WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

Dara Levy, Founder of DERMAFLASH, leads with grace and gratitude. She’s made it through the past several months, as well as many difficult years, by channeling kindness and positivity. Like many entrepreneurs, her career journey has been far from linear, but for Dara, it all seems to have fallen into place. Perhaps it’s her power to manifest good things through gratitude and positive energy. Listen to this inspiring episode and decide for yourself whether the Universe, hard work, or an incredible combination of both brought success to Dara. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Fiona Stiles went to college to study photography and fine art, she never imagined that her canvas would be a face! As a celebrity makeup artist and CEO of Reed Clarke, she loves the unpredictability of her job and the challenge to create new looks and appearances. Growing up in the 70s and associating makeup with “the opera and maybe movies and special effects” it was after she moved to New York City that she discovered the realm of makeup and creativity. Hear the rest of Fiona’s stories, from working as a makeup assistant to being resilient in the face of life’s challenges. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Joy Harari, Founder and CEO of Shore Magic, pulled from her own childhood experiences when building her brand. She is a certified holistic health coach and created a digestive collagen supplement from fish skins that is not only effective and healing, but also helps you look good from the inside out. She first discovered the powers of marine collagen while working with children suffering from ADD and autism. Tune in to this week’s episode to find out more about her journey and how she makes age feel like just a number. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Life is all about finding the beauty hidden within the imperfections. In this episode, Dr. Ava Shamban, dermatologist and founder of SKIN FIVE by AVA MD, shares her journey through the societal norms of beauty and how they helped her find her calling of being a medical and cosmetic dermatologist. She’s managed to help people find their own beauty through their signature feature, rather than trying to make them look like someone else. Tune in to see how paying attention to opportunities and taking action despite fear has helped Dr. Shamban construct her beautiful and successful career.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Doreen Bloch, Executive Director of the Makeup Museum, has embarked on a journey back to the world of the 1950s makeup and beauty. She created a time capsule of artifacts and nostalgia that includes not only actual makeup bottles belonging to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, but also submissions from people who lived through the 1950s to today. In the midst of a pandemic that delayed the launch of her novel idea, she’s maintained composure and positivity. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Grit and grace come naturally to Alicia Grande, founder and CEO of Grande Cosmetics. At a young age, she learned the importance of hard work and sacrifice, fueling her desire and passion for business. Since 2008, Alicia has grown her brand from a single product sold at a tradeshow, to a best-loved brand of over forty products that help enhance the natural beauty of her customers. For her, it isn't about the money - success is measured in goals. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In many ways, Manon des Sources CEO Manon Crespi's journey to a beautiful head of naturally silver hair is representative of her winding path through the beauty industry - long, flowing, and sometimes challenging. After a year of literally 'getting back to her roots' while she grew out dyed and damaged locks, Manon realized there was white space (or shall we say grey space?) in the beauty industry for a haircare line made specifically for naturally silver hair. And so Manon des Sources was born. I am inspired by her winding journey, philosophy and her story - and I think you will be too. Give it a listen! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Here’s a reminder that we’re all in this together. Even seasoned business owners, innovators and entrepreneurs are navigating uncharted waters as we shift the way we connect with our teams and our customers. Frédéric Fekkai, Founder and CEO of Fekkai shares in this episode how he and his team are working through a time of change, and how through many changes over the past several years, he’s managed to stay connected - to his home, his customers, his team, and his name. Entrepreneurs, this one is for you. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Here’s a reminder that we’re all in this together. Even seasoned business owners, innovators and entrepreneurs are navigating uncharted waters as we shift the way we connect with our teams and our customers. Frédéric Fekkai, Founder and CEO of Fekkai shares in this episode how he and his team are working through a time of change, and how through many changes over the past several years, he’s managed to stay connected - to his home, his customers, his team, and his name. Entrepreneurs, this one is for you. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

The name is catchy but it’s much more than that. It reflects an entire business ethos that revolves round clean ingredients, honest marketing, respect for customers and smart internal practices, i.e. no b.s (bullshit or bad stuff, whichever you prefer) in any of it. Learn how Diana Briceno, CEO of No B.S. Skincare, developed the “b.s. meter” that she and her team use every day as they make decisions, assuring that none of the bad stuff creeps into anything they do.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When you first read the name, Thrive Causemetics, you know that this is a different sort of beauty company. A former makeup artist, founder and CEO Karissa Bodnar launched her company with dual purposes: to create quality, vegan, skin-loving makeup and skincare and to support organizations that help women. Both missions have equal importance—for every product sold, another is donated. The inspiration for this makeup/ movement is a poignant personal story of love, loss and resilience.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Like so many beauty leaders in this moment, Natasha Cornstein, CEO of Blushington, has had to rewrite the playbook from scratch, as they’ve closed their brick-and-mortar beauty lounges and have had to pivot overnight from one-on-one, in-your-face makeup applications to an emphasis on ecommerce and their curated selection of independent female-founded beauty brands. No mean feat. Hear how this smart, resilient exec is trying to keep her company afloat, planning a future that is un-plannable and cherishing and supporting her team every day.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Jhoana Heras, PR manager at Base Beauty Creative Agency, was headed for a career in accounting when a PR internship serendipitously came her way. She thought it might be an interesting summer diversion but it turned out she really loved it and discovered that she absolutely did not want to be an accountant. Good to know! Listen to her full story, including her truecareer goal, being on The Real Housewives. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

After a five-minute career on Broadway, David Pirrotta, founder and CEO of David Pirrotta Brands, discovered his passion for the beauty world and his talent for scoping out and launching fledgling brands. He also realized he was still fulfilling his desire to perform but on a different stage, as he stood front and center promoting and presenting young brands to the beauty marketplace. With over 80 launches in his portfolio, this “brand whisperer” offers wisdom for brands of all sizes.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Inessa and Alina Vike have a collaboration that started in utero. These ultra-confident twins have used their award-winning influencer platform as a launchpad for an innovative product that they plan to grow into a global makeup brand. Their family story—including how they are striving to give back and honor their refugee parents’ sacrifices and dreams—is poignant, heartfelt and not to be missed. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Leetah McGee, account manager at Base Beauty Creative Agency, was destined for a career in fashion like everyone in her family. But after graduating from FIT, she wasn’t loving what she saw ahead and took a year to figure out what was next. Lessons learned: It’s okay not to know. It’s okay to change your mind. Hear all about Leetah’s career pivot and how this remarkable young woman made her way to Base Beauty’s door.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

It took a long time for Deborah Lippmann, celebrity manicurist and founder of Deborah Lippmann, to finally realize how much she loved nail care and her work as manicurist to the stars. Her first love was music and she originally learned the manicurist’s trade to support herself while pursuing her singing career. Now that she’s created her eponymous nail line and singing has become her side hustle, she has lots of sage advice and gentle nudging for those ready to zig and zag towards their own dreams.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Listen in as Sasha Plavsic, founder of ILIA Beauty, confesses how difficult it was to rebrand the business she had conceived and given birth to nine years ago. It was time for the update, for sure, but it also involved letting go of a lot of her past…and it felt like losing an old friend. You’ll want to hear Sasha discuss this painful but necessary part of growing a business and how she’s getting comfortable with the next phase of her “baby’s” journey.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Amy Carra, Sr. Director of Brand Innovation and Universal Beauty Products, Inc., was working for Air France and traveling the world, she never imagined a career in beauty. Her love affair with the beauty industry began with a position at Revlon, where she saw colleagues “playing” with makeup as part of their jobs and thought, “Hmm…this could be fun.” Hear the rest of Amy’s story, from more jobs in big beauty to developing her own innovative skincare line as a “corporate entrepreneur.”#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Sarah Kugelman’s catalyst for creating the skincare line skyn ICELAND was her personal story of stress and illness, a story far too many of us—especially women—have experienced as we try to juggle our complex lives. As she healed herself, the CEO and founder focused on the toll modern life takes on skin and decided to do something about it. Tune in to hear all about Sarah’s amazing journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship and her path to health, wellness and beautiful skin.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Starting her career in advertising, Wende Zomnir, Founding Partner of Urban Decay Cosmetics, figured out pretty early that writing cat food copy was not going to cut it for her. A serendipitous call connected her to the partner with whom she would launch Urban Decay, the ultra-disruptive brand that took the girly, sugary makeup of 25 years ago and turned it on its head, offering looks for women who didn’t fit—and didn’t want to fit—the conventional beauty-consumer mold. Wende shares her story, including thoughts on empowering the women around her while doing the same for herself.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In our episode with Emily Culp, CEO of Cover FX, this beauty heavyweight shares her leadership style which is much more people-centric than that of many of her C-suite peers. For Emily, empowering her team by creating a business environment built on respect, diversity, transparency and humanity is where the fun is. She also loves shepherding an amazing brand that reflects some of these same values with its clean, customizable, effective products. Her impressive experience both inside and outside the beauty world gives Emily a perspective that will resonate far and wide. Make sure to catch this episode.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

There’s enough wisdom in our podcast with Stephanie Kramer, SVP Global Marketing and Product Innovation at SkinCeuticals, to fill four episodes. The heart of our conversation is about surviving and thriving within the massive, regimented corporate culture. Stephanie calls herself an interpreneur for the way she has carved out a sweet spot, figuring out how to use the resources, get the projects, find the colleagues to partner with and nurture the talent just like an entrepreneur would but within L’Oreal, one of the world’s biggest beauty companies, all while climbing the ladder and being a caring parent and partner. Don’t miss a word. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

One day when she was on set, doing makeup for one celebrity or another, Rea Ann Silva became frustrated by the angled edges of the only makeup sponges available, which left tiny ridges and streaks picked up by the newest HD cameras. “Hmm,” she thought, and grabbed a scissors to snip and soften the shape for a totally smooth application. The rest is history…or at least the key to Beautyblender, her amazing beauty business that offers an array of blenders, tools and makeup. Rea Ann’s personal journey is as compelling as her business smarts. It’s all here…so make sure to listen. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

While he might look like a serial entrepreneur, Dr. Marc Ronert never set out to be one. He just wanted to accomplish a few things in the beauty and wellness space and each of them became a different enterprise. These include Image, a science-based skincare line created with his wife, his authorship of an amazing book on aging, “Age Later,” written during a sabbatical boldly taken as Image was blossoming, and his wellness company Hush & Hush that takes a holistic approach to being your best at any age. In this episode, the board-certified plastic surgeon shares how each evolved from the other, the importance of taking time to step away and look at what you’re doing from a distance and how lucky he is to have found his soulmate and business partner in one person. Do listen! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Early on in her work with her nutrition patients, Tanya Zuckerbrot, CEO and Founder of F-Factor, discovered an essential truth: traditional diets don’t work because dieters feel deprived and hungry. She knew that the key to weight loss and wellness lay in a program that offered freedom, flexibility, plenty of fuel, room for dining out and having a cocktail, and a smarter, not longer, exercise routine—in other words, a program that was sustainable. And she knew that fiber was the key. This rock star in the world of nutrition went on to create the F-Factor Diet that’s been reshaping bodies and improving health for years. Hear about her science-based, easy-to-live-with approach and her journey to this amazing, multifaceted business.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Launching her business, Fur, at about the same time she was having a baby, Laura Schubert harnessed her background as a strategic management consultant to figure out how she could do it all. She developed a system she calls “ruthless prioritization” which involves constantly asking herself if what she is working on is the most pressing thing she should be working on. It sounds simple but it’s not—when you’re wearing all the hats, distraction is everywhere. She became fierce at focusing, whether it was on her strategic plan for Fur or her babysitter’s schedule. A couple of things her experience has shown her: working mothers make amazing leaders and it’s possible to create the culture you want with work/life balance for yourself and your team. Listen in to hear lots more wisdom from this remarkable mompreneur.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

It truly bothered Kirsten Kjaer Weis when, as a professional makeup artist, models would point to the conventional brands in her makeup kit and say, “Oh don’t use that, it makes me break out,” or “That one is so drying.” She also knew that women crave beautiful packaging. In the early 2000s, there were virtually no makeup lines that combined healthy formulas with stylish colors and luxurious packaging that also spoke to sustainability. So she made one. Her eponymous, refillable makeup line is creating lots of buzz as it accomplishes what so many brands could not. Listen in for the details of how this of-the-moment line came to be.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

The first thing we spoke about in my conversation with our Base Beauty publicist, Morgan Krause, is how fast she talks…even faster than I do, which is saying something. For the reboot of our original super-sonic session, Morgan consciously tried to slow down, which she realizes was a really helpful exercise for her. Morgan shared how she found her way to New York and to Base Beauty through her work with one of our clients, Au Naturele Cosmetics, a clean beauty brand based in her hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin. A company that also lobbies for stricter regulations to make beauty products less toxic, Au Naturele appealed to Morgan’s interest in global health. She spoke thoughtfully about the importance of using our consumer dollars to affect change and how she’s observed that responsible brands are slowly becoming more affordable and accessible. I hope you’ll join us to hear my full conversation with Morgan, delivered with her usual high energy but at a more reasonable speed.

Hair industry veteran John Costanza knows his stuff. A marketer in his salad days, his first job in beauty was with Joico, going from salon to salon in his native Toronto to build relationships for the brand with the salon owners and stylists. His story is one with lots of twists and turns and a steady rise to the C-suite. While always anchoring his career decisions with his dedication to his family—a quality that was not always looked on favorably by the higher ups when John was starting out—he has developed the ability to stand back from the day-to-day speed bumps and crises that any business faces and focus on what’s really important in life, beyond shampoo and conditioner. In this episode he shares his path and some of the consequences he faced as he navigated through the waters of his various opportunities...and how he learned that balance is a crucial part of leadership. It’s fascinating and informative listening from a seasoned and compassionate pro. Make sure to catch the entire podcast.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Victoria Watts had a lot of skin concerns and none of the products she tried were addressing them. So in true entrepreneurial style, she decided to make her own, mixing, blending and formulating in her kitchen.That’s how Victorialand Beauty was born. She launched with products that truly improved her hyperpigmentation and the overall look of her skin, using natural botanicals and essential oils to get to a place where she could “go naked” without makeup. But just as the company was off and running, an even greater challenge appeared and changed everything about her business and her life. And a new mission evolved, to help her vision-impaired infant son learn to navigate the world. Hers is a story from the heart you won’t want to miss.Listen for a HiSmile promo code! https://us.hismileteeth.com#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Jodi sat down with ClaireBrzozowski, Base Beauty’s Coordinator for Paid Influencer Programs and Social Media, it was cool to hear what was behind some of the career decisions she has made. Switching from a major in psychology to one in communications and media arts, Claire was aware of the connections between the two disciplines, observing how much psychology goes into effective social media marketing. Even at her young age—or perhaps because of it—Claire can smell inauthenticity across cyberspace. It is fascinating to learn from someone who has essentially grown up with social media how she views it today and sees it evolving. Join us to hear Jodi's conversation with the Jersey girl who is the newest member of the Base Beauty team.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

From a performer who did her own makeup to the Chanel beauty counter in San Francisco’s elegant I. Magnin, to running her own brow and facial salon in Maine and New York and developing her own skincare line, makeup artist Jessica Johnson has learned a lot in her 30 years in beauty. She emphasizes the “artist” in makeup artist, working with a living canvas (that moves and sweats and sometimes sags!). One of her goals has been to declutter and simplify the beauty experience and reclaim the glamour, the pampering and the one-on-one connection between a customer and her stylist. Tune in to hear how she’s doing it…and the wisdom she’s acquired along the way. Hers is an inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Catch this episode. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Cheryl Foland was working too hard and running too fast, living up to the Manhattan overachiever standard, she happened to mention to her colleagues in beauty marketing that she thought the company should focus on developing business on the West Coast. “Good idea,” they said, “You go.” So she did, reluctantly becoming bi-coastal for a while, having a crash-and-burn moment, then bouncing back to embrace the laid back California lifestyle fulltime. It not only saved her, it planted the seed for lilah b., her beauty line that’s all about paring down, using less and creating simpler beauty routines around multitasking products. Hers is an inspiring story of resilience and reinvention, California style. Plan to listen. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Brand builder extraordinaire Allison Slater Ray, President of Memebox, has made an impact everywhere she’s been, from her start learning the ropes of marketing and media buying on the Chanel account at DDB to Sephora in its early days as a brand incubator to her marketing position at IT Cosmetics. But entrepreneurship—the desire to build something from the ground up—is in her DNA so she’s just taken the reins at Memebox, a startup group of Korean makeup and skincare brands that she’s looking to put on the map as she’s done for so many others. Listen as she shouts out to those who have helped her on her journey and dives into this new adventure. You’ll love this episode! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

The seeds of a business are often sown through a frustrating search for a product or a solution to a problem. Such is the case with Heather Reier, Founder and CEO of Cake Beauty. Well before natural, vegan, cruelty-free beauty was a “thing,” as Heather sought healthy skincare products, the ones she found smelled terrible, had awful packaging and were totally unappealing. She hit the kitchen, started mixing and created a line of natural, nourishing skincare and haircare products that are as fragrant and effective as they are girly and fun. Listen to Heather’s WBMB podcast to hear how she launched, grew, sold and currently runs Cake, and share all the entrepreneurial lessons she has learned along the way. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Gabrielle Ophals, co-founder of Haven Spa, doesn’t want to step on anyone’s dreams. As someone who took over a tiny spa on Bleecker Street in New York over 20 years ago and has been moving, tending and growing it ever since, she believes in reaching for the stars. She just thinks some aspiring entrepreneurs get caught up in “it-would-be-cool-to-run-my-own-business” thinking without really considering what’s involved. She believes in following your bliss while keeping your eyes open and having a great team of professionals at the ready, from accountants to plumbers. Lots of wise stuff here. Be sure to listen! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Sue Nabi left her position as worldwide president of L’Oreal and Lancôme to start her Orveda Skincare line, one key question kept popping into her head, a question she had never really thought about in the C suite of one of the world’s largest beauty companies: do millions of Instagram likes actually translate into sales? As she grows Orveda, she’s looking for the answer. She knows one thing: people in business are becoming number obsessed. She looks for meaning in those numbers…how many products have been sold…how many products are people buying again…and, most importantly, what customers like (or don’t like) about the products they are buying. Sue is constantly applying her corporate experience to her own business but in a much more personal way, remembering one especially crucial lesson from her early days as a brand manager peddling L’Oreal products door to door: keep listening and your customers will tell you what they want. Sue shares other wisdom from her dazzling career in beauty in our full WBMB conversation. Don’t miss this episode! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

If there’s one overarching message or pattern from our incredible array of WBMB guests—and one piece of advice for our listeners—it’s that you never know where your path will lead and you don’t have to panic if where you are at the moment is not your goal. Our guest Bart Kaczanowicz, founder and influencer-in-chief of the skincare blog OMGBart.com is a perfect example of this “you never know” approach to work and to life. Born in Poland, studying in California, translating in Brooklyn and with other way stations en route, it took Bart years to discover his passion and talent for curating skincare products.Today his wildly popular blog is trusted by brands and fans for his authentic, no BS evaluations of high-end products. In this episode, Bart shares his story of finding, then following his bliss. Make sure to join us to hear all the details in his own words. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Base Beauty’s Social Media Manager, Becca spent 16 years of her early life in the high-intensity, ultra-disciplined world of competitive gymnastics. After all those 360s, she made a 180-turn away from that world which became a little too narrow for her expansive interests and easily-bored personality. More twists and turns eventually brought her to us, via a resumé of gigs that are as cool as they are quirky and are perfectly aligned with how valuable she is to the Base Beauty home team. Anyone on a winding path, destination unknown, will connect with Becca’s story…and the delightful way she tells it. Give a listen. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Julie Wald, Founder, CEO and Chief Wellness Officer of Namaste New York, manages the challenges of running her business…and her life. She speaks about how you approach the inevitable highs and lows—especially the lows which can take the wind out of your sails in a flash, in any business or any situation. Julie has a wise acronym that she could one day make into a cross-stitched sampler (if she ever had the time): AFGO—Another F*cking Growth Opportunity. Listen to our full conversation and learn about how Julie keeps her mind and body aligned (mostly) and gracefully navigates the inevitable speed bumps, always reminding herself that each one is an AFGO. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Founder of the eponymous fragrance line and his floral design company in Los Angeles, Eric Buterbaugh sat with host Jodi Katz as part of our Podcast-in-Residence program at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in New York. In front of a wonderful audience, Eric traced his path toward his passions which can be summed up with F words: fashion, fragrance and flowers. We could also add flamboyant, a word reflected in Eric’s sparkling personality. Eric turned his lifelong love of beautiful smells into a business, putting those beautiful smells in bottles and vases. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When our guest, Elise Joy, a network news producer, was blindsided by a painful and mean-spirited layoff, she picked herself up and turned it into an opportunity. Actually, it was her two teen-age daughters who helped her write her next chapter. Volunteering at a food pantry, the three of them were shocked to learn that food stamps could not be used for personal hygiene products. The girls put two and two together and realized that they had classmates who were missing school a few days each month because they couldn’t afford the supplies they needed. An idea was born and a foundation was started, Girls Helping Girls. Period. Their remarkable teen-powered story of reaching out with something so simple yet so essential is an important one. Join us for the full episode. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Any entrepreneur, me included, will tell you that your brand is your baby. So when you go to sell it, whether willingly and lucratively or not so much, you’re losing a bit of your soul. Our guest, Dr. Gregory Brown, Founder of RéVive Skincare, has lived through this more than most, as his company was bounced around from owner to owner. Along the way, he faced personal challenges that would have flattened most of us, including getting sober and living an authentic, open life. Listen to our full conversation, inspiring for every entrepreneur...and everyone else! #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

You never quite know where that BIG IDEA is going to come from. Jacqueline Gutierrez, Founder of Beauty Backer, says it was her inventor’s mindset... which she first recognized as a teenager... that inspired her concept for the beauty-centric crowdfunding platform. When she was all grown up and trying to launch her own beauty business, she experienced the founder’s perpetual stumbling block: lack of early-stage money. That’s when her let’s-solve-this attitude took over and the rest is soon to be history as she launches Beauty Backer in just a few weeks. Enjoy listening to this conversation with an amazing woman who just might change the game for beauty start-ups.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

While our guest, Kristen Wiley, was working full-time at an SEO and content marketing agency, she was pursuing her influencer interest on the side, blogging on food and crafts. As the agency started getting requests for influencer marketing from clients, they turned to Kristen who was the only one within the relatively small firm with influencer experience…or really any professional social media experience. So they gave her a budget and told her to run with it. As she did, she noticed a pattern that turned into an opportunity: while the platforms were mostly catering to the larger influencers, it was actually the smaller influencers who were having the biggest impact. But how to reach them effectively was a challenge. This disconnect between brands and bloggers planted the seed for Statusphere, the micro influencer agency Kristen started to get the right brand to the right influencer. Join us to hear her full story on how she filled this essential marketing need. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When our guest, Jane Larkworthy, brand consultant and Beauty Editor-at-Large for The Cut, was a young intern and then a full-time member of the beauty staff at Glamour magazine, she dared to inquire of her new boss if she could try her hand at writing. It didn’t go well. This unenlightened woman cut Jane down with a stinging response that echoed in her head for years and kept her from sticking her toe in the writing pool again for ages. Cut to much later when Jane was hired as the first Beauty Director at the brand new Jane magazine with the following mandate: “Write in your own voice. Write in the first person. I want our readers to get to know who you are.” After she recovered from the whiplash of these oh-so different approaches to nurturing (or not nurturing) a writer, she vowed to be that talent scout, that door opener, that mentor for others. She sums it up, “If you have a boss who breeds competition versus a boss who says, ‘If you fail, it’s okay. Do it again because I know you can do it,” that makes all the difference. Join us for Jane’s story of where she started and how she got here. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

For Amy Shecter, CEO of Glamsquad, the handshake is full of meaning. She has observed throughout her career—working with major brands such as Lady Foot Locker, Diesel, Donna Karan, Cole Haan and Tory Burch—how much is revealed in the way someone shakes hands…and how it’s something that boys are raised to know about but girls are not. She observes, “How you shake a hand indicates how you feel about yourself and how you feel about the job.” She believes that when someone has a firm handshake, stands tall and looks you in the eye, they project confidence. As she grows Glamsquad, the on-demand hair, make-up and nail beauty service and product line, she’s always mentoring, teaching and helping her team to develop the skills and experience they need to move into leadership positions. While she loves her current role, she always has her eye on the bigger picture of helping people—including herself—to thrive professionally while being fulfilled personal, embracing the lessons of a handshake all along the way. Join us for Amy’s full story.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Our first WBMB guest who has a college degree in scent, Erika Shumate acknowledges that she was probably destined to become a perfumer. As a child she was always fascinated by and sensitive to smells and science, reminiscing that “I was the kid in 7th and 8th grade to go to the state science fair and try to get the blue ribbon. I was always doing experiments in my basement.” Loving how perfumery combines science and art, she started her fragrance brand to embrace both. She combined these passions with her business acumen, first putting in a few years working for a startup to learn about growing a business, watching the company go from 10 employees to 50 and seeing all the related challenges. How she used that experience to start Pinrose is a delightful and helpful story for any business, whether it’s starting, growing or humming along. Listen to the full episode.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com