Bettina Cosmetics, Inc.
Bettina Mercado, President
Headquarters: Dorado, Puerto Rico
Founded: 1963 (as M & J, Inc.)

Bettina Cosmetics is a family business—what do you remember most about it from when you were young? 
At a younger age, I remember going to the warehouse every afternoon after school until my parents finished work and we went home. I would do my homework there and was happy to do so because I would then be “free” when I finally made it home. When I was in middle school, I would love to pretend I was a secretary and would use a typewriter. It felt like I was an “important” adult, invoicing or writing letters and contributing to the business. Eventually, I started asking my mother for merchandise and I began to sell the cosmetics to our neighbors for a few dollars. When I was 18, I started working at JCPenney’s in the summer selling the Italian beauty brand we distributed then, Pupa.

What is Bettina ‘Premia tu Valor’ (Rewards Your Courage)?
In the past three years, we (Puerto Ricans) have gone from a devastating hurricane, to earthquakes and now a pandemic. I have learned that behind every crisis, there are plenty of opportunities that arise and you must be prepared for whatever may come your way. Difficult times call for strategic planning to build our own opportunities. As we have found our chance to recover from sale losses during lock-down with our expansion into the Florida market, we thought it would be a great opportunity to also reward those women who have had the courage to launch their own businesses during 2020. We plan to award a total of five winners by creating a nail enamel color that represents their brand, and name it after them. The five shades will be sold online and 100% of the sales will be distributed amongst the winners so that they can invest in their new business.

You have had a successful career as an actor; how has that helped you run your business?
I believe having been an actress has helped me greatly, though I did not know it in the beginning. I thought I was the one daughter who would be the least likely to succeed running the family business because I considered myself an artist. Little did I know how intertwined the two were. It took me a couple of months to make up my mind once I received a call from my mother asking me to take over the business at the beginning of 2001. But soon I was glad I took the risk. My career has taught me not only how to apply makeup, but how to recognize good quality products when applying them on set. I familiarized myself with brands I knew I could trust and would provide consistent and desired results every time. I remember when my mother ultimately announced she was finally retiring to enjoy taking care of her grandson (my son), Victor. I was extremely anxious because that was the “make or break” moment for me. I told her I was afraid of having the responsibility of giving instructions to employees that knew me since I was a child and she told me, “you are an actress, right? Then act like you know what you’re doing in front of them.” Luckily, I did not have to pretend to know because I was taught by the best.  Acting has also helped me to be the spokesperson I am today of the brand.

What is your own personal favorite product in the line?
Dual Foundation Powder. It was the very first cosmetics product I developed after years of selling only nail polish.

What has you most excited about 2021?
I am living the dream. Bettina Cosmetics is the first Puerto Rican beauty brand that has been able to export successfully and that is an accomplishment to be extremely excited about. We are looking ahead into 2021 as the year when Bettina will be known in the Americas and beyond. My parents are in their 80s and they never stopped working with me. I cannot think of anything more exciting than to show them that what they have worked for their entire lives has the chance to become a global brand and is still in the Mercado Family’s hands! 

INDIE TO INDIE Sara & Ben Jensen, founders of Hugh & Grace, ask: What has been your greatest learning to this point, and how will you carry this/have you carried this through the balance of your efforts both professionally and personally? “My greatest learning to this point has been that you can have a variety of talents and don’t need to settle for just one. Sometimes we spend so much energy and time trying to be the one thing we always dreamed we could be, even when there are no real opportunities in it. I have an accent and that would have limited my chances of becoming the actress I know I could have been. But in the beauty business, I have flourished as a professional and as a person. I discovered a talent that was hidden and would have never explored had I not been faced with it in a moment of need. I had to discover, embrace and work hard to develop a talent for product development, marketing and business administration that was not in me before. I always say that life is like a labyrinth and there is always a way out. If you hit a dead end you can always go back and reorganize. Since I gave myself the chance to start all over again and basically self-educate, I value so much more what I have been able to accomplish, and I never stop learning. After 19 years, I am now also able to mentor others so that they can accelerate their businesses in a time when we need more entrepreneurs.” —Bettina Mercado