Makeup America!® - with Randa Fahmy [Ep. 47]

Linda J. Hansen: Welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101 Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen. Your host and the author of Prosperity 101 - Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics online course. The book, the course, and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.com. I seek to connect boardroom to breakroom and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs.

My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful. I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement, and retention and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity101.com.

Thank you for joining us today. I know you will really enjoy hearing from my guest. Randa Fahmy is an American entrepreneur who recently founded Makeup America!, a made-in-America branded beauty company that reflects the American spirit of independence, freedom, and beauty. With products named after America’s most recognized icons and priced patriotically, all Makeup America! cosmetics are cruelty-free, paraben-free, non-GMO, and fully made in America.

She was inspired to launch the company after a 30-year career in law and politics in Washington, D.C. before founding Makeup America!, she was an internationally recognized expert in global government affairs, energy policy, and national security. Randa was appointed by President George W. Bush as the U.S. Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy, served as counselor to United States senator, Spencer Abraham, and practiced as an attorney with the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Wilkes University. And I came to know her through a mutual friend Brad Winnings at MadeInAmerica, which focuses on companies and entrepreneurs who produce Made in America products. You can find him and that organization that we both love at MadeInAmerica.com. But with that introduction, I welcome my new friend, Randa Fahmy. Thank you for being here.

Randa Fahmy: Well, thank you, Linda. It’s such a pleasure to be with you and all your listeners today for what is an incredibly important topic. So, thank you for bringing attention to the importance of Made in America, for employers to be educating their employees about why this policy matters.

Linda J. Hansen: It does matter and that’s our initial conversation that we had recently. I was cheering when I first looked at your website and then when we talked because I thought this woman gets it. She gets it. She so understands. And as I work with Prosperity 101 and try to help people truly understand, as I’ve said a million times, the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and then how they can protect their prosperity. I look at companies like yours and you have really helped to bridge that gap of education to help people understand how all of this affects their daily life.

Randa Fahmy: Absolutely. And Linda, you mentioned MadeInAmerica.com and Brad Winnings who’s a great friend. I recently got involved with them because I truly believe in the ultimate goal here, which is to bring manufacturing back to America. And the question is why? Because we’ve been losing our manufacturing jobs for so long. And I say it’s the three-pillar promotion of MadeInAmerica.

One is, of course, the economy. Bringing back jobs to America makes sense. That employs your next door neighbor. It gives you a job. It boosts the economy. We can’t be shipping our jobs and our manufacturing overseas. This is about America. Number two, the issue of diplomacy for sure because we have to be diplomatic about it, but we have to firmly and strongly lead in the global affairs by saying, “Yes, it’s about America.” We have the best brands in the world. We have the best people in the world. We have the best technology in the world and we can be diplomatic about it, but we have to tell our allies around the world, “Look, we’re coming back to America. We’re focusing on America. We appreciate you purchasing American goods, because we know they’re the best in the world but we’re going to start focusing on ourselves.”

And of course, the last issue, which sadly has become in the forefront right now, is our health and safety. Linda, if we continue to import goods, especially from China, where the majority of beauty brands make their products, we’re risking our health and our safety. You know, that many of those products that are made in China, whether they’re beauty brands or clothing or, you know, simply televisions, you don’t know where they’re coming from. You don’t know how they’re made. You don’t know what kind of chemicals they’re admitting. You don’t know if they use child labor. If you care about cruelty-free, not using not testing on animals.

So, with such a big push right now due to Coronavirus, we need to really look at the Made in America banner and understand this is not political. But by telling employers, please educate your employees that you will keep your jobs, you will be healthy, your family will be safe if you buy products made in America.

Linda J. Hansen:  I fully agree and it’s so exciting to see your products. As we were talking, let’s just take the health and safety aspect of it. And of course –

Randa Fahmy:  Sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  – this is not meant to be, you know, medical advice or anything. But I will say that for those of us who use cosmetics and skincare products and things, it’s so important as our skin is our largest organ basically. 

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  So, what we put on our skin is critically important to our health. And as you were mentioning a lot of lipsticks, nail polishes, things have harmful chemicals. Some lipsticks even contain lead.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  And we don’t know.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  You know, they do not care about safety of American citizens when they’re making these things in foreign countries. They just basically care about the dollar.

Randa Fahmy:  Sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  And if we’re looking at doing everything we do to not only help people now but for future generations, we care about their health, as well as their economic and political safety in terms of diplomacy and everything. So, I’d like you to address the health issue first.

Randa Fahmy:  Sure, absolutely. And, you know, let’s begin by saying, “Yes, most American cosmetics – and you would be shocked – are not made in America.” They have American branding and certainly an American name, and when you use them, you’d think that it might be American or European, but the reality is they’re made somewhere else. And when they’re made somewhere else, you can’t guarantee what the ingredients are. There are no rules and regulations regarding listing the ingredients when it comes to packaging.

So, somebody could walk into a fast fashion store at the mall, and check out at the counter and pick up a lipstick, “Yeah, $3 lipstick. What’s it costing me?” Put it on your lips and you break out. That’s probably because there are really bad substances in there. And you’re right, it sinks into our skin, into our lips, into our body, and we have to think about this. You know, there’s a big push now to be cruelty-free ,to be organic, you know, that’s the big buzzword now, health, safety. And I think we should start looking at our beauty products.

Now, a big challenge here is we’re really pushing the FDA to start labeling and start demanding that producers label their cosmetics. Now, there are certain regulations about what you have to put on your label. But I, for instance, in my brand Makeup America!, I list every single ingredient so that you could look on it and say, “I’m allergic to that.” Okay, fair enough. But I list every single ingredient. You don’t have to but I do it, not only on my boxes but also on my website as well. So, there is a health element.

But Linda, back to your purpose is education, Linda. A lot of women – if I stood up here and said, “Hey, ladies, did you know that most cosmetics are not made in America?” I think the majority would say, “We had no idea. Gosh, we didn’t even think about it.” And now we have people roaming the aisles of a drugstore or a department store, you know, in Corona, it’s more difficult. But I will tell you the risk gets higher when you’re buying cosmetics online. You don’t know where they’re coming from. They don’t have to say that they’re coming from somewhere else.

And that’s why I felt it was really important to start my company three years ago, is because there really wasn’t a brand like this, fully made in America that was branded American, that you can be assured that what we say follows all U.S. laws and is fully made in America. And I think that health and safety, again, particularly in this time of Coronavirus, we want to be very, very careful about our health, very careful and very safe about where we’re purchasing our products.

Linda J. Hansen:  That’s a really good point and you mentioned even purchasing online. I know that for those of us who have used Amazon to buy things online –

Randa Fahmy:  Guilty.

Linda J. Hansen:  Yes, I am, too.

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs] Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  But sometimes things come packaged as if they are from a certain company –

Randa Fahmy:  Yes.

Linda J. Hansen:  – but they do not actually have that product. So, you really need to do your research as a consumer.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  But there are so many reasons why buying Made in America products are great. And I will, you know, put the disclaimer that, of course, not everyone that makes something in America is as conscientious as you and as honest and transparent about their products. But, overall, if someone is going to the trouble of connecting, say, with MadeInAmerica as the organization that we mentioned with Brad Winnings or others, and they’re really promoting their products as Made in America, typically they have a reason why they believe this is really great, not only for their products and their consumers but also for the overall benefit of the company or the country.

And I do think that your approach with what you’re doing with some of your profits is amazing. I didn’t mention it in the intro, but I definitely want to discuss that. Because for our listeners, I want them to know that you give $1 from every product you sell to the United States Treasury to pay down the U.S. debt.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  And you mentioned education, the education piece of that that you provide to your customers, as well as to those who work for you, and to the general public, the awareness of the impact regarding our national debt is so important. And I just want to thank you for coming up with a creative way to bring attention to that.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  Ideally, you’d sell enough products that we could pay down the national debt –

Randa Fahmy:  I know. One red lipstick at a time.

Linda J. Hansen:  Yeah, that’s a lot of red lipstick. But even if not, it truly helps to bring attention to it and it shows that you care about the future of this nation.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely. And, you know, when I was creating my company, I wanted to do something great in the corporate social responsibility place and, you know, I looked around. I’ve been involved in a lot of great charities, women’s breast cancer, childhood cancer, you know, a lot of non-profits I’ve donated to and I’ve served on charity boards. But I began to think why aren’t politicians talking about our national debt?

Now, I wake up at 3:00 in the morning. When I wake up at 3:00 a.m., what am I thinking about? Oh, my gosh, Rhonda, what’s the credit card interest rate, right? Am I paying down all my student loans? What does my car loan look like? We all do, right? We’re also all taught to mind our own personal debt, right? Doesn’t Suze Orman get on TV and harp at us about our debt and what not to do, and how to save for retirement? Yet, I thought to myself, isn’t that striking? We’re all taught to mind our own personal debt, but nobody’s talking about how to mind our country’s debt and nobody’s doing it. It’s like one big fat checkbook.

So, I decided to reach out to the Department of Treasury and I told them I want to donate $1 for every product sold to pay down the national debt. And they said, “Oh, yeah, that’s great. You’re allowed to do that.” And I’m not sure if I’m the only company doing this, but I suspect I probably am because I haven’t heard of others. And so, I arranged with the Department of Treasury, $1 of every product sold at the end of my fiscal year, which is December 31st. I count up all my products sold and I write a check to the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Bureau of Fiscal Services, only and only to pay down the debt.

Now, why the debt? You know, it seems so insurmountable right now. It’s ticking up every day. There used to be a clock. I think it’s still there in Times Square, where we see what the debt is piling up for every woman and child, and man in America. Well, precisely because of what you said, Linda. It’s about drawing attention to this matter until someone does something about it. It may be a drop in the bucket, something small, but it’s educating Americans.

Now, why the debt? Well, lo and behold, who uses beauty products the most? Women. And who does the debt affect the most? Women. Why? Because many of the programs that the debt might creep up on and might cut our programs that affect women. For instance, every generation whether your generation X, Z, Y, if you have a small business loan, a student loan, okay? A car loan or anything like that, if we don’t get the debt under control, bye-bye. Okay?

Same thing with Social Security. I’m going to be collecting hopefully. Social Security, right? We’re the greatest generation, okay? Medicare, right? Medicaid for those single mothers who may perhaps have to use Medicaid. All of those programs. Veterans’ benefits. God bless our veterans. We just celebrated Veterans Day. God bless our veterans. What we can’t do is have the debt get so out of control that we have to cut those programs. That would be a national disaster. And so, I wanted to do something that really salutes America, that would help America, and that, you know, every one red lipstick at a time, $1 goes to pay down the debt.

Linda J. Hansen:  That is just so creative and I salute you. I love what you’re doing.

Randa Fahmy:  Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen:  And what if every company in America did that? 

Randa Fahmy:  Yup, yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  And we said, “Look, we know we came into a bad spot. We know how we got here, but we’re willing to be part of the solution and not just continue to be part of the problem.”

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely, Linda. As a matter of fact, Steve Forbes is one of my mentor and he thought the idea was fabulous. And he said, “You know, you’re going to start drawing attention to this.” So, what if Coca-Cola said for every can of Coke we sell, 25 cents? What about Ford Motor Company? For every great pickup Made in America here, we’re going to donate 100 bucks to pay down the debt. What if these big corporations join me? These big American corporations join me in this effort, we could really make a chunk down into the debt without hurting Americans.

Linda J. Hansen:  Truly, truly, and you’re bringing to light a lot of times people think conservatives don’t care about social programs or we don’t want government to provide anything but that –

Randa Fahmy:  It’s not true.

Linda J. Hansen:  – we always believe that there are times in places where people need those programs and that’s part of why we pay into them.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  But, you know, you mentioned being on the board of non-profit organizations and things and in previous episodes, I have also talked about how capitalism in America helps to fund so many of those things. And – but there’s always like a little gap, like I truly believe that capitalism and philanthropists, and non-profit organizations and things can really help to fill the need for unwed mothers or the homeless or –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – you know, orphans, things but there are always going to be those who fall through the cracks, and that’s where our collective effort with government programs comes in. But I like to remind people always that government has no money –

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  – until we give it to the government first through our taxes –

Randa Fahmy:  That’s right, the taxpayer. Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – compliance fees, regulatory fees, all of that.

Randa Fahmy:  Sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  We have to have healthy businesses that in turn create wealth that can help pay taxes.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  We can hire people who pay taxes and that is what funds all of these government programs.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely. Great example, Linda, is now during Coronavirus. We’ve had, you know, some Americans who have struggled in their food needs. You know, Americans have gone hungry and they have families, and where have they gone? Food banks. And the food banks are run by who? Mostly our religious houses of worship, our churches, right? And our non-profits feed America. These are all 501(c)3s. These are not government institutions that are feeding most of America and God bless Americans who are donating their money and their time to these organizations. But they’re the ones who are keeping us. They’re going to be giving away free turkeys for Thanksgiving coming up.

So, I believe in the private sector as being able, again, to find the solutions quickly as we’re seeing the vaccine for Coronavirus. This is the private sector. Yes, the U.S. Government is helping, but it’s the private sector. It’s the ingenuity of American capitalism and American entrepreneurialism. And look, you know, we had a virus that came about. Something we’ve never seen before, a pandemic. And within less than a year, we’re going to have a vaccine. I’m certain of it and I’m certain it’s the private sector that is able to function in this environment of the great United States of America.

And, you know, I wanted to mention another great project that MadeInAmerica.com is doing along with Brad is, you know, we’re really pushing for labeling issues like you talked about. You know, when we go on Amazon, I’m guilty of that. I bought something the other day –I think it was a case for my iPhone – and I really wanted to know where it was made. It’s very difficult to find out. You know, I think Amazon should start saying where these things are made. You don’t find out, so you go to checkout and you see the shipping coming from wherever it is that it was made. It makes me so angry.

And so, Brad has been doing and MadeInAmerica.com has been doing some awesome work on not only educating people, but pushing in the U.S. Government to say, “Made in America, what does that mean?” There’s a specific definition. If you say manufactured in America, that’s different. That means the parts were brought here to American manufacturing somewhere, okay? But what you can’t do is bring goods from outside the United States, plop them down, and label them as Made in America. That you just can’t do that and we need more – I believe more enforcement on that matter, and that’s something that MadeInAmerica has been doing that I’m fully supportive.

Linda J. Hansen:  Yeah, I fully support that as well. And I think the pandemic has awakened some people. I know you and I have rich histories, varied paths within government, and things where we have seen from energy to manufacturing, to cosmetics. 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  We can see how important this manufacturing line, this original source of our product, is in how it truly affects the American economy and American citizens. And so, when we can educate people on why this is critically important, that is great. But I think before, people, you know, they just had a blind eye to it. You know, they’re more interested in their daily life.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  But now as we realize that we’ve had the pandemic come in and we realize that some of our key medicines and things were manufactured in foreign countries, sometimes hostile nations –

Randa Fahmy:  Yes, yes.

Linda J. Hansen:  – that is just wrong. I know, you were involved with the Department of Energy and had a key role there, and I mentioned to you that I have consulted with eGeneration Foundation, which is a nonprofit –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – promoting the development and commercialization of molten salt reactor technologies, nuclear technologies, and –

Randa Fahmy:  Yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  And part of the reason we were promoting that is because molten salt reactors are one of the – I think the only small modular reactor that as a byproduct of energy production produces Molybdenum-99. And Molybdenum-99 is a critical radioisotope that’s used, you know, more than once a second in the U.S. for cancer treatment.

Randa Fahmy:  That’s a research, yup. Yeah, sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  Yes, medical diagnosis, everything, and for years, we had no domestic source because we let that go to foreign nations.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  So, we were depending on foreign nations to bring this critical resource. And for those of you who might be listening, and you think, “Well, what does Molybdenum-99 have to do with my life?” Well, if you think of that die, that gets shot up through your knee or your high school football player’s knee before they get their knee fixed because they have a torn ACL or something or someone who’s having heart surgery. You know, there’s this – that’s technetium and there’s isotopes that come off of this.

And I know I’m getting a little bit into the weeds, but I’m just saying like this is something that we could provide 100% domestically here in the U.S. to take care of our own citizens. And, therefore, we could become the exporter of it. We don’t have to depend on other nations. And you mentioned before about health and safety, diplomacy, working with these other countries, but as we become more independent in our own nation, that provides a level of national security as well.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  So, for – you mentioned women and, you know – and men alike, but you know, we’re looking at taking care of our families, the next generation –

Randa Fahmy:  Yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and we want a national security infrastructure, which involves in economic security.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely. Yes and again, no time more, you know, apparent than what we’re going through now. And what has happened historically over the past 10 to 20 years has been our manufacturing jobs have gone overseas. People just found that labor was cheaper abroad. So, what did we do? We shift everything over there until what? We just almost self-sabotage our own manufacturing. Our whole manufacturing base fell apart. People lost their jobs and eventually over time replaced by robotics certainly. And I think it’s going to take a while to bring that back, you know, to tell people, “Look, we need to bring our jobs back. It’s going to be a little bit uncomfortable. There are going to be trade implications. We have to be tough in our trade negotiations.” We really do have to get tough in our trade negotiations by saying, “Look, this is the way it is. We have to rebuild back.”

I think people if you even stepped foot inside a retail store over these past eight months, it was almost as if it was decimated. The shelves were empty. We were at war. And what struck me –and I’ll just tell you a story. I was walking into one of those retail stores and a woman is so frustrated that she can’t find bath towels, and she’s going up and down. She goes, “I can’t believe it. There’s no choice of bath towels.” And I looked at her and I said, “You know why?” And she said, “Yes, China.” And I said, “Exactly.” And I said, “You know, we can’t continue like this, relying upon them for cheap goods to stock our shelves.” We can have those same towels made in Wisconsin, right? Beautiful products made in Michigan. Okay?

We can continue to focus on that and rebuild it. And again, it’s going to take 10 to 20 years to build that manufacturing base back up. But I believe with the right leadership, not only in Washington but in real America, around the country, Linda, again, that’s why your purpose is so important for people to educate. Educate the employers, who will then educate the employees. And, you know, with MadeInAmerica, tell the employers why it’s important and tell the employees.

And, you know, again, I always say, “I would pay 100 extra dollars for an iPhone, right? Here’s my iPhone, if I knew that it was made in America and that my next-door neighbor would have a job.” Okay? I’m going to give up that $100 and say, “Bring that manufacturing plant back to Texas, you know, wherever – to Missouri.” And if you told me that, “Rhonda, you’re going to have to pay an extra $100 to bring it back to America, and to give your next-door neighbor job.” I would say, “Sign me up.” And you know, I think – right? I think that’s part of the education process. And, you know, in a time where things have become so political, as we all know, I think the one issue that can bring everybody back together is Made in America.

Linda J. Hansen:  Well, I do and it’s interesting you talked about the politics of that and which I do want to discuss, but before I mentioned that, you talked about your iPhone, paying $100 extra to make sure your iPhone was made in America –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and provided jobs to your neighbors, right?

Randa Fahmy:  Mm-hmm.

Linda J. Hansen:  Well, another reason that I would like – I would be happy to pay extra for an iPhone that I knew was made in America and had nothing that would spy on me from another country. And I know that sounds, to some people, you might think like I just, you know, have a tin hat on my head or something.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  But this is not irrational to consider. We have seen this happen in some ways. And I, you know, I just – I don’t trust China. I don’t trust China. I don’t trust these –

Randa Fahmy:  Correct. It’s a matter of national security.

Linda J. Hansen:  It is.

Randa Fahmy:  You’re absolutely right. It’s pure and simple. It’s a matter of national security. There’s no question. There’s been evidence of tampering with the chips and where the chips are made. And even with TikTok, why do you think our government, you know, had the issue with TikTok? It’s because they were saying it was being used. It was utilized as a social media tool, right? We had to do some kind of regulation. We had to control it. So, Linda, you’re absolutely right. It’s a matter of national security. And you just – you don’t want that. We have enough intrusion in our lives already. Is Alexa listening to me, you know? I mean –

Linda J. Hansen:  Right.

Randa Fahmy:  – what’s Google doing with my information? What’s Twitter –

Linda J. Hansen:  Yeah, I saw a meme on Instagram on time and it had like a lady who was looking like Ozzie and Harriet –

Randa Fahmy:  Okay.

Linda J. Hansen:  – you know, in her little teeny waistline dress –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and her perfectly styled hair and stuff, and she was mixing up something in the kitchen.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And she was on the phone in the, you know, a black phone with a cord and she said something like, “Oh, I better not say that on the phone because the government might be listening.”

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs].

Linda J. Hansen:  And then the next frame, she’s still in her kitchen but she’s in modern-day clothes, and she’s talking into her tablet saying, “Hello, government, while you’re spying on me, could you give me the recipe for chocolate chip cookies?”

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs].

Linda J. Hansen:  And I thought, you know, but – so this is what happens.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And I just did a podcast really about this, how we can be frogs in pots of boiling water, in a sense.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  That these things come in so gradually that we don’t even realize we’ve given up our privacy.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  We’ve given up our freedom. 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, right.

Linda J. Hansen:  And that’s so important. Now, you mentioned, too, the politics of this and I find it very interesting that this amazing company that you have – 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – with a great mission, fantastic products.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  You clearly love your country. You love your customers. You want to do good.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  Your hashtag is do good, look good.

Randa Fahmy:  Do good, look great.

Linda J. Hansen:  Or do good, look great. Yes.

Randa Fahmy:  Look great, yeah. 

Linda J. Hansen:  And that is great and you think, “Well, who could argue with that?” Right?

Randa Fahmy:  With that, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  However, because Donald Trump has used the Make America Great Again –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – or Keep America Great, or somehow wearing what you have on a red sweater today. 

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  So, I’m glad you’re in the privacy of your own home and no one’s attacking you. 

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs].

Linda J. Hansen:  But [laughs] which we say laughingly, but if you were – if you had been in Washington D.C. during the MAGA March –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – I mean, you might have been attacked. And this is ridiculous what’s happening in our country.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And you said that even your brand, people have attacked you because you have the word, America.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, in Washington after being here for 30 years, we have something called the flak jacket. Have you ever heard that, “Put your flak jacket on?” Because, I mean, you’re about to be stabbed everywhere in the back, in the front, and you kind of get used to it. But yeah, I mean, not to my great surprise, but to my great disappointment. People said, “You’re a Donald Trump brand. Your branding, you know, Makeup America! sounds too close to makeup – you know, Make America Great Again or Keep America Great.” And you know, all I have to say is like, “I got the trademark for it.” Nobody had the trademark for it. Nobody has the trademark for America.

And what I would say is America is a great country. I am very proud of that. And I am the daughter of immigrants and because of that, I have an even more heightened appreciation, because there but, for the grace of God, go why. I could have been raised anywhere in the world, but my parents chose to struggle, to stay here, to come here legally, and to make a life for themselves and their family. And you know, with Makeup America!, I’ve had people tell me to my face, “I won’t buy your cosmetics because of the name.” Well, that’s too bad because they’re all made in America. They’re fabulous quality. We’ve only got rave reviews from our customers.

And, I mean, it’s an important concept to honor America’s most recognized icons. But, you know, what isn’t political these days? You know, it’s okay for some things to be political and not. I’m going to keep pushing on because I truly believe in America that lasts. It’s an enduring, enduring concept. And in my mind, America means something different to what it might mean to the next person. I’m proud of the American flag. We have to stand up for our country and for people that protect our country, day in and day out. It is the greatest country in the world. There’s no doubt about that. And so, why not honor our country with a beauty brand that reflects the American spirit of beauty? You know, transparency, independence, freedom.

What does America mean to you? Diversity. I mean, it’s beautiful. And I think that it’s an iconic brand, that it will be an iconic brand as we grow it over the next few years. We’re even going to launch a men’s line called America For Men. And I think it’s an endearing thing. So, if people want to make it political, it’s their problem, you know. I mean, I’m proud of this and I will continue to. And again, all depending on what happens with this, you know, coming up with our very difficult time right now in the elections, one thing that both candidates agreed upon, if you remember, during the campaign was made in America. There was no dispute about that. Now, of course, one president was already ahead of the game for many, many years, and the next candidate picked that up. That being said –

Linda J. Hansen:  Weeks before the election, I might add.

Randa Fahmy:  Okay, joined. Right. Okay, join our party, even if it’s late. But I think I am firmly in belief that that is going to be a critical issue to bring America’s economy back, made In America. And I don’t want to just hear the words, I want to see the proof and backing it up with policy, in action, and education. I want to see our Commerce Department, our U.S. Trade Representative, our White House, our State Department, all of the various agencies that are involved in exports, imports in promoting Made in America goods to step forward.

You know, I even think we should create a new division, maybe within Commerce that would promote America, the States of America. I mean, how great is the products from Wisconsin where you are, right? Or the – you know, the products that are made in Michigan. I remember Michigan used to have the greatest cherries, you know? And New Jersey, the Garden State. Why did they call it the Garden State? Because it has the most richest soil in the world, that creates the most amazing corn and tomatoes. And you know, of course, the big – you know, the big three car manufacturers. Again, in Michigan. New York, what do we create in New York? The fashion industry. Those clothes that were made in America by American hands. And I just think there needs to be more of a promotion, maybe working hand in hand with you and MadeInAmerica.com that could help bring this issue to the forefront of the American government so that all Americans become educated and aware about why this is important to rebuild our country.

Linda J. Hansen:  Well, that’s really true and I love the concept of promoting the different leading products in various states.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  You mentioned Wisconsin, I mean, obviously, the Dairy State and cheese.

Randa Fahmy:  Sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  People always think of cheese. But did you know Wisconsin is the leading cranberry producer? And as I mentioned to you before the call, another company I’m involved in is – involves cranberry seed oil and CBD products.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And it’s amazing what cranberries provide. And, you know, there’s not very many places in the world that can grow cranberries. I know a different regulatory reform project I was on in years past, I learned that sugar beets, like sugar beets can only be grown in certain areas. And like there’s North Dakota, they can be grown. That’s a whole long story of how I know that but then the seed for these two is – there’s certain climates and I mean, we have such a rich country where every state contributes to the overall economy. And we are so diverse.

You mentioned before, textiles like towels and things. I remember going to Florida with my parents driving from Wisconsin or Minnesota, wherever we lived at the time and driving straight through down to Florida. And we’d always drive through and there’d always be these places where you could get the Chenille bedspreads and things –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – because that part of the country in the South, it was just the textile manufacturing area of the country.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  I remember stopping at cotton fields –

Randa Fahmy:  Yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and seeing the cotton grow. And, you know, we’ve lost so much of that, because we’ve exported it and our citizens suffer. And I do believe that if we can wake up Americans and help them to – you don’t have to be dependent on the government. You know, we’re recording this just for those who may be listening a year from now. They discover this podcast and listen a year from now, we are recording this in mid to late November of 2020. Right now, the media has called our presidential election, but the officials have not. And so, actually, right now we are not sure who will be president come January 2020.

But there are people in government now who are proposing that if Joe Biden becomes President that we just start sending checks to everyone and have them stay home. I know AOC brought this up and it was like –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – having Americans become dependent on the government is a backdoor way to control and we do not want to do that. We’ve seen this happen with minority populations. We’ve seen it happen so many times. And when we can produce Made in America products, we can produce Made in America jobs, and we can produce Made in America prosperity, which to me means human flourishing. 

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  It means that we can help people become the best that they can possibly be. They can thrive and do what they love to do. They can raise their families and freedoms. Their children can go to school where the parents choose.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  We can thrive as individuals –

Randa Fahmy:  Also.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and as a nation. So, this is truly important. And I am so thankful that you connect the dots to that. Now, I would like to highlight as well the fact how you bring in the American history piece of this. 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  You know, people don’t always understand that, you know, all of these things and these policies are rooted in our Constitution.

Randa Fahmy:  Yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  In history, we have seen what works and what doesn’t work.

Randa Fahmy:  That’s right.

Linda J. Hansen:  And if we just look back into history, we can see the beauty of this nation and I love the way you highlight brave women from our nation’s history in naming our products.

Randa Fahmy:  Right, yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  And even I love how you have brand ambassadors now that you call the Patriots. 

Randa Fahmy:  The Patriots. That’s right.

Linda J. Hansen:  I love – so I want you to tell the listeners about that. But first, let’s go back into how you are highlighting and bringing attention to our nation’s history through the names of your products.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, sure. So, there’s no better way to educate America than through pop culture, right? 

Linda J. Hansen:  [Laughs].

Randa Fahmy:  And pop culture through beauty products, through lipstick, right? I always loved American history as a child and continued to do so throughout my career. And so, in honor of our U.S. Constitution was which has been an enduring document. No question about it over 200 plus years. And I always say my favorite holiday was July 4, 1976. I was all 12 years old and I rode my red white and blue series bicycle around my neighborhood yelling, “Happy 200th Birthday, America.” I was so thrilled that America was having our bicentennial and I was really inspired by that.

So, I priced my products at $17.76 in honor of the founding of our nation and our Constitution and, of course, $13.76 In honor of the 13 original colonies, which I always find fascinating how the 13 original started and what that meant. And then I decided to name the product, you know, really honoring the best of America, Independence Red, By Dawn’s Early Light, nude color, Lady Liberty, United We Stand, Gold Standard, right? Sandy Shores in honor of all of those who fought during our wars and, you know, Natural Glory in honor and bowing to our flag.

And so, you know, really honoring our history through the names of our products. And you know, really helping, you know – I even coined a new manicure, instead of the French manicure, with all due respect to our beautiful French sister. I decided to create a new manicure called the American Manicure. And it was a big hit with the U.S. Olympic Committee. It’s the red, white, blue, and gold nail polish, and you paint your nails all four colors in different sort of, you know, combination. 

And, you know, that way people can be really proud. They know they’re buying great products, great quality products. They can be showing their patriotism off through their Independence Red lipstick, independence Red nail polish, you know, American Manicure and whatnot. And it really does educate people as to, “Well, why was this named, you know, 13.76 – why was this priced at $13.76? Why 17?” You know, and it may, you know, raise people’s awareness about those types of things. You know, Star-Spangled is one of our lipstick names. 

So, you know, we’re really, really proud of that, really proud of the branding. Nothing like this has ever been done before and as I said, you know, we’re educating Americans and I hope that that continues. I hope that who’s ever in the White House next continues – you know, every year the White House does an annual event where they invite manufacturers from all 50 states, Made in America products to come and display at the White House. I hope that continues.

But MadeInAmerica.com, again, our friend, Brad Winnings, they have a conference every year. And it’s actually more of a trade show where they bring in Made in America products from all over the country. And I went to their first one in 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana and I loved it. I have to tell you, I felt welcomed. I felt among friends. I loved learning different things about different products and everybody where they were manufacturing, there was a lot of collaboration going on. They opened it up to the public and Brad and his team are going to be doing it again. And I’ll be right there front and center in Detroit, Michigan, in 2021. Unfortunately, this year, we weren’t able to do it due to the Coronavirus. But in 2021, in Detroit, Michigan in October, we will be there again displaying the best of America.

And again, back to the education project is, you know, educating Americans, not only other, you know, aspects of America, but also, you know, consumers. Come, look at our products, you know, see what we have here. We’re not only for sale. You know, we’re selling our products, but we’re taking wholesale orders as well. So, that’s what our branding basically is. Our brand is America, the best of America and I love it. I love it.

Linda J. Hansen:  It’s fantastic. And I just salute you and as a woman, as a conservative woman as well.

Randa Fahmy:  Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen:  I love to cheer on other conservative women and, you know –

Randa Fahmy:  Likewise.

Linda J. Hansen:  – we’re looking – as we look at this election, we may not know who is in the – coming in the White House in January, who will be our president for the next four years at this point, but we do know that a new squad, so to speak, of an amazing group of conservative women have descended upon Capitol Hill –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – and are going to be bringing this innovative approach and so, to women everywhere I say, you know – and men – but right now, I’m just speaking to women in that like, “Don’t be afraid to lead. Don’t be afraid to stand up. Don’t be afraid to let your ideas become a reality.”

Randa Fahmy:  Yes.

Linda J. Hansen:  Because, you know, that may be something God has placed inside of you that is so unique. I mean, no one did this before you did this.

Randa Fahmy:  Right. Amazing, right?

Linda J. Hansen:  It’s amazing.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  It’s amazing and how you were prepared to do this through your work in, you know, the legal realm as a lawyer, but then also –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – through your work as, you know, in the U.S. government as an appointee and all the different administrations that you worked with. You have seen the effects of policy, both from an individual and a business owner basis –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – but also in the halls of government. And so, thank you for coming up with products and a company and branding that truly brings attention to all of this and helps women –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – really helps educate women. So often –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – I think, you know, in a recent podcast I did, I said, “A lot of people have been reaching out to me saying that they are fearing for the country for the first time and they feel bad that they haven’t been as involved before.” 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And I’ve said, “Don’t worry.” You know, in America, we often, you know, people can go be dentists. They can be car mechanics. They can be hairstylists and they don’t have to worry every day. Are my freedoms going to be here tomorrow? But I think the Coronavirus pandemic has shown us, it matters who’s elected and it matters, and every person needs to be proactive about defending their freedom in whatever way they possibly can. It doesn’t mean every single person needs to become, you know, a political activist full-time.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  It means we need to be better educated, more aware, and more vocal about protecting our freedoms, and with that comes educating people about the Constitution, because you mentioned again –

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  – like you bring to light these things about our nation’s history, but also that our Constitution has been so enduring, and there’s a reason why.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  And so, I try to educate people on the Constitution. And for everybody listening, please, I invite you to get my book.

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs].

Linda J. Hansen:  Yeah, it’s available on my website and through Amazon. But in there, I talk about how policy affects paycheck, but there is also a copy of the Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence. And, you know, I think when people look at it – again, so many times people go to the voting booth and they don’t even realize they’re voting away their rights.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  I tell them, read the Bill of Rights and just that.

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  Just the Bill of Rights and say, “Whoa. Are the people I’m voting for promoting that?”

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  And they don’t realize how incrementally our freedoms are lost. So, I salute you, and others who are working hard to educate people through your brand, through your products, through your – all that you do. Thank you.

Randa Fahmy:  Well, thank you, Linda, for all the hard work you do on this. It’s really a team effort from people like you who can go out there and educate people about how policy affects their paycheck. It’s perfect, right? Made in America, why does that affect your paycheck? It’s very simple. But it’s interesting because I cut my teeth on American politics during the Reagan years. In fact, you know, I participated in his campaign in 1980 as a high school student and I was thrilled to be able to escort him onto the parade stage, and it was one of the highlights. 

And, you know, back then in the 80s, it was okay to be a young Republican and a woman. You know, nobody faulted you for that. That was our beliefs. We were members of the Federalist Society and law school, it was okay. But I find and I feel for these young women now, who are so afraid and they need, you know, frankly, a place and a space to say, “I don’t agree with you on that political issue. Here’s where I’m coming from.” You know, it’s okay. We should have a more robust dialogue and acceptance of various viewpoints, okay? Even if you don’t agree with them, even if they’re conservative, even if you are a woman, and you’re right, there was a huge red wave in the House. Of course, the media is not going to talk about it. But there was a huge red wave of women in the House. They don’t know what to do with that.

And that’s why, you know, I interact with a lot of young women now. I mentor these young women. I tell them, “It’s okay to believe in this.” And I’ve recruited a lot of them to be Patriots, which are brand ambassadors for Makeup America!, and they were thrilled to be able to participate in something like this. They go out on their social media and they promote the brand, and it’s really been great and I love seeing it.

So, there should be a space, especially for women, for our beliefs and not only the Party, but broadly in the policy realm to say that this is what we believe in. It’s okay to believe in homeschooling your children. It’s okay to believe in religious institutions. It’s okay to be a conservative female. There’s nothing wrong with that, but our young women need a little encouragement, a little guidance, and a little mentoring on that.

Linda J. Hansen:  Right. And before we close, I do want to bring up that you said a lot of times these young women are the ones who’ve come to you and that these Patriots, these brand ambassadors, and they said they’ve been –

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah, yeah.

Linda J. Hansen:  – so excited like they’ve given you the same response I often get when people see my resources or read my books, people say, “Where have you been all my life or where was this before? I need this.” 

Randa Fahmy:  Yeah. Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  And – but that’s great because you told me that these young women were saying that they found out that some of the other cosmetic companies or things that they support through their purchases –

Randa Fahmy:  Yup.

Linda J. Hansen:  – give to organizations that they do not agree with, whether it’s Planned Parenthood –

Randa Fahmy:  Right, right.

Linda J. Hansen:  – or some of these other very, very liberal organizations. And if you’re 100% pro-life, you don’t want your money going into Planned Parenthood.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  You have no problem having your money go to organizations that will support women in crisis pregnancy –

Randa Fahmy:  That’s right.

Linda J. Hansen:  – that will also report health care, quality health care for women or things but not support abortion.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  And so, these young women they – it’s almost like they don’t know where to go and you’re giving them an outlet and a way.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  And you’re also teaching them that, you know, we don’t have to take what’s shoved down our throats.

Randa Fahmy:  Right.

Linda J. Hansen:  We can literally make a new path and we can lead. We can lead.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely. And there’s an alternative, you know, if you don’t like it, don’t buy the product. Go somewhere else. Buy a product that you agree with, you know, and particularly that has a social purpose that is fairly non-controversial that everybody can agree with, because it helps all women, you know.

Linda J. Hansen:  Liberal or conservative.

Randa Fahmy:  That’s right. That’s right. So, yes, they – you know, it was much to my surprise, and they’re the ones who brought it to my attention, and that’s why they’re so enthusiastic about joining our brand ambassador program.

Linda J. Hansen:  Well, that is great. Well, I know our time is coming to a close and I just can’t thank you enough. 

Randa Fahmy:  Oh, thank you, Linda.

Linda J. Hansen:  And so, could you share your website for the people –

Randa Fahmy:  Sure.

Linda J. Hansen:  – who I know are going to want to go buy products and for those of you who are listening, as this releases, remember, Christmas is coming soon and I’m sure that females in your life would love some Makeup America! products –

Randa Fahmy:  Oh, yes.

Linda J. Hansen:  – that are truly innovative and at a time when we really want to support our country, and bring this country together. So, I will say that these products will work well on conservative, liberal, or anyone in between people.

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs].

Linda J. Hansen:  So, you know, whether you’re a conservative woman or a liberal woman, or an independent, non-committal woman, these products will be great and they promote America, American ideals, and so – and if there’s any men listening, you can get a package delivered for your loved one and know that you’re doing a great thing for our country and for some innovative female entrepreneurs out there, so.

Randa Fahmy:  Absolutely. Thank you. Linda. Yeah, thank you for allowing me to promote it. It’s MakeupAmerica.us, not dot com – dot U-S, as in United States, so MakeupAmerica.us. We’re having a special if you buy a sister set which is a matching lipstick and nail polish, you get a free Makeup America! logo cosmetic brands. I love these cosmetic bags, made in California. And our special Makeup America! nail file free with every purchase of a sister set. And if you use the promo code, HOLIDAY20, you get an additional 20% off. So, Linda, all of this for under $25. Are you kidding me?

Linda J. Hansen:  That’s fantastic.

Randa Fahmy:  What a great deal for Hanukkah, Christmas, Secret Santa gifts, stocking stuffers. The men in your life buy, you know, buy the men, but the women products, women by your sisters, buy your daughters. The products are really great quality. I think they’ll be happy and we’ve got some great things on our website. Again, MakeupAmerica.us.

Linda J. Hansen:  What a perfect website, too. I know think –

Randa Fahmy:  Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen:  – dot com but dot US is perfect.

Randa Fahmy:  [Laughs] Absolutely.

Linda J. Hansen:  So, thank you for your creativity.

Randa Fahmy:  Thank you, Linda.

Linda J. Hansen:  Thank you for your patriotism, thank you for your leadership, and thank you for spending time with us today. So grateful.

Randa Fahmy:  Well, thank you, Linda, to you and your listeners. Remember Made in America.

Linda J. Hansen:  Right. Made in America and your website is MakeupAmerica.us. Thank you.

Randa Fahmy:  Right. Thanks so much.

Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101 Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don’t forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library, to order my newest book, Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, or to enroll you or your employees in the Breakroom Economics online course. You can also receive the free e-book, 10 Tips for Helping Employees Understand How Public Policy Affects Paychecks. 

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