Joni Rogers Kante is the definition of a powerful woman. Her extensive knowledge and background on beauty products have created her a world full of possibilities & dream come trues, including becoming her own boss! Recently she has had the opportunity to express her story through her two books “Million Dollar Lips” and “Billion Dollar Lips”, while also expanding her business SeneGence.
BELLA had the opportunity to chat with Joni on her success story and her new book launch, keep reading because you will not want to miss any of it!
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Tell us about yourself and some background on how you got started in your career?
I was raised in a small Oklahoma town called Sapulpa. We still have a home there and I love going back with my husband and two sons whenever I can. We also operate part of SeneGence out of Sapulpa, so I’m never far away from the business. While I grew up on a farm, I’ve always been something of a girly-girl. My first job was at Sav-On Drugs so, no surprise, my favorite aisle was cosmetics! I loved the color and “magic” of the products. A friend then introduced me to Mary Kay Cosmetics. Now a single Mom with a toddler son, the ability to flex my work schedule to suit my life was what I needed. From there, starting SeneGence was really inevitable. Based on two simple ideas: offering women great products that really work and careers that really work by selling these products, remains as true today as when I founded SeneGence 20 years ago.
You have a new book coming out soon “Billion Dollar Lips” How does it feel to have not only one book, but two books now?
It’s very exciting. Best, this second book, “Billion Dollar Lips,” gives me another opportunity to go out and, hopefully, inspire more women to achieve their own success. With my first book, “Million Dollar Lips,” I wanted to tell my personal story and share lessons and successful practices learned along the way. Now, a decade later, our Million Lips have exploded to a Billion around the world and it’s time to update our story and pass on some new learnings.
When thinking about new ideas for SeneGence, what inspires you?
There’s so much. Actually, our earliest product was inspired by my toddler son. I needed something to withstand his little fingers since every time I picked him up I had to re-apply my lipstick. Hence our 14-hour lip-color, LipSense, was born. From the original six shades we now offer it in more than seventy different colors. Today, inspiration tends to come from conversations with our thousands of distributors who are in touch with our millions of customers. We have such a wide-ranging demographic across all age groups, ethnicities, geographies and lifestyles so we are constantly looking for colors, shades and skin-healthy products that will enhance both the way they feel and the way they look.
What do you feel is the best part about being your own boss?
I love being able to realize my vision for the Company and everyday continue to lead its growth. It’s also nice to be able to make decisions along with other like-minded executives who give their all to enhance our experience each and every day. But, without a doubt the best part is being able to provide a pathway for our growing SeneGence family to achieve success for themselves and for the next generation of their families.
Do you have a favorite product (s) or shade?
That’s a bit like asking me “Who is my favorite child?” What matters most to me is that we can offer a choice of skin-safe products and colors so that every SeneGence client can find their own personal favorites…But, I do have a preference for the LipSense shade we call “Pink Champagne!”
As you know, BELLA’s tagline is “Beauty Defined by You.” How would you define beauty?
I certainly second BELLA’s definition since I believe every SeneGence woman is beautiful in her own unique way. In fact, I call them ‘Lovelies”. But, I would also fall back on our SeneGence mantra: that real beauty, that is inner beauty, comes from “choosing to live life in love and abundance. . .”
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