The Business of Clean Beauty with Natalie Mackey of Winky Lux

Natalie Mackey was an Entreprenista from a young age. After spending a few years in the finance industry, she decided to pivot to her “industry crush”: the beauty industry, because as she put it, “you get to sell happiness as a product.”

Today, we sit down with Natalie Mackey, CEO and founder of Winky Lux, a beauty brand with an emphasis on clean ingredients and colorful whimsy. She shares about her high school business, her fundraising journey, all about the risks she’s taken, and so much more. 

“​​This is just the coolest industry. I love it so much. And I really wanted to be in it somehow. I just had kind of like an industry crush on it.” – Natalie Mackey

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Natalie discusses her early experience with entrepreneurialism (1:44)
• Natalie shares Winky Lux’s origin story (5:12)
• Natalie talks about her proudest moments (12:34)
• Natalie discusses Winky Lux’s fundraising journey (15:30)
• Natalie gives tips for fundraising (24:55)
• Natalie shares what risks have worked and what risks haven’t (28:40)
• Rapid fire questions (33:28)
• What being an Entreprenista means to Natalie (41:36)

Resources Mentioned:

• TikTok
• Instagram
• Slack

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “I remember being at a party, I don’t know, in some time in the very early 2000s, pre-Uber and somebody said, ‘wouldn’t it be great if there was a car service that would pick you up and take you to anywhere you want? You could just call them on your phone. But it wouldn’t be like an actual car service.’ And I just remember saying, ‘Oh, that’s a terrible business. I used to do that.’” – Natalie Mackey
• “​​One of the things they say in the writing world is ‘don’t be afraid to kill your darlings.’ So you might have this idea that you’re very married to but all of a sudden, it really stops working or it’s no longer useful. It doesn’t serve the business anymore. And I find that it’s one of the hardest muscles to grow and then flex is to be able to let go of something and say this no longer serves.” – Natalie Mackey
• “​​Funds that have focused on female entrepreneurs have historically had better returns.” – Natalie Mackey

Connect with Natalie Mackey:

• WinkyLux.com
• Winky Lux on Instagram
• Winky Lux on TikTok
• Natalie on Instagram
• Natalie on LinkedIn
• Natalie on Twitter

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

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