Meet Maniga McClendon: CEO, Micro Influencer & HBCU Grad

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maniga McClendon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maniga, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
My favorite quote / affirmation would definitely have to be ” Manifestation plus hard work equals success.” I have this written on a sticky note, which is hanging on the mirror in my bathroom and it’s a quote/affirmation that constantly motivates me. I like this quote so much because a lot of people talk about manifesting the things that they want in life , which I agree with, but you also have to put in the hard work, the time, and the effort. In my opinion, when you speak things into the universe and the universe sees that you are putting in the work , it’ll respond with the results that you were hoping for (SUCCESS).

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
M.McClendon Cosmetics is owned by Maniga A. McClendon, who is the founder/CEO and Alesia M. Houston, who is my best friend and COO. Our products consist of lipgloss, skincare, makeup, whipped body butters and makeup. We will soon be expanding and start selling other products such as eyeliners, mascara, foundation, highlighters and more, so stay tuned! We are very excited about what’s to come this year and in the future. We set ourselves apart from other people in the same industry by simply following our motto ” …… making all people feel beautiful on the outside “. We showcase this by being inclusive. When promoting we ensure that we are showing multiple skin tones, skin types, body types, ethnicities , etc because as our motto states, we want to appeal to all people and make everyone feel beautiful . This is an industry in which inclusivity matters, and we want reflect that in our brand. MMC is where it is now due to trial and error. When starting a business, you never truly know what you’re doing , you’re just learning as you go. For example, at the beginning of this journey , we lacked marketing skills, but overtime we learned and studied different ways to market and promote ourselves on social media platforms. In addition, our original lipgloss formulas weren’t the best , which was okay because we got back in the lab and made it into the phenomenal formula that we have today. The journey of a small business owner is never easy because there are days where sales are booming, but then there are days, even months, where we have a dry spell. In order to overcome these challenges , we motivate each other , and remember what our life goals are and why we started the business in the first place. Along the way, we have learned that having a great product isn’t enough, you have to know how to market to your intended audience , promotion is key! , and you have to think into the future but also you have to stay aware of the present. The lessons that we learn help us grow and become better business owners.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting , I would visit , eat, drink , hangout at the following places : – Top Golf – Cirque Daiquiri Bar & Grill – Blue Cantina – Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine – Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park – Skyview Atlanta Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to no other than my best friend and business partner, Alesia Houston. Before she became my business partner, she was just my best friend. She was always supportive of M.McClendon Cosmetics and she was even my very first customer. She would share my posts on social media and spread the word as if the business was hers and I love her so much for that! Her constant support, loyalty and the fact that she tells me that I am an inspiration to her , kept me motivated . I started this business while I was a sophomore in college, so this wasn’t the easiest journey. There were times where I wanted to give up but having someone who is always rooting for you, someone who you know is in your corner every step of the way, gives you the push that you need. She joined the MMC team April 25th, 2020 and became the COO. She was the missing piece of the puzzle. Ever since she has joined the team, the business has been doing better than ever and I would definitely credit that to Alesia. Her creativity, drive, and organizational skills have increased our social media engagement, customer retention, sales, and has just made us a better business in general, so for that I want to thank her ! YOU ROCK! <3

Website: https://mmcclendoncosmetics.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.mcclendoncosmetics/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/mmcosmetics

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/mmcclendoncosmetics/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKqFhElL8Shm5Xv1vBstPcQ

Image Credits
Kiarra Holmes Alesia Houston DijZhane Dennis