Today I'm speaking with Melissa Solis, owner of Front Row Cosmetics in Raleigh, North Carolina. Not only does Melissa run a brick and mortar, but she's also the creator behind all the products she sells. Melissa and I connected on Instagram (where else these days?) and I immediately knew I wanted to have this make-up creating mastermind on the show.

Melissa started her career working in accounting for a robotics company and working for MAC on the weekends. Eventually, she started to work as an on-set makeup artist where she encountered an actress who was allergic to just about everything in Melissa's make-up kit. It was a game-changer for Melissa who started researching clean beauty and eventually created her own clean line of makeup. A brick and mortar space followed.

Melissa and I talk about money, budgeting and how she built her business while keeping her finances on track. She encourages us to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and hit me with my biggest takeaway of the conversation which is...to continue to haul ass for pop-ups. Not going to lie, this was a little bit of tough love for me, because I find pop-ups a little exhausting and not always super lucrative. Ultimately though, a chance to get in front of new sets of eyes and to sell to new people is truly invaluable. Not all success comes in the form of money.

Melissa's incredibly positive and talking to her was inspiring in so many ways. I hope you find as much value in Melissa's words as I did. Enjoy the show.

Be sure to check out Front Row Cosmetics at www.frontrowcosmetics.comand on Instagram at @frontrowcosmetics

Just a little update, I'll be releasing the next show the week after Christmas instead of two weeks from now. I wish us all some time to enjoy the ones we love and to just breathe after our wild holiday seasons. Thank you for being here.