LeiLani Kopp and Tana McNicol, Partners, Sweet Leilani Cosmetics

A rewarding entrepreneurial experience

Building a successful business can be tremendously gratifying, but when the venture helps countless women, men and children who suffer silently from the effects of cancer, burns or birthmarks, the entrepreneurial experience becomes infinitely rewarding.

Eight year's ago, LeiLani Kopp's career as a hair and makeup artist in film and commercials didn't leave much time for family life. Looking for alternatives, she began cutting hair out of her bedroom. She volunteered for the Cancer Society to style wigs free of charge, and help patients improve their self esteem with makeup. "I know how makeup transforms us on the outside. But over the years, I've realized how makeup transforms us on the inside," she says.

LeiLani's search for to a gentle, pure cover makeup that would work on sensitive, post-operative skin came up blank, and provided the inspiration for her new Vancouver-based business venture she called Face the Future.

She began working with labs and the FDA and Health Canada to develop the Studio Cover stick, a healthier makeup that would camouflage post surgical burns, scars and bruises. When she introduced it to occupational therapists at the Vancouver General Hospital, it became an instant success. Sales grew steadily for the next six years, enabling her to donate 15% back to the burn and plastic surgery unit at VGH.

With the foundation of her business established, expansion was inevitable. LeiLani's Face the Future program included drawing in eyebrows and lip lines to further transform people's appearance. "That's when I realized I needed a complete line of makeup," she notes. "Three years ago, I developed the expanded Sweet LeiLani cosmetic line that anyone could wear, even men. It is more pure than the average cosmetics out there. It's water-based, with no fragrance, no mineral oils, and no petroleum," she says. "My sister Tana McNicol, who has a business background, agreed to take it to market."

After two years of diligently marketing the new product line, the partners broke through the retail barrier, landing a deal with 40 Save-on stores in BC to carry Sweet LeiLani cosmetics. Today, they are continuing to expand into other retail outlets including 20 Pharmasave stores.

Success has earned LeiLani a Woman of Excellence Entrepreneur/innovator award. But the road has been paved inevitable challenges, one of which was financing. After exhausting several avenues, LeiLani and Tana turned to Women's Enterprise Centre for financing to cover portions of lease space, inventory, and promotion. It was a timely relationship that helped them secure their retail success.

"You can't just go to your own bank," she advises. "Just keep going because somebody's going to believe in you, but only if you can show you believe in yourself," she says. "That's why your business plan is so important. In the beginning we didn't believe it. But now, without our business plan, we'd be lost."

Going through the process of developing a business plan helped LeiLani continually think one or two steps ahead. "Part of growth, moving forward, is that you really have to be focused," she says. "Know where you're going, what you are doing, and who you are targeting."

"I began researching production options two years prior to realizing we wouldn't be able to stay in Canada. When you go retail, you cannot compete in the market by staying in Canada. The margins are off the chart," she says. "So we moved our production offshore. That was about a year ago. We went from having my kids slapping UPC codes on the product, to having it printed on the box and arriving completely packaged."

Having kids and spouses who are supportive are one of the keys to their entrepreneurial success. Support systems outside of the family have also proven invaluable, including pursuing formal networking opportunities with other business owners through organizations such as the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (F.W.E). "It surrounds you with other people with whom you can identify, who are going through the same experiences," she says.

"We also have a mentor with a business / finance background whom we consult with on a weekly basis. We met him through the F.W.E. mentorship program," says LeiLani. "He has been instrumental in keeping us focused with cash flows, income statements, and project development or strategy. He is also somebody to bounce ideas off," she says. "Sometimes when you're in the thick of it, you can't see straight. He provides an outside perspective."

Strong support systems, careful planning, ingenuity and a passion for an idea have not only transformed LeiLani and Tana into a successful entrepreneurs, but have transformed the lives of so many others who are not so fortunate.

"Follow you dream," she advises. "It's what keeps you going. It's what lets you reach your full potential."

And more....

LeiLani Kopp wasn’t content to just be a hair and makeup designer for film and TV. By scaling back involvement in the industry to spend more time with her family, LeiLani also gave herself time to volunteer. She became a certified paramedical makeup artist, and, while working with cancer and burn survivors, stepped into her first entrepreneurial venture: a cover stick that masks post-operative bruising, scarring and skin discolouration.

In keeping with her business’s origins, Leilani deliberately designed volunteering into its culture. She established the Face the Future program, through which she and her staff volunteer at Vancouver Hospital’s Burn and Plastic surgery unit, at the Kids Burn Camp in Squamish and with referrals from dermatologists. And, 15 percent of the cover stick’s sales go to burn units of hospitals in cities where it is sold.

The success of her Studio Cover Stick encouraged LeiLani to create Sweet LeiLani cosmetics, a line of natural, irritant-free cosmetics that benefits those with challenging skin conditions and anyone looking for a healthier alternative to chemical-laden products. To help her realize her vision, LeiLani called in her sister Tana McNichol to take the line to market. Together they created a business plan and worked around financial and production challenges with the support of their families, business associations and mentors.

Driven by compassion for others and a passion for their products, LeiLani and Tana have recently launched their line of Hawaiian-inspired cosmetics at Save-On-Foods and Pharmasave stores throughout BC and Alberta.

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