College Dropout Makes Millions on Makeup Brushes

Photo: Smashbox

Anisa Telwar Kaicker is proof that your dream beauty job can be had—even without connections or a college degree. Born in New York and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, she saw a gap in the market and started a makeup brush business in Atlanta over two decades ago. “It was tough,” Kaicker told USA Today. “I was scared. I’d go into to meetings and I’d be sweating profusely.” But she knew her products were great and didn’t give up. “I didn’t have another option. I did not have anything to fall back on; I didn’t have a degree. I didn’t finish school. I had to make it work somehow.”


Makeup brushes are such an integral part of the beauty routine, but aside from having the right idea at the right time, Kaicker also had serious determination. In 1992, Kaicker started mailing out brushes and cold-calling companies to get on their radar. Soon she landed her first break in the then male-dominated market: a $300,000 deal with Revlon making cheek brushes for their compacts. Over 20 years later, it’s safe to say most women may have used one of Kaiker’s brushes, as her company designs and creates brushes for the best in the biz, like Lancome, L’Oreal, MAC, Sephora, Sonia Kashuk, Smashbox, Sephora, Bare Minerals, and Estee Lauder. (Ever wonder why budget-friendly brushes from Sonia Kashuk are often regarded as highly as prestige brands? Now you know it’s because they’re made in the same factory!) To keep up with product demand, Kaicker has a factory of 550 employees in Tianjin, China and around three dozen workers in the United States.






Photo: Anisa International

Anisa International has recently expanded to create other grooming tools as well, like pencil sharpeners, makeup brush wipes, tanning mitts, and false eyelashes. This year, the brand is expected to take in a whopping $35 million in revenue, but Kaicker continues to set her sights high. “Can I do it again? I’m already thinking of next year,” she told USA Today. “What do I need to do to make sure we grow the company…a company has to grow, we can not stagnate.”



Kaicker continues to get excited about new innovation and is always brainstorming new ways the market will shift in a way that really inspires. It goes to show you that with serious drive—and the willingness to take a big risk—your next idea could become a million dollar business.




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