FOUNDER TALK

1. Tell us something about yourself. Who are you?

Well, let's start with the basics. My name is Marijeta. I'm 40 years old, and I am a proud and obsessed mom of a 9-year-old girl who is my biggest inspiration. I'm an entrepreneur, creative, in love with nature, dogs, movement, and, as you've probably noticed, color.

2. What's something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I was so bad at doing basic makeup that I created tools to solve the problem. I really, really dislike beige or monochrome (can you tell?). I paint canvases with noelle brushes, my fingers, or whatever tool I find interesting. I don't like being in front of the camera, which is why you see me so rarely, but I'm working on it. I dislike administrative work, documents, and paperwork of any kind, to the point that I'll procrastinate on such tasks as long as possible. And I hate when people step on ants on purpose.

3. If you had to describe noelle in three words, what would they be?

Curious, playful, evolving.

4. If noelle were a person, what would she be like?

She trips over obstacles that aren't even there. She dreams of having her life in order, but the truth is she's still on the way, still figuring it out. She likes to laugh loudly and unapologetically. She doesn't mind that her makeup isn't always flawless, because really, what is? She likes color everywhere: in her bathroom, in her bag, in nature, on her face, in the music she listens to, in the authors she reads, in the movies she loves. She makes room at the table for everyone, because color was never meant to match; it's meant to clash, mix, and belong to whoever wants it. She's the first to cheer you on and the last to judge how you got there. And she'd rather be kind than cool, rather be real than perfect, because in the end, the bravest thing she knows how to be is simply, completely herself.

5. What feeling do you hope people associate with the brand?

Freedom, to do and be whoever they want to be.

6. What do you hope people think when they pick up a noelle product for the first time?

“This will be fun.”

7. What's one thing people assume about running a beauty brand that's completely wrong?

That it's glamorous. There aren't many glamorous moments in entrepreneurship, but I guess that's what makes the ones that are more fun.

8. What's a moment early on where you thought "okay, this might actually work"?

In the first six months, when the sell-out surpassed any of our plans. We started in 2018, and it was a great ride until March 2020, when we—so young, fresh, and clueless—entered survival mode: the pandemic. But look at us: we're still here and thriving.

9. Creative chaos or organized planning?

I need to choose both. I'm a creative-chaos person, but from time to time I need organized planning as a survival mechanism.

10. What does a "good day" for an entrepreneur actually look like — the boring truth, not the highlight reel?

That depends — are we talking about a good day or a bad day? I'm guessing you're more interested in a bad one. For an entrepreneur, work never starts the moment you arrive at the office. It starts the moment you open your email in the morning, or any kind of messenger service you use. There are days you wish you'd waited before coming to the office, before opening that email. A problem usually never comes alone; it brings buddies to make it more fun. I often laugh when I see how social media portrays entrepreneurship — like it's this shiny, easygoing thing where everything is polished and beautiful. It's not. It's mostly hard, and every time you think there's no chance something could go wrong because you're sure everything already has, something worse happens. But there are amazing moments in entrepreneurship — when I get to create something new, a product, a campaign, open a new market, see how happy people are using our products. It's hard and beautiful at the same time. Some days are just hard, some are just beautiful, and some are a mixture of both.

11. What part of building noelle has changed you the most?

The moments I thought we wouldn't survive the consequences of the pandemic. When you face the possibility that everything you worked and sacrificed for can disappear overnight. Going through that experience —crying a lot, feeling anxious and afraid, but finally surviving it — changed my approach to hard moments. Because, of course, that wasn't the last one.

12. Which launch made you the most nervous?

Every single one makes me nervous, which is natural; I care about the customers' response. But I think the last noelleWear was, in so many ways, so hard that I thought my nervous system wouldn't manage it, and in the end it became the best-selling launch in noelle's history. You see: hard and beautiful always come together.

13. What's the biggest lesson you've learned from your customers?

They're loyal if they see you care. They'll forgive a mistake if you keep making it up to them. I see some online coaches saying you have to be perfect all the time; otherwise, your customers will never forgive you. That's not true. Our customers are our heroes. Their feedback and their praise are what make us better from day to day. And in the end, that's what's most important, because without them, there's no us.

14. How do you decide what belongs in the noelle world?

Ah, this is going to sound so unprofessional, but I'll be honest: I just go by feeling. Yes, I'll follow market demand and get inspired by what's working, but at the end of the day, if I don't feel the product, I just don't do it.

15. What's your favorite product that doesn't get enough attention?

I wouldn't say it doesn't get enough attention, but it could get more, and that's our thermo shaker. I carry it everywhere: to the office, the gym, on a run, a trip, a hike, wherever. You can make a smoothie or a shake; you can even take your lunch in it, and it'll keep it cold or warm for as long as you need. And it’s super cute.

16. Is there a product with a story behind it that most people don't know?

I refused to make beauty blenders for a long time, and why? Because I wasn't using them at the time. It ended up being one of our top-selling products. And maybe also the story of how much attention we pay to maximizing our efforts when it comes to sustainability in production. We're not perfect; I don't believe we'll ever achieve that, but we do the best with what we have. From using recycled sources to being plastic-free to optimizing processes so our efforts don't end up as a price-wise premium product. So when we improve a product in a way that's better for nature, we always keep people in mind.

17. Hair day or makeup day?

As you can see in the photos, my hair, which I've purposely left as it is, is always messy, curly, and funny. But I love it, and I'll choose a hair day for all the natural, messy hair of the world.

18. What trend in the beauty industry do you quietly wish would disappear?

Skeleton chic. Actually, I don't want it to disappear quietly. I want it to die out super loud and stay buried forever. It's not just dangerous for young girls and women in general; it's sad that we're continuously putting women's bodies, and the standard of how they should look, at the center of the conversation. I really don't see us discussing men this way. Decade after decade, there's some new, unrealistic beauty obsession that's damaging and simply horrible. We, women, should be healthy, strong, bursting with energy, and we should love our bodies. Period.

19. What's one thing you'll never compromise on as the brand grows?

Values. This is something I didn't change even when we were under attack for standing up for the right thing, so it stays as long as I'm in charge.

20. "I'll know noelle has made it when…"

We've made it already. We create products that people love, we have the privilege to play and be curious, and we experience growth in every area. I think that's a lot. Not long ago, I was in a discussion where I had to explain why, when I say I'm privileged, I'm not diminishing the value of the work, sacrifice, and hardship I had to endure to achieve what I did. I simply said that I know nothing was given to me, but still, there is someone more talented and more hardworking somewhere in this world, maybe even just a few doors down from mine, who will never even have the opportunity to think about having their own company, to create products theylove. So yes, I think noelle has made it, and I'm really grateful for that.

21. If noelle could leave one mark on the world, what would you want it to be?

Hmm, I guess I'd like every kid and every adult to know that, no matter their age, they should always stay curious and play. Because that is a powerful tool in life. You never know what can come out of it.