Keeping Face with Kathleen Baird-Murray

He was a young hairdresser from the south of France, who learnt the business by listening to the likes of Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and other role models.  But when others stopped listening to him, Frederic Fekkai had no choice but to fight back.  And he did. Here he talks about what it’s  like to get your business back, when you’ve already sold it for millions. 

https://fekkai.com/

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For more information please contact [email protected]

Hosted by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Bobbi Brown, founder of the eponymous make-up brand now wholly owned by Estee Lauder, has since gone on to start several other brands, including the hugely successful cosmetics company Jones Road. But with so many successes under her belt, how would she cope if she ever did come across failure?  Here she talks about knowing when it’s the right time to walk away. 

https://www.ft.com/content/7701c485-f15b-4ca2-badc-eb6e7bb4c021

https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/bobbi-brown-evolution-18-interview.html

Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.

For more information please contact [email protected]

Hosted by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Recorded in Kenya (her) and Shropshire (me), Alexia Inge is living the dream. But it’s a  well earnt dream, following 15 years of 100-hour work weeks, and the kind of ups and downs that would often leave her in tears, laughter, and with several huge problems to solve. Resigning from CultBeauty in 2022, the ecommerce site that revolutionised the way we shop for beauty, the co-founder reflects on a time very early on, when it very nearly didn’t happen… 

Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.

For more information please contact [email protected]

Hosted by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Indomitable, unstoppable, and a veritable force of nature, Tina Chen Craig, founder of UBeauty skincare, talks about the time she nearly didn’t make it to her own launch. The originator of BagSnob, and creator of one of the world’s most exciting skincare brands also discusses her Asian heritage, and the importance of friends and family. 

Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.

For more information please contact [email protected]

Hosted by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..”          Charles Dickens 

But wasn't it always the worst of times from which we learnt something? Something useful? 

Welcome to Keeping Face, a podcast about beauty founders and the moment they might have, almost did - and in some cases most definitely did - lose the plot and had to scramble to get back on track. From the moment Tina Chen Craig collapsed on the floor of her hotel bedroom to Frederic Fekkai realising that no one listened to him in board meetings, their excitement in building a successful brand is always pitted against those moments where they thought everything might go up in flames (as it did once, for Rose-Marie Swift). 

Over seven episodes, our host Kathleen Baird-Murray unpicks the glossy success stories of our favourite beauty brand founders, to discover those moments of desperation, intense pressure, and often, astonishment. 

The series came about after Kathleen had tea with Frederic one day and while talking about starting a podcast -  because with a 28-year long career in journalism behind her, and a love of interviewing people, what else could she do -  Frederic suggested she focus on those times when everyone gets it wrong, “because then you learn something”.  

Working with the team at Parkview Creative, she set about tracking down those founders she felt might want to open up, and then dug deep to find out how they turned things around. Some, like Bobbi Brown, took failure in their stride; others, like Alexia Inge, cried all weekend before picking themselves up and getting on with it.  Trusting Kathleen to let them tell their stories, there were plenty of surprises along the way. 

Keeping Face is essential listening for anyone wanting to know more about the business of beauty, but also it’s always life-affirming to hear how others cope with difficulty, and reassuring to know that even shiny successful people get a little insecure at times.

Hosted by Kathleen Baird-Murray, a Parkview Creative Production.

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