How Pat McGrath Inspires Me ... and Should Inspire You, too
I don't know if you've heard, but the beauty industry has been pulled into a bit of a debate lately - not about beauty norms, gender identity, work standards, or product quality (I'll get to those) - but about whether billion-dollar-brand founders are self-made, of all things!
Is Pat McGrath a self-made billionaire? You bet she is, and she was honing her craft on runway models for years before launching her own product line.
That said, I'm here to lay that issue aside and talk about a different topic. Not because Pat McGrath's self-made-ness is undeserving of recognition, and not because the issue isn't important. They are, but this case has been made elsewhere. What matters to me is more personal - her commitment to her craft, product, and customer is truly revolutionary, and here's why...
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Pat McGrath receiving the CFDA Founders Award in 2017 - with two women whose names I do not know looking on.
The beauty industry has some issues (understatement), and Pat McGrath is - in her person and product - tackling almost all of them! One such issue is the disconnect between quality and profitability. If someone has the right name, and they put it on a lipstick of average quality, it will almost always perform and sell at above-average prices - which is why beauty and fragrance is the go-to sector for celebrities looking to monetize their names! Pat McGrath isn't about that, and her brand (and its name) charts a course down the other path.
The name, Pat McGrath Labs, speaks volumes about the unyielding commitment to quality, precision, and value that she is aiming for. Her name was not widely known beyond the fashion makeup world for years, so putting it on her product invested everything she had worked towards into this one venture. And calling it a lab sets an impossibly high bar for the commitment to perfection her product exhibits - she remarked in an interview with Marie Claire that if she could choose a different profession she would be an opera singer (I knew I loved her). High performance standards are just her vocabulary.
Similarly, the fashion world has been waking up to issues of inclusiveness at the leadership level, so stepping into the spotlight as a woman of color, producing a high-quality beauty brand for the more inclusive world she represents is certainly a gamble. But, as I have said in prior posts, following inspiration will always involve risk - and Ms. McGrath's has certainly paid off!
In an industry where things change so quickly, and behind-the-scenes talent can be so easily overlooked, Pat McGrath built a $1 billion brand on an unchanging, deep, personal passion for inclusive beauty. That is inspiration!
McGrath has spoken out on yet another industry issue - the need for more gender diversity in beauty and fashion - and that rings true in her product. I'll be honest, I don't wear much makeup, so my personal experience with Pat McGrath's products is limited. But, true to her remarks about inclusion, Pat McGrath Labs makes a neutral lip balm that suits everyone's desires - it is silky, light, and perfectly smooth. I use it as often as I can get it - it is expensive and often sells out! It comes in the same amazingly visual packaging that other Labs lipstick products come in, making for a striking and dramatic presentation.
It would be naive to say that following her passion alone resulted in such astounding success. No doubt Ms. McGrath has plenty of branding and business savvy to go around. But her success is a testament to the motivating power of an inspirational spark and I am eager to watch it shine.
If you have a spark of inspiration in you - and would like to see and share experiences, advice, and stories like this in the future - please like, comment, and follow the Parron Allen Inspiration Blog and like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
-Parron