WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

From modeling for Ralph Lauren to crafting intoxicating perfumes that weave tales of their own, Chris Collins, CEO and Founder of the World of Chris Collins, certainly knows what it takes to be the narrator of your own story!

This week we’re so excited to sit down with Chris and dive into the significance of seizing opportunities, seeking mentorship, and unwaveringly following your dreams.

From London, to New York Chris Collins is no stranger to making bold leaps of faith. As we unravel the threads of his journey, from a childhood steeped in a passion for sports to navigating the world of social media, it becomes clear that Chris is not just a narrator but a maestro.

Chris illuminates the winding road that led him to the fragrance industry - a path filled with serendipitous encounters and unforeseen twists that ultimately revealed his true calling.

For more on Chris Collins' inspiring journey, tune in to this episode on your preferred podcast platform!

Thank you Chris Collins for sharing your career journey with us! Follow us @wherebrainsmeetbeauty on Instagram for updates on new episodes and exclusive off-air content.

#RalphLauren #Fragrance #TheWorldOfChrisCollins #MetGala #Entrepreneurship #Influencer #Empathy

As reality television super fans, we were very excited to continue our Influencer Wisdom Quarter with Serena Pitt. Serena was a contestant on The Bachelor Season 25 and won Bachelor In Paradise Season 7. Since her reality TV days, Serena is the Founder of @reset_ thelabel and is the host of the Bachelor Happy Hour Podcast.

After studying communications in college and a stint in the world of PR, Serena entered the world of reality television where she met her husband Joe. Deciding what and what not to post is an ongoing conversation: when the whole world saw your love story unfold, how much access should they be permitted? While some influencers are comfortable posting every aspect of their lives to social media, Serena doesn’t feel the need to post every moment to the grid.

As an avid traveler, Serena was inspired to create her own brand, RESET, from the need for pieces that are fashion-forward but don’t sacrifice functionality.

To learn more about Serena’s career journey, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

#SerenaPitt #TheBachelor #BachelorInParadise #RESETTheLabel

We were thrilled to kick off our Influencer Wisdom Quarter with none other than Brittany Lo. Brittany is a beauty expert and influencer that has collabed with brands including Sephora and American Express and is the Founder and CEO of Beia and Beautini.

Though Brittany’s plan was always to start her own beauty line, (and even had her own mascara line in high school!) her path to being a founder and CEO was anything but predictable.

After a college internship at L’Oréal, Brittany was on the fast track to the corporate world, but when a TV producer reached out to her about joining the cast of a dating show, she answered the call!

Brittany may not have met Mr. Right on the short-lived show Coupled, but she did gain a loyal social media following. With her business acumen and her passion for beauty, Brittany developed Beia as a vegan skincare brand built on boosting sensual confidence in the bedroom and beyond.

To learn more about Britany’s career journey and to hear about the books that Brittany (and our host Jodi) recommend to entrepreneurs, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode Reading List:

Traction by Gino Wickman

10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan

Built To Sell by John Warrillow

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

We couldn’t think of a better way to close out our C-Suite Wisdom Quarter than chatting with the Founder and CEO of Glowbar, Rachel Liverman! Rachel has wanted to be a leader since her early days playing “store” with her stuffed animals, so it’s no surprise that Glowbar’s signature 30-minute facials have reached cult status since opening their doors in 2019.

Rachel always knew she wanted to lead, but she surprised herself when she ended up in the family business. That’s right: Rachel is a third generation esthetician. Growing up in a skincare family, she recalls seeing her mother wax people’s legs and being fascinated by the before & after transformations that occurred. Rachel even started a small leg-waxing business in elementary school! Mom was there to supervise, of course.

Fast-forward and Rachel found herself looking for a source for convenient, trustworthy, effective facials and realizing no such place existed. Rachel wrote an email to herself manifesting her business model in 2017 and in 2019 Glowbar opened its doors. Okay, we just gave ourselves chills.

For more of Rachel’s career journey, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

When Deon Libra Co-Founder and CEO Devin McGhee Kirkland’s father passed away in 2018 from a stress-related heart attack, she realized she had to make some lifestyle changes to deal with her own stress. After diving head-first into the world of natural stress remedies, Devin developed Deon Libra in 2020 as a way to combat the effects of chronic stress on Black bodies.

In her research on natural stress solutions, Devin learned about the healing powers of adaptogens - non-psychedelic mushrooms and was impressed by how much her sleep and anxiety improved. She couldn't help but wonder why these natural alternatives weren’t more widely accessible. Devin decided she could step up and be the one to bring both education and healing-products to her community.

To hear more about Devin’s career journey and Deon Libra’s mission, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

#DeonLibra #WBMB #CareerJourney

We continue our C-Suite Wisdom theme this episode with Founder & CEO of WTHN, Michelle Larivee! We were fascinated to learn about Michelle’s career journey from the world of International finance to the world of Eastern medicine.

So how does someone who worked in consulting with the World Economic Forum become the founder of a modern wellness company? Michelle tells us that she had tried everything from painkillers to physical therapy to cope with her chronic pain and couldn’t find relief. When a doctor recommended acupuncture, she was shocked at how incredible and immediate the results were. With this first exposure to Chinese medicine, it was if she’d been introduced to a tool kit she had no idea even existed.

But with this new discovery came an issue all too familiar in healthcare: accessibility. People either couldn't afford acupuncture or it could take months to get an appointment! Michelle saw an opening for a business and made her move…

To learn more about Michelle’s career journey, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

#WTHN #Acupuncture #ChineseMedicine #Cupping #CareerJourney #WBMB

We were so excited to sit down with Founder & Editor of The Beauty Loop Newsletter & Virtual Beauty Closet, Erica Metzger! With over 19 years experience in print and digital media as the Beauty Director at Ladies' Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Erica wanted to create something of her own. The Beauty Loop was born as an online newsletter to help facilitate community between PR execs and beauty journalists in our ever-changing community.

From starting off in the beauty industry as an intern at W Magazine to Editor of her own newsletter, Erica Metzger’s career journey is proof-positive that we are the only ones in charge of our own career journeys.

To hear more of Erica’s career journey, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

#BeautyLoop #WBMB #CareerJourney #VirtualBeautyCloset #BetterHomesAndGardens #LadiesHomeJournal #WMagazine

We are absolutely loving these chats from our C-Suite Wisdom quarter and today’s episode is no exception. We sat down with Lance Patterson, new CEO of Juice Beauty, a senior executive with over 20 years experience across the luxury retail and digital sectors including Kate Somerville and Peter Thomas Roth clinical skincare.

Lance’s career journey had humble beginnings and saw him working an entry-level job at a department store. Through grit and perseverance, Lance talked to the right people, got an interview to be a buyer, and landed the gig.

Fast-forward and Lance has discovered his niche in founder-owned brands. In being entrusted to uphold a founder’s vision for their brand as CEO, he’s being handed the keys to the castle.

To hear more of Lance’s career journey, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts!

#JuiceBeauty #WBMB #CareerJourney

We are thrilled to be kicking off 2024 with our C-Suite Wisdom theme! On today’s episode, we’re taking a peek behind the curtain of the career journey of Chris Payne, CEO of clean beauty brand @janeiredale, best known as the “skincare makeup”.

Chris’s career journey originally saw him following in his father’s footsteps of being a doctor. Though working in medicine wasn’t his path, it was clear that Chris wanted to help people, and his work at @janeiredale is clearly a perfect fit. In his role as CEO, Chris works to uphold Jane Iredale’s mission of making clean, skin-safe makeup accessible to everyone.

To learn more about Chris’s career journey and hear about the real-life Jane Iredale (who has a fascinating journey, herself!) tune into this episode wherever you get your podcasts.

#WBMB #careerjourney #janeiredale #cleanbeauty

In honor of the Where Brains Meet Beauty Listen Again Awards, we’re dedicating today’s episode to none other than the Listen Again Award recipients themselves: Shontay Lundy, Neil Scibelli and Ron Robinson!

We created these awards to celebrate the episodes that resonate with our listeners so much, they want to listen again! Like Episode 208 with Shontay Lundy, Founder & CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen. When she moved to Los Angeles, Shontay had no idea where she was headed next. Cue 4 months of hiking, reflecting, and dreaming — a transformative period that birthed the idea for her life-changing brand, Black Girl Sunscreen. From not knowing where she would live, to becoming the creator and founder of her own brand, you never know where that next big risk will take you!

In Episode 237 we spoke with Makeup Artist & On-Air Beauty Expert Neil Scibelli, who we know from his many on-air appearances at Good Morning America, and learned how everyday is different in the entertainment industry. In his episode, he tells listeners that as a freelancer you have to always show up for yourself because you don’t know where the job will take you next.

Ron Robinson, CEO & Founder of BeautyStat Cosmetics, chatted with us in Episode 244 as a part of our Health Innovations Quarter. Ron created BeautyStat first as a blog and then as a successful skincare line. But what touched us most about Ron’s career journey was how he became an innovator within his own family when he pursued a career in cosmetic chemistry.

A huge thank you to all of our guests for sharing your career journeys with us and congratulations to the recipients of the Listen Again Awards!

We hope you enjoy these episodes as much as we do!