Are you interested in getting your products in the hands of aestheticians? This is a VERY different experience than working with other types of retailers. Here’s a little insight on how it all works from Kate O’Grady - who in addition to her extensive experience and wealth of knowledge is responsible for keeping my own skin in the best shape!

Shortly after I moved to Upstate NY in 2011, I was exploring the adorable downtown of one of the many smaller cities that dot the region when I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. It was the chicest, most elegant logo on a window that read BLK DOG. The image was so powerful and stylish that I immediately had to know all about it. If that isn’t a testament to the importance of great design, I don’t know what is!

Once I got over the initial disappointment that BLK DOG wasn’t a fabulous new restaurant or trendy boutique, I began a long relationship with Jesse Tyree and the team at his agency - BLK DOG. Jesse has such a high taste level and understands the importance of a strong brand identity and even better - BLK DOG really excels at packaging design, which is not something that everyone can say. Jesse was kind enough to answer a few questions for me and I wanted to share his interview with all of you.

I am originally from NYC and lived there for most of my life. After relocating to Upstate New York, there were lots and lots of big differences to get used to. One of the biggest is I have to drive to get basically everything vs. walking out my front door and having my pick of places to grab a morning coffee!

And in Upstate New York, they serve Pepsi and not Coke in restaurants. I’m not a big Coke/Pepsi drinker but my husband is, so I definitely noticed this. Every time he asked for a Coke - which he still does after 10+ years living Upstate - the response is the same. “We don’t have Coke. We have Pepsi. Is that OK?

I hired The Content Agency to help me with content creation and social media management. One month later…I signed THREE exciting new clients, and it definitely did not stop there! Rachel is also the one who takes all of these awesome pictures of me, and has really helped me to come out of my shell.

A few years ago, a former Estee Lauder colleague referred me to a woman who had created an innovative new product. Off I went with my awesome younger Millennial colleague to this founder’s chic offices in Midtown Manhattan to meet her and learn about her product. It was a multi-purpose, ultra rich, does-it-all moisturizer.

As we sat in her office and she filled us in on her brand story, her goals, and the formula, I blurted out “Oh! So this is for a middle aged woman then. I’m so excited because that makes me your customer!”

Upon hearing this, our brand founder screwed up her face like she had tasted something impossibly sour and asked, “And exactly how old are you?”

Mayur Dave is the founder and President of Botanic Beauty Labs Laboratories and Manufacturing. Mayur is very humble and modest, but he really is the go-to guy when it comes to formulation and manufacturing. So many brand founders who get their start making their own products at home or in their own lab wonder when and how to outsource manufacturing, so I wanted to share some solid information from someone with deep experience in this area.

Mayur is super well versed in Ayurveda which makes him very special and unique to the industry. He is actually the person that introduced me to Ayurveda way back when, and I have been lucky enough to work with a few Ayurvedic beauty brands since then. Mayur was even friends with Horst Rechelbacher, the creator of Aveda (who I was also lucky enough to meet). Please read on!

The biggest pain point for most beauty brands is wholesale. Just how do you get on the shelves of your dream retailers? So many people set out to do this on their own and throw up their hands in frustration. Can you do your own sales? The answer is yes - but that doesn’t mean it is the best way for everyone.

Franca Zanovello is someone I never stop recommending. She is the founder of Zanovello Consultants and has over 20 years of experience in business development, sales and marketing for beauty brands. I first met Franca in 2002 when we were both working at LVMH on the iconic Italian beauty and lifestyle brand Acqua di Parma.

To be honest, I was very intimidated by her because she was and is just super elegant and chic - and she knows her shit! We did become great friends, and have enjoyed working together on many projects.

What if it seems like the entire world is zigging while you and your brand are zagging?

I can speak to this only too well because in recent years, my personal aesthetic was not the dominant one. Minimalism and muted tones ruled the day, and I'm just not minimalist. I used to feel bad about that because social media dictated that I was supposed to be wearing beige and shopping at West Elm. All my friends and contemporaries were raving about Marie Kondo. She made me cringe. Maximalism was what “sparked joy” for me - not throwing out all the vintage clothing I had spent years collecting.

Meet Aggie Burnett: Creator of the groundbreaking conventional to cult status program for beauty brands

I want to talk to you about something super important.

I have too many hobbies. Three of my hobbies are kind of expensive:

Collecting perfume

Collecting vintage clothing

CrossFit (yes, I’m one of THOSE people)

All of these are absolutely 100% worth the money I spend on them.

I meet so many brand founders who just love creating and formulating. When I asked one recently about her hobbies, she only had one: making plant based skincare. I really wanted to tell her to take a cooking class or try knitting, because while yes - this could be someone’s hobby…I do not think that is why she or anyone else really creates products. The goal is of course, to sell them and make money.