Meet Angela Hugghins

We were lucky to catch up with Angela Hugghins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Looking back on my childhood, I think I found my purpose pretty early on. I’ve always loved taking care of people and helping them feel their best. As a kid, I was all about making lotions and potions for my family. I’d whip up facial masks and treat my grandfathers to a little spa day, complete with a cozy space for them to kick back and relax. So, esthetics and product-making have been part of my life for nearly 50 years!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

The beauty industry has been my world for over 25 years. I graduated in the ’90s with a degree in fine arts, but quickly realized the “starving artist” life wasn’t for me. While I was studying painting, I took a theatrical makeup class that totally changed my direction, and I jumped into professional makeup artistry right after graduation.

Eventually, I knew it was time to leave retail and move into the treatment room. I studied esthetics under a CIDESCO teacher and spent over 15 years working in award-winning spas. In 2016, I opened my own studio—Monarch Brow + Facial Studio—and started formulating my own products. Cult of Reason launched its first product in 2019, and now we have a line of three: a cleansing scrub, hydrating serum, moisturizing oil, with a gentle daily cleanser on the way.

Creating for Cult of Reason takes me back to my childhood when I was always mixing up fun concoctions. I’m still that kid, formulating things that my clients love! Plus, I enjoy the visual and creative side of branding and marketing.

I’m really committed to “slow beauty,” which means focusing on eco-friendly practices and keeping skincare gentle and simple, rather than aggressive. It’s all about mindful, sustainable beauty.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think it’s really important to stay humble when you’re starting out in a field that’s already well-established. I was lucky to find great teachers along the way who helped me keep learning and growing. It’s easy to get excited after school and think you know a lot, but you have to remember to keep that student mindset, even as you get more experienced.

Coming from a family of business owners, I’ve always had that maverick energy—it’s just part of who I am. Resilience is key, and I’m grateful to have strong role models in my family who’ve shown me how to push through the tough times.

But self-care is the other side of resilience. You’ve got to put in the effort to relax, too. For me, having a mindfulness practice is probably the most important skill of all. Without that space to reset, it’s hard to be a student, master your craft, or stay resilient.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

I think the hardest part of being an entrepreneur with a product to sell is getting out in front of the market and building trust in your brand. It takes time, money, and endless energy. I have a wonderful clientele that loves my products and they consistently repurchase and send them to friends. So I’ve built a lot of trust with the folks who have known me for years. The challenge is meeting new customers who don’t yet know the products or what makes them different. With a direct-to-consumer platform, the digital world seems ever expanding and unreachable. Here’s where that maverick mindset and resilience really come into play! Utilizing good SEO help, paying attention to analytics, and keeping the business nimble will continue to serve us in the online commerce world.

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Image Credits

Images by Yoonki Media, Otherlove, Erin Olivia Media

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