Venus Hurst is no stranger to entrepreneurship. In 2001, she created Venus Staffing, an agency specializing in promotional and event model staffing. More recently, Hurst has focused on her latest endeavor: Doll Face Brand, a cosmetic line consisting of hand and foot exfoliator kits and quick drying, long lasting, trend-driven nail polish.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
What inspired me to start Doll Face Brand is my passion for fashion, beauty and glamour and to inspire and empower women. I wanted to create a line of cosmetics that was fun and flirty, while still speaking to the female market in Detroit. It is a one stop shop where ladies can get nail polish or even moisturizers or a t shirt and it makes being a mom easier so she doesn't have to shop around so much. Well I started staffing in 2001 I started Doll Face Brand in 2011. I had a vision to launch Doll Face about 10 yrs ago.
How has your previous employment experience aided your position at Doll Face Brand?
I operate two businesses by balancing my time and my first business helped me with time management and managing staff. Since Venus Staffing is already established I spend more time on that but lately Venus Staffing has been slow since every business has it's ups and downs and I have been able to spend lots of hours promoting and growing Doll Face Brand! I am very passionate about both so I am able to pursue both of them full time.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Doll Face Brand?
We just attended the 2014 Magic Show in Las Vegas, I also attend local events, and parties around the city of Detroit to promote Doll Face brand, social media, online marketing, going to local stores small and large to tell them about Doll Face Brand and hiring a great PR firm. Getting your name out there in magazines newspapers tv and radio as well as online bloggers is great way to promote a brand and blink pr is doing that for us!
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I turn off my phone at a certain hour and spend time with my kids and I work hard during office hours but make sure to spend quality time with the family too.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
The biggest issue for women in the workplace is learning how to market their own companies especially with social media on the rise -- it's an unknown space that women can take advantage of and use for their benefit.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
Mentorship has inspired me to be a natural leader, a great mother and influence to my family. I have also learned to work as a team with my staff and learned valuable management skills in being a female entrepreneur.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
Folorunsho Alakija-she's the richest women in the world she owns an oil company and from Nigeria Africa. I admire her ambition! She went to school for fashion design and she also promotes a foundation that helped widows, orphans by empowering them through scholarships and grants.
Sara Blakely...she is the creater of Spanx her invention in power women. Last is Doreen McCarther owner of Rehema Health Care she is a humanitarian an goes above and behind for others and her patients.
What do you want Doll Face Brand to accomplish in the next year?
My goal for Doll Face Brand is to become a Household name world wide and to inspire and empower women. I would like all women to hear the name and know the brand and for customers to be very satisfied with the products and the new releases.