When Nikki Manns bought a lip gloss with an applicator that could only reach the top fifty percent of the product, she knew she needed a tool that could actually reach the bottom of the tube. With support from her best friend and business partner, Bre Abbensetts, the pair designed Nikki’s Magic Wand–a tool with a sleek and flexible applicator that can swipe every ounce of lip gloss, serums, and creams out of their containers so that men and women get the most out of their beauty and healthcare products.
When Nikki Manns bought a lip gloss with an applicator that could only reach the top fifty percent of the product, she knew she needed a tool that could actually reach the bottom of the tube. With support from her best friend and business partner, Bre Abbensetts, the pair designed Nikki’s Magic Wand–a tool with a sleek and flexible applicator that can swipe every ounce of lip gloss, serums, and creams out of their containers so that men and women get the most out of their beauty and healthcare products.
After coming up with the concept for the wand at the end of December 2009, Nikki and Bre ran quickly with their idea and shared it with a licensing company in January 2010. The possibility to receive full funding for their invention spurred their submission to the company, but after filtering Nikki’s Magic Wand through a questionnaire, the company decided to pass up the product. But Nikki and Bre persisted, and thankfully for them, they evaded sharing thirty percent of their business with the licensing company and continue to own 100% of it themselves.
Besides the fact that Nikki and Bre lived in different states and were both working full-time jobs in other careers, they were also figuring out how to protect and actually produce their invention. Neither of them had entrepreneurial experience, but they kept moving forward–after surveying close friends and family who affirmed the necessity for a cosmetic tool like theirs, the pair found a patent attorney to protect their fledgling product.
Manufacturing small plastics was also a gray area for Nikki and Bre, but Nikki went ahead and compiled a 12-page list of plastic manufacturers in Pennsylvania and began dialing numbers. They didn’t have much luck with finding a manufacturer of small plastics at first, but the list of contacts did lead them down a breadcrumb trail of other resources. One company recommended a design consultant, whom Nikki and Bre hired for developing the exact shape and size of the wand.
While the designer was working on the wand, he also encouraged Nikki to submit Nikki’s Magic Wand to the QVC Sprouts program, which highlights a new product or invention every week. This time, not only was Nikki’s Magic Wand judged and accepted by a larger company, but it proceeded to win QVC’s 43rd week of the Sprouts program and sell out three times on the online QVC store.
From then on, the success of Nikki’s Magic Wand was unstoppable. Nikki has appeared on TV six times for Nikki’s Magic Wand highlights, the first of which occurred in June 2015 on the QVC. Nikki returned in 2016, and the QVC requested another, significantly higher order of wands in anticipation of online orders—7,515 three-packs—or 22,545 wands! Even if Nikki and Bre had a full team and packaging facility, the order would’ve been a huge one to fill. Calling upon their Facebook community, friends, and family, Nikki and Bre rallied their helpers onto two floors of a community center in Pittsburgh where they worked together to package and ship the QVC order.
In 2017, Nikki joined her eforever group in Wilkinsburg. Surrounded by entrepreneurs in many different industries, Nikki has gotten support and resources that have helped her stay engaged with her business.
“There is such power in hearing people’s stories, not feeling alone, and sharing resources. Someone in my eforever group will say to me, ‘Well, Nikki, I know you feel overwhelmed by this, but have you thought about hiring this person because she did work for me and she was really great.’ Or ‘Have you thought about using this tool on your phone?’ And so, it’s kept me in the game because it would be very easy to just focus on one problem. But every month I remember, ‘No, you got to keep pushing, you got to keep going.’ So, it’s powerful for me.”
Nikki Manns, co-founder of Nikki’s Magic Wand
Since its creation, Nikki’s Magic Wand has taken on a life of its own. When Nikki Manns meets people who use her product, she frequently hears that it’s a ‘lifesaver.’ Expensive creams and serums are worth every ounce for men and women who value their skincare and beauty routines, and now they don’t have to worry about throwing out their products before they’re completely used. Even for a baker, the wand is “better than sliced bread” and is able to get every last drop out of a tiny bottle of frosting coloring.
In recent years, Nikki and Bre have also added lip glosses and liquid lipsticks in a range of bold colors to their site. To start getting the most out of your beauty products, order a Nikki’s Magic Wand at NikkisMagicWand.com.
Entrepreneur: Nikki Manns
Business: Nikki’s Magic Wand
Website: nikkismagicwand.com
Social: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
Pittsburgh, PA
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