Women Empowering Women

8 women-owned brands we love, we buy & we believe in
Melissa Grimm and Alison Grove at a salon with Angela Val (President & Chief Executive Officer, Visit Philadelphia), Kathryn Ott Lovell (President & CEO Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation), and Michael DelBene (President & CEO, Welcome America)

If you’re like the team here at Grimm & Grove, you stan any brand that looks good, makes you feel good, and does lots of good things for the world around you. Whether you’re Gen Z and look to influencer recommendations before trusting a brand, Gen Y and lean toward search and social, or a Gen Xer who still relies on brick & mortar, once you’ve discovered a brand you like – you’re pretty much hooked*. And when that brand is run by a kick-ass entrepreneur who also happens to be a woman? Well heck yeah, that’s even better. 

We asked the gang to share & celebrate some of their most favorite woman-owned brands, from sustainable beauty to wellness products to women-run news media, in hopes of not only expanding brand awareness for some kick-ass women-led brands, but maybe also picking up some tips and recommendations along the way. Prepare to be inspired!

Sleepy Tie

Launched during the pandemic by beauty entrepreneur Rachael Shtifter, Sleepy Tie looks like an oversized scrunchie but acts as an overnight hair savior for women wanting their blow out to look as great the day after they leave the salon. An innovative hair & beauty solution for extending your blow out and making your morning routine easier than ever. 

Osea

A Malibu beach-inspired must-have that we discovered while listening to our favorite LA nepo-entrepreneurs, Erin and Sara Foster, on their The World’s First Podcast podcast. We pretty much buy whatever clean, natural skincare brand they tell us to buy. Positioned as a story of generations of women inspired by the sea, every Osea product is curated with the environment in mind and as a reminder that “the ocean will heal you.” We recommend their grapefruit body butter and age-defying eye serum, in case you’re asking.  

The Skimm

Media disrupters Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg started the Skimm with hopes of providing and empowering women with a new forum for reading the news, managing their lives and learning about everything from entertainment to financial advice. Instead of interrupting a woman’s day, their mission is to seamlessly integrate important content into your existing routine based on your own personal needs, whether through emails like the Daily Skimm, their 9 to 5ish with the Skimm podcast, or their very first book: How to Skimm Your Life, which debuted at #1 on the NYT’s bestseller list. 

Fenty Beauty

A list like this wouldn’t be complete without the Queen of women’s empowerment and all-around badass beauty entrepreneur Rihanna. She launched her inclusive beauty brand Fenty after recognizing a representation gap in the beauty industry, where make-up brands weren’t putting as much emphasis on skin tones and hair textures that didn’t belong to white women. Today, Fenty Beauty is the world’s most successful celebrity beauty brand, valued at $2.8 billion. 

Hint Water

When stay-at-home mom and former AOL ecommerce director Kara Goldin started Hint, her mission was clear from the very beginning. Her natural fruit-infused purified water is designed to help people fall in love with the taste of water, thanks to a touch of blackberry, pineapple and more than 25 other flavors and varieties. Kara was an entrepreneur at heart, determined to not let anyone get in her way. So, when a Coke executive told her quite condescendingly that “Sweetie, Americans like sweet,” Kara felt even more empowered and took that as both her motivation and as a catalyst for inventing the natural recipes in her kitchen – and today Hint is still women-led and valued at $150 million and growing. 

RARE Beauty

Actress/Singer Selena Gomez has always been open about her health struggles, as exhibited with a particularly raw vulnerability when she chooses to talk about her mental health. So, donating 1% of ethical beauty brand Rare Beauty’s annual sales directly to her own philanthropy, Rare Impact Fund, was probably a no-brainer for her and her team. Not only is her makeup coveted by everyone from tween to Gen X, her open heart and commitment to expanding mental health services in underserved communities is truly remarkable. 

Doctor Solomon’s

Lauren and Rebecca Solomon grew up watching their mother, a physician and scientist, challenge the standards of women’s healthcare and help develop the medical guidelines for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. In 2016, the sisters pushed forward on their own with Doctor Solomon’s, determined to disrupt the medical cannabis industry and create a line of women-led wellness products for those looking for serious relief from pain and hoping to take back control of their own lives. (Remember, if you live in PA you’ll need a medical marijuana card to purchase a product like this.)

Little Words Project

We like to think we were ahead of the game when we saw Little Words Project entrepreneur Adriana Carrig on the Today Show with Jill Martin many years ago, talking about her customized friendship bracelets - we were so inspired that we bought them for all our friends, and we haven't stopped yet. A product so simple, yet so personal, emotional and inclusive– today Little Words Project has partnerships all over the country, their own brick and mortar stores, and the endorsement of millions of Swifties around the world. 

Looking to show us what your brand can do or have a conversation about getting the word out there about a women-led brand? Give us a shout to learn more.

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/generational-relationships-brands/

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