The beauty industry has always rewarded expertise. But what happens when the skills that got you here aren't enough to take you where you want to go? 🌟

I'm excited to host the next Beauty Talent Talk and sit down with Michelle Ryan — seasoned marketer and professor at SCAD

Reimagining and Pivoting Beauty Careers: How SCAD's Specialized Programs Are Empowering Industry Professionals to Elevate Their Expertise.

Whether you've been in beauty for 5 years or 25, there's a moment many professionals reach where ambition outpaces opportunity.

SCAD is meeting that moment head-on with programs built specifically for the beauty industry — from luxury and fragrance to leadership development and AI integration — designed not for beginners, but for experienced professionals ready to level up.

In this conversation, we explore:
- Who is actually showing up to SCAD — and why seasoned beauty professionals are choosing to go back to school
- Why dedicated Leadership & Ethics training matters right now, especially given that 80% of hiring managers have never had formal leadership training
- How executives looking to step into a CEO role can close critical gaps in Supply Chain, Commercialization, and beyond
- How SCAD is teaching students to harness AI in ways that elevate their craft, not replace it
- The recent partnership with CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) and what it means for the future of beauty education

If you're a beauty professional thinking about what's next, or if you're leading teams and investing in talent development, this episode was made for you.

The playbook for beauty product development is changing.

What was once driven by trends and speed-to-market is now increasingly shaped by science, clinical validation, and measurable results.

Product development is shifting away from mass-produced, trend-driven launches toward a more science-led approach.

Consumers are increasingly scrutinizing whether products actually deliver - raising the bar for what R&D must prove before a product ever reaches the market.

The result is a faster, smarter, and more evidence-driven development cycle, where efficacy is no longer just a marketing claim - it's a scientific requirement.

Join me Wednesday, June 25th 12PM PST for the next episode of Beauty Talent Talk, where I'll sit down with @Akshay Talati, Chief Innovation Officer at Supergoop!, for a conversation every product development and R&D professional should hear.

We'll be discussing:

🔬 How brands were building products 15 years ago - and what forced everything to change

⚡ The catalysts driving the shift toward science-backed innovation

🎓 The must-have skills for today's product developers - and how the role itself is evolving

📡 How innovators stay ahead of emerging ingredients, technologies, and the ideation process

📋 Why claims and clinical validation have moved from marketing language to table stakes

🤖 How AI is beginning to influence product development - and what that could mean for your career

Most professionals are making career decisions based on instinct, timing, or opportunity.

But the reality is - the smartest career moves right now are coming from understanding the data.

Because if you step back and really look at what's happening in the beauty industry, the signals are all there

➡️ Where growth is accelerating.
➡️ Where brands are investing.
➡️ And where talent demand is quietly building.

On the next episode of Beauty Talent Talk, I'm joined by Larissa Jensen, SVP at Circana, to break this down in a very real and practical way.

We'll be talking about what the data is actually telling us - from the rapid expansion of Amazon, to the continued strength of fragrance, to the emergence of new categories that are gaining traction.

But more importantly, we will share how you can use that information.

Because understanding trends is one thing, but knowing how to apply them to your career is something else entirely.

I'll be asking Larissa how professionals can go deeper:
- How to research companies through earnings calls and public data
- How to level up research on brand culture, leadership, and available resources
- And how to align your experience and target growth segments in beauty

One of the biggest shifts I'm seeing right now is this:

The professionals who are the most informed are the ones making the most strategic moves.

Because just like marketers use data to tell a story…
you can use it to shape your next move.

Your career is your most valuable asset - but how often do we intentionally invest in it?

On the next episode of Beauty Talent Talk, I'm sitting down with Elyse Conroy, Career Strategist and Founder of Beauty Career Lab, for a conversation about how professionals can unlock growth, advocate for their worth, and build careers that compound over time.

We'll explore:
🔓 Unlocking hidden company budgets
How to identify leadership and talent development funds that already exist inside many organizations - and how to access them.

📈 The ROI of investing in people
Why companies that invest in employee development outperform on retention - and how to make the business case that gets leadership to act.

💬 Advocating for yourself
How to confidently ask for promotions, raises, and development opportunities - even in a challenging job market.

🌱 Growth resources at every budget
From free virtual sessions and group programs to coaching, workshops, books, and podcasts - professional development is more accessible than ever.

As Warren Buffett famously said:
"The best investment you can make is in yourself."

If you're thinking about your next step - or how to better support the growth of your team - this will be a valuable conversation.

Education has always been a superpower in beauty. ✨

But the way brands invest in it - and the way professionals build careers in it - has fundamentally changed.

I'm excited to host the next Beauty Talent Talk and sit down with Jackie Staub, who has held executive leadership roles at L'Oréal, Coty, and Estée Lauder, for a timely conversation on The Evolution of Beauty Education: Skills That Sell.

Gone are the days of widespread general in-store training. Today's winning approach is far more strategic - fewer touchpoints, higher impact, and training toolkits that turn sales associates into true brand ambassadors.

As brands tighten their focus on margins, education teams are increasingly being asked to demonstrate measurable impact. This shift is prompting many field professionals to rethink how they evolve their skill sets and communicate their value.

In this conversation, we'll explore:

• How education has shifted from broad in-store training to precise, strategic impact

• What a modern training toolkit looks like today

• How education can function as a true sales force multiplier

• The challenges field teams face, and how to better demonstrate ROI

• How educators can diversify their careers through content creation, retail excellence roles, and emerging affiliate platforms

If you work in education, field sales, retail support, or brand training - or if you're building teams in this space - this next episode is for you!

#BeautyTalentTalk #BeautyEducation #FieldSales #Leadership #BeautyCareers

The beauty job market in 2026 isn't what most people think - and after weeks of conversations, the patterns are hard to ignore.

Over the past few weeks, I've been asking founders, executives, and investors one question: what's really happening in the market right now?

While perspectives varied, the themes were remarkably consistent - and they matter for anyone navigating a career or building teams in beauty.

On the next episode of Beauty Talent Talk, here's what I'm unpacking:

💼 Where challenges are actually creating NEW opportunities

📈 The categories primed for growth this year (and the roles they're hiring for)

🎯 The skills leaders are prioritizing when they hire

🔑 The qualities that consistently separate strong candidates from standout ones

Whether you're actively searching, passively exploring, or hiring for the year ahead, these insights will help you think more clearly about your next move and how you think about beauty careers in 2026.

Should you take that role with a founder-led brand?

It's a question many beauty executives face at pivotal moments in their careers.

The allure is real - the energy, the vision, the potential. But the reality? The wrong founder match can be complicated.

Join us for our next Beauty Talent Talk Live as we sit down with Blair Lawson, who made the leap from Louis Vuitton to the founder-led world.

She's sharing her hard-earned playbook on what it really takes to build successful founder partnerships - the kind that drive growth and alignment.

This isn't theory, it's lived experience, trial and error, and actionable insights.

💡 What we'll cover:
→ Why leaders leave corporate giants for founder-led brands
→ The lessons learned along the way, wins and missteps included
→ How to vet founders before saying yes to a role
→ The key questions every executive should ask in the interview process
→ Red flags that can save you from a misaligned partnership

If you're considering a founder-led opportunity, currently navigating one, or advising someone who is, this conversation is for you!

🦗 Applying to endless jobs and only hearing crickets?

You're not alone.

Every week I hear from beauty professionals who are discouraged by today's job market. Applications go unanswered. Automated rejections pile up. And confidence takes a hit.

Here's the truth: the old job search playbook doesn't work anymore.

The process has changed and it's time for a new strategy 💪

In Episode 9 of Beauty Talent Talk Live, I'll be joined by executive coach Angela Bennett to unpack:

✨ What's really happening in today's market

✨ Why traditional methods are falling short

✨ A modern, 7-step playbook to help you stand out and stay confident

✨ Practical steps you can apply immediately to move your search forward

This isn't about "quick fixes," it's about giving you the tools to navigate a tough market with clarity and resilience.

Stop spinning your wheels with outdated tactics. It's time to level up your job search game with strategies that match today's market.

#BeautyTalentTalk #CareerGrowth #JobSearch #PremierExecutiveRecruiting