Beauty On the Go: The Subtl Beauty Journey with Rachel Reid & Jessica Zeller

Show Notes: In this episode of Beyond Beauty, host Anne interviews Rachel Reid, Founder of Subtl Beauty, and Jessica Zeller, the brand's Chief Marketing Officer. Rachel shares her entrepreneurial journey, inspired by the need for portable beauty solutions. She discusses the challenges of launching a startup, the importance of understanding customer needs, and embracing failure. Jessica highlights the Subtl's focus on community engagement and direct-to-consumer relationships. The conversation explores the role of AI in beauty marketing, the rebranding process, and the need for adaptability in today's market.About Rachel: Before being the founder of Subtl, Rachel was a marketing analyst whose career centered on efficiency and optimization. When she found herself in the early stages of a new relationship—that are-we-sleeping-over-or-not stage—she wanted to appear unassuming and effortless. So, she did what she does best: she came up with a solution. Transferring her makeup into contact lens cases, which allowed her to discreetly carry all the beauty basics in her usual bag. Her friends found this genius, quickly adopting the hack. It worked for everything—early dating, the gym locker room, the office bathroom, the can Rachel got to work on making it official—creating SUBTL, a modula one-of-a-kind stacking system that contains clean, vegan formulas with bold color payoff. Finally, a way to carry makeup that fits in your bag—and your life.About Jessica:Jessica Zeller has been the Chief Marketing Officer of Subtl Beauty since May 2024. She has over 10+ years of experience in global marketing leadership, having worked at major brands such as Vegamour, Ilia Beauty, Kendo Brands (Ole Henriksen, Bite Beauty), and Sephora. Jessica is a thought leader with a focus on brand storytelling, motivating teams, creating memorable consumer experiences and delivering incredible results. Time Stamps:Inspiration for Subtl Beauty (00:03:14) The idea originated from needing portable beauty solutions for overnight stays.Consumer Engagement Insights (00:05:08) Rachel emphasizes understanding customer needs through interviews and surveys to shape her product offerings.Initial Product Development (00:09:27) Discussion on the first product launch, focusing on the unique stacked design and diverse makeup categories.Launch Strategy and Kickstarter (00:11:27) Rachel recounts the launch of Subtl Beauty in 2018 via Kickstarter.Challenges of Scaling (00:16:56) Rachel discusses the difficulty of scaling a beauty brand in a competitive market while maintaining close customer relationships.Community Engagement and Rebranding (00:18:00) Jessica highlights the importance of community feedback in the rebranding process and product development.Building an Emotional Connection (00:19:28) Jessica discusses the importance of emotional connection with consumers and how Subtl Beauty addresses their needs.Rebranding Subtl Beauty (00:20:27) Jessica explains the rebranding process, focusing on simplifying makeup routines and enhancing consumer engagement.Utilizing AI in Beauty (00:22:03) The host and Rachel explore how Subtl Beauty integrates AI for customer insights and marketing strategies.Balancing Brand Building and Short-Term Gains (00:28:57) The speakers discuss the challenge of balancing immediate results with long-term brand development.Advice for Entrepreneurs (00:30:20) Jessica and Rachel share insights on embracing failure and the mindset needed for entrepreneurial success.Beauty Must-Haves (00:33:05) Rachel and Jessica reveal their essential beauty products.Personal Reflections on Life's Journey (00:35:56) The speakers reflect on their personal aspirations and the balance between professional commitments and personal fulfillment.This podcast is produced by Dillie: a content innovation partner leveraging AI to bring beauty and personal care brands into the future of marketing.https://dillie.com/

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