Beauty entrepreneur Jackie Aina just revealed something that should make every young founder nervous: she was ready to give away nearly 40% of FORVR Mood before the brand even launched. The reason? She didn’t actually understand what equity meant. She was sitting across from a potential business partner, ready to sign away her future, because she couldn’t do the basic math on long-term ownership stakes. It’s the kind of mistake that sounds obvious in hindsight but happens constantly to talented creators who don’t have financial expertise.
This is where Denis Asamoah, Jackie’s investment banker husband, became the MVP. Instead of just shutting down the deal, he asked her one question:“What’s 20% of $400 million? Do you think that’s worth what this person is doing for you currently?”That single moment of clarity changed everything. Jackie realized she was about to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars in future value to someone who wasn’t bringing proportional value to the table. Now when similar offers come in, she negotiates from a place of knowledge, and her equity conversations are completely different.
The takeaway? Financial literacy isn’t optional for founders. You don’t need to become an investment banker overnight, but understanding what you’re actually giving away is essential. FORVR Mood is now thriving at Sephora, making millions, and Jackie actually owns her business. That success wouldn’t exist if someone didn’t step in and break down the numbers. How many talented founders are making Jackie’s original mistake right now without someone to catch them?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.