Six years ago, entrepreneur Alicia Grande was hosting a call-in health show called The Health Buzz on WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, and she was looking for anti-aging and nutrition products to discuss. Grande discovered an eyelash serum, which, she says, “changed my lashes from wimpy to wow,” and she made an impulsive decision to create her own brand, Grande Naturals, around the product. (She purchased the formula from the scientist who created it.)
Her first attempt at selling the product, GrandeLASH-MD, was a spa trade show at the Javits Center in Manhattan. She purchased a booth for $1,500 and netted $8,000 in sales. Six years and many trade shows later, Grande Naturals is forecasting sales of $10 million for 2016 and operates its own building and headquarters in White Plains.
Grande Naturals’ 20 products are aimed at making women look younger by perking up their brows, eyelashes, and hair. The products are available at 7,000 spas and salons around the world—an impressive reach considering the company has done little formal marketing. “The brand’s success has been generated through word of mouth, from one satisfied customer to another,” says Grande. She is so sure of her product, she offers every client a 90-day money-back guarantee.
What’s next for Grande Naturals? The company is working on a deal that could grow business by 25 percent, and Grande plans to market to lash and brow bars next year.
