The Project Vanity Podcast, Ep 2 Recap: Three life lessons from Nina Dizon, Colourette’s unstoppable CEO

I usually listen to music on my commute home, but this time I opted to download Episode 2 of the Project Vanity Podcast on my Spotify. While I don’t usually follow podcasts, this particular episode caught my interest because it appeals to my inner beauty journalist! I was particularly excited with this episode because  I wanted to know what insights Colourette Cosmetics and Fresh Formula owner Nina Dizon could share about running a beauty business. Can you believe that she started as a 19-year-old student?! Listen to her story here:

Her story is really inspiring, and while there was a lot of shared wisdom, these are my top three learnings:

Lesson 1: You will and have to do everything. Nina’s first foray into the beauty business was a skincare brand called Fairness and Flawless, and she ran it entirely on her own. From research and development, to packaging the products and shipping them out - she did it all! She shares that she would only get two hours of sleep because she was also still juggling her studies. While she was eventually able to get her mom to help out, this experience helped Nina realize that the life of a business owner is far from glamorous.

Nina surrounded by stocks of her best-selling Colourette Colourtints

Lesson 2: Balance is key. Though she now has a team working under her, Nina the CEO is still very hands-on in her business. She is also a wife and a mom to two kids. While she tries her best to finish up before going home, it’s a challenge to “leave work at the office” because she also works on her phone. To take care of herself and get much-needed me-time, Nina loves to work out at the gym. She shares, “It keeps me sane, and lahat ng galit mo, you can just smash it on a ball!” She also enjoys traveling because “there will be times when you need to escape,” she explains. “Don’t be too hard on yourself about it.” 

Nina recently relaunched her first brand as Fresh Formula, which offers affordable skincare sets for specific skin issues

Lesson 3: Everything has a cost, and you have to do decide if it’s worth the sacrifice. As her business grew, Nina had to choose between focusing on it and staying in school. She was already too exhausted to manage both, and the lack of sleep was affecting her health. She chose the business route because “I felt like I can return to school anytime, but this business could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

While Nina clearly loves and enjoys what she does, running a beauty brand isn’t as pretty as it looks! It takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance - and even some luck. Entrepreneurship may not be a path that I personally plan to take, but I found this episode to be inspiring and insightful. Give it a listen and comment below about what you learned from this Beauty Boss Babe!

Photos courtesy of Nina Dizon. Follow her on Instagram, and Colourette Cosmetics and Fresh Formula on Facebook for more updates!