On a personal note, I want to share a real moment in the journey of building ITP Beauty.
I’ve officially made it to the final round of casting for the 60 Day Hustle TV competition show. Out of 30 founders, only 12 of us are moving forward - and in a few weeks, the final deciding factor will be a social media challenge centered around one thing: our founding story and how we bring it to life for our audience.
This next round isn’t just about pitching a product. It’s about storytelling, visibility, and connection in a very real-time way on Instagram.
The final 12 founders will be competing for a $100K investment opportunity - which, in today’s climate, is not small at all for early-stage founders trying to build something from the ground up.
Because the reality is, building a small business right now is not for the faint of heart.
We’re navigating rising costs across every layer of the supply chain - from production to shipping. Tariffs continue to shift margins overnight. Ad costs are up nearly 86%, making it harder than ever for independent brands to even get seen. And all of this is happening in a broader economic shift where funding has changed - investors are no longer backing proof of concept, they want million-dollar track records before they even consider a conversation.
It’s a very different landscape than the one many founders started in just a few years ago.
And still, this is exactly why opportunities like this matter so much.
For me, this isn’t just about competition - it’s about visibility for what we’re building at ITP Beauty. A clean beauty brand rooted in transparency, inclusivity, and eliminating toxic chemicals in skincare. A brand that exists because I believe people deserve better options in personal care.
I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead.
The final challenge goes live in a few weeks on Instagram, and I can’t wait to share it with you all and bring you into this next chapter in real time.
Stay tuned - this is just the beginning.
X Oni~