Meet Aggie Burnett: Creator of the Groundbreaking Conventional to cult status program for Beauty Brands

So, who are you exactly? Tell us! 

My name is Aggie Burnett and I am a former Glamour beauty editor, mom of two, and pilot-in-training turned beauty brand consultant and I help build 6, 7 and 8 figure cult-status beauty brands.

Incredible! How did we meet? 

You pitched me a beauty brand (can’t remember which one!) over a deskside at our Glamour offices and the rest is history!

How did you get your start in the beauty industry? 

I originally started in the fashion closet at Glamour as an intern and one day I had read an article about the Polish beauty director, Felicia Milewicz, at Glamour Magazine and loe and behold I bumped into her one morning in the elevator. I introduced myself, offered my help, she told me to come by the beauty department and the rest is history. 

What are your favorite things about the industry?

So many favorites! I love beauty products, as a minimalist, it’s the ONLY thing I hoard. I love the branding, the stories, what beauty products can do, the dreams they cast for consumers. I love the colors, the way a beauty brand can make you feel empowered. I love how it’s a moment of self-care, something I can do for myself even as a mom-of-two. I love the aspiration, I love the (sometimes) glamorous founders and scientists behind the brands. And no matter your budget, it’s something that is accessible. Like you may not be able to afford a Tom Ford stiletto but a lipstick is accessible. 

I hear you - Tom Ford Wild Ginger Lipstick is my favorite btw! You have created a very unique program that is unlike anything else I have seen in the industry - Conventional to Cult Status™. It is really groundbreaking and I think so many brand founders out there would really benefit from it. Can you talk a little bit about that?

When I was starting and growing my fragrance business, there was no such thing as organized mentorship where you could join a group and learn about the beauty industry and how to thrive in it. At the time, and this isn’t that long ago, the beauty industry was very elitist and secretive. Self-funding and running our fragrance company was challenging at times, especially when we started getting some big wins like getting into Sephora, expanding into hotels and international retailers, partnering with influencers, etc. It would have been great to become a part of an organization or community to learn the ins and outs of how to succeed and avoid the many mistakes we made. 

That’s how Conventional to Cult Status, my 4-month group program came about. I first started working with clients privately, one-on-one, and in doing so I built a process that was deemed successful in not just building a brand but one that really stood out and had the elements for cult-status success. 

So the program is a combination of step-by-step trainings and lessons for building and growing a cult-status business, live weekly mentorship, accountability, and community…all the things I wish I’d had when I was growing my beauty business. There are 15 modules in the program that cover everything from surveying your target customer to proof of concept, positioning and messaging, building a pitch deck, pitching media and retailers, and expanding to multiple streams of revenue. 

What kind of brands are a perfect fit for C2C? 

Brands that are in the health, wellness and beauty categories (that also includes candles and all forms of body care), typically that are self-funded and want to retain ownership of their business, and who are looking to gain consistent sales in their and reach that 6 figure mark. 

Typically our founders are ambitious, focused, and driven, and are ready to grow their business into a cult-status brand. 

What do brands get when they sign up for C2C? Can you walk us through the program a bit?

15 Core Modules with 30+ trainings, templates, and worksheets

6 Guest Expert Masterclasses

3 Implementation Weeks w/ Office Hours (60 minutes)

8 Hot Seats (90 minutes)

5 Copy Jams (90 minutes)

What are some successes you can share from brands that have been part of C2C?

Omg we have so many wins!

Here’s a list of a bunch of them: https://abcreativenyc.com/13-beauty-brand-accelerator-graduates-share-their-major-aha-moments-from-c2c/

But in general, we always have founders who achieve their best sales months ever with us, get into retailers, land media placements and so much more. We’ve even had one C2C graduate exit for multi-millions. 

What is one thing you would like brand founders to know about you?

I’ve been in your shoes and I get where you are and where you’re going. I truly understand the pains and joys of building and growing a beauty company from scratch, self-funded, and what it takes to reach success in this industry. Therefore, my input and guidance always comes from the perspective of doing, not just teaching. 

What is one thing about you that most people would never guess? 

I was born in Poland and came to the US when I was 1 yo. My parents are both self-made entrepreneurs that had to start all over at the age of 30 when we came to this country, therefore, I value resilience and a strong work ethic. I’m no bullshit. 

Minimalist or Maximalist? 

Minimalist except for my beauty products!!

Baths or Showers?

Hmm, I do both! But I love a leisurely bath with a good book and a glass of red (I don’t do enough of them!)