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Interview and article by: Ezzah Rafique
Gina Farmer, the visionary founder of Revved Beauty, is on a mission to transform the beauty industry through clean products and empowering messaging. In a candid interview with HAZZE MEDIA, Farmer shared her inspiring journey, challenges, and ambitious vision for Revved Beauty's future.
A Personal Journey to Empowerment: The Birth of Revved Beauty
Revved Beauty's inception is deeply rooted in Farmer's personal experiences. Following a difficult divorce, she found herself struggling with self-esteem. Farmer recalls, "I had gone through a pretty terrible divorce and I just felt a lot of shame. I felt like a failure. And so I think I was just sitting in that. And after the marriage, I had very little self-esteem, little self-worth. And so I just kept trying to fix that externally."
This challenging period led to a profound realization about the beauty industry's impact on women's self-perception. Farmer explains, "I became hyper-aware of marketing tactics in the beauty industry toward women, which has played a big role in setting the standard of beauty. And then we look to these beauty products to fix things when we're not broken. We don't need to be fixed."
Farmer's frustration with the beauty industry extended beyond messaging to the products themselves. She became increasingly concerned with "greenwashing" – the deceptive practice of falsely claiming products are clean, safe, or non-toxic.
"I became frustrated with greenwashing, products that are claiming that they are clean, safe, non-toxic. And really, a lot of it is a manipulation of words, and of what they're allowed to put on the label," Farmer explains. "I would even spend a lot of money thinking I was making a better choice for my health. And then doing a deep dive on ingredients would learn that it was bad for your skin."
The Power in Name
The name "Revved Beauty" was carefully chosen to evoke a feeling of empowerment. Farmer elaborates on the meaning behind the name: "I want the name of the company to evoke a feeling. So it's how I want our products to make women feel. I want them to use the products and feel revved, revved up, ready to go, ready for anything. And it's also how I just want them to feel in general. I want women to feel empowered and I want them to feel like they can take over the world."
Navigating Challenges as a Solo Entrepreneur
As a solo entrepreneur in the competitive beauty industry, Farmer faced numerous challenges. The most significant hurdle was the loneliness of being a "one-woman show". Farmer reflects, "I think anyone who goes that route is going to face some lonely moments in the beginning when they're setting out with a new idea... But for me, the biggest challenge was honestly being a one-woman show."
Beyond the loneliness of being a "one-woman show," she encountered obstacles in various aspects of building her brand. Formulating clean beauty products required extensive trial and error to ensure effectiveness. Farmer explains, "Despite the lengthy testing, you must stay patient and mission-focused to make sure you're doing things the right way."
Additionally, as a small player in an industry dominated by big names, Farmer had to navigate complex business landscapes through extensive research and networking. She notes, "When you're small, you have to navigate that. And that entails a lot of research and talking to different people. You really have to put yourself out there in that way." Despite her background in cooking and baking aiding in product formulation, Farmer found that packaging presented its own set of challenges. Through it all, she remained committed to her vision, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit by constantly pushing forward and embracing the mindset that "everything is figure-out-able."
Standing Out in a Saturated Market
In a crowded beauty market, Revved Beauty aims to differentiate itself through its messaging and commitment to clean, effective products. Farmer emphasizes, "Hopefully the messaging resonates with women in a huge way. We are the antidote to outdated beauty standards and we have effective products that put women’s health first.
By offering clean, effective products alongside empowering messaging, Revved Beauty carves out a unique position in the market.
Farmer’s Favorite Product: Cheeky Brew
Farmer's favorite product, "Cheeky Brew," is a green tea energizing face tonic that embodies the brand's ethos. She describes it with enthusiasm: "Cheeky Brew is definitely a moment. I mean, I've reached for it multiple times a day. I absolutely love it. It has an energizing, refreshing scent to it, like a spa-type scent. It's like a self-love moment that you can use anytime throughout the day."
A Moment of Realization
Reflecting on her journey, Farmer shares a pivotal moment that bridged her personal and professional life: "When it became real was when it wasn't friends or family that have to be nice to me and tell me that they like something, and it was an actual customer that used a product and had incredible feedback, that is when it became very real for me."
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Farmer's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, is to trust their instincts. She emphasizes, "The biggest piece of advice I would give to them is to tap into their gut instinct. That is your superpower. And if you can listen to that intuition, you're unstoppable."
She expands on this concept by highlighting the connection between intuition and capability. Farmer believes that the ideas and aspirations that occur to an individual are inherently aligned with their abilities. "Nothing is going to occur to you that you can't achieve. You're capable of whatever it is that occurs to you," she asserts.
She emphasizes the significance of timely action, suggesting that entrepreneurs should not delay pursuing their ideas. "If it occurs to you and it doesn't leave you alone, there's something to that," Farmer explains, encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to recognize and act on their persistent instincts.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Impact
While Revved Beauty plans to expand its product line carefully, Farmer is most excited about the potential impact on young women. She envisions partnering with youth organizations to promote self-esteem and confidence among preteen and teenage girls.
"We're not just going to be in one category. We're going to be across many, but just sort of the lifestyle messaging around Revved and then how it can impact young women, all women, all women of any age, but the younger, the better," Farmer shares, highlighting her commitment to empowering the next generation of women.
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