WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

What does it take to transform a highly engaged community into a lasting consumer brand? On Episode 311 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Sincerely Yours COO & CMO Shelagh Wong and Coefficient Capital Partner Arpon Ray join Jodi Katz for a conversation about entrepreneurship, investing, and building brands that can stand the test of time. Shelagh shares how her background in management consulting s...

What does it take to build a beauty brand that can grow beyond a single hero product while staying true to its purpose? On Episode 310 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Mutha COO David Krzypow and Head of Brand Marketing Lauren Katz join Jodi Katz for a conversation about brand building, leadership, and navigating growth in today's increasingly competitive beauty landscape. David shares how his journey...

In Episode 309 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with two accomplished sales leaders, Jeff Giordano Martinez-Fonts, founder of GIO Marketing Consultants LLC, and Liz Cavalieri, Vice President of Sales at Malin + Goetz, for a candid conversation about the evolving relationship between beauty, sales, and leadership. Jeff and Liz share the winding career paths that led them to the...

In Episode 308 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Michelle LeBlanc, VP Merchandising, Beauty, & Personal Care at CVS Health, to discuss the strategy behind merchandising beauty across more than 8,000 stores. Michelle shares how CVS approaches localization, balances legacy and emerging brands, and thinks about shopper behavior through the lens of speed, convenience, and acces...

Episode 307 of Where Brains Meet Beauty wraps the “Power Duos” series with Rose and Ben Siard, co-founders of Rose and Ben Beauty. They share their 23-year partnership from meeting as teens in Texas to building a brand rooted in clear roles, mutual respect, and a community-first mindset. Before beauty, they were musicians, writing and performing together for over a decade, an experience that shape...

Episode 306 of Where Brains Meet Beauty continues the “Power Duos” series with sisters Allison and Jacqueline Taylor, co-founders of Le Prunier. What began as a fourth-generation Northern California plum farm evolved into a modern skincare brand rooted in sustainability, science, and family legacy. Allison and Jacqueline took very different paths - music and fashion on one side, wellness and culin...

Episode 305 of Where Brains Meet Beauty continues our Power Duos theme with an iconic beauty brand and the duo helping it thrive in a new era: Laura Geller, Founder of Laura Geller Beauty, and Sara Mitzner, VP of Brand Marketing. Together they share how founder authenticity, sharp brand focus, and a deep understanding of the customer have powered massive relevance, especially as pro-aging and matu...

Episode 304 of Where Brains Meet Beauty continues the Power Duos series with Jeffrey Lee, CEO & Co-Founder of DIBS Beauty and Katherine Rose, Vice President of Finance. Together they unpack what it really takes to scale a beauty brand through high-stakes moments - ERP overhauls, warehouse moves, tariff chaos, and rapid retail expansion. Katherine shares how a career that started in public acco...

Our Power Duos theme with a duo that is building in every sense of the word with Yongxi Tan and Aidan Neziri, co-founders of Bessie Nails. They share what it takes to launch a fast-growing press-on nail brand from a true consumer need, compete in a legacy category, and build a company together while also being partners in real life. Their roles are distinct but collaborative, and their dynamic is...

A true power duo: Blair Lancer, CMO, and Daniela De Los Santos, Global Education Director from Lancer Skincare. Together they share what it takes to grow a family-founded, dermatologist-led brand in a world where trust is everything, education cuts through noise, and community is built one conversation at a time. Daniela brings the brand to life on QVC, where she treats the camera like a one-on-on...

Each year, the Listen Again Awards recognize the episodes our audience continues to return to. Conversations that stay relevant, spark reflection, and offer depth beyond the moment. We’re thrilled to honor the 2025 Listen Again Award winners in this special Where Brains Meet Beauty episode. Q1 Power Moves: Excellence in Leadership Episode 277 – Danessa Myricks & Anncy Rowe. A powerful conversa...

For its 300th episode, Where Brains Meet Beauty highlights two women who prove that creative careers rarely follow a straight line. Celebrity hairstylist and makeup artist Sarai Martinez and influencer and UGC creator Tania Grover share how childhood dreams, unexpected pivots and sheer perseverance shaped the paths they are on today. Sarai always knew she wanted to be a hairstylist, even drafting...

Episode 299 of Where Brains Meet Beauty™ brings together two very different kinds of “technicians” who both turned specialized skills into flexible, creative lives. AR and AI developer, content creator and Cannes Lion winner Grace Choi sits beside fashion industry veteran, technical design consultant and creator Emily Kammeyer Sumner for a conversation that moves from X-Men superpowers to tax code...

Episode 298 of Where Brains Meet Beauty is one of the most emotional and human conversations of the season. Celebrity Esthetician Miranda Sturce and creator, former Miss South Carolina and Bachelor alum Davia Esther Bunch join the show for a raw discussion on ambition, burnout, healing and finding your way back to yourself. Miranda shares how caring for others has been part of her identity since c...

In Episode 297 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, founder and CEO of Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics Kim Baker and content creator and Your Glow Guide author Felicia Walker sit down to talk about building careers that did not exist when they were kids. Kim’s path starts at 13 as a model with Elite, crossing paths with legends like Andy Warhol and Basquiat, then being pulled out of the industry for her own saf...

In this Artistry & Influencer episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, content creators Jess Martinez (@jessstheblessed) and Kirti Tewani (@kirtitewani) share what it really looks like to build a career online while staying grounded offline. Jess calls herself an “accidental creator.” After casually posting hair videos, one went viral - 46 million views in under three weeks, while she was still wo...

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Dr. Ariel Ostad Dermatologist, Cosmetic Surgeon & Brand Founder and Kelsie Johnston, Former GM/Head of Beauty & Personal Care TikTok Shop US to explore how artistry, influence, and authenticity shape the future of beauty. From a middle school dream of becoming a buyer to helping launch TikTok Shop in the U.S., Kelsie sha...

In Episode 294 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Annie Robertson Hockey, President & Head of Consulting Skytale Group and Lauren D’Amore, Vice President Prelude Growth Partners to explore the intersection of personal passion and professional success in the booming beauty and med spa industries. From nearly becoming a ballerina or a doctor to leading investment and cons...

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, we explore how legal and financial experts fuel the growth of beauty and wellness brands. Guests Kara Posner, Partner at Gianuzzi Lewendon and Thomas Cunningham, Director of Business Development at Physician Growth Partners share how they help founders navigate funding, scale strategically, and prepare for exits. From childhood dreams of...

In Episode 292 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Sarah Foley, Managing Partner at InviNext Growth Partners and Caroline Chiaroni, Vice President at TJC for a compelling conversation at the intersection of private equity, consumer brands, and personal passion. From childhood dreams of veterinary clinics and art galleries to managing multi-million-dollar investments in beaut...

In Episode 291 of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, the spotlight turns to two investors redefining what it means to back beauty and wellness brands: Kara LaForgia, Founder & Managing Partner at Hive Ventures, and Rich Gersten, Co-Founder & General Partner at True Beauty Ventures. Their paths to venture capital could not be more different, yet both reflect the persistence, gut insti...

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty we meet Kevin Kim the Director of Beauty & Personal Care Investment Banking at Raymond James. His career journey didn’t begin with balance sheets and deal rooms it began with medicine. As the oldest son of two psychiatrists, Kevin grew up assuming he’d follow in their footsteps. But by late high school, he realized his path needed to be his own. Draw...

What do NASA and luxury beauty have in common? In this stellar episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Lindy Firstenberg, Senior Vice President, Beauty & Luxury at Alix Partners and Catherine Nekavand, Partner at Alix Partners - two powerhouse leaders who traded space suits and oil rigs for silk scarves and fragrance launches. Lindy, who once tested satellite mechanisms a...

In this high-energy finale of our Health Compass: Navigating Careers in Wellness theme, host Jodi Katz welcomes Lisa Rossmann, Chief Concept Officer at Hand & Stone Spa and Bryan Appio, CEO of Drywater for a dynamic conversation about leadership, career pivots, and hydration. Lisa shares her journey from aspiring spy to beauty industry executive, while Bryan reflects on early entrepreneurial v...

Preventative care meets powerful branding in this electric conversation with Dr. David Kim, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Lightsaver and Vicente Vasquez, Global Senior Brand Design Manager at Colgate-Palmolive. We explore the emotional and behavioral roots of beauty rituals — and what it really takes to shift them. From daily sunscreen to oral care routines, they reveal why so many...