WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

Who would have ever started a business on the idea of rethinking toothpaste, a taken-for-granted product that has barely changed in decades? Well, that’s exactly what our guests, Julian and Cody Levine, Co-Founders of Twice, are doing. But they’re doing much more than just creating a fabulous tasting, good-for-you toothpaste without questionable ingredients. Inspired by their dentist dad’s work in organizing volunteer teams of dental professionals to bring dental care to underserved communities, they set up their business to support and expand the outreach of the non-profit GLO Good. Having observed the difference healthy teeth can make in someone’s life—from alleviating pain to instilling the confidence that comes with feeling great about your smile—they have committed their brand to improving the experience of oral care for the first world while sharing their passion and good fortune with the developing world. It’s a riveting story…join us.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

It’s safe to say that Asha Coco, VP of Sales and Business Development at Givaudan, is the only WBMB guest who has been a Rockette. She acknowledges how lucky she was to have found her two passions—dance and fragrance—early in life. The challenge was choosing between them. She tried to pursue them both for as long as she could but finally came to that proverbial fork in the road—a job offer from Clarins Fragrance Group that forced her to answer the question, “Which way?” She chose the business route for its long-term possibilities, not realizing that these two worlds would overlap here and there. As she happily discovered, “the world of beauty completely intersects with art and culture, especially in fragrance.” Though not in a kick line any more, Asha is completely thrilled with her choice, her work and the creative opportunities it offers. Don’t miss her full story and her reflections on crafting the career you want.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

After 12+ years in marketing positions for various Estée Lauder brands, Maura Cannon Dick needed a break. After the birth of her second child, she took it. Treasuring the time for her family and herself, she also knew when she was ready she to get back to the beauty world. But this time she wanted to do it on her own terms. Through thorough networking, thoughtful skill sharpening and a unique ability to show potential clients what she was worth, she has built an impressive consulting business that lets her keep her fingers in all the things she loves about the beauty business. But now she takes time for her family and herself and structures her work so that it enhances but doesn’t dominate her life. Hear Maura’s full story, complete with helpful hints on how she did it…and how she continues to do it.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

From the time she first leafed through her mother’s magazines as a child, Alison Engstrom knew she wanted to be part of the world of magazine publishing. But it was a series of unsatisfying jobs and a life-changing medical diagnosis that enabled her to take the leap and make her dream a reality. Alison shared with us how she changed her attitude and developed the confidence to start Rose & Ivy, a biannual print and digital magazine that brings together her love of fashion, beauty, travel and food in a curated, more elevated way than most of today’s niche magazines. Hear her inspiring story of building the life she imagined and overcoming the roadblocks and detours along the way.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Rochelle Weitzner, CEO and Founder of Pause Well-Aging, spent years as a C-level executive improving the bottom line of brands dedicated to the idea of anti-aging. Until one day, she experienced her first hot flash, and realized the beauty industry’s attitude as literally anti-age left her, and millions of women her age, underserved if not outright ignored. So at 50, she started a brand made for menopausal skin. In the process of doing so, she’s also created a platform for destigmatizing menopause and allowing women to age on their own terms.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Growing up with two ill parents, Dr. Patricia Wexler decided she wanted to be a doctor at the age of 5, and it was a goal she never wavered on. Or as she put it, “I’ve been pre-med my whole life.” In this episode, the legendary cosmetic dermatologist takes us through the history of her incredible career, from opening her own office while 7 months pregnant to her evolution as a product developer and brand builder. She also reveals how she makes time for her husband of 47 years, two daughters and two grandchildren by the simple – though not always easy – decision to not rush through life.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In this episode, hear the story of Camille McDonald, a multi-decade beauty industry veteran who came up during the peak of Christie Brinkley’s popularity and most recently retired as President of Brand Merchandising at Bath and Body Works. Well, “retired” is a word we’ll use loosely here, because her idea of retirement has been diversifying her knowledge base from fragrance to skincare, and embarking on a new career in consulting. Plus, get a senior executive’s eye view on the state of retail and how to stay relevant in your chosen field of work.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

During her time working in advertising, Georgina Gooley, Founder of Billie, discovered a pointless double standard in consumer goods: Women were being charged more for inferior products when it came to shave products, aka The Pink Tax. Her response was Billie, a better shave product for women at better prices. In creating this company, she’s aligned both a social mission and for-profit business.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Essence Grant, Beauty Director at BuzzFeed, didn’t have a specific dream job in mind back when she was in college. She just knew somewhere at the intersection of beauty, media and entertainment, she’d be okay. So when an opportunity to write about New York’s Fashion Week came her way, she went for it. (Though it did involve skipping class.) With pluck and grit, that first job led to another and to BuzzFeed, one the internet’s most highly trafficked sites. If you want to break into media, then this episode is a must-listen.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

With a nod to Mother’s Day, this week’s episode features Lauren and Rachel Piskin, the mother-daughter team behind ChaiseFitness. Lauren, a former competitive ice skater and Rachel, a former professional ballet dancer, developed their own fitness method combining pilates and resistance equipment as a response to health issues Rachel sustained as a dancer. The two describe the dynamics of mixing family with business and how their generational difference have been a boon to biz. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Tina Hedges, Founder of LOLI Beauty, began the process of raising money for her company, she had already ticked off a lot of boxes. Proof of concept. Glowing press. Years of experience in the beauty industry. So she didn’t expect the response she got from the prominent venture capitalists she pitched: You’re over 40, therefore too old. You’re not pitching tech, so we’re not interested. And by the way. . . you’re too experienced. Demoralizing words for any entrepreneur to hear, but she wasn’t about to let this be the end of her – or her brand’s – story. In this episode, hear how she turned the tide to become one of the few chosen by an elite start-up incubator that’s helping to propel her brand to the next level. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Nancy McKay spent the bulk of her career faithful to one company, but the experiences that made her successful didn’t all come directly on the job. During her 28 years as an Estee Lauder executive, she used lessons gleaned from her life outside of beauty: Her college debate team, an earlier aspiration towards politics, and a chance encounter with tennis great Andre Agassi. As the current CEO of Barefoot Scientist, Nancy tells us how a life filled with varied experiences can serve your well where you’d least expect it. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Rachel Roff always knew she wanted to be an esthetician. So four days after graduating from college, she was back in the classroom, but this time at esthetic school. During her time there, she noticed how limited treatment options were for people of color. Her efforts to change what she saw as outright prejudice led her to found Urban Skin Solutions Med Spa and later Urban Skin Rx Skincare, both focused on serving a clientele of diverse skin tones. In this episode, hear how recognizing a need for inclusivity allowed her business to grow from a single location med spa to an insider destination with a skincare brand now available at retail powerhouses like Target and Ulta.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Blair James, Owner and Co-Founder of Bondi Sands, was a kid, he wanted to be a basketball player, Formula One race car driver, or a brand creator. While the first two didn’t quite pan out, his instinctual understanding of how people connect with brands has paid off. Bondi Sands is not only a self-tanning brand with global distribution, but the market leader on social media. In this episode, hear how the brand evolved and grew from a single tanning salon and glean key insights on the importance of truly knowing your customer. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Rita Hazan, a celebrity colorist, product innovator and salon owner, has been in business for 20 years strong. Hear how she’s managed to keep innovating and stay relevant even as trends and fads cycle faster and faster through the consumer experience. Consider this episode a masterclass in career longevity. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

This week’s guest, Beth Russell, Founder of House of Potentia, sits down to talk about her mission to encourage personal change through perfumery. With a background in pyschology, she created House of Potenia with the idea of “olafactive induction”, or as she says, “Using scent as an agent of change and a reminder of how you want to feel.” Get a deeper look inside her brand and its purpose, and get to know her other life as an alpaca farmer and advocate for adoption. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

This week’s guest, Beth Russell, Founder of House of Potenia, sits down to talk about her mission to encourage personal change through perfumery. With a background in pyschology, she created House of Potenia with the idea of “olafactive induction”, or as she says, “Using scent as an agent of change and a reminder of how you want to feel.” Get a deeper look inside her brand and its purpose, and get to know her other life as an alpaca farmer and advocate for adoption. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

For decades, legendary makeup artist and cosmetics mogul Trish McEvoy has led her namesake brand with one focus: The customer. From making pro-quality brushes accessible to consumers to innovating the iconic Makeup Planner, she’s changed the landscape of beauty to the advantage of women everywhere. Hear how she’s managed to maintain the independence of her brand in a marketplace noisy with investors and acquisition while doing it all with a sense of joy. Part of our Podcast in Residence series in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Sometimes a career finds you and not the other way around. That’s what happened for Eloise Cheung, a hairstylist who has clocked in over two decades of editorial, advertising, and red carpet jobs. In college, she majored in engineering for a year before dropping out; that move led to a series of fortuitous breaks which would eventually cumulate into the job she loves now. Hear how she went from Chinatown shampoo girl to apprentice at John Freida to a sought-after freelance stylist, along with advice on managing a freelance career and how to break into the world of hair circa 2019. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Back in 1992, Laura Slatkin and her husband Harry both had lucrative Wall Street careers on the rise. But their entrepreneurial spirits got the better of them, and that year they left the safety of a steady paycheck to open a home-fragrance shop. This eventually lead to Laura founding NEST Fragrances. In this episode, she recalls the challenges of creating what’s essentially today’s home fragrance industry, why she did it, and how she holds her high-octane life together. Recorded live as part of our Podcast in Residence series with Saks Fifth Avenue.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

If you’ve ever looked into the perfume-making process, you probably know there’s someone called a “nose” involved… as in a job title, not a body part. Andrea Bifulco is herself familiar with these mystical wizards of scent, having stumbled on a career in fragrance development thanks to a fateful temp job at Estée Lauder. Now currently the founder of Nose University, an educational olfactive program aimed at kids, she lets us in on the often mysterious process of fragrance creation, the secret language of scent and how vital smell can be to living a mindful, perceptive life.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

If you have a vagina or know someone who does, then this episode is for you. Meet Rachel Braun Scherl, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of SPARK Solutions for Growth and author of Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Women’s Sexual Health and Wellness. Or as she likes to call herself, a “vagipreneur®” (Yes, she registered the term). As a business consultant focused on women’s health, she’s been influential disrupting the feminine care industry, calling out double standards that exist in marketing women’s reproductive products vs men’s and creating better solutions for periods, pregnancies and personal pleasure. Hear how she found herself at the intersection of commerce, health and female agency and why she wrote a book on it.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Don’t have a clear career path? At a crossroads? Then take Kimberly Soane’s lead. The veteran makeup artist and Executive Director of Artistry at Bobbi Brown has a career she loves, and gets clear about what motivated her. She went from psych major to beauty counter manager, to traveling the world with legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown. Hear her full story in this episode.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

This episode welcomes Natalie and Sue Ismiel of Nad’s to their first podcast recording. The former is the inspiration behind the brand, the latter its creator. This daughter-mother duo takes us back 30 years to the creation of Nad’s, the “green goo” made for hair removal, and its metamorphosis into a global beauty hit thanks to its efficacy and Sue’s charismatic infomercials. Hear how they’ve kept the brand family owned for 3 decades and 3 generations through the power of adaptability, expansion, and gratitude. And if you’ve ever wondered what “Nad’s” means, well, they’ll tell you that, too.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

For every entrepreneur you hear of, disrupting their industry of choice, there’s usually a corporate counterpart you don’t hear of, quietly team building and evolving their careers more than revolutionizing it. Michael Marquis has certainly been the latter, putting in a solid 22 years Johnson & Johnson and working his way up to his current role as President of recently acquired Vogue International. In this episode, hear the pros of getting into a long-term relationship with a single company, with side-helping of advice on handling work relocation for yourself and when there’s a family involved. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Taryn Toomey is the founder of The Class, a mind-body fitness experience so unlike anything else, it simply was known as “the class”. In this episode, hear how she traded a career in fashion for one in fitness and mindfulness, how an experience with grief created the beginnings of this unexplainable workout and the steps you can take right now to live more mindfully and authentically. This is the first of our monthly live recording events as Podcast in Residence at Saks Fifth Avenue New York City.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Lisa Goodman, Founder of GoodSkin™ Clinics, set out to create a laid-back lifestyle for herself when she opened her business. Instead, word spread like crazy and her business mushroomed into a multi-location operation. Along the way, she went through a divorce, unexpectedly fell in love with a French guy, moved to Paris, and now lives between LA, New York, and Paris. In this episode, hear how she pulls off life in three time zones, what motivated her to take on more than she meant to, and why her clients started calling her aesthetic method “The Untouched Look™”.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Courtney and Tye Caldwell started as partners in life and are now partners in ShearShare, the first mobile app that lets stylists rent space on demand. From marriage, parenthood and startup life, the pair share the key lessons they’ve learned on collaboration and partnership in the decades since they met. You’ll also hear how they’re responding to the changing needs of the hair industry, and why they both think you’re clicks away from making your dreams come true.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Brian “Gibs” Long, CEO and Founder of GIBS Grooming, is truly an entrepreneur's entrepreneur. When attempting to secure a loan for his first business, “I got 10 nos before I got a yes,” he remembers. “That’s the difference between a normal person and an entrepreneur.” From selling veggie burritos at Grateful Dead shows to creating a bagel store chain to forging an entirely new grooming category, he’s been able to achieve success across a variety of industries thanks to one key difference: A win-win attitude. That in turn, has attracted him the right talent and key contacts. “The bagel was more than a round piece of bread,” he says of his former bagel store chain. “It was a cultural brand. It was a movement that the town rallied around.” And just like the bagels, Gibs has made GIBs grooming about more than a bottle of beard oil. Turns out what can truly change the trajectory of your business can be something that can’t be quantified on paper.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Erika Wasser, Founder and CEO of Glam & Go, didn’t mean to be a beauty entrepreneur. She was a working actor and comedian who just needed a really fast blowout. On that premise alone, she started with a single seat in a fancy gym locker room and the goodwill of her favorite hairstylist. Turns out she wasn’t the only one with a desire for amazing hair in 15 minutes - breakout success unexpectedly ensued, with demand growing faster than a chance to write a business plan. Or buy insurance, a website and everything else that comes with a brand. Hear how she created a profitable, multi-location venture by responding to growth as it came.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In beauty, it’s always about what’s new, what’s next, what’s the latest brand to have. But only a few make it past the 5-year mark, and even fewer celebrate double-digit anniversaries. In this episode, Lisa Price, Founder of Carol’s Daughter, tells us how she kept her brand alive, relevant and privately owned for a solid 25 years before selling to L’Oreal. It’s a candid look at life before and after the big acquisition many dream of.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Meet the duo behind The Sparkle Bar, Arizona’s first full-service makeup studio, Alexandra Bradberry and Leiah Scheibel. They’ve thrown away the rule book and created a space that’s inclusive, pressure-free and most of all fun. But before they could even start, they had one big hurdle to clear: An archaic state law that essentially made their dream business illegal. In this episode, hear how they resisted and why it’s important a place like theirs exists.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

One of Jodi’s best networking channels hasn’t been a coworking space, professional association or trade show - it’s been her gym. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, meet Delon Nelson, founder of said gym, D&I Fitness. Through his people-first attitude, he’s managed to create more than just a place to sweat, but a true sense of connection between himself, his clients and the town in which he lives and works. Listen and learn from his unique path to entrepreneurship in this special episode on giving thanks.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Kathy Van Ness, COO of Golden Door Properties, exudes the serene calm of someone who knows she can have it all. . . but, she says, “not all at the same time.” With candid honesty, this seasoned exec recalls choosing work at the expense of missed PTA meetings and bake sales with a refreshing lack of mommy-guilt. “Whether you want to work or have to work, none of that has to do with love,” she concludes. In this episode, hear the backstory behind this radically real attitude, from a first job in retail to the top ranks of fashion and finally, head of America’s most storied spa resort.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Would you rather have a full head of hair or a healthy sex drive? Sounds like the lead up to a game of “Would You Rather. . . ” but this was the real-life scenario Giorgos Tsetis, Co-Founder and CEO of Nutrafol®, was facing in his early 20s. With a thriving modeling career at stake, he had to make the impossible choice of taking a hair-growth drug that would keep him employed, but in turn, cause him sexual dysfunction. Eventually the trade-off became too great, which led him to found Nutrafol®, a supplement that promotes hair growth. In promoting his new business, he was forced to open up, get vulnerable, and share his story. In this episode, hear how that experience opened up a new level of honesty and acceptance within himself and men and women he has helped.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

There are those who prefer the scrappiness of startup life and those who thrive in traditional corporate settings. Then there’s Danya Klein, VP of Brand Relations at Preen.Me, who has successfully adapted to both scenarios. “Startups know how to think, innovate and be creative, but when they need to package and market their own product, it can be difficult. I think that’s where there’s a strong opportunity for marketers who have worked in corporate settings to add a lot of value.” In this episode, she tells us how she went from marketing establishment beauty to the wild west of influencer marketing, and how majoring in Mandarin was her improbably random entry into the beauty [email protected]

They say the road to success isn’t always easy, but celebrity colorist, entrepreneur and TV personality Kim Vo knows it also doesn’t have to break you, either. His ever-expanding career now includes four salons, a show with Tori Spelling and a celebrity client list that reads like the homepage of TMZ. All of which have contributed to his reputation as the “Best Blonder In the Business”. In this episode, he reveals how it all happened from humble beginnings, and how intention, effort and grace have kept him grounded as his star keeps rising.This episode is part of our first video podcast series “Day In The Life”. Watch it here.https://tinyurl.com/y7uocuntwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast

In this episode, host Jodi Katz shifts the focus from beauty to media in a new mini-series called Podcasters We Love. Up at the mic is Kelly Campbell, an agency growth consultant and host of Thrive, a podcast that covers topics unique to creative, media and tech agencies. As a former agency owner herself, Kelly shares her own journey from business owner to consultant, the origins of Thrive and the story behind it’s fast-track to success.This episode is part of our Podcasters We Love [email protected]

By her early 20s, Poppy Jamie was already leading an enviable, “perfect” life: She was a successful TV personality, had her own Snapchat show and designed an accessories line with her best friend Suki Waterhouse. But underneath the gloss of social media was a different reality - an overworked, always-on existence. You know, the kind that paves the road to burnout? She also knew she wasn’t the only one experiencing this kind of stress; DM’s from fans sharing the same struggles confirmed to her there had to be a better way to, in her words, “do life”. In this episode, hear how she addressed her own taxed-out life, learned to relax, let go of perfection and created an app to help others do the same.@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast#wherebrainsmeetbeautywherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Hours after the birth of her daughter, Divya Gugnani, CEO and Founder of Wander Beauty, was already asking her husband if he’d be okay with one more. “One more baby?!” he asked, incredulous. Her response? “No, one more company!” Said like a true serial entrepreneur.Formerly an investment banker, she’s successfully founded four companies in three widely different sectors. And like human babies, those businesses have had their special quirks and needs, shaping her leadership style along the way. In this episode, she tells us how time and experience evolved her CEO game, what keeps her going back for more of that #startuplife, and why she runs her beauty team not unlike a sports team.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Change can be slow. Though we’re almost two decades into the 21st century, beauty standards have only just begun widening in scope. Just ask Rachel Winard, founder of skincare line Soapwalla. “I like the way I look, but I’m not the typical face of a skincare company.”With a penchant for designs shaved into her hair and tattooed arms on display, she describes a sense of invisibility within the beauty industry. “Usually, you see long flowing hair, very light skin. You either look like that, or you’re very straight-looking man in a suit. There was nothing to suit my presentation.” But she found an upshot to that sense of invisibility. “Instead of moving within a box, I’m going to create my own path, in and out of business.” In this episode, get the backstory on the brand, go deeper into issues of underrepresentation, and find out the one simple thing companies can do to bolster inclusivity.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

There are some jobs you can’t get a degree in, and have no linear point of entry or even a standardized test for qualification. You know, like makeup artist? So, here to break down how to break into this arm of the beauty industry is Cathi Singh, a California-based MUA. Sharing her experience on everything from how to get started to what you need to learn beyond cosmo school, she demystifies the process of making a dream job reality.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Freelancing isn’t for the faint of heart: No two days are the same, and neither are the paychecks. But there’s a delicious freedom that comes with being your own boss and taking full agency over your career. On this episode, beauty writer and freelancer extraordinaire Gina Way breaks down the strategies that have kept the projects - and the checks - rolling in. From how to hustle, how to get paid and how to pick yourself up when you feel like you’ll never work again, this is a must listen for anyone dreaming of breaking up with their cubicle.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Mabel Lee’s is the classic story of a hobby, born out of a desire for a better product, turned successful business. Lee created Velour Lashes while still in college in Toronto, and seven years later is defining success in a deeper way than just the numbers. Seeing her team grow as humans both personally and professionally, while delivering a game-changing product that helps women streamline and polish their beauty routine, is the true reward. (Though the brand’s overnight social media explosion didn’t hurt, either.) The CEO and reluctant public face of the brand steps out of her comfort zone in her first-ever podcast appearance.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In classic corporate hierarchy, the CEO pretty much occupies the highest perch. But for those who have made it that far up, what happens when there’s no more corporate ladder to climb? Dawn Robertson, founder of Timeless Beauty Bar, had to ask herself that question after decades as President or CEO of several major apparel companies and retailers. And what she found was a lot like what landed her the top jobs in the first place: A need for transition and growth. In this episode, she gets candid on what it’s really like to run a huge company and raise children, why she hasn’t gone back to the C-suite (yet!) and how she’s passing the torch to a whole new generation of marketing masterminds.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Elise Saetta, Macy’s Fashion Beauty Director graduated from college in the midst of the Great Recession. With a dismal job market, no immediate prospects and little guidance on how to get a job in fashion, she moved home to Boston and picked up a retail sales position. But through strategic moves, pluck and moxie, she took that starter job and made it the first step towards her dream job, climbing the rungs of luxury retail and into the coveted role of fashion director in less than a decade. In this episode, hear how a resourceful attitude and long view can be key to reaching your career goals. She also breaks down the inner workings of a department store: The different roles planners and buyers play, the differences in beauty vs. fashion buying, and what a fashion director really does. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Consider this episode a double header on friendship and business. Alicia Sontag of Prelude Growth Partners and Carla Ruiz of Johnson & Johnson met on the job and have stayed friends ever since. Over time their career paths have diverged, Alicia striking out on her own and Carla heading up Business Development at Johnson & Johnson, but their missions have stayed the same: Helping the next generation of entrepreneurs create what they believe will become iconic global powerhouse brands. The pair reveals how it gets done from the perspective of a boutique growth equity firm (Alicia) and the perspective of a corporate behemoth (Carla), and how it helps to have a friend who’s got your back through it all.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

The story of an brilliant business idea first sketched on a napkin is the stuff of legends, but in the case of Artis co-founders Leigh and Jeremy Adelman, it’s the real thing. Designed by co-founder Matthew Waitesmith, Artis has changed the way people apply makeup by completely changing the look and feel of makeup brushes, and in doing so, helping consumers unlearn bad beauty habits, one application at a time. Their process took patience, life savings, and a few tears, but the results have been nothing short of beautiful. Listen to this couple finish each other’s sentences with a blend of humor, passion, and no-nonsense business insights.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Every entrepreneur has a different reason for going into business for him or herself. For Barry Beck, Co-Founder and COO of Bluemercury, it was a desire for personal autonomy, but even deeper than that, an almost instinctive need to disrupt and change industries. And that he has done. From snow shoveling loyalty programs at age 10 to forever changing how consumers shop for beauty, he’s changed every industry he’s worked in. In this episode, he shares key lessons from his many successes, and not just tidy platitudes about working hard. Consider it a key primer in entrepreneurial wisdom.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Are we afraid of failure itself, or are we really just afraid of what other people will think of us if we fail? As a serial entrepreneur, Mariya Nurislamova has had to grapple with that question many times over, and more importantly, not let fear become the boss. In this episode, the CEO of Scentbird and Deck of Scarlet shares a few of her most memorable failures and her techniques for moving past them. She also touches on the pros of being bi-culturally Russian/American and how Scentbird is changing our relationship to fragrance.#wherebrainsmeetbeauty@wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcastwherebrainsmeetbeauty.com