This is how you go from not wanting to be unhappy to working your passion to Shark Tank to Lipstick Empire. Way to go, Melissa Butler. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I'm Stephen's sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today's episode, a word from our sponsor, which is ... well, it's us. But we're highlighting ads we've written and produced for our clients. So here's one of those. [No Bull RV Ad] Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast. Dave Young here along with Stephen Semple. And today you may say, gosh, they sound a little different. And maybe I hear birds or- Stephen Semple: We have no idea what these mics are picking up. Dave Young: We don't know what you're going to hear, but we're sitting outdoors. We're sitting on the north patio of the dining hall in the tower at Wizard Academy in Austin, Texas. And for the first time in, I don't know if we've done this before or we've recorded a podcast face-to-face in the same room. Stephen Semple: I don't think we have. Dave Young: We're always on some either Zoom or Riverside FM or some magical internet based thing. Stephen Semple: Yeah, no, I don't think we've done in person. I don't think so. Dave Young: Well, welcome to my world here. We're at Wizard Academy. I'm the vice chancellor, by the way, and also one of Stephen's business partners with Wizard of Ads. And you're here to teach a class this week. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: Which is exciting. Stephen Semple: Very exciting. Dave Young: I don't know if people are going to hear this long after the fact. Stephen Semple: Yes. But we're going to do it again. Dave Young: We're glad that you're here and excited about the class. Stephen Semple: Yes, yes. It's going to be very exciting. How to market professional services, so it's going to be awesome. Dave Young: It's going to be fun. I didn't even ask you as I started the countdown, what the topic is. Stephen Semple: I know. Because we're used to the countdown thing being on the screen. Dave Young: My countdown was, I'm just going to hit the go button and see if this is sticking to the tape. I think it is. Stephen Semple: We're going to lean into a category you know really well. Lipstick. Dave Young: Lipstick? Is there a particular brand? Stephen Semple: Yes. Lip Bar. Dave Young: Lip Bar? I'm a total blank. Stephen Semple: Well, they've done pretty well. Lipstick's a huge market. Lipstick itself is a $9 billion business. Dave Young: Trust me, we wash a lot of it off of wine glasses here. Stephen Semple: But Lip Bar was founded by Melissa Butler, and today they're in like 500 stores, Target and things along that line. They're a private company, so I had a really hard time finding actual sales figures for them. But when you're in 500 stores and growing, you're making things happen. Dave Young: Mm-hmm. Stephen Semple: Yeah. Dave Young: 500 stores. Stephen Semple: But what was really cool about learning this story is Melissa Butler started making her own lipstick in her apartment. Dave Young: Really? Stephen Semple: That's how this all started. Dave Young: I'm trying to think of how, if I set out ... First of all, I'm not going to, but if I set out to make lipstick, what would I even .... like what's on my shopping list? Stephen Semple: Oh, you're melting waxes and you're getting color agents and you're pouring it into tins and you're having to cure the tins and then you're having to get it out of the tins and into the packaging. It's quite a process. Dave Young: Do I have to go kill a whale? Stephen Semple:
