This segment is a Veteran Focused talk show that showcases individuals and companies in the community and is focused on Veteran leadership, service, stories and transition. Our Veteran host highlights other Veterans who serve, have served and who are doing great things in their business and in their community. Today our host, Chris Budihas spoke with Kareece St George of K.S.S. Cosmetics
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Transcript:
Speaker 2
Welcome to the five minute salute. I’m your host, Chris Booth. Austin. Today’s segment is sponsored by the military Affairs and Veterans Department. City of Jacksonville. Harrison Conyers and his team scoring away our veterans with their benefits they earned through the military service time of veterans. We got Kareece St George with K.S.S Cosmetics. Kareece, how are you doing?
Speaker 1
I’m doing wonderful in yourself.
Speaker 2
I’m doing wonderful. Thanks for coming in. So a little bit of background on you. So were you originally from and what you do in the Navy?
Speaker 1
Oh, I’m originally from Lake City, Florida, a long ways away.
Speaker 2
Hey, kids, if you don’t know that I look it up when I’m at look at Jacksonville Lake City. It really isn’t that far. Yeah, it’s like.
Speaker 1
Within, I was a cook in the Navy, actually. Culinary specialist now, but, yeah, you miss mess specialties.
Speaker 2
That’s awesome. Yeah. It’s funny. I mean, the cooking. I was in a dining hall up in King’s Bay, Georgia, here about three months ago and is definitely more culinary than it ever was. When I was in, is is, they always said when, when in a jam break out the ham because it seemed like the only thing they got where you have is like this.
Speaker 2
This is the ham. Like like spam. So now, thanks for your service to the nation. So that’s awesome. So so CSS cosmetics, so talked about. Tell me about the company. What do you what do you do?
Speaker 1
Oh, okay. Well, actually I’m the owner. I started in December of 2022, so I said a lot of skincare products.
Speaker 2
You’re a post Covid kid. I yeah, good job. I yeah exactly.
Speaker 1
Yeah I ended know I feel like soaps and everything facial skin care as well as, products for me and beard. I have a beer. Caroline. Okay. For the man. I’m very big on want to to support veterans and, you know, just the way they look and everything and want to help encourage them.
Speaker 2
That’s wonderful. So in the cosmetic space, do you see a difference like what you’re providing by smell? I don’t know, Maybelline. Whoever is there is there. I can’t imagine there’s a difference between I think your competitive advantage compared to and quality by others. Is that correct?
Speaker 1
It would be, yes, sir, because I like to sell products that not too many people have heard of them. I have like a good oatmeal, skin soap. I have aloe vera. Okay. Tumeric, products are my favorite. Okay. Well, it’s also my highest selling products, along with my lip gloss, but I just sold out of my tumeric lip balm, so I actually had to order more.
Speaker 2
Oh, no kidding. And so your customer base, mostly local right now or across the nation.
Speaker 1
It’s actually across the.
Speaker 2
Nation. Oh, really? Okay, so, so. And, you don’t have a store, you basically do, direct to consumer e-commerce. Correct? That’s correct. Okay. And how would folks find you?
Speaker 1
Oh, they can find me on all the social media websites such as Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, which is X. Instagram and TikTok.
Speaker 2
Oh, TikTok to you. You’re they’re the cool kids. All right. Yeah. So so what have you learned as a veteran business owner since 2022? You pass on to others because a lot of veterans, I mean, they’re like, I want to whoop my own business. I’m like, well, you can because they’re like, how hard is it? Do it? I said, well, in the state of Florida, you can open a business and talk 24 hours.
Speaker 2
Now, running a business is a whole lot harder. I’m sure you’ve learned a lot.
Speaker 1
Yes, I have over the years. The biggest thing is research. You want to research the products, the quality of the products, as well as the pricing. Yeah. So I want to make sure that my products are affordable.
Speaker 2
Yeah. In you make sure you make a lot of money. Right.
Speaker 1
So all the time that’s why I want you to come to me. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Because I can imagine some folks, when you look at the, the margins, you definitely got to run a business. But some people will out price. You know what? They shouldn’t be. So I guess you’re one of your competitive advantages. The fact that you’re getting a high quality product at a, at a appropriate price point. Yeah. So, current are you expanding kind of scaling or holding where you’re at?
Speaker 2
I’m looking for more customers, I imagine. I think everybody always does.
Speaker 1
Say the latter. I’m kind of hold to where I’m at, but I. I’m looking for more customers.
Speaker 2
Okay. Well, expanding nationwide or you looking at any specific locations,
Speaker 1
Many specific locations would like to expand more. Yeah. Nationwide, if not worldwide in the future.
Speaker 2
And in your product line, is there any specific areas you’re looking to, you know, either increase capacity or move into something new? Because you mentioned beards and in skincare for.
Speaker 1
Men, mostly the the lip care products, oh, the lip balms, lip gloss as well as my soaps.
Speaker 2
Oh, is it okay? Does that move pretty well? It does really. What’s the demand on that? Just just people taking care of themselves like that.
Speaker 1
Oh, yes. Yeah. For some reason that a lot of people love the African black soap and the turmeric products. So.
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah. Where do you get that from?
Speaker 1
I like to order online. I actually order from different countries. Do you really? Sometimes here in the States, if I can find. Yeah, a good vendor. Yeah.
Speaker 2
So it’s funny, I spent, two years our Africa command, so I spent a lot of time on the continent. So my wife went on a couple of trips with me specifically, like in Morocco. And you get some, you know, skincare products that are, like, really, really good. You know, most Americans, it’s. And it’s funny, they don’t charge that much, in most America, like, okay, this is actually really good for you, but you don’t see it as often.
Speaker 2
So yeah, the fact you’re looking globally to, you know, everybody wants to buy American, but you also wanna make sure you get good quality products. In fact, you’re doing that, you know, another value proposition for you. So how do folks find CSS cosmetics?
Speaker 1
Oh, wow. Actually online, I have my online store at Csus cosmetics.com, as well as again on all social media.
Speaker 2
And they find you on all social media and you’re on LinkedIn, correct?
Speaker 1
I’ll certainly yes.
Speaker 2
You are, I know which are we connected. So hey, thanks for serving the nation. Thanks for all you’re doing. And, you know, coming here today, it’s all about your post military journey and what you’re doing in the in the cosmetic space. That’s a pretty exciting. Well, thanks a lot. Hey
Speaker 2
folks. Can now Chris on LinkedIn take a look at what she’s doing it.
Speaker 2
All right K.S.S Cosmetics guide questions. Contact her. See our next segment on live a Gratitude.
