Creating a worthwhile mission that others would enjoy is the mindset of many business owners just starting to put their ideas into action. Framing an idea and then making it a reality can be very difficult. Juniors Nic DeMore and Freddy d’Escoto framed an idea worth sharing through their cosmetic brand, Marquette Motives.
“The idea came to me when I was trying to figure out a way to combine business with school, and to do that I bought a domain from GoDaddy, and that’s when I had the idea to make a Facebook page, business cards and we just went from there,” DeMore said.
The two of them started their businesses with SHOP.com, a popular product brokerage company. A main staple of the company is their cosmetics line, Motives Cosmetics. The proceeds from what DeMore and d’Escoto sell at Marquette are then donated to charities.
With the help of sororities on campus and other friends, DeMore and d’Escoto found a way to spread the word about Motives and the growing brand’s cause. As a member of Kappa Sigma, DeMore explained getting help from sororities was a major facet of business. With their help, the proceeds could also be donated towards their specific philanthropies.
Out of the donations thus far, DeMore stated, “ALS was the first charity that we donated to, and my goal is to have girls at Marquette tell us who they would like us to donate to. When it comes to the sororities, they usually have certain organizations that they donate to, such as Alpha Xi Delta donates to Autism Speaks.”
The business grows with the help of individuals outside of Greek life as well. In order to continue growing in size, d’Escoto said that they, too, try to “spread the idea by word of mouth mostly, and by inviting more girls to the page, therefore promoting it to make people more aware.”
Word of mouth can only help so much, so DeMore and d’Escoto created a Facebook brand information, giveaways and involvement opportunities. Motives Cosmetics also has an Instagram account that has 1.1 million followers.
Women around campus shared their experience with the products thus far. “I think the quality of this makeup is incredible. I was actually shocked at how much I really loved it,” Erin Brauer said, a senior in the College of Nursing. “This makeup is not drug store makeup; the quality is a lot higher. I think it’s comparable to a lot of other brands people like to use these days, especially in similar price ranges.” By sharing this information with close friends and by sending out content via Facebook, Brauer has explained why she thinks Motives is so unique compared to other lines.
“I think that this makeup stands out because it is really nice to be able to have your favorite products, order it online and have it delivered to wherever you live. Especially on a college campus, many people don’t have much time or a lot of access to malls and other makeup stores,” Brauer said.
Another facet that Brauer enjoys about Motives Comestics is the reasonable price for a high quality makeup, especially on a college budget. The fact that proceeds are going to charities also interests her.
Brauer shared where she thinks profits from Marquette Motives could go to in the future. “It would be really cool to see Marquette Motives getting involved with charities that mean a lot to our campus already, perhaps Milwaukee shelters or programs for the homeless.”
Junior Brynna Goudling attested to the quality of the cosmetics as well. “I have only used the foundation, but the price is comparable to other brands I have used. The formula is lightweight while still providing coverage and also matches my skin tone well. My skin doesn’t feel dry at the end of the day, which is important to me when purchasing makeup,” Goudling said.
Goudling supports DeMore and d’Escoto’s mission. “I think that Marquette Motives could have a great partnership with other organizations on campus, especially those that do large amounts of fundraising. With the charity donations, it is a great way to purchase products that people already plan to buy, while donating money to causes they value at the same time.”
Reviews on the products that Marquette Motives offers remain positive, and the student customers have ideas about how the company could expand. “In the future, it could have the ability to expand, perhaps, to high school students or young adults out of school,” Brauer said. “I hope to see the initiative grow on campus because I think a lot of people would enjoy the makeup, and it could become pretty popular. If we can spread the word on Marquette’s campus, perhaps other campuses will hear about it, and it will continue growing.”
DeMore hopes to see growth in the company in other places after it takes off on campus. “Other campuses would be a huge step,” DeMore said. “It’s something that we could do across different campuses, especially in Wisconsin. Madison Motives was one that would be next, after we launch Marquette Motives first.” Marquette Motives continues to expand, and DeMore and d’Escoto hope to supervise each step of the way.
Their ultimate goal is create an organization that makes women comfortable with sharing ideas and buying high quality products. “I created Marquette Motives with the desire to spread the word about this great brand across campus to all of the lovely and bright women at this great school,” DeMore said.
