Carissa Jennings on Turning Pain Into Passion With Her Beauty Supply Store

Hi, Carissa! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

Hi, I’m Carissa Jennings, a widowed mother of one child and inspiring author of a memoir I’ve been working on since 2016. A year after the death of my terminally ill father, I turned entrepreneur by turning my pain into my passion. I own an online beauty supply, Honey Conjured, a store that has homemade shea body butters, body oils, mink lashes, lip glosses and hair.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I’ve always wanted that sisterhood bond with great minds that think alike so I saw the vision and went for it! Your network is your net worth, you have to align with the people you are trying to go places with in life. I know everyone can’t go with you on your new journey to success, it’s a reason why they say it’s lonely at the top! But when you have the right people with the same mind frame and are driven and hard-working as yourself, you can never be lonely at the top!

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I’m very spiritual and focused on my dreams and goals to break that chain of generational curses and build generational wealth for me and my autistic teenage son. It wasn’t easy trying to stay focused on my craft and raising my son all by myself with no family support system or friends but by the grace of God, I was able to push through. My shea body butters are made for any skin type. They help with blemishes, hyperpigmentation, dry skin, stretch marks, eczema and certain types of rash. Men and women can use them, I have different scents and in different colors, too. My mink lashes are long-lasting with proper care of course you can get 20+ uses out of them and they are packaged very beautifully with my signature colors on it. My lip glosses are very light-tinted but great for moisturizing the lips. all of this is luxury without breaking the bank, it’s very affordable—the reason why I decided to do it.

Luxury and effectiveness—we love it! What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Before launching my own business, I worked as a licensed full specialist offering manicures, pedicures, facials, and skincare treatments. My expertise and passion for beauty and wellness ultimately led me to pursue entrepreneurship.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

When I first launched, I went all in on social media and local events. My son’s barber shop, beauty salons also to spread the word. It definitely helped get the buzz going!

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

I’ve faced challenges, but the biggest was balancing work travel, and family. I’ve learned to prioritize and communicate effectively.

Balance is key! What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

When I had sold out on all of my shea body butters at my first pop-up shop event! Selling out on my body butters at my first pop-up shop event was such an amazing achievement!

Something to celebrate for sure! Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Absolutely, work/life balance is crucial! My best tip is to schedule quality time for yourself and loved ones.

What’s a piece of advice you can share that you wish you’d known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?

Believe in yourself and your passion. That’s the key to success as an Entreprenista!

We couldn’t agree more! What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

Stepping out of my comfort zone and taking big chances shows bravery and determination on my part and that’s how I was able to achieve my goals. I had to get uncomfortable in order to get comfortable.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I’m super excited about expanding my body oils and body butters business! You can expect new product lines and even more amazing scents in the coming years.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!