When I launched my brand, Danessa Myricks Beauty, I didn’t have funding. I didn’t have an agency. I didn’t even have a team.

I had two kids, a camera I taught myself to use, and a deep desire to create a different kind of beauty conversation—one rooted in possibility, in representation, and in redefining what it means to feel beautiful.

And I’m here to tell you: you can do so much with so little.

This is how we built Danessa Myricks Beauty—without big budgets, paid media, or fancy PR. Just heart, consistency, and a deep connection to our why.

1. Your Why Is the Marketing Strategy

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this:

People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.​

You can talk about ingredients, packaging, or how many shades you offer—but what people truly connect with is how your story makes them feel. That’s what builds loyalty. That’s what turns customers into community.

Our why? I wanted to build a space where people feel seen, where beauty feels like freedom—not a box you have to fit into. That mission drives everything we post, share, and create​.

2. You Don’t Need a Production Budget—You Need a Phone and a Story

For years, we shot everything on an iPhone.
Swatches? iPhone.
Product tutorials? iPhone.
Campaign assets for Sephora? Yep—iPhone​.

We built photo and video content with zero crew, zero agency, and all heart. And it worked. Because what people care about isn’t polish—it’s purpose.

3. Be Everywhere, Authentically

We started with just Instagram. Then added TikTok, then Pinterest. Each platform does something different:

  • Instagram: Build your brand’s foundation, your founder voice, your “home base”
  • TikTok: Respond in real-time, stitch UGC, reach new audiences
  • Pinterest: Quietly drive traffic and conversions through search-based discovery​

And if you can only post in one place? Start where you feel most you.

4. Small Acts Scale Fast

Every time I sent a free product, I engaged my audience through very thoughtful and personalized ways. This included sending voice notes, intimate Zoom sessions wherein  I thanked people for their feedback and asked them questions about their skin, their story, their lives.

Those moments added up and we saw more organic traction from genuine relationships than we ever did from scripted and surface-level partnerships.

When we finally launched paid ads in 2023, we only boosted content that was already performing—real reactions, real people, real impact​.

5. Consistency > Perfection

I used to post 3–5 times a day—often repurposing the same asset, just with a new caption or perspective. I used this strategy because I knew: every post is a chance to connect with people from different communities.And that’s what marketing is—a consistent connection. Not perfection.
When I was tired, overwhelmed, or scared? I still posted. I still showed up. And eventually, people started showing up with me​.

6. Build Community Before You Try to Scale

Want to know what really sells out launches?

  • Handwritten thank you notes
  • Founders in the DMs
  • Free educational classes over Zoom
  • Product seeding with purpose
  • Bringing your community into your content and your campaigns

When we launched our Lift + Flex concealer, we didn’t hire 100 models from an agency. Instead, we leveraged our community. We put out a call on social—and over 800 people showed up. Our customers became our campaign​.

7. Partnerships Can Shift Everything

You don’t need to go viral. You need the right people to say the real things.

In 2023, I co-headlined a multi-city Sephora in-store tour with Jackie Aina. The Forvr Fearless Tour was a call-to-action for people to support Black-owned brands and welcome a more diverse clientele to shop at Sephora.  As a result of this partnership, our shade sales profile changed —and it’s never flipped back​. Instead of doing a glossy campaign, collaborating with another brand significantly impacted our business. 

Final Thought: Show Up With Soul

Building a brand is hard. You will cry, you will doubt yourself, you will think it’s not enough, but I’m here to tell you—it is. You are enough.

Start with what you have, use what you know, and connect with those who are already listening and engaging with you.

I urge you to keep pushing forward because one day, that community of one will become a village.

You’ll look back and realize: the grassroots energy that built it is still what makes your community strong.

Danessa Myricks is the founder and CEO of Danessa Myricks Beauty. A self-taught makeup artist, photographer, and entrepreneur, she has built one of the most beloved beauty brands in the industry by leading with soul, creativity, and community.