00:00Me and my board, we've been joking that we've been dealing with three primary challenges.
00:07Trump, tariffs, and Target.
00:10So the Lip Bar is the largest owned, black-owned makeup company in Target.
00:15We have been in Target stores for like eight years.
00:18Wow.
00:19Before DEI was even three letters that I ever heard of.
00:23Right.
00:23Which I want the community to know that that means that a company like Target has been standing for black-owned businesses, small businesses, since before it was actually cool.
00:37Right.
00:37Because I didn't hear about DEI until 2020.
00:39No, me either.
00:40And as much as I know about it, we've not always been on the best receiving end of it either.
00:47No, absolutely not.
00:48So it's been a challenging time because it is incredibly disappointing when your largest retail partner decides to roll back DEI.
00:58And you are questioning, what does that mean for my business?
01:02What does that mean for my community?
01:04What does that mean for my customer?
01:06And I will say that I am up here today because every conversation that I have had with Target has been largely about how they are continuing to commit to black-owned businesses,
01:18to small local communities.
01:21Now, should they have said that?
01:22Absolutely.
01:24Right.
01:24I think everyone is like, well, what does this mean, Target?
01:27Right.
01:28And when will you say something about it?
01:29Right.
01:30And that is something that is very fair that the community is waiting on.
01:34I am personally still waiting on, but I can confidently say that they've been doing this.
01:42It has been in their DNA.
01:43The Lip Bar is not a DEI business.
01:45We've been in business for 13 years.
01:47Do y'all know how hard that is?
01:49It's a long time.
01:49Like, to be in business 13 years is my fault.
01:51That's a long time.
01:51And I have to say, as a black, proud black gay man who developed my confidence through the prism of black women at a very, very early age,
02:02I would be remiss to not stand with a beautiful black woman, a beautiful black business who owns a successful black business,
02:10who needs all of our support.
02:12It makes so much sense to be here in support of the Lip Bar.
02:16Thank you, guys.
02:20You
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