Where Brains Meet Beauty

Who would have ever started a business on the idea of rethinking toothpaste, a taken-for-granted product that has barely changed in decades? Well, that’s exactly what our guests, Julian and Cody Levine, Co-Founders of Twice, are doing. But they’re doing much more than just creating a fabulous tasting, good-for-you toothpaste without questionable ingredients. Inspired by their dentist dad’s work in organizing volunteer teams of dental professionals to bring dental care to underserved communities, they set up their business to support and expand the outreach of the non-profit GLO Good. Having observed the difference healthy teeth can make in someone’s life—from alleviating pain to instilling the confidence that comes with feeling great about your smile—they have committed their brand to improving the experience of oral care for the first world while sharing their passion and good fortune with the developing world. It’s a riveting story…join us. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsm

It’s safe to say that Asha Coco, VP of Sales and Business Development at Givaudan, is the only WBMB guest who has been a Rockette. She acknowledges how lucky she was to have found her two passions—dance and fragrance—early in life. The challenge was choosing between them. She tried to pursue them both for as long as she could but finally came to that proverbial fork in the road—a job offer from Clarins Fragrance Group that forced her to answer the question, “Which way?” She chose the business route for its long-term possibilities, not realizing that these two worlds would overlap here and there. As she happily discovered, “the world of beauty completely intersects with art and culture, especially in fragrance.” Though not in a kick line any more, Asha is completely thrilled with her choice, her work and the creative opportunities it offers. Don’t miss her full story and her reflections on crafting the career you want. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

After 12+ years in marketing positions for various Estée Lauder brands, Maura Cannon Dick needed a break. After the birth of her second child, she took it. Treasuring the time for her family and herself, she also knew when she was ready she to get back to the beauty world. But this time she wanted to do it on her own terms. Through thorough networking, thoughtful skill sharpening and a unique ability to show potential clients what she was worth, she has built an impressive consulting business that lets her keep her fingers in all the things she loves about the beauty business. But now she takes time for her family and herself and structures her work so that it enhances but doesn’t dominate her life. Hear Maura’s full story, complete with helpful hints on how she did it…and how she continues to do it. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

From the time she first leafed through her mother’s magazines as a child, Alison Engstrom knew she wanted to be part of the world of magazine publishing. But it was a series of unsatisfying jobs and a life-changing medical diagnosis that enabled her to take the leap and make her dream a reality. Alison shared with us how she changed her attitude and developed the confidence to start Rose & Ivy, a biannual print and digital magazine that brings together her love of fashion, beauty, travel and food in a curated, more elevated way than most of today’s niche magazines. Hear her inspiring story of building the life she imagined and overcoming the roadblocks and detours along the way. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

Rochelle Weitzner, CEO and Founder of Pause Well-Aging, spent years as a C-level executive improving the bottom line of brands dedicated to the idea of anti-aging. Until one day, she experienced her first hot flash, and realized the beauty industry’s attitude as literally anti-age left her, and millions of women her age, underserved if not outright ignored. So at 50, she started a brand made for menopausal skin. In the process of doing so, she’s also created a platform for destigmatizing menopause and allowing women to age on their own terms. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

Growing up with two ill parents, Dr. Patricia Wexler decided she wanted to be a doctor at the age of 5, and it was a goal she never wavered on. Or as she put it, “I’ve been pre-med my whole life.” In this episode, the legendary cosmetic dermatologist takes us through the history of her incredible career, from opening her own office while 7 months pregnant to her evolution as a product developer and brand builder. She also reveals how she makes time for her husband of 47 years, two daughters and two grandchildren by the simple – though not always easy – decision to not rush through life. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

In this episode, hear the story of Camille McDonald, a multi-decade beauty industry veteran who came up during the peak of Christie Brinkley’s popularity and most recently retired as President of Brand Merchandising at Bath and Body Works. Well, “retired” is a word we’ll use loosely here, because her idea of retirement has been diversifying her knowledge base from fragrance to skincare, and embarking on a new career in consulting. Plus, get a senior executive’s eye view on the state of retail and how to stay relevant in your chosen field of work. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

During her time working in advertising, Georgina Gooley, Founder of Billie, discovered a pointless double standard in consumer goods: Women were being charged more for inferior products when it came to shave products, aka The Pink Tax. Her response was Billie, a better shave product for women at better prices. In creating this company, she’s aligned both a social mission and for-profit business. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Essence Grant, Beauty Director at BuzzFeed, didn’t have a specific dream job in mind back when she was in college. She just knew somewhere at the intersection of beauty, media and entertainment, she’d be okay. So when an opportunity to write about New York’s Fashion Week came her way, she went for it. (Though it did involve skipping class.) With pluck and grit, that first job led to another and to BuzzFeed, one the internet’s most highly trafficked sites. If you want to break into media, then this episode is a must-listen. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com    

With a nod to Mother’s Day, this week’s episode features Lauren and Rachel Piskin, the mother-daughter team behind ChaiseFitness. Lauren, a former competitive ice skater and Rachel, a former professional ballet dancer, developed their own fitness method combining pilates and resistance equipment as a response to health issues Rachel sustained as a dancer. The two describe the dynamics of mixing family with business and how their generational difference have been a boon to biz.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

When Tina Hedges, Founder of LOLI Beauty, began the process of raising money for her company, she had already ticked off a lot of boxes. Proof of concept. Glowing press. Years of experience in the beauty industry. So she didn’t expect the response she got from the prominent venture capitalists she pitched: You’re over 40, therefore too old. You’re not pitching tech, so we’re not interested. And by the way. . . you’re too experienced. Demoralizing words for any entrepreneur to hear, but she wasn’t about to let this be the end of her – or her brand’s – story. In this episode, hear how she turned the tide to become one of the few chosen by an elite start-up incubator that’s helping to propel her brand to the next level.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

Nancy McKay spent the bulk of her career faithful to one company, but the experiences that made her successful didn’t all come directly on the job. During her 28 years as an Estee Lauder executive, she used lessons gleaned from her life outside of beauty: Her college debate team, an earlier aspiration towards politics, and a chance encounter with tennis great Andre Agassi. As the current CEO of Barefoot Scientist, Nancy tells us how a life filled with varied experiences can serve your well where you’d least expect it.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

Rachel Roff always knew she wanted to be an esthetician. So four days after graduating from college, she was back in the classroom, but this time at esthetic school. During her time there, she noticed how limited treatment options were for people of color. Her efforts to change what she saw as outright prejudice led her to found Urban Skin Solutions Med Spa and later Urban Skin Rx Skincare, both focused on serving a clientele of diverse skin tones. In this episode, hear how recognizing a need for inclusivity allowed her business to grow from a single location med spa to an insider destination with a skincare brand now available at retail powerhouses like Target and Ulta. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

When Blair James, Owner and Co-Founder of Bondi Sands, was a kid, he wanted to be a basketball player, Formula One race car driver, or a brand creator. While the first two didn’t quite pan out, his instinctual understanding of how people connect with brands has paid off. Bondi Sands is not only a self-tanning brand with global distribution, but the market leader on social media. In this episode, hear how the brand evolved and grew from a single tanning salon and glean key insights on the importance of truly knowing your customer.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Rita Hazan, a celebrity colorist, product innovator and salon owner, has been in business for 20 years strong. Hear how she’s managed to keep innovating and stay relevant even as trends and fads cycle faster and faster through the consumer experience. Consider this episode a masterclass in career longevity.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com  

This week’s guest, Beth Russell, Founder of House of Potentia, sits down to talk about her mission to encourage personal change through perfumery. With a background in pyschology, she created House of Potenia with the idea of “olafactive induction”, or as she says, “Using scent as an agent of change and a reminder of how you want to feel.” Get a deeper look inside her brand and its purpose, and get to know her other life as an alpaca farmer and advocate for adoption.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Sometimes a career finds you and not the other way around. That’s what happened for Eloise Cheung, a hairstylist who has clocked in over two decades of editorial, advertising, and red carpet jobs. In college, she majored in engineering for a year before dropping out; that move led to a series of fortuitous breaks which would eventually cumulate into the job she loves now. Hear how she went from Chinatown shampoo girl to apprentice at John Freida to a sought-after freelance stylist, along with advice on managing a freelance career and how to break into the world of hair circa 2019.   #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

Back in 1992, Laura Slatkin and her husband Harry both had lucrative Wall Street careers on the rise. But their entrepreneurial spirits got the better of them, and that year they left the safety of a steady paycheck to open a home-fragrance shop. This eventually lead to Laura founding NEST Fragrances. In this episode, she recalls the challenges of creating what’s essentially today’s home fragrance industry, why she did it, and how she holds her high-octane life together. Recorded live as part of our Podcast in Residence series with Saks Fifth Avenue. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

If you’ve ever looked into the perfume-making process, you probably know there’s someone called a “nose” involved… as in a job title, not a body part. Andrea Bifulco is herself familiar with these mystical wizards of scent, having stumbled on a career in fragrance development thanks to a fateful temp job at Estée Lauder. Now currently the founder of Nose University, an educational olfactive program aimed at kids, she lets us in on the often mysterious process of fragrance creation, the secret language of scent and how vital smell can be to living a mindful, perceptive life. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com

If you have a vagina or know someone who does, then this episode is for you. Meet Rachel Braun Scherl, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of SPARK Solutions for Growth and author of Orgasmic Leadership: Profiting from the Coming Surge in Women’s Sexual Health and Wellness. Or as she likes to call herself, a “vagipreneur®” (Yes, she registered the term). As a business consultant focused on women’s health, she’s been influential disrupting the feminine care industry, calling out double standards that exist in marketing women’s reproductive products vs men’s and creating better solutions for periods, pregnancies and personal pleasure. Hear how she found herself at the intersection of commerce, health and female agency and why she wrote a book on it. #wherebrainsmeetbeauty @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com