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Entrepreneurs have become the superstars of our era fueled by an overly simplified narrative of disruptive ideas, unicorns and big exits. In reality the paths of founders are not created equal and the moment you realize the potential of product market fit is when the difficult journey begins. This week, Kelly Kovack is joined by Beatrice Dixon, the Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot. Beatrice discusses how she may have only had two nickels to rub together but with a vision and persistence, her brand is now carried at Whole Foods, Target and Walgreens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While there are more female CEOs in beauty today than there ever has been, men still dominate the C-Suite and boardroom, at least the biggest companies. The women who have broken through the glass ceiling to reach the top of the organizational chart are using their influence to pave the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Kelly Kovack is joined this week by one of these women, JuE Wong, the CEO and Executive Board Member of Olaplex. Kelly talks to JuE about her impressive track record of scaling emerging brands and globalizing established ones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visionary leaders see the world differently. They have a clear idea of how the future should look, and embrace the unknown as a blank canvas for innovation and opportunities. This week, Kelly Kovack is joined by one such visionary, Brook Harvey- Taylor, the Founder and President of Pacifica Beauty. In 1996, before clean beauty was even a thing, Brook had started a movement focusing on putting the planet first and protecting animals. She sits down with Kelly to discuss her career, and how she continues to pioneer a space where beauty brands do better.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technology has unlocked the power of data and its ability to tackle complex problems transforming the beauty industry. At the same time the clean beauty movement created an army of informed consumers demanding full transparency about the products they purchase. While brands may want to provide transparency the complexity of the supply chain compounded by legacy thinking made it next to impossible. Kelly Kovack sits down with data scientist Kimberly Shenk, the Founder of Novi to discuss how she created a platform that leverages data and technology to make the product development process in beauty transparent, fair, and sustainable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have big dreams of scaling, passion will only get you so far. Many minority business owners lack access to long term resources to help them navigate big partnerships, and sustain growth for the long haul. Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Brain Trust, is on a mission to provide beauty and lifestyle founders with the resources they need to amplify, sustain and grow to become the next generation of the world’s most coveted brands. She joins Kelly Kovack to discuss how she is ensuring that the future of beauty and wellness is representative of the true diversity of beauty consumers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charisma coupled with operational ability makes for incredibly strong leaders.Throw creativity into the mix and you have a visionary. Mike Indursky the founder and CEO of Hear Me Raw has left his imprint on big beauty for three decades at L’Oreal, Unilever, Burts Bees and Bliss. Kelly Kovack sits down with Mike to discuss his new role as entrepreneur, his ability to scale ideas and his mission to clean up the beauty industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some founders are driven by the monetization of an idea while others unlock opportunities following their passion and fueled by creativity. The confluence of these motivations can lead to game-changing brands. Kelly Kovack sits down with Alli Webb, the co-founder of Drybar to discuss how she built a business that disrupted the beauty industry, and what's next for this consummate visionary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A brand is the culmination of your story, your product, and your people. It's how your customers perceive you and why shareholders believe in you. Customers are now driving brand conversations in a continuous, always on, feedback loop. What used to be a build and enforce methodology has evolved to a constant curating, connecting, communicating, and adjusting. Companies must engage or be caught flat footed. Nadim Sadek,  Founder and CEO of ProQuo AI sits down with Kelly Kovack to discuss why he got back into the business of brands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brands and their founders are stepping up to tackle big global problems using the power of business to be part of the solution. In our hyper-connected world, sometimes it's difficult to slow down and play the long game, especially when your competitors are building against a completely different paradigm. True innovation requires a commitment that often means more friction, more time, and higher costs compared to the industry norms. Ara Katz is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Seed Health, a biotech startup that's developing novel uses of bacteria to improve human and planetary health. She sits down with Kelly Kovack to explain why she is happy to play the long game, and why she believes that when it comes to human health, and the health of our planet, no corners should be cut. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charisma, intelligence and storytelling are a heady mix. Add kindness and gratitude into the equation, and you have a leader with the ability to move markets and build inspired teams. Sometimes these leaders come with prestigious educations, and sometimes the most effective leaders work their way up from the ground floor. Chris Salgardo, CEO of  Chipican & Founder of Lightning Bolt Industry Consulting, is one of those leaders. Chris sits down with Kelly Kovack to discuss his career path from the retail floor to President of Kiehls, why he walked away from it all in 2017, and why he decided to come back.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inspiration is the fuel for creative minds that often happens in unexpected ways opening us up to new possibilities that transcend our ordinary experiences. The role of inspiration is often overlooked, but it's the springboard for creativity that leads to disrupting convention with radically new ideas. Robb Akridge, AKA Dr. Robb, the Founder and CEO of OPULUS Beauty Labs , sits down with Kelly Kovack to discuss how he harnesses inspiration to develop products and brands that redefine the beauty industry .   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The consumer desire for personalized products is not new, and technology is finally making it possible. But not all personalization is created the same. The true innovators among us are digging, pushing the capabilities of technology, and reinventing the manufacturing process to truly deliver consumers what they want: Product made just for them. Melissa Snover, Founder and CEO of Nourished, talks with Kelly Kovack about how she is pushing the envelope on what’s possible, and how her focus is on the power of personalization. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.