LipRevolt: Give Back to Your Community Through Business

For Courtney Wright, lipstick has always been a tool for empowerment and a symbol of perseverance. As someone with their own #MeToo story, she was inspired by the #MeToo Movement to launch her Atlanta-based company, LipRevolt, a lipstick brand that promotes social activism. 

“There’s so much intentionality behind the brand,” she said. “Lips are a vessel for the voice. I wanted people to use their voices and make it revolutionary, so I put both of those together to make LipRevolt.” 

Building a business that gives back to the community

After spending two years building her Atlanta-based business, crafting inclusive color palettes for all complexions, and perfecting her platform, Courtney launched her community business on International Women’s Day in 2020. Her brand has a clear focus on corporate social responsibility: 10% of direct LipRevolt sales are donated to women’s rights organizations and initiatives that support racial equality and the LGBTQ+ community. 

“The fact that it makes a difference makes it so much better,” she said, referring to products and business. 

In November 2021, she debuted a custom virtual fundraising platform that supports women-oriented and gender non-conforming groups. Through the platform, participants can create fundraising pages and keep 40% of their sales while Courtney handles the distribution of the products. She also develops specialty products for organizations that repeatedly fundraise with LipRevolt based on each brand’s colors, such as incorporating Spelman blue for alumnae groups from her alma mater, Spelman College. 

Sharpening skills with FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab

Courtney recently bolstered her online sales skills by attending the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab, a program for women and entrepreneurs of color offered in partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund (AOF). She’s now participating in the program as a coach.  

“It was phenomenal,” she said. “I loved the integration of classes. Being an entrepreneur was not on my list and it wasn’t something I studied. Getting those classes provided a huge framework for me in showing me what was needed to take my business to the next step.” 

Mastering the art of digital marketing

During her time as a small business owner, Courtney has developed her own approach to digital marketing for her socially-conscious business. She recommends that other entrepreneurs follow these tips for making an impact online: 

• Set aside time to schedule all posts for the upcoming month in advance. Use a social media management platform to streamline your work.  
• Pick a theme and choose assets that align with your brand. 
• Make sure your target audience is represented in your marketing materials. 

She also encouraged other small business owners to have patience with the evolution of their companies. 

“We live in the time of social media and YouTube, and it seems like these businesses grow overnight, but that’s not really the case,” she said. ”You can really get down on yourself or feel inadequate if it sometimes doesn’t feel like you’re growing at the rate of people you see on social media or YouTube. That doesn’t mean your brand isn’t important. You have to figure out who your audience is and your unique value proposition. Don’t judge yourself. Don’t quit. Keep going.” 

Get inspired by heading to Atlanta-based LipRevolt’s website to shop Courtney’s outstanding products, learn more about fundraising with LipRevolt, and pick up some revolutionary lipstick.