After graduating college, I made the very wrong decision to stay in Chicago instead of immediately moving to New York, as my mentors encouraged. I had spent three months living and working in Manhattan during my junior year and even received an offer for a post-grad internship at one of my preferred publications, but I thought I was in love. It’s embarrassing to admit that, clearly, I hadn’t properly internalized the infamous lesson Lauren Conrad learned on The Hills of never becoming the “Girl Who Didn’t Go to Paris.”

It didn’t take long for the universe to force a course correct. Dramatically bringing that relationship to a halt and catapulting me into a period of profound heartbreak and simultaneous drive to regain control of my life. It was as if my brain finally expelled a poison, leaving me clear-headed enough to realize how self-sabotaging I’d been and free to map out a quick exit to Brooklyn.

I’ve told this story many times before, but few people know what came next. My first glimmer of what New York could offer me came at the hands of Glossier. The then-two-year-old beauty brand was quickly expanding and was, even then, the hottest place to work. I applied for a marketing position on their website as part of my mad dash to reshape the life I almost turned my back on. That application turned into a clandestine video interview I took in the conference room of my stuffy suburban job. That video interview became a week-long trip where I met some of the OG Glossier team and galavanted through SoHo with the newfound perspective of a cool kid who might have the job of a lifetime.

After a summer of dragging my feet to a dusty cubicle where I was the youngest worker, I got a taste of what it was like to take the elevator up to an apartment-turned-startup office, sit on a bubblegum pink bench and sip Cha-Cha-Matcha and discover something new and unusual on every other street.

My penchant for entrepreneurship had been awakened well before this trip (I sold “Melanin Poppin’ dad hats to my college Black community that people still wear today). Still, something about seeing high-gloss editorial photos pasted on product mood boards and well-dressed, well-coiffed 20-something-year-olds furiously typing away at Mac computers gave it all more color.

I didn’t end up working at Glossier. I did, however, go on to work across editorial, fashion and beauty in various ways that inform what Of Other Worlds is today. Always led by that proclivity to build up from only an idea. Today, the seed of creation comes full circle as Of Other Worlds becomes a 2023 Glossier Grant recipient!

Looking back on how all the pieces fit together, it’s much easier to laugh about the times I believed to be aimlessly wandering and taking stabs in the dark, praying to catch fish. It’s a reminder to reframe wandering as exploration and that all roads, even dimly lit ones, lead to where you need to be.

It’s an honor to have been selected for two of the most prestigious programs in beauty. I get to wake up and do cool shit every day; I’m forever grateful for that. I’m so excited about the opportunity to keep birthing ideas into this world — mine and yours.

As we enter the next stage in our business, we will no longer be charging for the Substack. All of our Inner Sphere members will receive the same perks and any and everything that rolls out for this program hereafter - no strings attached. Inner Sphere-specific emails will come directly to your inbox from our brand account. Once we hammer out the details, we’ll share how other folks can join the transforming brand program moving forward.

This space will remain free and an opportunity for y’all to get insight into what I’m doing, thinking and working on at Of Other Worlds and beyond each month.

Next stop? The stars!

I recently told my friend that I felt like I liked myself for the very first time. I believe in my instincts and trust my judgment above all else — things I once frequently outsourced to others. This isn’t a poster card for everyone to start a business by any means, but an endorsement for listening closely to what weighs on your heart and going after it with abandon.

I won’t go on too much, because you all have shopping you want to get to. So, officially, it’s my pleasure to open up Of Other Worlds to everyone. All orders will receive our OOW Crossbody bags as a gift with purchase until supplies last. But don’t worry, we have plenty of Light Beams to go around!

Inner Sphere - be sure to check your emails because I’ve sent you dedicated discount codes to use at checkout.

I can’t wait to keep building this universe with all of you who want to inhabit it.

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Next week, we’ll host our first launch event at Honey’s Brooklyn on Thursday, June 29! We’re pouring up a free, Light Beams-inspired spritzer while supplies last and having some of our favorite Brooklyn DJs Boston Chery and Mecca NYC spin all night. We’ll give away some cool merch (for the people that like slime — you’re in for a special treat) and will sell Light Beams on the roof to save you the shipping fee.

Want to come party with us? RSVP HERE!

For those folks not in NYC — never fear! The website goes live on Tuesday with plenty of perks for those that purchased the soft launch and have remained in the inner sphere for all this time.

I’m so ready to finally bring this baby into the world. Honestly, it feels surreal. No matter what, I’m feeling proud of how far we’ve come. Let’s keep going!

<3

Simedar

Light Beams also received its first feature! If you haven’t seen it already, WWD listed Light Beams on its Summer Beauty Essentials List. Check out the issue here.

Last month I gave vague hints about exciting promises, so let me make good on those. In June, you all will have the opportunity to enter a Light Beams Giveaway via our website! We’ll announce when the giveaway goes live on our Instagram, but you can check back on ofotherworlds.com periodically if you’re not a social gworly  🤓.

We’ll also host the first (of hopefully several) launch events in June! Keep your eyes on our Instagram for date, time and location — but I will tell you right now it’ll be in Brooklyn!

Okay, okay. I’ve stalled enough. I know you all are waiting to know when we will FINALLY open the floodgates for you to grab Light Beams. Without further ado: our official online launch date will be Tuesday, June 27th!!!!

Whew. It feels good to finally tell everyone that! It’s been nearly two years since I left my last corporate job and New York to pursue this dream. There have been countless times I thought we wouldn’t make it. No matter what happens, coming this far has helped me accept my own tenacity in a self-transformative way.

Remember Inner Sphere will get to shop Light Beams early and those who purchased our soft launch will get a special discount code delivered directly to their emails.

MAMA WE MADE IT!

So, what’s happening this month at Of Other Worlds?

If you peeped our most recent Instagram, you saw we received an initial shipment of Light Beams going out to influencers, press, some of our Kickstarter backers and some of y’all too! I’ve been working with our designers to create informative and loving mailer inserts and making some difficult decisions about packaging. Come June, everyone will get to see it but keep an eye on the socials for the unboxing experiences to roll in through the rest of the month. If you haven’t noticed the updated packaging yet, now’s the time to get in tune!

We’re re-designing the website! Instead of stripping our site down to a landing page and subscribe option ahead of redesign, we’re keeping it up with minor changes while our web team works in the background. It’s important that new people can discover and learn about us even while we’re under construction. During the redesign, we’ll also start implementing a new email system. Now, it won’t just be me telling you everything that’s going on. More on that and the little product giveaway I mentioned next time. 😜

There’s no way we can launch without a celebration — another thing we’re laying down roots for throughout May. We want the launch party to give casual, Thursday-night hot-spot vibes with good music and better drinks. Everyone’s dressed like they just threw it together, but it’s definitely one of their better looks. We’re all glad we get to work from home the next morning. Can you see the vision?

We’re getting so close. I’m excited and freaking out at the same time. Let’s keep going.

Talk soon lysm 💜

One of those setbacks has affected the consumer trial that A BUNCH of you submitted yourselves for last month (thank you, by the way). I’ve decided to select three people from those submissions to receive a full-size Light Beams and an accompanying routine for participation in the trial. However, our unit cartons - the boxes our filled bottles of Lights Beams go in - were delayed arriving at our manufacturer. I promise I haven’t forgotten about you all. I wanted to have an exact timeline before getting the ball rolling. I’ll reach out to selected participants next week to begin the process so keep keeping an eye out. For anyone not selected this time around, your name will stay on file. I plan to continue this trial to constantly update our stats, before & afters, and feedback!

Despite the aforementioned hiccup, we’re still coasting toward sending out samples throughout this month and the next, executing our super secret activation in May and launching in June. Y’all ready for a party?

Inner Sphere, read on for a little more detail on the super secrets that I’m struggling to keep inside!!

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Wise beauty mentors recently told us, “You only launch once.” While that has already proven to be an incomplete truth for us (props to soft launch 😁), it’s important we take our time and hold out against the itch to go fast and by any means necessary. So, here’s what we’re shooting for over the next couple of months with the understanding that with fluidity — things are always subject to change.

This month, literally, right now ⏰: Planning, designing, fundraising and finishing production.

With our projected launch slated for late spring/early summer, we’re focused on getting funding to execute some fun strategies that will make an industry splash that means something. We’re designing odds and ends of boxes, press kits and marketing collateral while waiting for the same to arrive with our manufacturer so everything can get filled. A bit of a hurry-up-and-wait situation.

April-May 🏄🏾‍♂️: When things finally start moving

These months will include getting product to editors, influencers and our biggest fans. Expect digital and offline activations that reignite our community and bring new eyes to the brand. Here, I am being purposefully vague because I’m sometimes bad at keeping exciting secrets, which are best experienced in real-time.

June🌈: Pride month. My birthday month. Launch month? It makes sense to come full circle and hard launch almost exactly a year after we dipped our toe in the beauty waters. June is home to some of my favorite Black, gay and gemini celebrations. Might as well plan to tack another reason to get lit onto it.

In the meantime…

Some of you already know the power of Light Beams, while others eagerly await their turn to experience it. Word of mouth is impressive, but sometimes you need to see proof to feel comfortable getting on board. While we work through the above agenda, we’re looking for volunteers interested in participating in our in-house consumer satisfaction trial. Participants will be sent a deluxe sample of Light Beams and an accompanying skincare routine. They will evaluate changes in their skin and take photos to demonstrate to the skeptics, the curious and our supporters precisely what they can expect after using Light Beams.

If interested, fill out our survey linked here. All are welcome! Any questions? Shoot me a note at hello@ofotherworlds.com.

If you’re paying *really* close attention, you may have noticed some other little changes.

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The world keeps telling us to care for ourselves right as we lose hold of what that means.

I remember when journaling was my nightly ritual. Throughout grade school and high school, I’d sit down before heading to bed and pour my frustrations and desires onto the pages of a carefully selected notebook from Borders. On nights when I’d forget, I’d apologize for the neglect the following evening. Journaling was cathartic and dare I say sacred to my emotional experience. Somewhere along the way, it became less so.

Of course, some habit loss can be attributed to having less time. But even when I’ve tried to reestablish the practice intentionally — it just never sticks like it used to. One great week of consistency falls away to nothing. I’m sure if I cracked open the still-stiff binding of my latest notebook I’d find the most recent entry dated to last year. I’d argue that while we all grow up and out, leaving some routines behind, I stopped finding reward and release in journaling.

As Of Other Worlds ramps up, the pressure piles on. Between working towards launch, an inevitable fundraising round, and doing work that keeps my cellphone on, burnout gives a thorny smile in the shadows waiting for me to fall into its arms. The discussion around effective wellness has become more than a green juice can handle. While searching for answers, I felt like the same ol’, one-note suggestions of meditation and rest dismissed reality. Rest as a vague proposal feels small when tackling a work week that includes the weekends. Meditation does little to curb the feeling of urgency that causes you to overindulge when you finally get a chance to relax.

This may sound silly, but it finally clicked that how we talk about self-care is almost exclusively through the lens of how we get there and not where we’re going. We focus entirely on the action of taking probiotics or practicing breathwork and neglect the desired outcome of reducing discomfort or deactivating your nervous system. A calming skincare routine is ideal when your life is fast-paced and you want to slow down. However, finding something that activates your brain's reward center may be better suited for someone whose schedule rarely allows playfulness.

With discovery made, what does that mean for me? I’m in the need-for-playfulness camp and have found solace in weight lifting and silly little drinks that keep me motivated throughout the work day. Meditation is still critical in stopping an anxiety attack in its tracks. Still, as someone with an extremely limited allotment of me-time, it’s become more important to find smaller moments of joy whenever possible. The trick is finding the costless rewards that don’t require moderation so you don’t overdo everything.

I’m still rooting through the weeds for balance but finally digging in the right spot. Care, for yourself and for community, has many more faces than the now standard characterizations of wellness would lead you to believe. Broadening our definitions to include every pain-reducing, joy-enhancing and stability-creating approach we can think of may help us clamber out of the rut and actually start to feel better.

Before I even left for the kickoff event, people asked how I felt about getting started. I responded, “I’m so excited, but I’m also nervous.”

“Nervous?” they’d reply. “Nervous about what, exactly?”

To which I would ramble on about a lot of nothing without answering the question. During the opening event itself, I could still feel the nervous energy swirling in the pit of my stomach forcing me to steel my resolve. I wanted just to be myself and let the rest come organically. I’m no stranger to how anxiety can push your personality inward, barring full participation in social settings, or prompt overcompensation that tries to fill every potential quiet space with vibrating chatter. Excitement and nerves can be reasonably expected when starting something you really care about, but that jittery feeling clenched between my fists was laced with more fear than anticipation.

What I thought was a simple case of impatient expectation was, instead, a manifestation of a lifelong bad habit. I’ve always had a penchant for peeking over at what the next person is doing. Not to squirrel away someone else’s answers but to ensure I’m not falling behind. Too often I rely on external cues to build a personal timeline of arbitrary deadlines and milestones that ignore context and exist only to fuel the echoed voice in my mind that chastizes me unfairly.

I’ve come to learn that by using everything but yourself as a barometer for success, it’s hard to find achievement. Things rarely measure up when the evaluation criteria collage other people’s trajectories.

Comparison may very well be the thief of joy, but I still find it hard to keep my eyes on my own paper even as my neck screams from swiveling to watch the scene around me. As a green brand with lofty goals, I strive to think and perform like the people I admire. However, I believe we each get to craft our definition of victory.

The Of Other Worlds ethos is all about building a universe that fits you rather than bending to whatever is originally offered. We eschew strict rules for information that guides and champion fluidity over singular solutions. As it goes, it’s in the brand's DNA to dance along the less-traveled road to see what’s down there. So there’s no point in using a pre-written rubric to determine where we go.

If self-doubt comes easier to you than self-confidence, remember that you’re discernment, talent and creativity have gotten you this far. The only milestone that really matters is the one you meet when you realize you’re living in the timeline you once dreamt about — flaws and all.

Speaking of once dreamed, the Of Other Worlds crossbody bags have finally landed on my doorstep!!! It’s truly the perfect size. Big enough to fit ALL your beauty products (or random snacks from Trader Joe’s) but small enough to fit perfectly in your spennanight bag. Check out the photos below. To all my lovely Kickstarter backers who supported at the bag level: get SUPER excited.

A bunch of small, intentional steps got us here despite the unexpected setbacks. When you stay focused on your personal journey, good things happen.

We still have to dye the straps, but the white looks surprisingly good. What do y’all think?

Until next time loves!

This is one of the many reasons I tend to shy away from making any proper new year resolutions. I struggle with focusing on where I didn’t measure up the year before rather than celebrating what I did accomplish. Toxic wellness talk sets me off and the virtue signaling that suggests denying yourself the silly little indulgences that keep you going ultimately feels sad. Life is hard enough without the additional pressure that swings around every first of January. I’d rather do what feels good.

Although I was ready to enter 2023 with little more than a nod to the year past, I came across a Tik Tok (shocker) in the final days that resonated with me. The poster excitedly talked about how she’d recently adopted the mantra “everything always works out for me” and how, almost like magic, it was coming true. An acquaintance paid for her nail appointment unexpectedly, and opportunities were coming her way with little effort. She spoke of it in the same vein as alchemy or manifestation, but there seems to be a more practical application that felt worthy of becoming my singular “resolution.”

When I reflect on my life, the reality is that everything has worked out for me. Even when I’ve moved through tragedy and extreme difficulty, things have had a way of settling down into a more comfortable place before rearing back up for the next spin cycle. For so long I’ve operated through a superstitious avoidance of optimism, believing that acknowledgment of my talent, tenacity or ability would wipe it from existence. Firmly adopting the position that things will work out goes against that belief entirely, but has the potential to change everything.

In 2019, I was let go from what I thought was a dream job. The event crushed my self-confidence and sent me into a depression, but it also tipped off the events that led me to Of Other Worlds. After getting fired, I decided to get my esthetics license instead of immediately finding a new job. I fretted over that decision right up until the day I landed a job at one of the leading medical skincare brands only a year later. Many of you have followed along through my emotional state as Of Other Worlds soft launched, raised funds on Kickstarter and fought for a place at the industry table. There were more than a handful of times I considered protecting myself from the risk of failure by walking away. Needless to say, I’m happy I kept shouldering through.

Throughout all of these challenges, one thread remains the same: I never allowed myself a moment of respite until the dust had already settled. Imagine how much cortisol I could have prevented from coursing through my veins and wreaking havoc on my life if I had started believing that, “everything always works out for me” a little sooner.

To be clear, believing everything works out for you is not a suggestion that failure and disappointment are no longer possible. Getting fired is at best humiliating and at worst devastating. A business venture never leaving the ground comes with its own consequences. This assumption is not about being delusional or reciting an incantation that brings forth riches untold. It’s about having confidence that you have the wherewithal to pivot when necessary and permitting yourself to be okay as the story plays out. You know you are not the rigid stone buried in the mud involuntarily being rubbed down by the persistent current. You are the river that always finds its way around and through even the most solid obstacles. Slow and steady at times. Rushing and vicious at others.

The anticipation of pain is often worse than the pain itself and comes with the power to steal away much more than a moment of discomfort. Consequently, I plan to spend as much of 2023 as possible calling on the core belief that the pieces will fall where they should as long as I do my part. I think it’s time for us all to start genuinely believing in our power and the surety of what’s meant for us. Let it temper the challenges and sweeten the victories awaiting us on this symbolic Monday of the year.

I shared a bit in my Instagram post announcing the news that I was severely lacking in morale only a week before being accepted. I had just had a meeting about bank loans that felt a bit like needing five years of experience for an entry-level experience opportunity. I was discouraged and seriously wondering what the viability of the brand looked like. Being chosen for the Sephora Accelerate is a welcome acknowledgment that, despite the challenges ahead, we’re building something with a bright future.

So, what does being in the Sephora Accelerate really mean? I’ve gotten this question a lot so it feels fitting to go ahead and explain it a bit. For starters, we will still be launching on our website projected for March of 2023 — so you won’t have to wait until the program concludes to get your hands on Light Beams again! *phew* The accelerate is a 6-month long program that functions like a business boot camp. Brands get structured workshops from the beauty industry's best to learn the crucial stuff that helps brands grow and scale with a purpose.

Are you launching in Sephora? This is always the next question and the answer is: Likely! The Sephora Accelerate is not a straight path to a Sephora launch — it’s truly meant to be a tool to set beauty businesses up to be exactly what they want to be. However, it’s easy to look at the history of where Sephora Accelerate alumni land and get the picture. We’re shooting for a similar goal!

This particular cohort is full of brands that, in many ways, are further along in their journey than Of Other Worlds. Some brands have raised millions of dollars and others have already inked retail partnerships. I feel extremely honored to join the ranks of some very intelligent, creative and successful founders so early on. I also am taking a moment to pat myself on the back for how we’ve been able to communicate our vision and potential in a way that’s landed us a seat at the table.

Some other updates!

Crossbody Bags are done! They are headed my way from the manufacturer and then to all of our qualifying Kickstarter backers shortly after. I’ve been researching dyeing techniques so I can hit the ground (successfully) running and transforming the bag straps as soon as they hit my doorstep. Check out the latest production photo below:

We also have new product packaging! We’ve upgraded from our soft launch bottles to some extreeeeeemellly beautiful glass bottles with a stunning unit carton to house it all in. Those designs we’re keeping on the DL for now — unless you’re a paid subscriber you can scroll down to check out that sneak peek!

With the end of the year in sight, we’re preparing to take a second look at fundraising. With retail goals coming sooner than originally expected, it’s time for us to get settled up with proper funding. But that’s a hurdle we’ll jump over in 2023 :)

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It’s clear that Instagram is still a necessity for establishing brand visuals. It’s almost like a standing shrine that people expect to find and acknowledge before returning to other types of doom scrolling. However, Tik Tok, Youtube, (Twitter we’re not sure about you babe) and other sites are vying for attention now more than ever.

But before we dive in, let’s reveal our giveaway results!

Our Inner Sphere giveaway winner is: Mia Corpuz

Our public giveaway winner is: @_killa.un.ruly

Congratulations to the skin barriers of the lucky winners! You will both be contacted via Instagram DM and/or email to claim your prize. You have three days to respond and provide shipping information. If after three days the prize goes unclaimed or the selected winner(s) relinquishes the prize, we will select a new winner. So keep ya eyes fixed on those inboxes!

Okay, now for some thoughts on socials:

Despite how heavily DTC beauty brands rely on the power of social media, it’s been difficult to develop more than one on my own. As Instagram continues to circle the drain and Twitter sways violently in the storm of public perception — I’m wondering where it makes sense to spend brand time, energy and money. TikTok seems like the obvious solution, but there’s a less obvious, brand-defining dilemma keeping me from going for it.

Unlike Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest where entire platforms can reasonably be built with general anonymity, Tik Tok requires face time. TikTok users are looking for story times, experts, comedians and even animal personalities for entertainment and education. Beauty brands on Tik Tok rely on either reposting videos from content creators or the likeness of their team members who then become influencers and brand ambassadors in their own right. Naturium, Fenty Skin, and Youthforia’s social growth are examples of how prioritizing the authority of an influential founder can do wonders for digital reach. I’m a content creator and a licensed skincare professional, so the answer once again feels simple — right? However, I worry about what leaning too heavily on my credentials could mean long term.

Many years ago I tried pivoting toward the ✨ artsy aesthetic✨ on Instagram and completely failed. I realized the only content that actually performed was photos of my face. If I wasn’t in it, the people who followed me didn’t really care. I’d built my small following on the back of skin selfies so shaky product photos and vacation landscape shots were as good as nonexistent. I likely could have pushed through the engagement downturn if I had kept going, but at the time I wasn’t ready to lose any crumb of momentum. Even now that I’ve let go of any serious strategy on my personal Instagram page, it’s still primarily content featuring me, myself and the occasional guest appearance from friends and family.

This phenomenon can be even more damning for brands. When I worked at a girl-boss-media-company-that-will-not-be-named, the company was in the middle of rebranding to inclusivity and cultural diversity. They added three Black women (including myself) to a TEENY team of ~12 within three months and began publishing content that made direct statements about race, Blackness and queerness in America. Almost immediately, the brand’s social media engagement suffered. Readers unfollowed in noticeable numbers. Posts that fell into this new editorial direction were inundated with critical comments about “wokeness” and bemoaning the end of the “fun” platform they used to know and love. The brand had set its audience’s expectations. In this case, it was one of luxury steeped in white privilege and shielded from criticism. Directly challenging these expectations proved to be costly. It may or may not surprise you to hear that the brand abandoned the new direction almost as quickly as it was adopted, parted ways with every Black person brought on during the timeframe, and netted out to a suspiciously homogenous group of new hires before shuttering completely.

I say all this to say, it’s important to be intentional about the foundation you build on. While not impossible, it can be dicey to bend too far away from it in the future. While I am absolutely an integral part of the Of Other Worlds anatomy, I’m not super interested in plastering my face all over a brand-official Tik Tok account. Of Other Worlds has always been about providing for our community and I want our content to reflect more of y’all and only as much of me as necessary. I want our audience to buy products because they work and engage with the brand because we make you feel seen.

I know this may seem like a lot of agonizing over silly little social media strategies. But like we discussed the week before last, I’m learning how to slow down and make room for inevitable error and necessary growth. I’d rather make an informed decision than a hasty one. So I’d like to ask y’all, where are you learning about skincare and engaging with beauty these days?

From then on, whenever she detected my emotions frothing up over last-minute changes, unforeseen obstacles and unmet expectations she’d crow at me, “Murphy’s Law! Water off a duck’s back.” It helped me, sometimes, to remember that many things were inevitable. That even the most perfectly planned events would face hiccups. It wasn’t my responsibility to achieve perfection, but it was on me to react to disappointment with grace. And not for anyone else, but for my sake alone.

Disappointment can feel a lot like a failure. It has the deceptive power to bore down into dark places and erode your confidence. It’s too easy to evaluate your self-worth against how well something is executed, but this will always be an inaccurate unit of measure. Murphy’s Law suggests an intangible factor that is like fate in the way that it’s unavoidable and like love that it’s unpredictable. Giving it, and yourself, more breathing room involves the difficult task of making mistakes permissible within your plans and in your heart.

I’m the type of person who can ideate on the spot for something that needs to be done that day. I’m also a perfectionist. Less time for completion means more room for both errors of my own and errors according to Murphy’s Law. Setting up a business best poised for success and simultaneously protecting my mental health has meant finding the balance between planning with discipline and being more flexible to perceived flaws.

I found myself face to face with Murphy’s Law and the aforementioned challenge while working on production for the Of Other Worlds crossbody bags. I was hoping the bags would be finished and delivered by the end of October and off to their new homes by now. Clearly, that hasn’t been the case. Technical errors in sending wire payments delayed the start of production by several weeks and miscommunication over color swatching pushed it back even more. Recently, I learned that at the quantity we were purchasing the bags at we wouldn’t be able to color match the bag itself to the carrying strap. My mother’s reminder had been burned into my brain well enough over the last year of stop-start success that I knew to take a beat and receive the news objectively. But this time, I wanted to do more than make space for Murphy’s Law — I was ready to outmaneuver it. So, I’ve decided that while the straps won’t be the Of Other Worlds’ signature blue, they will be hand-dyed by yours truly (and maybe some friends). Each strap will be a little different for truly unique, one-of-a-kind products. When I said merch for YOU I meant it!

Check out the progress on the bags. The final bags and zippers will be OOW blue. Each strap will be hand dyed and custom. Think we should make some available for purchase too?

I’ve also mentioned how the timeline for Light Beams has been another thorn in my side. In the wait time for production, I was hoping to receive enough new lab samples to send around to the entire Inner Sphere. Unfortunately, splitting what I did receive between everyone on the Community Development team wouldn’t amount to an enjoyable user experience or enough to understand the full breadth of the final formula. In the spirit of countermoving, I’ve come up with a solution to this obstacle. We will be hosting a giveaway later this week for a full-size lab sample of Light Beams and all Inner Sphere members will have prioritized entries! What does this mean? All Inner Sphere members will automatically be entered into the giveaway once — whether you participate or not. Inner Sphere members will be allowed to enter again by following the rules that will be detailed on Instagram. We have a second product sample that will also be raffled off to Inner Sphere members exclusively.

Future product samples (particularly for our next product which we hope to begin pivoting back toward at the top of the new year) will be available to all Inner Sphere members as expected. I’ll make sure of it!

Hopefully, these feel like reasonable and attractive reactions in the face of Murphy’s Law. As always, we want to hear from you. Let me know if you hate it, you love it or if you’ve got a special request for your hand-dyed bag strap. I’m all ears!

It wouldn’t be totally honest to say this is my first vacation as an entrepreneur however, this is the first trip where I actively plan to do zero work. For the next nine days, I won’t be answering any emails that aren’t personal. No updates or logistics or “just checking in” until I’m forced to shake off the jet lag after landing back in the U.S.

It doesn’t take being a freelancer or an artist to understand why taking a real vacation is a rare treat that primarily lives in your imagination. The world doesn’t stop turning because we’ll be in a different time zone and emergencies seem to always hold until the most inopportune moment. The more something depends on your focus to keep the wheels turning, the harder it is to unplug fully.

But you still deserve to take a vacation.

You deserve to write a quippy, automatic OOO message that directs folks elsewhere and subtly brags about where you’ll be instead. You deserve to dig your toes into faraway sand and have one too many fruity drinks that are absolutely watered down but who cares anyway.

In a world so focused on productivity, we very rarely allow ourselves genuine moments of respite. When they do float downriver slow enough for us to snatch them from the current, our hands are almost too weak to hold on to it. We sleep when we should be able to explore and melt into the familiarity of the couch when we finally have a chance to experience something new.

So yes, you deserve a vacation. Even if something is outstanding and even if you’ll return to too many emails. Future you is more than capable of handling that like you always do.

And even if you can’t take a vacation you at least deserve a break. Loosen your grip on work, do your skincare for a little bit longer and let your body relax today. Cause you deserve it!

But, of course, I wouldn’t leave you for vacay on an empty stomach. We’ve got the hyperpigmentation guide to end all hyperpigmentation guides up on Planet Skin now. Then, we’ll be back the week after next with some updates on those crossbody bags (we haven’t forgotten, but production is complicated sometimes).

Read that hyperpigmentation guide, then come back here for subscriber-only product recommendations that I’ve curated just for you!

Fade Your Dark Spot With These Products:

My Favorite Sunscreens

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This week, we finally placed a purchase order for the large-scale production of Light Beams (yay)! A year of tears, lessons, triumphs and hard work has culminated in the reality that a new beauty brand is born. But what’s almost as hard as raising funds is now losing control over the next leg of the process as the manufacturer takes it from here.

Production timelines for beauty products are exceedingly long right now. The reverberations of COVID and economic pressures have slowed material availability while brands attempting to get ahead of the problem are increasing demand. Although we’ve taken the first necessary baby step toward the official launch, the sour part of this sweet, sweet news is we’re all going to have to wait a little bit.

I’ll be honest and say that patience is not one of my virtues. Blame it on the current era of two-day shipping breeding an I-Want-It-Now consumer expectation or blame it on me being an air sign. Regardless, waiting is hard. I’m anxious to make Light Beams widely available and be able to brand-build the way I do every night in my head. I’m also acutely aware of how fleeting momentum and excitement can be making the pressure to keep moving feel crushing.

When the manufacturer shared that we would have to push our launch date into early 2023, I was afraid. Afraid that our community members would forget about us in the din of holiday cheer and the allure of other shiny objects. Afraid that longer wait times could cost us this dream. Better beauty experiences is part of our brand DNA, but how can I create those experiences while sitting on my hands?

During a recent entrepreneur panel, an industry expert asked attendees, “Do you really have to launch your product right now?” She was referring to the anxiety that all of the founders and founder-hopefuls in the audience felt to produce quickly and get out of the door before it was too late. She acknowledged and empathized with us, but warned that sloppy work done quickly is never a substitute for greatness.

Our timelines have been extended because when faced with the need to choose new suppliers or ingredients, we refused to accept substitutions that didn’t reflect our formulation philosophy. We fought to maintain the parameters that preserved the foundation of the product without tipping it out of price range for our audience.

So when faced with similar timeline issues for our cosmetic bags, I’ve decided to make some level of peace with the threat of time. I’d rather the final product be something that makes an impact rather than leaves much to be desired.

So, let’s bundle up and get cozy while we wait for new light to come in early 2023. It’ll be worth the wait! In the meantime, we’ll post more must-read skincare content on PLANET SKIN and may even create a Tik Tok account. Cosmetic bags are expected for November to hold us over :)

And of course a little something extra for the Inner Sphere:

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Completing a fundraising campaign has amounted to the difference between launching Of Other Worlds in the driver’s seat or barely keeping our heads above water. However, the process of this important win also unearthed how stretching towards your imagination can chip away at your sense of self.

Chaotic is a mild term to describe my state of mind during those final days of the campaign. In desperate need of support, I reached out for help from whoever was nearest whenever possible. I only allowed myself respite when new donations came in and I was more than prepared to criticize and bemoan each day that went by with less growth than I had hoped for. I found myself behaving like a puppet of my own design. I was fatally attached to the outcome of the campaign. With help from the same network that bore the brunt of my fundraising spiral, I realized it’s been like this since the very beginning.

When you birth something from your brain, it’s easy for that to become much more than your “baby”. That project, idea or piece of art transforms into an appendage that becomes increasingly indispensable the more you bring it to life. Nobody is as familiar with the recesses of your thoughts as you are and there seem to be very few paces between yourself and what you’ve created. Before you know it, you seem to move in sync with its ebbs and flows. When progress slows, self-doubt and fatigue creep in from their hiding spaces. A threat to the work is nothing more than personal. But when suggestions of success arise, that ego boost is enough to forget how much over-identification costs you every other day.

As inevitable and sometimes necessary as it can feel to fuse with what comes from you, it’s ultimately unsustainable. Allowing yourself to become frozen and encased in your art leaves you vulnerable to the naturally tumultuous nature of work, leaving you perpetually unhappy and riddled with anxiety. After a fundraising campaign that tested the limits of my psyche and my support network, I’m no longer interested in being the business and running it.

The Two of Wands indicates planning, progress, decisions, and discovery. It can represent business partners, working together to make goals a reality. It is the fork in the road that either leads you forward or back towards from which you came — an indication you aren’t quite ready to venture forth.

But, as we all know, stating healthy habits and practicing them are on opposite sides of the court. Work boundaries and separation are not new, groundbreaking concepts yet most of us still struggle to execute them successfully. I’ve talked about reframing work before, yet here I am admitting how I’ve been sucked into the black hole of my own toxic work culture.

When originally sitting with the re-realization that something had to change, I instinctively turned to restructure my morning routine. If I just woke up earlier, ate breakfast and actually committed to making my bed every day — maybe that would be the thing that erected an impenetrable brick wall between being me and being the CEO. But there’s only so much well-tucked sheets and a silly little overpriced coffee truly can do.

Recently, a friend working as a performer brought up how intentional, pre and post-show rituals help her embody an alter ego that goes onstage in her stead. This alternate personality possesses the qualities she needs to put on a show yet is immune to the fear and doubt that normally plague her. The character is named, wears specific clothing and listens to certain music. It takes on a shape of its own, living parallel to but still outside of her day-to-day life, and serves as both a container for work and a vehicle to get the job done well.

It’s another concept I’ve heard of before but, until now, associated primarily with actors, musicians and stage performers. Building a doppelgänger of yourself creates a buffer between the difficulties of a job that rests on your shoulders and who you actually are. When put that way, there seems to be much more room for the rest of us to try it on.

While similar, the problem with relying solely on a morning routine is that it starts to feel like a necessary chore. Getting out of bed and brushing your teeth is an inherent part of readying yourself for the day regardless of what you have ahead. Rituals are sacrosanct, reserved for calling forth the “other” you who performs in front of a crowd or runs a company. This idea of conjuring an alternative version of yourself feels like cracking open a new notebook. It’s full of potential and blank pages to fill. It doesn’t even have to make sense to anyone but you. However, it does feel real. Tangible in a way only pen to paper feels.

I’m still auditioning the character and testing out how I build them. I’ve gotten as far as starting my workday with ten minutes of creative writing and deciding on a casual, menswear aesthetic for costuming. Just like the process of world-building with this beauty brand, I plan to take time and care when creating the entity that will take over from here so I can get back to enjoying the life that’s happening separately from the growth of Of Other Worlds.

For starters, we’ve finally got some merch designs to share! The Kickstarter-exclusive, Of Other Worlds crossbody bag will feature double zip pouches large enough to either house your night-out essentials or keep your skincare safe while traveling. It’s versatile. It’s the perfect size. It’s whimsical. Check out the design direction below.

While only paid subscribers/members of the Inner Sphere can vote on which direction we continue in, I’ve decided to share the design progress with everyone because while y’all rock with me I don’t claim to be Beyoncé who can sell mystery boxes full of who-knows-what and always clear house.

If you like where this bag is going, you should get one. How do you do that, you ask? Well, backing our Kickstarter at the $200 package includes our little creation. Once the campaign ends, we’re not sure when or how these babies will rear their heads again. So snatch it up now!

Speaking of the Kickstarter, in just a manner of days we’ve skyrocketed from barely 50% funded to now over 90%! We are truly steps away from ensuring we meet our goal. We’re even holding out hope for our stretch goal of $15k that ensures we can produce the crossbody bags, pay the Kickstarter fees and still retain a full $10k to go toward Light Beams.

So, if you haven’t already we hope you’ll consider supporting us. Anything helps! If you’ve already supported us, we’re offering a FULL-SIZE BOTTLE OF LIGHT BEAMS to anyone who doubles their donation. Eligible backers must have originally donated a minimum of $50 on or before Sept 15.

There’s something about the eleventh hour that breeds both chaos and the perfect recipe for opportunity. It’s been a wild 30 days and I’m feeling extremely hopeful. Let’s bring her home!

Get Your CrossBody Bag

A couple of weeks ago, Blake Newby — former beauty & fashion editor at Essence Magazine — posted a TikTok where she shared this profound piece of wisdom. Newby responded to a comment asking her opinion on New York living, to which she frankly offered up the sobering truth of what’s required to take risks and pursue imagination.

Blake shared that the critical support of her parents during her first years in New York allowed her to pivot into a new job at a significant pay cut. Having her rent taken care of meant she could focus on climbing the editorial ladder, an industry notorious for offering the guise of glamourous work life with none of the pay. Newby asserted her response was not to discourage but to be honest about a reality that isn’t so for many people.

Throughout the past year of building Of Other Worlds, I’ve become acutely aware of how much it costs to dream. Going after your heart’s desire comes with a literal and metaphorical price tag, both of which are steep orders to fill.

The monetary price of striking out on your own is relatively set in stone: legal fees, raw material costs, the price of building a website. The list is non-exhaustive. These costs are far from nominal, but they can at least be calculated and prepared for. It’s the other stuff that threatens to halt the entire production. The challenge of repeatedly grappling with your ego to dismantle what you previously believed to be your undying truth has the potential to stave off forward progress. The requirement to melt down into a flexible flowing medium, now belly-up and vulnerable to judgment, is powerful enough to douse fire from the furnace.

At the top of the year, I attended an entrepreneur panel where one speaker shared an anecdote about how she slept in a nap room at her full-time job and transformed her apartment into an Airbnb to fund her side hustle. I remember violently rejecting the suggestions laden in that story and launching into a diatribe about how going after what you want shouldn’t mean sacrificing the things that make you human. It inspired me to write one of my most popular newsletters to date. And while I still fiercely believe everything I wrote, I’ve found a new vantage point to consider that story.

Creating for yourself is difficult and, to Newby’s point, costly. Without the blessing of extraordinary circumstances, entrepreneurship calls upon you to get extremely scrappy. Hearing about someone sacrificing their home for the chance to make a dream a reality originally led me to think only of how we can avoid making ourselves miserable in the name of work — even if it’s our own. Revisiting that story I realize that despite valiant and righteous politics certain bodies of water must be crossed if you wish to reach the other side.

I always expected to make difficult forfeitures for Of Other Worlds, but I did not anticipate soul work that triggered the shedding of an old self and subsequent refashioning of neural pathways. While reaching down in an attempt to hold on to and stabilize hard feelings, I also came across my Pride. Pride was unwilling to ask for certain types of help or accept opportunities deemed “beneath” it. I hate to admit that Pride was so unyielding it put my mental, physical and financial health in the crosshairs. I’ve done my best to face off against this entity, as well as the other shadows, leaking lies into the groundwater of my brain. Launching the Kickstarter is one output of this ongoing effort.

I initially wanted to do the ugliest parts of business building in private so that Of Other Worlds could meet the world with only shining packaging and polished ends. Even though I started this entire process offering to let you bear witness to the unfinished center, there were some things I still struggled to put on display. It was slowly and with much protest that I accepted the Of Other Worlds story will and should always read differently. That is where our power lies. Now in the last week of our Kickstarter campaign, I am reconciling gripping fear with the undeniable immensity of how far we’ve come. That fleeting moment where sense can be made reminds me I will keep paying those metaphysical bills because this is the bearing I must see through until the end. No rest or relief is found walking away from it.

For anyone looking to follow the spiny path to creating something new, my best advice is to burrow roots deep into your raison d’être. It will right your compass when challenges to your spirit call purpose into question.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in one way or another. Our Kickstarter is about 50% funded with six days left. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bracing myself against anxiety, but I am choosing to see this as simply one swing in a long game. Our bag design is coming along, but it wouldn’t be mercury retrograde if she didn’t mess with our timelines 🙃. If the stars allow, I’ll be in your inbox again this week sharing design options and allowing the Inner Sphere to vote!

See you on the other side of the Kickstarter! I’ll have plenty of updates to share then.

Feeling Inspired? Back Our Kickstarter

Last week’s restock was so incredible. Thinking about it still gives me a chill. We sold out of Light Beams in TWENTY MINUTES! I barely had time to post about it on my personal Instagram and Twitter before we were down to our last handful of bottles. Seeing how eager our community is to purchase, repurchase and talk about our first product keeps me going when things get extremely tough. If you missed out on buying this time around, we aim to bring back the new and improved Light Beams before the end of the year using the funds from our newly launched Kickstarter campaign to help.

So, let’s get into what comes with supporting our Kickstarter.

• Supporting the brands you love shouldn’t be cost-prohibitive. We understand that while our community loves to help — we often pass around the same dollars from mutual aid funds to crowdfunding campaigns. We are really all we got. That being said, you can commit as little at $1 to this campaign. We will love you for that! Commitments starting at $35 or more will get a personalized shoutout on our Instagram stories! Those shoutouts will live on in our Highlights section, so visitors will know exactly who lifted us up for years to come.

• Remember the merch we were talking about? This Kickstarter is currently the only way you can cop our exclusive, travel cosmetic bag! Packages that include the bag start at a commitment of $200 or more! Our Inner Sphere Subscribers and design team are busy creating a bag that does more than just hold your Light Beams. We promise it’s gonna be dope!

• If you need a skincare consultation — you’re in luck! Kickstarter commitments of $450 or more come with our travel bag as well as a 15-minute skincare routine audit with yours truly! What is a skincare routine audit you may ask? I’ll take a look at every product you have in your possession as well as your skincare goals to give you the tips, the tricks and advice on what’s trash.

• Higher commitment amounts also come with access to the Inner Sphere and longer, in-depth skincare consultations with me. A chance to make your philanthropic $$ stretch.

• We’ve also got some limited packages that will give you either a coveted spot on our Community Development Team or a VIP Launch Package.

  • As we continue to grow and begin to create new products, our Community Development Team will remain a crucial part of the brand. This team has the power to vote, veto and set the course for where we go next. We haven’t accepted new team members since launching this newsletter almost nine months ago. We are adding five additional spots for those committing at least $1,200.

  • The VIP Launch Box is probably the most exciting reward package as it comes with absolutely everything. You get the travel bag, a longer skincare consultation with additional product recommendations, and a full bottle of Light Beams in an exclusive PR package. This is the only package where a bottle of Light Beams is included in your commitment and you also get the influencer treatment to match!

We’ve got 25 days to reach $10,000 and are about 18% there! I know we can reach this goal and make Light Beams available for you and everyone else to enjoy. No more scrambling for drops or long waits to replenish your holy grail skincare product. Can you imagine? Then, you’ll get to see what else we’ve got up our sleeve!

If you can’t support, we understand. Sharing it with your bestie or even your work husband can be the difference between Light Beams coming to market or not.

Support Our Kickstarter

Inner Sphere: it’s time to get to design business. I’ve got some things I need your eyes on.

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Not only are we launching the last soft launch of Light Beams before we upscale, we are also releasing our Kickstarter very soon. It’s been a stressful journey, but seeing how excited our community is to not only try but also re-purchase Light Beams keeps me going through the madness.

We hit a hiccup with your Kickstarter campaign this morning that threatened to put us behind schedule (and send me over the edge). Luckily, we’ve cleared it up and my anxiety monster can remain unactivated for now. Details on our Kickstarter will go out as soon as it’s live, where you all will be able to see exactly how to get the Kickstarter-exclusive merch you voted for!

Now, on to the password so you can get a bottle of Light Beams before everyone else.

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