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 t ..read more

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 w ..read more

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 journe ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

We are beyond thankful that we got to sit down for a chat this week with Lisa Lundy, Co Founder & CEO of Complex Creatures. Lisa comes from a career in fashion - Tommy Hilfiger and J.Crew jump out from her resume - even working with Bravo star and fashion icon Jenna Lyons back in her J.Crew days! But it was her sister’s breast cancer diagnosis that set Lisa on a trajectory that she likens to a calling. When Lisa’s sister was diagnosed at the age of 37, it was an eye-opening experience; from learning how to properly administer a self examination, to hearing about the effects of radiation ..read more

We couldn’t wait to speak with Komel Caruso, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer of HerMD, a comprehensive women's healthcare clinic that’s creating a safe, inclusive space for patients. We were particularly interested in HerMD’s mission in breaking the shame-cycle so often surrounding issues like menopause and sexual health. Komel founded HerMD with her sister Somi, inspired by their mother’s experience of being repeatedly dismissed by doctors when she was experiencing pain. While Somi had experience working as a doctor for 15 years, Komel had never worked in the medical field. What she did ..read more

As far as Health Innovators go, Ron Robinson has cemented his place in the ever-shifting beauty landscape as a go-to-guy for all things skincare. He created BeautyStat first as a blog, and now as a successful skincare line. Along with BeautyStat, Ron has a social media following where he helps his audience navigate which ingredients work and which ones don’t. But looking back, Ron tells us his career journey wasn’t always a given to those who knew him from the beginning. Growing up, there were two options in Ron’s family: be a doctor or a lawyer. When Ron strayed from the path that had been la ..read more

We are so excited to be diving deeper into the Health Innovations theme with Dr. Jennifer Linder, board certified dermatologist, Mohs Skin Care Surgeon and founder of Linder Health. As a military kid, Dr. Linder was keenly aware that life can change in an instant, so she learned how to adapt. Science became a huge part of her life, leading her to study engineering in college which scratched a problem-solving itch. The next piece of the puzzle was helping people. Well, living people… Dr. Linder took a physiology class where she worked with-wait for it-cadavers. Did someone say spooky season? Bu ..read more