GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire (CDCSB) will present a talk by cosmetics entrepreneur and founder, Jane Iredale as part of its Small Business Assistance Program and in concert with the Berkshire Entrepreneurs Forum. 

 

"We are thrilled that Jane Iredale will be sharing her story," CDCSB Executive Director Allison Marchese said. "Her success is an inspiration to entrepreneurs and business owners everywhere. We are delighted to present this as part of our Small Business Assistance Program which offers small businesses free, one-on-one, professional consultations." 

 

The virtual talk, "From Nothing to Something: The Jane Iredale Success Story," will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 6:30pm on Zoom. This event is free and open to the public. 

 

Registration is required. To reserve a space, please email emmalyn@cdcsb.org or visit Eventbrite.

 

In her talk, Jane will  reveal how she turned away from a successful career in entertainment to solve a longstanding problem for actors who struggled daily with heavy theatrical make-up.

 

"When I was in the entertainment industry as a casting director," Jane said, "I worked a lot with models and actresses who had a hard time keeping their skin healthy," she said. 

 

Having studied geology in college, she developed an understanding of (and curiosity about) minerals. Though she admits that she knew nothing about cosmetics, she notes. 

 

"I had tools in my box from previous experiences. I'm naturally curious and enthusiastic," she said.

 

From there, she created her own cosmetics line from scratch.

 

"I literally rolled my makeup bag down the streets of New York knocking on salon doors trying to persuade owners that I had something that women with skin issues would want," said Jane of her early beginnings and how she grew her multimillion-dollar business one account at a time.

 

She will also talk about the value of embracing change, how to stay motivated and the value of good word-of-mouth advertising.