Karissa Bodnar was in her early twenties and working her way up the cosmetic ladder, from a make-up artist at Sephora to Clarisonic and then to L’Oréal. But when she hit a brick wall after losing a close friend to cancer at 24, she came to the realization that she had to stop waiting around and build the beauty company of her dreams. She started her own company from her one-bedroom apartment, taking orders herself and making product formulas on her kitchen counter. That company, Thrive Causemetics, is now a multimillion-dollar business, selling “clean” cosmetics that can be worn by everyone. In this episode, Karissa shares the details of the stages of her entrepreneurial journey and how she was able to get her company from the kitchen counter to where it is today.

Karissa Bodnar is a makeup artist, beauty product designer (cosmetic chemist), formulator, and entrepreneur. She launched Thrive Causemetics, a vegan direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand, in 2015. Karissa’s passion for empowering individuals through beauty has also taken her from backstage at New York Fashion Week to working with a roster of high-profile clients.

In this episode, Hala and Karissa will discuss:

- Her early hustles on a farm in rural Washington

- How cosmetics gave her confidence

- How personal tragedy sparked a new direction

- The importance of “clean” cosmetics

- Why scarcity drives focus

- How to build a side hustle without quiet quitting

- Using Shopify and finding her initial sales channels

- Going 100 percent direct-to-consumer

- Naming products after her own customers

- And other topics…

Karissa Bodnar is a makeup artist, beauty product designer (cosmetic chemist), formulator, and entrepreneur. She launched Thrive Causemetics, a vegan direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand, in 2015. Prior to starting the company, she worked as a product developer at L'Oreal in the premium skincare and color cosmetics category. Her "clean" cosmetics can be worn by people with compromised immune systems. Karissa’s passion for empowering individuals through beauty has also taken her from backstage at New York Fashion Week to working with a roster of high-profile clients.

Resources Mentioned:

 Karissa’s Website: https://thrivecausemetics.com/pages/our-story

Karissa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissa-bodnar-0413899/ 

Karissa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/karissabodnar?lang=en

Karissa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karissabodnar/?hl=en

Karissa’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Karissa-Bodnar/100063804366110/

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