08/16/2026
LipLok Cosmetics CEO Cherrelle D**e's open letter on what success really costs.
(NAIJA TV) - In a rare and deeply reflective moment, Cherrelle D**e, Founder and CEO of LipLok Cosmetics, has taken to social media to share a powerful message about the true meaning of success — and it is resonating far beyond the beauty industry.
The MBA graduate and entrepreneur, who has built LipLok Cosmetics from a small-scale, handmade lip line into a rapidly scaling multi-category beauty brand, used her platform to pull back the curtain on the sacrifices, setbacks, and silent battles that shaped her journey. Her words, raw and unfiltered, have struck a chord with entrepreneurs, creatives, and dreamers alike.
In a post that has since sparked widespread conversation, D**e wrote: "As the CEO of LipLok Cosmetics, one thing I've learned is that people often lose sight of what success REALLY looks like. People are quick to clap when they see wins, recognition, opportunities, growth, and success. But success wasn't built in those moments. It was built in the moments when nobody was clapping."
She continued with unflinching honesty about the unseen labour that underpins any meaningful achievement — the sacrifices, the disappointments, the closed doors, the sleepless nights, the tears, and the days when quitting would have been so much easier. It is a message that many in the highly curated world of social media rarely hear, and even fewer are brave enough to share.
"Don't just celebrate people when they finally WIN. Celebrate the courage it took for them to keep going when they were struggling. Celebrate the discipline. Celebrate the resilience. Celebrate the person who kept believing in the vision before anyone else could see it." Continue reading in the comments section.
