What Beauty Founders Don't Know? (Jumpstart Beauty Brand)

In this guest series episode of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast, I spoke to the classy, creative & intellectual founder of BÉSAME COSMETICS, a classic & timeless beauty for the modern times, Gabriela Hernandez.

Gabriela is the cosmetic connoisseur behind the brand.

As a young girl, Gabriela would watch in complete wonder while her beloved grandmother applied makeup as part of her daily beauty ritual. From the swipe of a bold lip color to the dusting of rouge on a cheek, Gabriela loved how this small moment connected art to beauty, and grandmother to granddaughter.

After immigrating to the United States, She became a historian of makeup through the decades, studying photography and art direction before publishing the book, Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup, and then founding Bésame Cosmetics.

Embracing proven beauty tools, trends, and techniques of eras past, Bésame offers authentic connection across generations, so you can build looks that transcend time.

Watch/Take a listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

04:46-Gabriela moved from Argentina to USA at the age of 14

15:32.5-US beauty lacked femininity

30:33.8-Be yourself, don't hide

40:30.1-How consumption has gone up drastically in the last few decades

54:35.6-Influencers of 1800s, 1900s

01:14:38.0-How cult is BÉSAME's cult community

01:23:20.1-BÉSAME's boutique store strategy

01:32:43.4-Scaling mistakes-hiring is critical

01:44:20.2-BÉSAME's below the sea prom

01:52:50.2-Gabriela's lowest time with BÉSAME

02:03:52.4-The best romances

02:04:55.1-Red lipstick & trends

02:09:37.6-Gabriela's final message to beauty founders

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& 

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In this guest series episode of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast, I spoke to the very beautiful, creative and intelligent co-founders of JUSTUS SKINCARE, the only climate-focused skincare on the planet!

Brook Dougherty, Founder and Chief Alchemist

Evelyn, Sprigg, Co-founder & Chief of All Things

Brook is the founder and Chief Alchemist of JustUs Skincare. And she's the author of the memoir, Nothing To Write Home About. And she is supporting women who suffer from domestic violence, victims of domestic violence.

Evelyn is a veteran of NYC ad and PR industry, a self proclaimed skincare junkie. Her passion for finding skincare solutions at a very young age let her to work with the biggest beauty brands on the planet. She's a hiker. She loves to travel. She trains people on yoga and she's a painter.

And right now she's beating cancer for the second time round.

Take a listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

03:53.1-Brook turned 60 and decided to take on skincare

06:49.1-Evelyn's move from the big beauty to indie space

08:50.1-How Brook & Evelyn met at a bar

09:50.1-Some really kind words about yours truly, Rohit:)

12:00.0-How Evelyn went about her life, including this podcast, & her treatments while overcoming cancer

16:00.0-Brook's tryst with Coke & Comedy and Domestic Violence

18:34.7-What motivates Brook & Evelyn to work on JustUs Skincare every single day

23:46.0-How is JustUs skincare a climate focused skincare brand?

27:36.9-What's wrong with generic skin consultations and diagnosis?

34:13.4-Challenges in formulating hero products and where the BIG Manufacturers too were clueless

44:51.0-How beauty is very different from other industries and a very big frustration for indie beauty founders, if not the biggest

58:38.3-How Brook's lab vetted Evelyn in the very first meeting

01:14.7-Evelyn's acid test for aspiring beauty founders

1:16.9-Evelyn and Brook's chemistry

1:28.20-Is survival at stake for Brook & Evelyn?

1:38.5-Speed round: favourite books, movie lines, bootstrap or funding, favourite climate and places and much more...

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review 

-And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE YOUR FREE ONLINE COURSE: ⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/⁠

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota, founder of Jump Accelerator and host of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast outlines and touches on the the roadmap to your beauty brand's end game.

Timestamps and Key Insights

02:00.5-Why haven't you achieved your vision & grand goals?

03:30.1-What lies ahead?

05:37.6-The complete roadmap: adoption by innovators, early adopters, early and mainstream consumers

08:10.9-What happens when you enter omni-channel retail?

08:52.2-How does Jump create your fit roadmap to your end game?

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review

 -And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE OUR SUPER POPULAR FREE ONLINE COURSE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota, founder of Jump Accelerator and host of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast compares different retailers' beauty accelerators on structure, curriculum, eligibility, funding, resources, how to apply etc.

Timestamps and Key Insights

02:25.6- Comparison criteria for retailers' beauty accelerators

02:47.0-Ulta's Muse Accelerator

07:05.4-Sephora Accelerate

11:42.3-Target Take Off

17:26.8-Jump Accelerator

22:17.7-Summary

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 -And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE OUR SUPER POPULAR FREE ONLINE COURSE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota, founder of Jump Accelerator and host of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast uncovers fundamental principles underlying 5 billion dollar beauty brand exits

Watch/Listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

01:29.3-Introduction to exit fundamental principles vs. playbook

02:50.0-K18 Hair $billion exit to Unilever in 2024

08:18.0-Paula's Choice acquired by Unilever for $2B in 2021

12:58.1-Dollar Shave Club bought by Unilever in 2019 for $1B

15:52.9-IT Cosmetics acquired by L'Oreal in 2016 for $1.2B

18:46.2-Too Faced acquired by Estee Lauder in 2016 for $1.45B

21:25.8-Overall fundamental principles for all 5 billion dollar beauty brand exits

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review

 -And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE OUR SUPER POPULAR FREE ONLINE COURSE ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/⁠⁠

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota shares a 8 pricing mistakes made by early-stage beauty founders.

Watch/Listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

01:34.7-First Pricing Mistake: Cost-based pricing

03:58.5-Second Pricing Mistake: Lack of options for trials & loyalty

06:39.0-Third Pricing Mistake: Margins as psuedo strategy

08:25.8-Fourth Pricing Mistake: Frequent Discounts

10:15.5-Fifth Pricing Mistake: Lack of strategy to move up

15:04.9-Sixth Pricing Mistake: Scale-up unfriendly

18:41.3-Seventh Pricing Mistake: Not communicating value

22:41.3-Eight Pricing Mistake: Not finding out price sensitivities

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review

 -And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE OUR SUPER POPULAR FREE ONLINE COURSE ⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/⁠

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota shares a 4-point checklist to develop products or pitch those products to beauty retailers along with a matrix beauty brands can use to create their custom goals and strategy for a beauty retailer.

Watch/Listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

02:03.8-4-point checklist to pitch products to a beauty buyer

03:34.2-Product Category-Ingredients matrix to come up with a product development/pitch strategy for a retailer's category

05:55.5-Best selling products-best selling ingredients quadrant

07:58.4-Best selling product category-new ingredients

10:10.4-New product category-best selling ingredients

12:12.0-New product category-new ingredients

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review 

-And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE YOUR FREE ONLINE COURSE: ⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/

In this episode of Jump Series, Rohit Banota shares Top 8 mistakes, early-stage beauty founders make, why is that a mistake, how to avoid the mistake with examples of beauty brands.

Watch/Listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

01:34.8-Mistake number one, Passion for solution versus the problem.

05:53.8-Mistake number two, Not validating 3 growth engines

09:52.5-Mistake number three, Lack of focus: problem, consumer, products, channels

12:31.1-Mistake number four, Overemphasis on large player

15:51.8-Mistake number five, Lack of focus on margin and profits

19:32.7-Mistake number six, Frequent promotions and discounts

23:10.1-Mistake number seven, Poor understanding of the importance of cash flow

24:58.6-Mistake number eight, Going to retail too early and il equipped with no strategy

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review 

-And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE YOUR FREE ONLINE COURSE: ⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/

In this guest series episode of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" Podcast, I spoke to the super-fit, driven, genius and a serial entrepreneur, Kate Solomon, who has over 25 years of natural and clean makeup and skin care formulation experience.

She was working with the biggies like L'Oreal USA, where she was a product developer. In 2010, launched Babo Botanicals and then sold it eventually to a French baby company, Mustela.

And then her kids were growing older, she saw a gap for clean makeup and skincare brand for a more sporty, and active lifestyle and that's where she launched the Athletic Cosmetic company with her co founder Dominique van Boekel.

Take a listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

03:27.4-Kate's background and story from Peace Corps to South America to Avon to Loreal

07:01.0-How Kate successfully exited with her previous venture, Babo Botanicals

10:07.6-Babo Botanical's exit strategy

13:52.9-Target market for Athletic Cosmetic Company and Go to Market

18:31.7-How does ACC access its target consumers

21:54.2-Athletic Cosmetic Company's values of positivity, positive mind and body, positive impact & positive beauty

23:50.3-ACC's product formulations with Credo Clean Standard

25:16.0-ACC's next big goal and the biggest hurdle

27:28.5-Toughest time in Kate's entrepreneurial journey

29:44.9-Kate's mantra for keeping her sanity and accessing the well of new ideas

30:57.6-Speed round: women sports, beauty in sports, favorite book, clean beauty, bootstrap...

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review 

-And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE YOUR FREE ONLINE COURSE: https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/

May Lindstrom is the founder of her namesake, awesomely authentic, cult-certified, sensorially formulated and mystically depicted brand: May Lindstrom Skin.

May's story is straight out of a movie, about a runaway teenager, love, road trip, wanderlust, and search for fun, truth, wealth and authenticity. May Lindstrom is all about making this moment yours, touching your skin with intention, reigniting the romance within and discovering your skin's ultimate health and radiance.

May Lindstrom is a movement that is converting all the skeptics and seekers into believers furthering their quest for authenticity and living life on terms true to themselves, and in doing so, finding the divine beauty within, that never fades!

In this super digest, guest series episode of "What Beauty Founders Don't Know" (formerly JumpStart Beauty Brand), May takes us through her hippie childhood, her nomadic formative years, the change she wanted to bring with her eponymous skincare line while sharing million dollar insights on launching and growing an ahead of its time, disruptive beauty brand that no luxury skincare brand on the planet can stand up to!

She was the first to pour her love into a bottle!

Take a listen!

Timestamps and Key Insights

04:56.8-May's childhood and her parents dreamy barn romance

09:21.7-May's first hostile encounter with the fragrance soap on a sleepover

13:04.1-Long hours at the local library

17:04.1-Human guinea pigs, Immersion into ancient to modern beauty texts

19:55.3-May unlocks the key to women's bathroom

28:24.5-May goes for the weird

31:18.2-Perfecting her formulations

34:49.1-What if?

42:01.8-How May got over the fear of sharing her formulas?

44:46.3-The key insight driving her mission

49:24.1-Cult status and revenue co-relation

52:51.6-May Lindstrom retailer conversations

54:46.5-May Lindstrom & Romain of The Detox Market chit chat about the future of natural beauty

01:01:05.3-Why aren't there more disruptive and authentic beauty brands?

01:09:40.6-Worthy of extraordinary care

01:11:15.1-Childhood without running water

01:14:40.4-May Lindstrom's ongoing innovation & the story behind her iconic packaging

01:34:44.9-May Lindstrom Care Bears

01:37:20.9-How would May Lindstrom like to grow?

01:47:57.2-Pandemic's impact on demand

01:52:44.4-A brand with brakes on

02:01:28.8-Next steps to stimulate demand

02:12:29.8-Toughest time in her business

02:25:12.9-Speed Round

02:49:16.5-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

02:53:32-May getting the majority of her food from a woman's shelter

02:57:05-Set for growth now, scale to stay

03:06:50-May's great big invitation to the listeners

-Subscribe to our podcast & don't forget to leave a review

-And then go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jumpaccelerator.com/quiz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for finding out how ready is your beauty brand for profitable growth

& 

-TAKE YOUR FREE ONLINE COURSE: https://jumpaccelerator.com/online-courses/

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