As a company founded and run by women, we understand the importance of uplifting and supporting the creative, dedicated, and intelligent women across all industries, especially our own. The beauty industry executive suites are still overwhelmingly dominated by straight men, despite being an industry created and sustained largely by women and the LGBTQIA+ community. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women leading some of our favorite beauty brands who are paving the way for better representation. Click the links to read the women featured in Day 2 and Day 3.
We asked them to answer 4 questions:
- What inspired you to start your business?
- What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
- How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
- Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of
Ashley Meston, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Basd Body Care
What inspired you to start your business?
We wanted to create a brand where people felt empowered and confident, to us that meant creating clean and accessible body care products that smell great and make you feel like the babe you are.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It’s a time to celebrate and honour all of the incredible women from our past, our present, and those that will shape our future.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
We always focus on the solutions and work through the outcomes together — without judgement, just open-mindedness. Once the challenge is solved we can then go back and reflect on what led to the issue in the first place and learn from it.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
I’m most proud of the business we started and the fact that we employ so many incredible women who each have divergent opinions, skill sets and voices. These differences are celebrated and make us thrive as a team — I’m truly grateful for what we have.
Gretta Perez Licea, CEO, Zao Organic Makeup USA
What inspired you to start your business?
Skin sensitivity has always been part of my life. I was completely convinced that something truly clean and natural must be available but to my surprise, I had no success in finding it. That’s when my own research started for one!
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It allows us to see that we have everything it takes to be successful through our own words and actions. This day allows us to empower ourselves and highlight what makes us unique in our own passions.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
By staying truthful and honest, keeping a realistic perspective and being professional in everything.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
My kids.
Jaclyn Gil Serchuk, Owner, My Soigne
What inspired you to start your business?
I didn’t want to use a million products to make my curls look ‘nice’. I just wanted a simple routine with clean, natural hair products. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I made it.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It’s a day to remind us to stop for a moment and appreciate all the amazing women all around the world who are doing their thing.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
When facing an issue it’s really important to allow others to step up and show off their strengths. I try to encourage that by having an open and collaborative environment.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
I am most proud of the moment I decided to quit my 9–5 to pursue my dream full time. Taking the risk has allowed for more growth and more time with my daughter.
Tricia Morris, CEO & Founder, Eyetitude
What inspired you to start your business?
I’ve always believed that the eyes are the windows to our soul. Being in the beauty industry for many years, I could not find a brand that created a formula curing the issues for this delicate skin without compromising the type of ingredients being used to achieve the results.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day is a day that celebrates women’s equality in every area, but especially in the workplace. Today is a celebration of the strides that have been made against discrimination and inequality since the early 1900s.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
Instead of focusing on the issue I like to direct our attention to the solution. With every issue there is always a creative way to solve the problem.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
Becoming a certified women’s business was an accomplishment that I am proud of.
Natalie White, CEO, Be Well Company Skincare
What inspired you to start your business?
I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014 after being bedridden for almost a year. I’ve fully reversed my symptoms ever since with a clean eating and toxic free lifestyle and no drugs, that incorporates superfood ingredients. I used those (and now other) superfood ingredients to create the Be Well Company Skincare line when I couldn’t find products that were as clean, as luxurious, or worked as well as I was looking for.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It means taking a day to slow down and recognize the work and achievements of women everywhere, which frankly we should be doing every day. It also symbolizes women taking charge of their own destiny without waiting or asking for permission.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
I provide them the tools to solve problems themselves. I encourage them to speak their minds. I reward them for each and every success.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
Reversing my MS with a clean eating and toxic free living lifestyle which led me to launch the be well company.
Hilary Orr, Founder, Honestly pHresh
What inspired you to start your business?
Growing up on wheat germ and carob, my mother always provided a natural environment for me growing up, complete with organic garden and baking soda for toothpaste — yuck! Despite her natural lifestyle, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 50’s, at this time I started my venture into developing a natural deodorant that would not irritate her radiated skin, which I did! My mission was to create a baking soda free, effective product.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day means celebrating this continuous movement forward and being so proud of myself, my daughters and every woman in my life.
How do you empower your team when facing an issue?
My team actually consists of all women, not purposely, but it just kind of happened which is wonderful. We run into a lot of issues here as we manufacture, ship and pack all of our own products. When, what seems like a disaster strikes, I am quite calm and forgiving. Learning from mistakes is quite empowering as well as moving on from them. We do not dwell here, we move forward.
Please share the one accomplishment you are most proud of.
Running my company from every aspect, formulating, manufacturing, packing and shipping to our customers.
Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021: Day 1 was originally published in Think Dirty on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.