Where did your brand stand before you were selected as a finalist? Before joining the Maesa Magic Incubator, The Potion Studio had just launched into our first major retailers and was gaining traction with a tight-knit community, but we were still early in defining our brand strategy and positioning.

What roadblocks had you hit? We were struggling with clear market positioning specifically choosing between prestige and mass market—and needed more guidance on scaling, retail readiness, and visual storytelling.

What was the most important thing you learned? Clarity in positioning and storytelling changes everything. When you know who you are, how you serve your audience, and how to visually communicate that, everything else starts to align.

What were you most surprised to learn? How collaborative and generous the beauty founder community can be. There’s real power in sharing knowledge and lifting each other up—especially as underrepresented founders.

How will you use your grant to grow your business? We’re using the grant to support packaging upgrades, content creation, and sampling initiatives to strengthen our retail presence and DTC conversion.

What’s your advice to budding entrepreneurs? Done is better than perfect—take the leap, stay adaptable, and never be afraid to ask for help. Your perspective is your power.

Where did your brand stand before you were selected as a finalist? Before being selected as a finalist, Trinoli was building momentum and we won our first pitch competition, but everything shifted when our Facebook Ads account was abruptly shut down, threatening the growth we had worked so hard to achieve. In that moment, I turned to the heart of our brand—our community—and through authentic connection via SMS, email, and social media, we not only survived but reached an 80% customer return rate.

What roadblocks had you hit? As stated in the previous response, one of the biggest roadblocks I faced was the sudden loss of my Facebook Ads account, which disrupted a key growth driver at a pivotal time. On top of that, access to capital remains a major barrier for Black-owned skincare brands, making it harder to scale—but I’ve learned to turn obstacles into opportunity, leaning on community, creativity, and an unshakable belief in what I’m building.

What was the most important thing you learned? The most important thing I’ve learned is that perseverance isn’t optional—it’s everything; when I lost access to my main advertising channel, I had to dig deep and keep going, even when it felt like the odds were against me. That experience taught me to never rely on just one lane to reach my customers, and to build a brand that’s as resilient and adaptable as I am.

What were you most surprised to learn? I was overjoyed to learn I had been accepted into the Maesa Incubating Magic program—on my birthday! As if that wasn’t magical enough, I was blown away by how my community continued to rally around my brand, proving that genuine connection can keep a business thriving even without paid ads.

How will you use your grant to grow your business? I’ll be using the grant to invest in our marketing campaign, inventory, and the rebrand from Berri-Clear to Trinoli—a name born from merging the island of Trinidad (Trin) and my mother’s name, Olive (Oli), to honor both my roots and her legacy. This next chapter will allow us to meet growing demand, deepen our connection with our community, and continue building a brand that celebrates and uplifts women of color through every product we create.

What’s your advice to budding entrepreneurs? My advice to budding entrepreneurs is this: don’t quit your job until your business is consistently profitable, and make sure to build strong personal credit—it’s the key to unlocking business funding and long-term growth. Most importantly, never give up if this is truly your passion; hard times will come, but that’s part of the journey, and resilience is what sets real entrepreneurs apart.