DD: Profile of a Potential Pitcher #6: Mindy Shear

Mindy Shear from Montreal is next up in our spotlight.  This lovely entrepreneur wants to bring her unique vision of cosmetics to the world.  Now its your turn to tell us if this is the next Martha in the making.

Why do you want to be on the Den…?  I would like to be on the Den for a few reasons.  I think it is a  great program and would love to be a part of it.  I am an entrepreneur, making a difference in the business world as well as the beauty world and this is a great venue, where I can learn from others as they can learn from my experiences.  I try to get involved in all types of entrepreneurial programs locally and otherwise.  I would also like to be on the Den because I am in the process of expanding my business and I am looking for investors and this is definitely the most fun and unconventional way of doing it.  Also in my field it is all about being high profile and about press and publicity this would be great both local and nation wide for branding.

Why would you be a good bet for the Dragons to invest in? I would be a great bet for the Dragons to invest in because I am very good at what I do.  I have been doing make up for 22 years, and I have a degree in Fine Arts and combine them both.  I am innovative, outgoing, and driven.  I have a vision and I am very focused on achieving my goals.  I also have proven myself and have been successful in business and as a make up artist, now it is time to take everything to the next level based on the demand from my clients for my products and services.

Why do you want to bring your product to market? I want to bring my product and services to the market because I have already made a name for myself in Montreal. I also have many clients in other parts of Canada especially in Toronto (they keep asking me when I will open there), I also have repeat clients from the US, Israel. I have basic products and packaging in the meantime but my line is very well received because of my choice of products, colours and services.  If I embellished my products and packaging and made it more exclusive to Mindy Shear Make Up for branding, it would fly globally rather than just keeping it local. If I expanded my product line I would be able to compete with larger lines such as MAC, Bobby Brown, Nars, and Lise Watier etc.  I would also train more people for the Mindy Shear brand to provide my services and sell my products since there is such a demand for what I do and it is very hard to find qualified talented people who do more than basic make up.  It’s all about customized make up and personalized service with the cutting edge technology in make up and fashion.

How do you describe your product…? I would describe my product and services as being very sexy. In terms of products it is all about colour, texture and the amount of choice my clients have in my line to suit their needs.  My product and choice of colours and textures are great for women of all ages, and backgrounds.  I carry a lot of mineral make up which is healthy for the skin and looks natural. Mineral make up is the hottest trend in cosmetics today. My products and services are all about what women want, looking young and feeling great.  Make up that looks and feels natural, and services such as airbrush make up and semi permanent eyelashes which was only available to the stars on the red carpet since I was one of the pioneers that brought it onto the market for everyday people who want glam and flawless make up.

How did you came up with the idea…? I came up with the idea to expand my business because I am an artist and designer and I am always coming up with new ideas. I travel a lot and get to see what is hot and happening, what works and what doesn’t.  Based on that I have introduced many different products and services into my existing make up store and everything that I have introduced to my clients, have sold very well.  I also have been paying attention to make up trends, fashion trends and the market at large and came to realize that women love to shop and try new things and if they are happy with the results and product then they are very loyal.  When is comes to products, services and shopping, it is all about the experience and the good feeling.  I decided that a beauty bar concept would be very well received by women who can shop, relax, have a drink, a latte, some chocolate etc. that corresponds with the treatment or products they buy.  I need to design my packaging of my products to better suit this entire concept.  I realized having been a make up artist for 22 years, working in salons after opening my first make up store what products and services work the best, based on what women are looking for and taking it even further.  I am all about cutting edge and setting trends.

In closing what message would you like to send to the Dragons? In closing I would like to inform the Dragons that the make up industry generates billions of dollars a year.  Make up is recession proof because no matter what a women’s income is, they will always want to look younger and feel better and it is less expensive to buy or change a lipstick that can change a look instead of a wardrobe.  I would also like to express again that with my experience, innovativeness and talent in make up, my business can only thrive further and be successful.

As always while this poll is illustrative and helpful, the results are not binding on the CBC nor the producers of the Dragons' Den.

Comments

[Kempton]

First of all, looks like Mindy has a great looking boutique makeup services/products store here.

My main concern is that cosmetic is a very competitive and brand-oriented industry. Many ladies (especially those with sensitive skiins) are less willing to try new brands. I am not sure about the general public's willingness to try something new. I am also wondering how cost effective will the new packaging and branding campaign be? I suspect bringing up the brand awareness to compete with the likes of MAC, Bobby Brown, Nars, and Lise Watier etc. may cost a lot of money and will likely be a very high risk venture where the return is not very certain.

Assuming that mineral make up is the latest trend, is there anything from stopping the likes of MAC, Bobby Brown, Nars, and Lise Watier etc. to sell mineral makeup? Assuming they don't have mineral make up already available or in development already.

I think the business may be great in the small boutique scale with a few stores but scaling it up to a much bigger size will be a totally different and much more riskier game. As an investment, I think I will have to respectfully pass. As for pitching on DD, it may be interesting to see how Mindy pitch and answer the Dragon's questions.

[Kempton]

As an aside, the cosmetic industry may be like the soft drinks industry where there seems to be a lot of competition amongst brands but they are actually one big happy family. For example, M.A.C. is actually owned by Estée Lauder. So when one is competing with M.A.C., you are actually competing with the financial might and power of Estée Lauder.

Just for fun, Estée Lauder Companies actually own the following brands.

Estée Lauder
Clinique
MAC
Aveda
Origins
Prescriptives
Bobbi Brown
Aramis
La Mer
Tommy Hilfiger
Jo Malone
Bumble and bumble
Donna Karan
Darphin
Michael Kors
Rodan and Fields
Sean John

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_%28cosmetics%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estée_Lauder

[Jason "FaceForm" Carruthers]

Mindy, will be a huge success or a failure based on her ability to get publicity. But not just any publicity. There must be a unique message. There are so many competitors in cosmetics.

Instead of talking about expanding her product line to compete, she should actually narrow it. Find one product that she can put all her resources into, thereby focusing her talent.

[Eddy]

Mindy is Hot...get her on the show