Hey! It’s Doone, your hype girl in business. After what feels like a pretty apocalyptic week (our thoughts are with you, New Yorkers) this one goes out with a bit of extra sunshine, good health, and great vibes for the week ahead.

Let’s get straight into it 👇

Use ✨this✨ tip to hit $1M in sales in 6 months

Ever since my chat with the sensational Dr Clara Hurst I really couldn’t wait to jump on here and share a little gem of advice that just about has the power to change everything. It goes something like this: when you're in the process of building your dream business, find the closest thing to what you want and make it even better. Brilliant, right?

Think about it for a moment. The world is full of amazing ideas but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement or a fresh twist. That’s where you come in. You have the power to take existing concepts and make them ✨shine✨.

Let me break it down for you. You have this fantastic vision of a product or service that would revolutionize the market (as Clara did with The Secret Skincare 👀). You're bursting with excitement, but you might also feel a little overwhelmed. Where do you even begin? That’s where this gem comes in.

At the beginning of every product launch Clara’s team digs deep into their shopping habits and collate ALL of the products that they love to chat about:

• Why they love this product 💕 

• What sets this product apart 🦚

• What they can do to improve it 📈

They create a dream list of everything they love and then they make something better. By building upon an existing foundation, you're already entering a space where there's demand, and you can focus on delivering it in a way that resonates with your audience. Simple & genius, simply genius.

So, the next time you find yourself overwhelmed by the thought of starting from scratch, remember this little gem of wisdom. Find the closest thing to what you want and make it 10 x better. Embrace the power of your creativity and the magic of your unique perspective, and you’ll have all the tools you need.

🤩 GOLDEN TIP: read the 1, 2 & 3 star reviews of the kind of product you want to create, read what the problems are, and be the one to fix them.

Listen to Clara on the podcast →

What the dupe?! 🦎

Gen Z has a little secret and we’re here to spill the tea: it’s a love affair with dupes. Gasp. Disbelief. I know.

Picture this: you're a student on a budget strolling through your fave beauty store, browsing the shelves for that fabulous high-end lipstick you've been eyeing for months. Your heart skips a beat as you admire the sleek packaging and dreamy shades, but then your eyes quickly dart to the hefty price tag. Ouch! Reality check, right?

WELL that's where the world of product duping gains ground. It's like finding a hidden treasure trove of affordable alternatives. In the world of dupes, fake became fabulous.

Now, where I believe the problem arises is that there’s an undeniable impact on the brands that are being duped. It’s hard to feel bad for a poor huge conglomerate but what about an independent founder struggling to make ends meet? Dupes will be drying up your demand and we can’t accept that.

It is now more important than ever to really hone in on your differentiators. All the things that make your brand ✨unique✨and to leverage those things that both customers will love you for and that will be impossible to replicate. Let’s transform this dupe-era into a you-era. OH and it’s time to finally register your trademark (like… yesterday).

• We’re getting there when it gets to menstrual equity

• Meet America's richest self-made women (& our cute smart hot list)

• Lancôme sparks 50 shades of confusion over foundation relaunch

• Serial fintech entrepreneur Marta Krupinska raised $6.5M

• Julie Wainwright is back with a new venture-backed startup

• L’Oréal invests in biotech firm: is this the future of beauty?

• Maria Shen has been promoted to General Partner at Electric Capital

• C’mon Martha, we had a good thing going here

• Maryland school district sues tech over “mental health crisis”

• Louis Vuitton is launching a $42K+ NFT

• Euro startups to raise $51B this year, down 39% from 2022

• France first country to regulate influencer marketing on social

• What are your thoughts about this Lululemon shoplifting saga?

This month's JUNE GRANTS... 💸

Founders and future founders, you’re in luck this week as we have a bunch of grants & accelerators ready for you to apply to via our Live Grant Doc. And if you refer this email to a friend (👇👇👇), you can access the full list:

• 🌎 June 13th: Coralus Venture (mentoring)

• 🇨🇦 June 14th: Puralator Small Business Grant ($25K)

• 🇺🇸 June 15th: Fearless Fund Pitch Competition ($100K)

• 🇬🇧 June 23rd: F100 Growth Fund (£15K)

• 🇳🇿 June 23rd: RISE UP 2023 Accelerator ($10K)

• 🇺🇸 June 26th: ULTA Muse Accelerator ($50K)

• 🇺🇸 June 26th: FFC x Boss Beauties Foundation ($10K)

• 🇺🇸 June 26th: Famous Amos Pitch Competition ($50K)

• 🌎 June 30th: Cartier Women’s Initiative ($30, $60, or $100K)

• 🇺🇸 June 30th: COMCAST Rise ($5K)

• + so many others!

This week's lineup...

This week's recommendations...

Remote 🌎

• Mentorly, revolutionizing the way mentorship works, is hiring a Ruby Backend Developer to join the team. Something for you? 

• The brand on a mission to create a more inclusive haircare industry, OurX, is looking for a Social & Community Manager. Apply here.

NYC 🌇

• Brij, the VC-backed QR-code experience platform, is hiring a Director of Sales to report directly to the CEO. Find out more here.

Melbourne 🌞

• Infamous creative agency Willow & Blake is searching for a Creative Director to strengthen the team. You can apply directly here.

Santa Monica 🌴

• Tower28 Beauty founder Amy Liu is on the hunt for a Personal Assistant to help with the day-to-day, message her directly to apply.

That’s all for today folks! & don’t forget to sign up for THIS resource to start getting up close & personal with Angel Investing 👼