The American dream. Huda Kattan’s compass has always been to make her passion her profession. This self-made woman also had revenge to take in the cosmetics business which was not aimed at her. The American-Iraqi woman has never seen her beauty valued by established brands and, through her, so many invisible women around the world. Slowly but surely, the self-made man built an empire exceeding a billion dollars. Now featuring prominently in all the charts of the most influential women, Huda Beauty is now setting trends in this sector that didn’t see it coming.
We all have dreams but few of us manage to turn a passion into a profitable business. What made the difference for you?
Huda Kattan : Fortunately, we all have dreams, but then we have to be able to step out of abstraction and choose to be a “doer” rather than a “dreamer”. This journey is laborious, so trying, nevertheless it is worth all the trouble in the world. In my journey, I have met many people with excellent ideas. However, this is not enough to get started in business. Execution remains the key to success. I understood this nuance from the beginning, which is why I took it step by step, starting with subjects that I mastered. I blogged for four years before launching my brand Huda Beauty. For me, it was essential to know my community, its needs and the ecosystem. I became aware of the power of social networks very early on and understood the need to develop certain products for Instagram and others. My approach allowed me to anticipate developments in the beauty sector. In fact, when people try to distract you from your strategy, learn to follow your intuition.
Did you want to be a global brand from the start?
Yes always. No doubt because I grew up and lived in the United States, a country where we think “big” (laughs). Also because I knew that my clients came from all geographical origins: United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Algeria, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, India… In fact, I wanted to address these billions of women made invisible by the cosmetic industry. To understand Huda Beauty, you have to understand that I myself was an upset consumer because no brand was speaking to me, was not interested in me. I had never seen dark skin valued, presented as a standard of desirable beauty. Few products existed for this colossal market. So I took huge risks to launch into this niche! All my money as a makeup artist and influencer, I reinvested to build my brand. In fact, even my closest family and friends tried to reason with me to stop “daydreaming.”
In the eyes of your loved ones, it was therefore a beautiful utopia…
For them, cosmetics was not a serious subject, I had to live it as a hobby. Yes, it was hard to resist these calls to give up since ultimately it came from people who were kind to me. So to continue paying my first employees, I had to accept deals as an influencer while waiting to generate profits. It was a very difficult time but I held on. On this occasion, I discovered the responsibility, the loneliness of being an entrepreneur, the hardness of the job.
In which markets was the success immediate?
In the Middle East, England and France. The launches of my false eyelashes and then my Liquid Lipstick met with phenomenal success, far from the most optimistic predictions! My Sephora distributor expected to sell out its stocks in 1 year and ultimately everything was sold out in a week.
How have big brands looked at you?
I faced a lot of criticism, I was considered a flash in the pan. I borrowed $6,000 from my sister when my finances were at their lowest and I reinvested that amount in billboards. I targeted large cities that I considered strategic in order to best prepare for my two launches. For the competition, I was born on social networks and I addressed too global an audience, all factors likely to slow me down. For my part, I had a completely different way of thinking: I was emerging at the opportune moment, ready to capture a community without distinction of borders, culture, gender…
Today, you are freaking out all the counters by generating 250 million dollars annually in sales while your fortune ranks you in the Forbes 100 of the most powerful self-made women. When you look back on your journey, what are your leadership lessons?
Being a true leader means going beyond yourself to stay focused on your teams, your customers and partners. You have to know how to put your ideas aside in order to listen and show empathy and patience. Every day is a new challenge when you truly care about your community. It’s not a question of personal influence but of the sustainability of your company. So my lesson is to never lose sight of your priorities. I would also add that, when you are a woman leader, self-confidence and self-esteem are essential. Learn to resist negative talk from others, never give up who you are to please others. Finally, you have to be humble, question yourself every day. Without my team, I am nothing.
A word on your medium-term strategy?
There is a mix of several things. First of all, we are ready to take more risks, to invest more in research and development, because I am convinced that a revolution is underway in this sector. Web3, NFTs and everything related to digital technologies will take up more and more space. I am very attentive to what is happening on this side and I have also invested in the metaverse. There is one certainty in any case, the beauty market has never done so well and I am delighted!
