Ampersand Woman: Danielle Vincent of KIMIKO

December 02, 2015 | Filed in: Woman of the Week

Entrepreneur Danielle Vincent has been an MM.LaFleur muse since we launched back in 2013. As the founder of KIMIKO Beauty, she knows what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. And in classic Ampersand Woman style, she both runs the business and oversees the creative process of developing products and marketing concepts.

On the heels of her successful Kickstarter campaign, we tracked her down to talk about business, branding, and beauty.

We love KIMIKO! How did you end up as a cosmetics entrepreneur?

It was a rather winding path, to be honest. I dabbled in the things that interested me (sciences, business, and finance), but I also wanted to express my creative side, which drew me to study professional makeup artistry in Toronto. After working for many large beauty brands, I got an opportunity to join a startup perfume brand. It was a bit of a hit-the-ground-running type of situation. I was immediately developing new product, crafting marketing strategies, and attending sales pitches to launch new product across North America. It was an incredible and uncommon learning experience. After some time, I decided to return to my original calling and focus on cosmetics and skincare, so I started KIMIKO.

What are you most proud of that wouldn’t necessarily be considered “an achievement” by outsiders looking in?

When you have your own business, there are so many ups—as well as some downs. I think it’s an unnoticed achievement to persevere even when things don’t go exactly as planned (do they ever?). It’s important to stay big-picture and focus on the upward trend.

What would you advise young professionals to “practice” doing every day?

I have two practices actually. First: Add value. Always ask yourself how you can add value for someone else—your customer or someone in your network. Connecting people makes you invaluable, and it feels great. Second: Get creative. No matter what business you’re in, creativity is required for success. I would suggest writing down five to ten ideas every single day. The creative muscle only gets better with use. You’ll be able to see opportunities as they arise because you’ve actively been training and challenging your mind to think beyond its ‘comfort zone.’

What is your personality at work in three words?

Determined. Undaunted. Detailed.

When you were little, what did you want to be?

I thought I would be a marine biologist or an underwater photographer. But when I got closer to university, I ended up choosing sciences and moved towards chemistry for pharmacology and toxicology. I wanted to own pharmacies, but mostly because I just loved the makeup section of drugstores!

When you “grow up,” what do you want to be?

I can see myself having built and sold several companies. I think it would also be interesting and rewarding to start a business incubator for women. It could serve as a resource to guide, advise, and even invest in great people and ideas. In a typically male-centric business world, I could see that growing into a global project.

What do you wish you had known when you first started working?

At 26, I had developed the KIMIKO brand, launched it, and was running the business. I definitely had gumption, but I wish I had been able to speak a little more confidently about the brand and the exciting things we were doing. Safe to say: I’m not so shy anymore.

How do you like to dress for work?

I’m fairly relaxed, and I like to keep it simple. That is why I love how easy MM.LaFleur dresses are—I have eight and love them all! But if I don’t have lots of meetings on a given day, I go for a bit of a downtown-tomboy look.

Immediate gratification… is overrated.

Gratitude… is underrated.

Do you have a motto?

Not a motto per se, but I strongly believe that we can all aspire to have more empathy for each other. It translates to a kinder, more rewarding life experience.

Feeling inspired? Us too. Don’t forget to check out KIMIKO’s beloved products!