In episode eighty nine of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the CEO and co-founder of Nécessaire, Randi Christiansen. 

Randi Christiansen has always been interested in the intersection of business and beauty. 

Having studied business at university and taking a particular interest in entrepreneurship and small business growth, Randi found herself in a role at Estée Lauder Companies, where she would remain for next 15 years.

Despite being a major multinational, Randi was able to bring her passion for small business to the company, working primarily across the La Mer and Tom Ford brands. While these are both household names today, when Randi commenced work on them they were very much in their infancy, so she was able to combine her startup mindset with the resources of a multinational business. 

It was during her time at Estée that Randi met and began working with beauty journalist Nick Axelrod, and over cheap beers at an airport the two began to brainstorm a business idea on a paper napkin. They wanted to bring a facial skincare ethos to the body care market, the latter market being around one fifth a size of the former, but they didn’t just want to create a brand for the sake of it- they only wanted to create what felt crucial, essential, and necessary. 

And so, Nécessaire was born. Having launched at the very end of 2018 and being certified climate neutral since January of 2019, Nécessaire is now a true global brand and, as of May 24, is finally available in Australia at Mecca.

In this conversation, Randi shares the unexpected benefits of bringing on investors when developing a brand, why she thinks having a journalist on board is essential in launching a successful business, and the importance of having a truly clear brand DNA. 

Read more at glowjournal.com

Follow Nécessaire on Instagram @necessaire. 

Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemkwatts and @glow.journal, or get in touch at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.