Meet Tisha Thompson: Founder and CEO, LYS Beauty

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

Hi Tisha, how do you think about risk?
As it relates to career success, I believe risk acts as a catalyst to take you from where you are to where you want to be. Though I came up through a more traditional corporate path in beauty, there are several risky decisions that have led me to where I am today. As a young professional, I gained valuable experience in accounting and the financial side of the business before pivoting to focus on marketing and product development. This granted me the opportunity to intimately learn the ins and outs of brand management, from working with labs, conceptualizing marketing campaigns, new product innovation, influencer marketing and more. In 2020, I took another notable risk, leaving my executive seat to start my own brand, LYS Beauty. There is great comfort and stability found on the beaten path, but true fulfillment for me has always been on the other side of a risky, yet well-thought out decision.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
While my first run-in with the industry was by way of makeup artistry, I knew I wanted to get involved on the business side with hopes to eventually launch my own endeavors. I began in an entry-level accounting role, which got my foot in the door with established clean cosmetics brands. After making the switch to Marketing Coordinator, I held various roles driving the marketing strategy behind global brands. There, I developed a business acumen and extracted valuable insights from the consumer to ultimately create a line that caters to their most pressing needs. I spent most of my career sharpening my product development knowledge, particularly in the complexion category where I truly found my niche. With more than fifteen years’ experience, I have had a front-row seat to the sustainability movement, birth of influencer marketing, clean beauty evolution and global push for diversity and inclusion. Finding ways to formulate and market to the masses under those varying conditions isn’t always easy, but with the emergence of social media, hearing feedback from the consumers has never been easier. I created LYS Beauty to diversify the clean beauty space and I want everyone to have access to clean ingredients, high-performance formulas and wide-shade ranges that are representative of today’s multicultural consumer.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Admittedly, I’m a homebody with a love for hosting intimate gatherings at our home, but I always look for ways to give my guests a taste of Atlanta. I would take her to dinner and drinks at the Battery on Friday night for fun and engaging indoor/outdoor activities. On Saturday, we would do a little shopping at Phipps or Ponce City Market, then go get mani and pedis. On Sunday’s, we brunch and I’d love to take them to the Select Restaurant + Bar in Sandy Springs to enjoy European-inspired cuisine and fabulous vibes. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s no doubt that behind every career win is an army of supporters who have selflessly offered their time, efforts, opinions and guidance to me. As a wife and working mother of two, 24 hours only suffices with the help of others and I am immensely grateful for my tribe. From my family’s ongoing professional and personal support to colleagues, industry professionals, mentors, sorority sisters and more, I have the opportunity to pursue my dreams.

Website: https://lysbeauty.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glamourgurl5/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tishathompson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LYS-Beauty-1263013677196247

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXe1qNzYbg_BDR6iMtnwkhA/featured