Latest / Skin Anarchy / Nina Zilka and David Krause, founders of Alder New York

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Nina Zilka and David Krause, founders of Alder New York · Skin Anarchy

• 0:00
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• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: Hi guys, welcome back to Scooter Anarchy.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: This is Ekta, and today I want to introduce you guys to this amazing new brand that I recently discovered, Alder, New York.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: I have the founders here with me, um, David Krause and Nina Zilka.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: So welcome, David and Nina.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited you guys are here today.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: Likewise, we're so excited to be here.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, thanks for having us.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: It it is truly, truly my pleasure.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I really love how gender neutral your line is.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to get started.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: I want to know um everything about obviously the line, but first you guys.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: So Nina, can you start us off by telling us about your your background and your career and just you know what led you into skincare?
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, David's in my background's pretty entwined.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I feel like you'll get two birds, one stone.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um we met, uh we met as students at Pratt Institute over, I mean, we're coming on like 15 years now.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we were studying fashion design, and immediately, like within, I would say like a couple of weeks of meeting, we're starting to collaborate together and really had a shared vision for what good design is, and um, you know, a lot of the same references and aesthetic point of view.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and by the time we graduated, we had a clothing line together and we did that for quite a few years.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: And during that time as a hobby, I had gotten really passionate about clean personal care.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that was like 2010.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the book, uh, it's called No More Dirty Looks had come out, talking about the lack of FDA regulation in cosmetics and skincare.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I was really alarmed by that.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so as a hobby, I started like fiddling around in my kitchen and making stuff um for myself.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it kind of took on a life of its own.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: And David was like, well, for like the holidays, let's do like a cute little bottle for one of the one of the things we had done.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that just sort of like exploded.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: And like this was like 2012 and very DIY.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um but by uh by 2015, we'd become really passionate about it, much more interested in the chemistry behind what makes a product good.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: And we were like, there is such a lack of a brand that speaks to us.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that would be, you know, really clean formulas that were also effective at an accessible price point, so not like this crazy expensive product, um, but also that were not like super gendered marketing, you know, everything that we saw was just so unappealing to us.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, um, we share everything.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: And we we always had a very similar viewpoint about clothing, and um, we're never super interested in this like gendered idea, and it it really doesn't make sense in skincare, especially when you start learning about the chemistry of skin.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's like so illogical.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: So by 2015, we were like, let's close our clothing line and really like do this.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so we launched Elder New York at the end of 2016.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: That's amazing, and I love that you have a fashion background.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: That's very interesting to me.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: I it it definitely informs a lot of what we do.
• 3:33
  unknown: Absolutely.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I wanna so David, I wanna you're you know, I'm not gonna let you off the hook.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you're about to tell me your own, you know, add to that.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, tell us a little bit more about yourself.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um, well, this is a weird thing because um for me to do because Nina and our stories really are parallel.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: Like really we come from the same background, and we sort of sought the same things, and that's why we did what we did.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: And we both were looking for clean skincare that was, you know, accessible in terms of price point and sort of um ability to use like the simplicity of it.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um we knew other people wanted to do that.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_03: And um becoming from a fashion background, like design was so important to us.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: And it was really hard for us to find something that looked good, communicated a message clearly, like look like you wanted to keep it in your bathroom and not like hide it away when you had company come over.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_03: So like it really felt like a natural progression from where we started.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_03: You know, making apparel is is very different from making um uh like skincare, but the goals that we had as a fashion brand sort of haven't really changed when we come to skincare.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_03: It's about accessibility, function, and like great design.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I completely agree with you.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think that oftentimes, you know, we get so I know the industry right now is very heavy on like, you know, medical grade skincare.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I know clean beauty is actually being, you know, um looked at again about, you know, just is it how what is clean, right?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: So like I want to talk, I want to ask you guys about um when you started this journey of creating your line um in terms of coming up with your initial, you know, ideas of the products you wanted to first come out with, um, what was that whole process for you?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: You know, um, what was the research and stuff behind it?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I think for us it really came from, and I kind of always talk about this, but as designers, I wouldn't say that we were like skincare obsessives.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think we both are very like we're pretty minimal in our skincare routines, and we always just want to look good at the end of the day.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but so for us it was really like, let's create those three core products that somebody would use every morning, every evening, not a lot of frills to it.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, that was like a cleanser, a serum, and a moisturizer.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then it was really finding out what are those ingredients that really make sense to work together.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: And as I mentioned, you know, our idea about inclusivity has to do with like what your skin type is.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: And gender is a really silly way to look at skin type.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because that all has to do with hormones.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: And as we all know, the way you identify doesn't necessarily dictate what hormones you have or the amount of hormones you have.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so like if someone has really oily skin, they're gonna have, you know, certain hormone balances.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so for us, it was finding ingredients that are really great across the skin spectrum.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: So those are ingredients like nysamide, glycolic acid.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: So, like our cleanser is 1% glycolic acid.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's this incredible, really low dose, um, really lightweight, but just makes your skin look and feel amazing.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we knew that that would work for all skin types and is great for daily use.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: And then we wanted to use a niacinamide serum with hyaluronic acid.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Again, really great if you have oily skin, also great if you have dry skin.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: So great for age range, great for um, great for uh whatever you're dealing with.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: That's a beautiful, beautiful ingredient.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, honestly, I I and I didn't mean to cut you off.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry about that.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: I I just I agree with you.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think there are certain things that are just they make sense um to put on your face, you know, and I'm and I think that really should be the focus of skincare.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you know, um niacinamide, hyaluronic acid.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, these are just key, beautiful things that, you know, really enhance the way the skin looks.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it, you know, a line doesn't have to be over the top complicated to be good, you know.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: That that's something I think a lot of people right now are um talking about.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I it sometimes I sit there and I think I'm like, well, it a simple product is at the end of the day, it can be the best product on your shelf.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, right, totally, totally.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's exactly right.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: And like for us, I think another thing was that, you know, I didn't want it to be, you know, I think that there's some products out there that are really simple moisturizers.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: We wanted to really elevate a little bit so that we have those active.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: So it's not just, you know, an oil and a water, you know, emulsified.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: We're also adding in that that percentage of vitamin C or vitamin E.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: But exactly, I think it's really about simplicity and effectiveness.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: And just that to us is what good design is.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's a good product.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: I really love that.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, um, it's interesting.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: The fashion um and the design background is interesting because I think um, you know, we kind of overlook how much work goes into creating something beautiful, right?
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I and I think uh, especially on Instagram with uh Instagram influencers, you know, a lot of times it's about the shot that you know you take that helps, you know, I don't know, attract followers to you.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a huge part of skincare and it's part of the skincare culture.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: So um I really I think that's very interesting that you guys come from that fashion side and can really appeal to people and are also keeping in mind that, you know, we do want to put these on these products on our vanities, you know, and and like David said, we don't want to hide them away.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, that's very important.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so let me talk to you about a little bit about the science of it all.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, did you both have any of your own personal skin journeys that really kind of sparked your interest?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: Or was it um like you know, you both have just normal skin?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I I want to just say that like I don't think there's really normal skin in in in general, and that like we all have different needs, and right, there is no true normal.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I think like Nina and I didn't have a particular like skincare struggle, but I think what we have is that we we have different skin types and we have different skin needs, and we wanted to find something that we could both use, right?
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: And we it that was challenging, you know, and I don't think Nina or and I are like Nina's an oily skin type and only can use oily products, or I'm like a dry skin type and only use dry products.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: There's a place where you can get a product that has universally good ingredients in there that are gonna really work, and that's what we ended up making is something that like really can work for anybody.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I think um, also being of two different genders, um, we really didn't understand why there wasn't a product that we both would want.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we lived together, we work together, we you know had a similar taste in our like apartments and our homes.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, why can't we have similar tastes in our skincare products?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: Right, I completely agree.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: And actually, I have the same issue with my significant other.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: We we he he steals all of my stuff.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, um, I I I completely get you on that.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: I just, you know, I'm really curious though, um, and maybe this is something David can address better, um, about the marketing to men.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because I feel like even now with the gender neutral um aspect coming up in the skincare industry and people are you know kind of warming up to it more and more, um, I still don't see a lot of men like engaging in skincare or skin health rituals, you know.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So, how did you did you guys have that in mind when you were coming up with your marketing strategy and you know your demographic?
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um like how did you plan for that so that you know men can also see your line and and be like, yeah, I want this?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, well, I think something that we really focus on in our marketing is not we don't really use too many images of people, right?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: We don't really um put sort of a context for the type of person that's supposed to use our products, right?
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: And I think so much of skincare, even when it's it's you know, marketed uh say towards men, is a very specific type of man or a very specific type of woman or a very specific type of person.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_03: And we really wanted to keep sort of the product marketing neutral so that if the message and the simplicity of the products spoke to you, you didn't feel like you were not the one who was supposed to use it because of the imagery that you're seeing around it.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_03: So that's something that we really focus on.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_03: And we we don't like to think like men are one way or women are the other way.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's more people have different lifestyles and different needs, and the customer that we um best fit is someone who wants something that's simple, wants something that's effective.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_03: And I I don't know if that necessarily relates to one's gender identity.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I want that to be a part of the marketing story.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_02: No, I'm glad you did that though.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's really good.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_02: But from the get-go that you didn't um you know, you know what I'm trying to say.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: Like there's a lot of gender neutral lines, I think, that go above and beyond to try to make it like men can use this too.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, definitely, absolutely.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: You're a man, pick it up.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's just like I I don't like that.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: I don't like, you know, and so I I I hear you, and I think that's very, very important.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: I think often when you see marketing like that, you're sort of like, oh, it was really for women, but now they're trying to convince me it's also for men, or yeah, like it's it feels like an afterthought.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I'm not gonna name products and brands, but there's definitely brands that they're clearly marketing to a woman and then realize that, like, oh, our customer may not wholly identify as being a woman, and we need to then broaden an after the fact, and it feels so insincere and put on, and that was something we didn't want to do and wasn't a part of the the core values of the brand.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that makes sense.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_02: That really makes sense.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I actually, you know, I wonder because I think for men it's it's tricky um in terms of like self-care rituals.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: I although I agree with you, David, a hundred percent, I think you know, it shouldn't be something that is, you know, gender fied and we we shouldn't be like thinking of it like that.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's still um something I noticed that a lot of men don't have that, you know, like the four or five products on their vanity or on their, you know, uh bathroom counter.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um so like, you know, what is there a message that we can send to all of those alpha males out there that think skincare is for girls only?
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like that's really what I'm trying to I'm trying to promote.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um I don't I don't know.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um I just it's not just for people identify as women, it's just that simple.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_03: And it's there's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, maybe that's what it is.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_03: I think that's what it really comes down to.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_03: And you you kind of can see evidence through like medical data and things like that, in the way that men will avoid going to doctors and men will avoid having uh dealing with problems until they become very big problems.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that that's sort of a part of the like being afraid to take care of yourself.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: There's a machismo, there's a like men don't need help and skincare is help.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I think if that's something you is a part of who you are and part of the the way you think, and you ascribe to that thinking.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know if I'm gonna be able to convince you that you don't have to do that and that skincare is something that you should be focusing on, but it does, it does like it's a bigger problem in our society, I think.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_03: And the skincare is just one example of where that plays out.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: No, it makes sense.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: That I I get you, I I really do.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: And I think you know, it's the way you're thinking is like the next level, you know.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's I think what I've been trying to like kind of get at is that I think there's a lot of people that aren't there yet, you know, in terms of their thought process.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I think something like your line is a great stepping stone to introduce yourself to healthy skin habits, you know, and not overthink, like, you know, what am I putting, you know, what am I buying?
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: That's my that's my big thing from the consumer side is like what are people thinking when they buy skincare?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like, right, right, right.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: So um, I want to talk a little bit about science because I'm a huge science nerd.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so what were some of the some of the scientific principles or some of the things you guys really wanted to um keep in mind and stick to when you were formulating?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I think, you know, as I mentioned earlier, I think it was really about um choosing ingredients that are really good for all skin types.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like for instance, um, using if we're gonna use an acid like a glycolic acid, we're gonna use it at a dose that's safe for everybody, versus like, you know, they have some great treatments out there if somebody wants to do a chemical peel, but like that's not really gonna be something that makes a lot of sense for our customer right now who wants like accessible, easy to understand products.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think that was a big part of it, using the ingredients that really made sense.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think another thing is that we had a really strong list of what we didn't want in our products.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I know as you've mentioned, clean has a people use clean a lot now as a term.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um standards tend to be a little bit stricter than even a lot of the like clean terms out there.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: So something, you know, in addition to all the things that other people don't use, like SLS and sulfates, um we were really strong about not using parabens or pegs.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so pegs are a chemical group that often has contaminants with it.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that'll be something like polysorbate 60 is a peg.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: So either it'll say peg or a lot of times they'll say polysorbate something.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh that's often used in products because it has a really nice, it creates a really nice texture.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but because of those contaminants, we were really adamant that we weren't gonna use them.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: So we set up uh a lot of complications for ourselves.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um I remember speaking with a chemist early on, and they were like, so you want this to be affordable and you want it to have this like clean, uh, you can have one, but not both.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: We were like, we're gonna have both.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna make it have both.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it took a lot of work and a lot of um, you know, a lot of planning and and really pricing things out um and making sure that it met our, you know, level of effectiveness that we required.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think we did it.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I actually want to ask you because you are you did create a line that is, you know, it's something that's accessible to everybody.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's a great price point for every product that you guys sell.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I want to talk about um when you were coming up with the you know, the pricing and the what what are some of the things that you consider?
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: Did you do like a survey?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: Did you look at the demographic and and what you know?
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_02: I I just want to know more about that because I honestly don't know how people decide how they want to price their products.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like I want to know more about that.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like it's definitely an art meets science kind of thing.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, we definitely, you know, what what so what we always start with, and we really learned this from like fashion and our training there, was that you really just create like a document that shows the exact cost of making your product.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: So that's where you start, right?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: And you need to make that plus usually double, like that you just in order to cover your marketing costs and everything.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then what most brands do is they do a lot of padding to cover all the marketing, all the PR, all of that stuff.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so something we really focused on is sort of like what's out there that we, you know, what are brands that we sort of are competitive with, and then and then can we be less expensive?
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: Because our whole thing is about accessibility.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: And like in our perfect worlds, anybody can go to buy our product and they don't have this huge barrier to entry in terms of cost.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think we've definitely, you know, made certain choices where we're not making as big of a margin um on say, you know, our cleanser than maybe another brand.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: But I think for us, it's like just so the mission behind our brand and kind of what gets us up in the morning is is getting uh is like making people's lives better.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um so so we really do make sure that we keep our prices down so that we can do that.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: See, that's something that's very interesting because I think a lot of people think like low price means you're compromising quality, but that's just not true.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, you know, I want to talk about that a little bit too.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: Is um when you formulate something like skincare, um, what are some of the, you know, like what are some of the things that like go into what makes it expensive?
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: Can you can you talk about that?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so definitely the actives, right?
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like those are gonna be the really the ingredients, the really expensive things are gonna be things like the actives, um, just because like those are you know expensive and there's a reason they're expensive, um, which is why like when I was talking about like if you want if you go to a drugstore brand, you're probably less likely to see 5% nysetamine in that, right?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: Which we have in our product.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's just it's an expensive thing that like a drugstore brand might not be able or want to do for price point.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's gonna add a lot.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: And then I actually a big place that comes in is packaging.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, uh, we have made certain choices to not do like um, you know, you can have different foils on your packaging, you can have different raised lettering, and all of that adds cost to the consumer.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: And as design people, we get it.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_01: We think it's gorgeous when done right, but we really made the choice to go with something minimal to keep that price point down.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's a big place that cost comes into play is with that packaging.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's interesting.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I always used to wonder that because I'm like, why is this?
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_02: You know how people uh they have like dupes out there, like you know what I mean?
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like the$300 cream, but then you've got the dupe that's seven.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, it's I've always wondered, and uh you just clarified so much for me.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's like, you know, do I want the gold bottle or do I not need that?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know?
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: So like let's talk about sustainability.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because I think that that's that's something that you know a lot of people don't really understand, another word, you know, that I think is used, but um, I think everybody has their own definition of sustainable.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: So when you guys were coming up with your um your goals for sustainability, what were some of the things that you really looked at?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I think um what's interesting about the idea of sustainability, um, especially from our experience looking at it, is that it's always evolving.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_03: And then we're sort of redefining and re-re-examining our practices.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so we when we started, we really were like, we're going to make products that are not gonna hurt the environment and not gonna hurt you.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_03: And that was a big, that was a big key part of our sustainability uh mission.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: And that then like started expanding to minimalist plastic, minimalist uh bottles and packaging and making it as simple as possible and not putting a lot of money and effort and materials into things that were frivolous and not necessary.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_03: And um, also sort of thinking about that, you know, we then started examining once again once we started talking about plastic as a conversation and going, do we change that material to not use plastic whatsoever and look into alternative materials like aluminum or glass?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: And then we did some.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: Like lifestyle cycle analysis on that, and that was not more sustainable.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: So it's always an evolving thing, and it's always um it needs to be sort of flexible, and you need to examine what you think is sustainable and really be ready to change that.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_03: And what's really nice about being a small brand like we are is that we have the ability to do that.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um a lot of bigger brands to to change make a change can take years.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_03: For us, it can take a year, not maybe not a year, but a year.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I think that's something that's always a part of our mission is sort of being open to doing the research, taking the time and making the change to make better products for um our consumer, but also the environment.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I mean it makes sense, and I think you know, consumers, I I made this point on an earlier episode about how consumers just getting smarter day by day, you know, there's more information out there and there's more like resources to understand in your own way what is sustainable and in your mind, you know what I mean?
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: So like to make your your you know purchasing decisions based off of that that framework of knowledge.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I think a lot of people seem to think that if I use cardboard, I'm being more sustainable than if I use plastic.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm just giving you an example, right?
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_03: You know, like yeah, there's so much more that goes into that piece of plastic and that cardboard than just is it plastic?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_03: Is it cardboard?
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: And that's that's a lot of thinking to do.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to ask actually, um, a very interesting like for me, it's interesting, at least.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, for starting a brand, um, some of the hurdles that you guys faced um in terms of really, you know, making things perfect the way you wanted, um, what were some of the roadblocks that you encountered?
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh well, I think first of all, the idea of making things perfect.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think we quickly learned, and um, I think we've really hold held fast to this is that like if you want to get stuff done, you're gonna have to let go of like perfectionism, just because it's just it's like if you want anything to come out within a certain time frame, you're gonna have to let that go.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that was like the first big thing.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, do you agree with that?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: I would definitely agree with that.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what else?
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um I think um, hmm, let me think.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh what about funding?
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I know a lot of brands suffer for like they they struggle with funding, you know what I mean?
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: To get enough money to make a enough of a law, like uh the launch has to be big enough to where people notice it.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_02: So was that yeah.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I think you know, David and I come from a fashion design background and we've been extremely scrappy our entire existence.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like we were art school kids that then had a clothing line that was completely self-funded.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, I can't say it bring in brought brought in a ton of money, but we made it work.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we were similarly scrappy with um, I think starting the brand.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we did a very small friends and family raise.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's it.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's been, it's all been very much internal.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and since that launch, we've been able to just again be really creative with how we spend our money.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we're a very small two-person team.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: We do all of our creative in-house.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and just I think um really trying to be smart in terms of cash flow, which isn't to say that we won't do a you know VC raise or um some other race at some point.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: But um for us, uh, I think I think being able to really be creative in terms of how we've done everything has really helped us.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: And and I, you know, I wonder because I I always think that, you know, starting a brand is must be just so expensive, you know, all those all the hidden costs.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I know there's a lot of people out there that they're aspiring entrepreneurs, you know, and they have an amazing idea, but I always hear like, well, I just don't have the money right now to make my own skincare line.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_02: Now a big part of that is labs.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_02: So like did you, you know, so how did you how did you find the lab that you, you know, you really wanted to go with?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: So okay, the this goes back to like really being able to do a lot of this ourselves.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: So David and I do the formulating in-house, which seriously reduces the cost of labs.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: So what we are paying for then are the micros and then the production, right?
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we're paying for um, you know, all the testing on the products to make sure that they, you know, last a long time, that they're safe, like all of those things.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but then the real expense for us is then actually production with the factory.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: And that is its own kind of thing.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you really have to find a factory that you want to partner with that's willing to, especially if you're small, grow with you.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: And for us, that was really calling people up, you know, looking online, asking friends for recommendations, and then meeting with a couple of different factories.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: We ended up driving to New Jersey to meet with the factory that we've partnered with.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think we all felt a connection pretty quickly.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: They're a family-owned business and very much we're like, you guys are small, but yeah, um, but we like you, you know, we're willing to kind of grow with you and do, you know, a smaller run for you to begin with, and then kind of grow from there.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think, you know, those lab fees we were able to sort of avoid those like really expensive IP costs.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's always gonna be the thing that costs you.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: So as you know, as someone creating something, the more that you can kind of create the initial product, the prototype yourself, the less money you're gonna spend.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then it's just really paying for production.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a little bit more um again, also like that's a place where you can take out a bank loan or even fund it on credit cards because what you're doing is creating something that you can then sell, hopefully, for more money than you put into it.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: No, it it makes sense.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, honestly, I think that it's just the whole process is very interesting, you know, like um, like because I I think labs are like making a lot of money these days because there's you know, somebody told me that they went with a lab and it nothing that they actually wanted was produced, but they still kept their money.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm sitting here thinking, and I'm like, you know, the skincare industry by itself is a billion-dollar industry, and on top of it, you've got these labs that are ripping off like everyday entrepreneurs that are really trying to make something wonderful, you know.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, yeah.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you know, I I want to know um what's next for for Alder New York, you guys.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, are you coming up with new products uh in the near future or what what's next?
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: You're definitely coming out with new products in the future.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_03: We're definitely coming out with new products.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_03: We're always thinking ahead about what's next and what our customer wants.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_03: But we're also always looking back at the range of products we have currently and thinking how they can be better, how they can be more sustainable, and how they can be improved.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_03: So it's a lot of ref self-reflection happening as well as uh moving towards our bigger goal, which is really making your your whole life a lot better.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we think Alder New York definitely is a lifestyle brand, and we will be filling in all the things that you need for that wonderful lifestyle.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I wish you guys the best of the best.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I hope everybody out there listening, you guys really need to check out Alder New York if you have not already.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, just once you see the products, you'll know what I mean.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's a beautiful, beautiful line.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, and I also the products are really, really good.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I want to really commend you guys.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_02: You've made a gorgeous line and it works.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_02: So much kudos to both of you.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I mean it.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I and I think it's hard to find good skincare.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, everyone out there, if you if you're somebody who just wants to try skincare, you're not, you don't have a routine, this is a wonderful place to go.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, go on to Alder New York's website and check it out, and then leave us some comments, some feedback uh for Nina and David.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: If you guys have any questions for them or their team, I will pass the all of those questions along.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so thank you so much, you guys.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_02: This was awesome.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for speaking with us.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: It was such a pleasure.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_02: Pleasure was truly mine.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_02: Bye.
• 30:07
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