Rising Stars: Meet Taylor Robinson and Alexius Coleman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Robinson and Alexius Coleman. Them and their team share their story with us below:

T&A Gold, LLC was co-founded in 2020 by two cousins, Taylor & Alexius, who both struggle with combination skin, dry skin, and finding durable and stylish faux/mink eyelashes. T&A Gold is a small black-owned and woman-owned Beauty & Personal Care company that offers products “From the Shower to the Vanity.” After using our Whipped Sugar Scrub or Soap with your shower, you can then apply Lotion and then head to your vanity to apply your 3D Mink Lashes! The company focuses on creating both flawless features and hydrating dry skin with ingenuity, innovation, and analysis. 

T&A Gold has a target audience of women, ages 18-34, who patronize the Beauty Industry. The skincare line attracts the audience of both genders, starting at age 15, who experience problems with dry skin. Over the course of two years, the company has hosted two (2) events, donated to toys for tots, participated in six giveaways, sold a host of products, and has added inventory in two (2) store locations in Cleveland, Ohio. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Unfortunately, T&A Gold fell into the top reasons small businesses fail, which is lack of capital and funding while also using more personal funds rather than profit to advance the business. 

We were able to upgrade our marketing plans to reach more potential customers while also entering as vendors in as many monthly Pop-Up Shops that fit our brand. T&A Gold being able to branch out and be sold into stores helped with us getting our brand name to our local Cleveland community! 

Our viewpoint is to always appreciate the struggles, the mistakes, and the journey because it will only shape our brand into what it needs to be rather than what we want it to be. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Taylor  

I work as a Physical Therapy Aide at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation where I assist with patients across all therapy disciplines to make sure they are getting the most from each visit. I’m known for always having a business or side hustle especially throughout college is when I knew that this is the journey for me. I always read that “If you can’t stop thinking about it, then don’t let it go.” 

I’m most proud of how far I came; I now have 3 degrees for my field and 2 businesses with my cousin between YouTube & T&A Gold. I make sure to always be a team player, remain humble and keep God first at all times. 

Alexius 

I work as an insurance agent in Cleveland, OH where I assist customers across all age groups to find the best route for their budget. I also enjoy working within the marketing department of my branch that also will help fuel ideas for my own brand with T&A Gold. 

I am known for my hard work and hustle that I put into everything I do. Beauty has always been a passion of mine, and I love that we have a business to help showcase some of that. I’m always most proud of all the obstacles I have overcame along the way and how I never gave up and kept pushing through to the finish line. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It is hard to narrow it down; however, top three would be self-discipline, passion, and the commitment to learning. 

To actively see a change in progress within your business, it is best to fall into a routine by having self-discipline and remaining consistent. This allows you to always stay in the flow of things and to keep your mental health at a good level throughout it all. 

Passion for what you do is a MUST when creating your own business due to multiple factors such as burnout, low motivation, depression, and more can affect the way you handle business down the line. It’s important to align your goals next to your passions so that you can always be reminded of WHY you started the business to get back on your feet. 

To be a leader in any industry is to always be a student first with a commitment to learning. Everyone does not know everything, and to gain more healthy insight from others can only help the business grow. 

With these qualities, it will add a lot of growth to any business when working as a startup entrepreneur. 

Pricing:

• $10 for our 2oz Whipped Sugar Scrubs
• $12 for our Aloe Vera & Witch Hazel Toner
• $15 for our Luxury Mink Eyelashes (13mm-25mm)
• $18 for Hydrating Serum & 8oz Whipped Sugar Scrubs
• $27 Turmeric & Ginger Body Butter

Contact Info:

• Website: ta-gold.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.a_gold/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tagoldllc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/t_agold
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/taymonet/c
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@t.a.gold

Image Credits
John Fleming