TEI 287: How an insight became a lip balm for speakers – with Ginger King

What product managers can learn from the story of a beauty product

There is much to learn from a good product story; how an insight leads to an idea, which becomes a product concept and grows into a business case resulting in developing a new product that is launched and grows through the product lifecycle.

Personally, I also enjoy learning from industries I’m unfamiliar with. So, when I discovered a new beauty brand that is in the formation process, I was excited to talk with its founder, Ginger King. She is a chemist with previous senior management roles at several large cosmetic companies. Her first product under her own brand, FanLoveBeauty, is a lip balm.

There is a lot you can learn from this interview beyond elements of the product journey. This includes how to speak with passion about your own product — something Ginger does well.

Summary of some concepts discussed for product managers 

[5:14] How did you create your first product for FanLoveBeauty?

My first product is a vegan lip balm designed for speakers or others who talk a lot. I got the idea because I wanted to create a healthier lip balm for my friend mentor Daymond John. My lip balm differentiates itself because it does not contain petrol or lanolin, two common but unhealthy lip balm ingredients.

[10:17] Once you had the idea, what happened next?

Almost all other natural lip balms use beeswax, but I wanted mine to protect bees and be vegan, so I decided to not use beeswax. Through competitive studies I found that most natural lip balms also don’t contain active ingredients. I added superfoods like flaxseed oil, mango, almond, and sea asparagus. The lip balm I now sell is my tenth formulation. A board of beauty experts and Daymond John gave me feedback on each formulation to help me arrive at the final product.

[20:07] What did you do to validate the need for the product?

 I did a pre-launch and received feedback from users. Some people bought the product during the pre-launch, and others I provided it to because I knew they were influencers who could give me valuable feedback and help with marketing.

[21:55] What is your target market?

I was originally inspired to make a lip balm for speakers, but my lip balm is for anyone who talks lot—podcasters, salespeople, teachers, and anyone else who uses their lips a lot. I know that if professional speakers like it, then a broader audience of aspiring speakers will also want it.

[25:07] How are you continuing to grow your marketplace?

My company is called FanLoveBeauty because I create products for people who inspire, educate, or entertain. Those people contribute a lot to society, but there aren’t any beauty products dedicated to them. I encourage people to work with me to give me product ideas. If you tell me about a specific artist or educator who has contributed to society, I will create a beauty product for them.

[27:06] How do you implement the brand concept of creating products for people with specific needs?

I call it FanLoveBeauty because fan love is very passionate—I want to create the very best products for celebrities whom people love. My social cause is donating to a suicide prevention foundation because some celebrities we love have committed suicide because of depression. Along the same line, I include mango butter in my products because mango helps people feel better.

Bonus Question: What is it like to have Daymond John as your mentor? What key insight has he shared with you?

I have followed Daymond John for ten years. Before asking him to be my mentor, I did my homework—reading all his books and watching his videos. We’re friends because I never asked him for an investment. We focus on relationships, not transactions. Don’t approach people asking what they can do for you.

A key insight I learned from Daymond John is,