Who is Rihanna?

B**** better have my money (I’m sure you can fill in the lyric and you know exactly who it is from). Rihanna is a pop sensation and a businesswoman with a net worth of $1.4 billion. She earned the title of America’s youngest self-made billionaire in 2022 as a result of her successful music career and beauty company. The road to get here, however, was not easy.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on February 20, 1988, on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Her childhood was stained by her father’s addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine. Her parents divorced when she was 14 and as a coping mechanism, Rihanna began singing. She scored an audition with Evan Rodgers as he was visiting the Island, and less than a year later, she moved to Connecticut to prepare a demo album with Rodgers and his wife. 

Good Girl Gone Bad Album Cover

In January 2005, Rodgers helped Rihanna land an audition for Def Jam records, which had just recently acquired Jay-Z as its president. Before she knew it, she had released her first #1 single “SOS.” She continued to top the charts with hits such as “Umbrella” (2007), “Shut Up and Drive” (2007), and “Don’t Stop the Music” (2007). Throughout the years, she continued to release hit after hit, but the thing that set Rihanna apart from other musical artists is her business ventures. 

How did She become a billionaire?

Fenty Beauty Original Shade Range

Fenty Beauty launched on September 8, 2017. It was immediately praised by the media, especially social media influencers because of its inclusive foundation shade range of 40 colors. Rihanna made strategic decisions in the creation of her brand that set it apart from the typical celebrity makeup lines. From the get-go, Rihanna partnered with LVMH Kendo Beauty Divison. This decision would not only make production easier but also allowed for global distribution through Sephora, one of the largest beauty retailers in the world. In addition, Rihanna aimed for a message of inclusivity in the brand, “there needs to be something for a dark-skinned girl; there needs to be something for a really pale girl; there needs to be something in-between.” This would not only widen the customer range but also, created a deep trust in the company by consumers. Lastly, Rihanna created genuine high-quality products. She spent over two years creating the right formulas and that time paid off when it hit the consumer’s hands.

On top of product success, Rihanna has been extremely smart with the marketing of Fenty Beauty since day one. If we look to the recent, she absolutely killed Super Bowl marketing. She created a specific makeup collection for the event, sent social media influencers to it, and did a makeup touch-up in the middle of her halftime performance. All these things combine, the company is now worth $2.8 billion.

Fenty Beauty Super Bowl Collection

What can we learn from Rihanna?

Rihanna teaches that success comes from people who work hard and put out what people want/need. In her music ventures, she has stayed successful because she knows her audience and what they will listen to. In business, she has created an inclusive environment, allowing all to enjoy her products. Today, at 35, she is still producing music, running her company, and is a mother of one with another baby on the way. Rihanna definitely calls the shots.

My favorite Rihanna quotes:

“When you realize who you live for, and who’s important to please, a lot of people will actually start living. I am never going to get caught up in that. I’m gonna look back on my life and say that I enjoyed it – and I lived it for me.”

“Sure, you wish you did some things differently. But there is no sense in becoming burdened with regret over things you have no power to change.”

“I always believed that when you follow your heart or your gut, when you really follow the things that feel great to you, you can never lose, because settling is the worst feeling in the world.”

“You may never be good enough for everybody, but you will always be the best for somebody.”