#lip bar

‘Shark Tank’ Told Lip Bar Founder To Quit, 10 Years Later, The Beauty Company Is Booming

“Founded by Butler in 2012, The Lip Bar (TLB) is a vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand that started out selling lipsticks and has now grown their offerings from concealers, to tinted skin conditioners and everything in between. In 2015, Butler and her business partner, Rosco Spears appeared on Shark Tank, looking to build their brand which had already begun gaining traction in Butler’s hometown of Detroit.

Instead of offering constructive criticism or even highlighting the genius in the idea while declining to invest, the sharks began to attack the women, calling the idea flat-out “bad.” The women defended their position, letting them know that bright color lipstick, like the purple and green they were sporting were actually very popular with their demographics and wearing it drove sales. The sharks weren’t trying to hear it and basically dismissed the women, telling them to quit.

Despite the experience, Butler and Spears persisted, growing TLB into a full-on beauty house, securing their products in major retailers including Target and Walmart and winning a number of honors, including being named Allure’s Best of Beauty winner. 10 years later, the women decided to celebrate their success with new billboards across the country that read “Shark Tank told me to quit. 10 years and 2 million units sold. Thanks, Mr. Wonderful.”

Read the full piece here