many people as possible with this message. We’re aiming to make real changes in the beauty industry by helping to break the stigma around mental health and increasing access to mental health support and services. We do this by fostering welcoming, supportive communities and sharing educational content that informs our audience and inspires storytelling. I am so proud of the company my team and I have created. I am confident we will make a positive impact.

You’re a singer, actress, producer, mental health advocate, and entrepreneur running multiple businesses and juggling multiple projects at once. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?

Selena: First of all, I love what I do, so that is a major motivation. What keeps me going is knowing that if I continue using my voice and my platform to break the stigma around mental health, that I can reach young people who need to hear this message. That’s why I am so dedicated to not only raising funds through the Rare Impact Fund, but using my platforms to provide mental health resources to young people. There are so many people who are in need of mental health support and services, and I know that my work can help encourage those conversations and create real change.

What’s been harder than you anticipated in building your business?

Selena: Like any business, the pandemic posed a lot of challenges. When we announced Rare Beauty in late February, we had plans of in-person product launch events, but a couple of weeks later we were all quarantined in our homes. Our number one priority became the safety and health of our team and community. We had to get creative and pivot our approach for the official launch and moved to a virtual format. It was challenging but my team was amazing and they didn’t miss a beat so we were able to continue to move forward with developing the products and the brand.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given and how have you applied it to your business?

Selena: My mother has always reminded me that everything I have in life is a privilege—and that it can all be taken away at any moment. That helps me create with purpose so that I can make a positive impact with anything I do. Even from the very beginning when I started thinking about Rare Beauty, it was important to me there would need to be a message behind it. I knew mental health would be at the forefront of our message and I am so grateful to have this platform to raise awareness for mental health, which is something so close to my heart.

How do you stop taking a backseat in your career and #FindNewRoads to empower yourself?

Selena: Throughout my career I’ve experienced many emotions, like feeling lost and having self-doubt. I’ve learned there’s power deep down inside yourself, and you can find it when you don’t give up on yourself and when you can be vulnerable and ask for help.

If you could go back to the beginning of your career—knowing what you know now—what advice would you give to yourself?

Selena: I would definitely be easier on myself, but that being said, I try and not ever have regrets and appreciate everything I have gone through in my life.

I’m not productive unless my day starts with…

Selena: An iced coffee and quiet time with myself.

The first lesson I learned the hard way as a business owner was…

Selena: Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and you need to be flexible.

My #1 piece of financial advice for entrepreneurs is…

Selena: Hire people you trust who are experts in their fields. You aren’t going to be the best at everything, so work with people whose strengths complement yours.

If I had $1 to spend on marketing, I would spend it on…

Selena: Something for TikTok! I’ve really enjoyed getting on TikTok recently and it’s been so fun to interact with my community there.

To be successful, you need to be…

Selena: Able to look yourself in the mirror every day and be happy with the decisions that you’ve made.

Source: www.createcultivate.com