WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

I recently had the opportunity to chat with former KPOP star and current CEO of Matter of Fact, Paul Baek about his inspiring career journey that has taken him from the Deep South to South Korea and beyond! 

In this episode, Paul tells us about the tenacity that took him from his childhood home in the South to an internship in Korea pursuing a music career in KPOP! “I was like a moth to the flame. I needed to get closer to this music that meant so much to me.”

Talking to Paul it’s clear that his passion, whether it be music or skincare lies in the creating; “I love being in the lab making things. There’s a more lasting satisfaction that comes from creating things and being creative. The process of creating that can sometimes lead to success is much more satisfying in the long run.”

To hear more about Paul’s fascinating career journey, listen to this episode on your favorite podcasting platform!

Milani Cosmetics CEO Mary Van Praag was born with an entrepreneurial spirit that has served her well. We chatted with Mary about everything from her journey “selling Avon on the locker block” to being a leader who listens. 

“Sales teaches you to find the win/win in most situations…when you get a no, how do you find the win in those situations?” Mary’s positive attitude about turning the dreaded “no” in sales into a teaching moment is a refreshing take. “I try to listen. How do you get that person to be on the same path as you?”

Mary’s winning attitude may have led her to a leadership role, but she doesn’t let that get to her head. “My job is to get the best out of everybody, CEO happens to be what my title is.” 

“I’m one of those leaders who likes a good turnaround story. I thrive when I see other people’s success. I believe in building relationships and fostering this growth together.” 

What does Mary think of the #quietquitting trend? How does she see the upside when hearing “no'' during a sale? And should you move to a new city for that job? To hear Mary’s answers to these questions and much more, check out the full episode! 

In this engaging episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, I had the pleasure of interviewing Denis Asamoah, the Co-Founder of FORVR Mood, a luxury lifestyle brand he launched with his fiancée and influencer, Jackie Aina, in 2020. At FORVR Mood, Denis and his team strive to make self-care more accessible to consumers while emphasizing that quality products shouldn't come at a high cost. At the start of our conversation, we touched on Denis's childhood dream of becoming a soccer player and how he discovered his natural sales talent when he started selling sweets in school. We also delved into his early career journey, including his experience working in investment banking, which equipped him with valuable skills and knowledge that have helped shape his approach as a successful entrepreneur at FORVR Mood. It was intriguing to hear how each experience contributed to his overall leadership style, work ethic, and company culture. Our discussion covered various topics, including the significance of leadership and networking, creating a solid company culture, effective hiring strategies, and prioritizing results. Tune in for a fascinating conversation with a driven and insightful entrepreneur.

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, I had the privilege of sitting down with Jill Scalamandre, a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of experience in leadership positions at renowned companies such as Revlon, Shiseido, Prada, Coty, Fekkai, and Bare Minerals. As the current CEO of Beekman 1802, the world's largest goat milk body-care brand, Jill shared her journey and insights on the beauty industry. During our conversation, she talked about how her passion for fashion evolved into a thriving career in the beauty sector, the importance of having a "champion" in the workplace who supports and provides growth opportunities, the benefits of pursuing your passion over just a job title, and more!

As a young girl living in Korea, Yanghee Paik dreamt of becoming a K-pop star. As time went on, she discovered she also had a love for business. Yanghee eventually found a job that fulfilled both aspirations as an entertainment executive at Disney. She enjoyed her position there, but it wasn’t until she had lunch with her now co-founder that she realized it was time to change her career path. The topic of discussion was how difficult it was to find natural and organic feminine care products. After much research, Yanghee and her co-founder realized that the feminine care industry was dominated by big brands that offered no options for high-quality, high-performing, sustainable feminine care products. And that is how her company Rael came to be! In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we discuss how Yanghee integrated South Korean technology to differentiate Rael from other brands, what she learned from working at Disney and how that has helped her, how Rael is expanding, and so much more!

In 2015, David Gaylord graduated with a degree in Digital Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. During his early years in the marketing world, his dad insisted on him using his technical skills to help the family business (Gaylord Hardwood Flooring) and create a website. David decided that a smart move for his family business would be to become a Shopify merchant. This ended up being a great move for the family business and  eventually David started working for Shopify to learn more about e-commerce and marketing. It was a short while after when a co-worker of his, after his honeymoon, came to him with a fresh (literally and figuratively) idea! Natural products to treat your sensitive areas. With his digital marketing background and everything he learned at Shopify, David saw an opportunity and recognized a white space in the market for these products. Bushbalm was officially created. A skincare line specifically but not limited to targeting areas that are commonly ignored. In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we discuss the inspiration behind Bushbalm, his career journey, how David built a successful skincare company, and of course, his definition of success.  

When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Echo Sandburg responded, “an astronaut.” Since she was a little girl, she knew her dreams involved traveling far and wide. While her career path didn’t steer her to space, it took her to places such as California, Hong Kong, Texas, and Arizona! Today Echo Sandburg is the Chief Brand Officer of Colgate-Palmolive Skin Health. She is a talented marketer and industry leader who guides growth efforts for EltaMD and two other well-known skincare brands (PCA Skincare, the leader in peels, and Filorga, an innovative luxury skincare brand from France). In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we discuss pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to get further in your career, the value of being adaptable and flexible, and the importance of embracing the present. We also get on a more personal note with Echo, discussing her goals, her passion for skin health, her family, and more!  

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, I talked with Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, Senior Director at Procter and Gamble! She has worked with many notable brands, such as Olay, Secret, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, and My Black is Beautiful. Dr. Wilkerson is responsible for working behind the scenes with dermatologists, clinicians, and P&G beauty scientists to develop and report on the latest and emerging skin and hair technologies in the industry. As a young child, Dr. Wilkerson experienced the trials of not feeling positive about her own hair or skin. That is why today, she has such a passion for helping others with their hair and skin journey. While creating these products is her job, she reminds us that the people behind the scenes are consumers as well, therefore humanizing the industry. Please tune in to hear about her career journey, the importance of educating and being transparent regarding products, what she wants to see more of in the industry, and of course, her definition of success! 

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, we get into it with BioHack-HERS, Lauren Berlingeri and Katie Kaps, Co-Founders of HigherDOSE. Their company has cultivated the hottest at-home wellness tools using nature inspired technologies to release feel-good chemicals such as Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins and more! Originally they were put on the map for their infrared Sauna Blanket and celebrity favorite PEMP Mat. They also offer a collection of ingestibles and topicals that boost the benefits of their devices. Tune in as we discuss with these business partners and best friends their career journeys, new products, how they define success, how different treatments and technologies can push you to perform at a higher level, their favorite wellness procedures, and more! 

From a young age, Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry knew she wanted to be a Physician. Her interest in the field was piqued when her mother, a nurse at the time, brought her to a "Take Your Daughter to Work" day. All it took was a little white coat and stethoscope for young Michelle, and that was it; her path was set. Today Dr. Michelle Henry is a Harvard-trained Mohs Surgeon and owns a practice, The Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan. In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Dr. Michelle Henry and I discuss the theme of artistry regarding aesthetic medicine; How one millimeter can really change the way one walks through the world. She discusses the importance of recognizing that there isn't one type of beautiful only "your kind of beautiful." We also chat about her favorite treatments, the importance of learning to say "No", how she proactively schedules to make time for work and personal life, and of course, her definition and way of dealing with success.

#wbmb #careerjourney #dermatologist #seductionofsuccess