Latest / Skin Anarchy / Hyram Yarbro, Celebrity influencer &co-founder of Selfless by Hyram skincare

Transcript

Hyram Yarbro, Celebrity influencer &co-founder of Selfless by Hyram skincare · Skin Anarchy

• 0:01
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• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: Hi guys, welcome back.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: This is Mr.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: Key.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: I have one of an amazing guest today.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited for this.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: And um I really have been looking forward to this interview.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm sure you've heard of him.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think the whole internet has at this point, and um he's truly a star, you know, within his rights.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm so excited because recently he launched this wonderful new skincare line with um in collaboration with the Ankylist, which we all know I'm a huge fan of Enculist.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, all good things.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: So without further ado, I want to introduce you to Hiram Yarvo, who is just amazing.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the show, Hiram.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me and for such a kind introduction.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's awesome being on the podcast.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: I love your philosophy and I'm just super excited to chat.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it is such an honor.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited to talk to you because I um not gonna lie, I've been doing my homework and reading, and like there are some articles that are legit.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like you make you it reminded me of like a professor to be careful of, like back in the day.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: About you, because they're like very like higher who knows the stuff.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: And if he doesn't like something, it does it just doesn't work, you know.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like people realize.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to, I want to take it back.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: I want to like go back to the beginning of how you got involved with, you know, just the in the whole industry, you know, like what really brought you in and um, you know, how how did you grow your influence and all the good things, all the details?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: So my journey into cosmetics is is one I think that's pretty uh non-conventional.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I grew up in an environment where there was no exposure to cosmetics, any mention of it.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: The most skincare I was ever, you know, introduced to was when I went to the beach once and we put on sunscreen.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: But that was pretty much it.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, nothing more than that.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so I really didn't know much about skincare until you know I was in late high school and when I started going to college.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: And my personal, you know, reasoning for first entering the skincare space was I was rapidly aging.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um I was struggling with premature aging pretty badly, where I was, you know, 16 years old and I had deep set lines all over my face, on my forehead, under my eyes.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: And when I got to college, it got a lot worse, even though I was just 18 years old.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, it was very evident.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and from all the years of sun damage exposure that I had, and you know, just never having taken care of my skin.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, my skin was, you know, really struggling.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I had friends in my life who were like, Hiram, you're looking rough, you're looking a lot older than you are.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: You probably started taking your skin.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and and that's when I started, you know, testing out products.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: And when I had the first introduction to the reality that skincare products are actually effective, they actually work.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: And it was able to get rid of a lot of that premature damage.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I soon after, you know, became really interested in makeup.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: I was a makeup artist and then transitioned to working in the skincare space.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really where my passion for skincare education began because I loved just telling people about ingredients and functionality and what would work best for their skin and what they should look out for and what they should look for when it comes to shopping for products.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I thought to myself, you know, I don't really see anyone talking about this online.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I don't really see a lot of people talking about simplified skincare information to people, you know, who have absolutely no idea that they're supposed to take care of their skin.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's what um the kind of the primary reason why I started creating content on YouTube.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: And since then it has just been a wild, wild journey.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been incredible to see that more than just, you know, a few people are are interested in skincare.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's really um taken hold of this next generation and it's so amazing to see.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I bet that's I I bet the journey has been really, really cool.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I love you know how you said that there wasn't a lot of people like that you didn't see a lot of people talking about this stuff.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I, you know, that's what really intrigues me is that you know, I think when you come across this realm of like skin health and skin care, it's like a rabbit hole, right?
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: And then but then you don't see a lot of real information like coming out and people are really, you know, clarifying or they're even discussing the options that are available.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I love that you said that.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: And um, I you know, my one of my questions for you is though, that you know, how was that in the beginning when you were first providing content and coming out with information about skin health?
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_02: How was the response um from people?
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Or did you just see, you know, a very positive response overall?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, um, there's always that initial fear at the very beginning when you're a content creator, when you first have to put yourself out there of just being like, oh my gosh, I'm so scared because so many people are gonna see my videos.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: What are they gonna think of me?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, all those, all those normal fears.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then you realize very quickly as a small creator that no one's really watching your videos.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: So you may as well just talk about whatever you want and just you know be really authentic to what you believe.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was kind of the situation for me.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: I felt pressure at the very beginning, but then once I realized that, you know, my videos were getting like 10 views, 20 views, I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna talk however I want to talk and share my opinions, just like I would if I was shopping with a friend and they asked me my opinion on certain skincare products.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I just decided to like really stick with that kind of perspective and focus.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, uh when it comes to anyone who is, you know, trying their best to be authentic on the internet, there's always going to be a fair share of positivity and negativity.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's just how the internet works, you know.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think the important thing is not letting that dictate um your life and the the way that you create content.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, I, you know, got an introduction to you know the fair share of hate comments at the beginning.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: And of course they riled me up and I would, you know, stay up at night thinking about the one comment that someone had said.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm really grateful that I had the opportunity to grow pretty slowly because I believe it was the first year and a half I was uploading videos that I I think I reached like 1500 subscribers.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I grew pretty slowly and it allowed me the opportunity to like, you know, come to terms with the fact that there's gonna be negativity online, there's gonna be things that people are saying.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: It gave me that growth and time to figure out like who, you know, who am I?
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: What what do I want to contribute to the online world?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: What do I want to contribute to the skincare space?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, um, how do I want people to walk away from my videos?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it was those, you know, kind of fundamental moments uh that allowed me to kind of create the the set of standards and you know uh authentic tone that I always try to keep in my videos.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it it was an exhilarating journey and lots of learning lessons, but in the best possible way.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: No, I I really, really love that, you know, how you explained that.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I and I think that's very important to understand is that you know, all good things take time.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm really glad that you stuck to your guns and you just delivered the information you knew was correct and accurate, you know, according to what you've seen, your experiences.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: And that's really um, it leads me to my next question is when you were reviewing brands, or you know, I I hate the word review really, but when you were assessing, you know, what works, what doesn't work, or seeing others try things that just didn't make any sense to you after all the experience you've had, seeing these products, working, you know, uh closely with them in the sense that you've been trying them, you've been testing them, you've been learning.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: So, how did you approach the critique process when you would uh come across something that was just outright just not this isn't even normal?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: Like, why do we have this?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_02: Or, you know, or something just very outlandish.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: What was your critique process?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: Great question.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yes, so one of the things that I determined um uh towards the beginning of my channel is you know, wanting my reviews of products and recommendations to be based off of accessibility and not necessarily what my personal experience with the formula had been.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: Because I watched a lot of creators and you know, was able to learn a lot about products and you know, uh see a bunch of different reviews, but oftentimes the person would speak to it solely from their experiential uh perspective, them saying, Oh, this feels so nice on my skin, uh it really moisturizes my skin, it feels great.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but for me, I would always be like, Well, I don't know if I have the same skin type as you.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if that formula would perform the same on my skin.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I realized that that was a challenge when it came to reviewing products.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: And when I, you know, was learning about ingredients and formulation and how ingredients work together and what ingredients work best for what skin types and what skin concerns.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's when I really, you know, decided that I wanted my critiques and reviews of products and brands to be based off of, you know, ingredient education and also based off of how accessible they were to my audience.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: Another thing that I saw was so prevalent in the way my viewers engaged with my content was um that so many people were talking about skin sensitivity, skin irritation, how your skin would react to everything, whether it was fragrance, whether it was essential oils, whether it was drying alcohols, um, overly strong formulas, whatever it may be.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: I saw that so many people felt that they didn't have access to skincare because all the product recommendations they were seeing online were primarily for people who, you know, didn't struggle with those things.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: And similarly from an affordability standpoint, too.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: So all of those factors kind of morphed into my standards for how I review a product and how I test out a product.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And um, funny enough, uh, I'd say my personal experience in the terms of like, oh my gosh, this feels amazing on my skin.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: I love how this feels, kind of comes to the bottom of the totem pole in terms of what I value as most important when reviewing and recommending a product for my subscribers.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: What comes first is like ingredients, whether it is um irritating components in the formula, how you know expensive or affordable the formula is, and then you know, my personal experience.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I'm really grateful for that.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: And what I hope it's done is that it can show my audience the importance of ingredient education, looking at the ingredient list, figuring out for themselves what products are going to work best for them instead of having to blindly, you know, shop for skincare purely based off of, you know, my recommendations of just talking about the way it feels on my skin alone.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_02: I really love how you have this step-by-step process and that you really hit a lot of points.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think that, you know, I completely agree with makeup, you know, what should be a good skincare brand.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I think accessibility is by far at the forefront of this conversation because you're right, you know, there's a lot of brands out there, don't get me wrong, doing amazing things with amazing technology.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: But if I can't buy your product, or if my neighbor can't buy your product, then it it makes the white space you're trying to fill remain a white space.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_02: So I completely agree with you.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's a really, really good point.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and the reason I asked you was because a while ago I had read a ridiculous article and it was like, this is the one influencer who can make or break your skincare brand.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, why do you ever hate him like that though?
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like he's he's just because he's honest, right?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was just the most ridiculous thing.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, in a good way, I took it in a good way because it made me realize that, you know, you are obviously doing this in a way that people can trust, you know.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's something we don't see a lot of right now, especially in the influencer world, especially in the world of people who just, you know, they like making reviews and putting them out there.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: You don't see that level of transparency come through, I feel like.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, I want to that's that's one thing I want to really use as a segue to talking about your um amazing collab with Thank you List is you know, obviously for everyone listening, I'm sure you know, but um Hiram has done skincare by Hiram with Thank you List, and it's just such a cool concept that you decided to do this.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: I want to know all the details, like what really led to that and um you know why the Inky List.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I have a million million reasons, but I want to I want to know from you.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for all those kind words.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: I I really, really appreciate it.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's you know, being able to work on this brand um has been so incredible because uh even the way it started, I started working on the brand by myself um back in 2019.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, it was something I was determined to do on my own because I was like, I don't trust anyone.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think you know anyone will have the right approach, which is that I wanted to be based on two of the most pressing issues based in the world, which is you know, um protecting rainforests and providing people with clean drinking water.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Those that was at the pillar of what I wanted the brand to do, um, in addition to having like incredible power packed formulas that are accessible.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and so I I was working on it on my own for a while.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, naturally, as someone who is new to this manufacturer or ingredient supplier relationships, you know, was struggling to move forward.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I became friends with the founders of the Inky list, Mark and Colette.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: And our first conversation, I was just blown away by, you know, not only our mutual passion for skincare, but by their desire to want to do something bigger, um, to want to create a brand that would have lasting residual and sustainable change a long term.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: And we just kind of aligned exactly on it as our friendship grew.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the conversation started of like, hey, what if we're to create a brand together?
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: And they didn't know, you know, I had been like doing all this work on my own for a brand.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: And the idea that they suggested was literally identical to what I had already been working on.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, I was like, this is the sign from the universe that this is supposed to happen, you know, like what are the odds?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so we started working together and it was just an incredible relationship.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: And we really worked hard to, you know, create formulas that are really effective at um repairing and preventing um damage within the skin based off of the primary concerns that I see expressed in my comment sections and in my um DMs from my audience, uh, making sure that the formulas are accessible to people with all skin sensitivities.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, of course, each product has a social impact that either, you know, protects forest from deforestation or provides people with clean drinking water, utilizing sustainably and source, sustainably sourced ingredients and you know, all these different elements that we worked so hard on that I could literally go on and on and on about all day.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we just worked really hard together and I'm super grateful for the opportunity to be involved as a you know um co-founder with with Mark and Colette in every single step of building this brand.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm really, really grateful and it's just been the most incredible launch ever.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, I I'm I'm with you.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's such a great thing that you decided to go with uh Mark and Colette.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: And again, I I agree with you.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: I love both of them.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: They're just fantastic human beings, and I truly just, you know, I think you couldn't have picked a better brand to really kind of get your feet wet in the in the world of skincare and the entrepreneurial side, because I think, you know, the amount of accessibility that InkyList provides its consumers has always for me stood out, you know, and it really has been this huge like you know, thing about them that I've from the beginning I've loved is that you can buy literally any kind of product, anything you see on the internet that you think is buzzworthy, they've done it in a very nice and sophisticated way and their products work.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that by going to this and using this as your um, you know, like kind of the decide, you know, or or way to like launch yourself into this market, I think that's very, very um well thought out also, you know.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I I and especially because you mentioned ingredients and how you really focus on them.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_02: And that really asked, you know, leads me to talking about the products because I want to know what the hallmark ingredients uh have always been for you or that you've learned are you know tried and true and that you really wanted to incorporate in your line.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and exactly.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm happy to deep dive into them and just um, yeah, you know, the inky list, I completely agree with everything that you said regarding, you know, the founders and the philosophy of the brand and everything.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: It was just such a natural connection from a skincare philosophy standpoint, from a social change philosophy standpoint, and just from a humanistic standpoint with our connections.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, um it was such a cool process of you know deciding what ingredients to utilize in the products because what really happened is, you know, as I had been building the brand, I already had, you know, all the ingredients that I had in mind.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the primary ones being uh that I wanted in the formulas, uh niacinamide, retinol, salicylic acid, syntella asiatica.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like those were, you know, um examples of the ingredients that I was like, I need these in the formulas.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, this is what my subscribers love, this is what I love.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they work for so many skin types and they, you know, help with damage.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: I want all of these.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I brought them to, you know, the InkyList.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the Inky list was able to say, you know, hey, let's, you know, meet you in the middle and let's bring some of you know the ingredients that we're really interested in from an ingredient supplier standpoint that are, you know, um sustainably sourced or have incredible ethics stories in terms of the communities and the environments that they help, you know, things I just didn't know about as someone who isn't as deep dived into the you know world of ingredients as they are.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where, you know, we came up with the ingredients like rainbow algae, you know, um, and marakuja and murumuru butter and all these other incredible ingredients that just were such perfect combinations with the active ingredient side brought to the table.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's why it was just such an incredible connection because there was no like frustration or fighting back and forth or negotiating on like what ingredients should be used or any of this.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like they loved all the ingredients that I brought to the table.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: I loved all the ingredients they brought to the table.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's just a testament to the power that you know people can have when being aligned on a vision.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm so grateful that like you know, the Inky list and I have such similar viewpoints when it came to skincare because it just made it the most natural connection.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, that makes total sense.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I think a lot of the ingredients that you mentioned are really are the tried and true and the most stable, actually, um, in terms of just what they provide in a formulation.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I often think about uh skincare formula formulas in this like uh almost, I guess, you know, you could think of it like how someone would teach like geology or something.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: There's like layers, right?
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: And then and with the formulation, it's like the most stable ingredients, the most versatile, you know, versatile, the most, you know, reactive.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like I think the things you mentioned are true foundations of really good skincare at this point.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you know, for example, niacinamide, I know like I've read so much literature about it, and I think it's really good to have products that can like, you know, you've created products that show that this is something that we shouldn't compromise with.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: And that's why I asked you that, is because I think consumers now are still lost in this uh, you know, this wondering phase of what do I really need and what do I not need?
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_02: And not even just need, but like what should my skincare have to be a good brand or to be a good product?
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: So I really like that.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I I want to ask you uh one thing though, because I'm sure it was difficult in terms of, you know, or I don't know if it was difficult, but how was the response from your followers, people who really trusted your advice when you said you were gonna come out with a brand in collaboration with uh another mega brand?
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like what was the response to that?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, great question.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'd say the overall response, I was just overwhelmed with how much positivity there was when I initially announced the brand.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: It was just, you know, it was chaos.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Just so much noise, so much, you know, uh happening online.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it was really exhilarating to see.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: And from my audience, I just received such a warm welcome.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I I think it's because, you know, you you go to the comment section.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Of any of my videos, you would see all the top comments being like, When are you gonna come out with a brand?
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to, you know, for your brand, even though I had never once mentioned that I was working on a brand, um, so many people were really excited for that.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was such a cool feeling being able to reveal that I had been working on a brand for so long, keeping it, you know, a secret and surprising them with that.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, so from my followers and everything, it was such a great response.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, of course, you know, with in any moment online where there's a lot of positive attention, there's also negative attention.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I definitely saw, you know, mixed opinions to where people were like, oh, but you know, Hiram isn't a dermatologist, he's not a chemist, you know, sort of thing, which is one of the primary concerns I've seen when, you know, when creating my content or different things like that.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: But I think a lot of those people don't realize that, you know, the I worked with an incredible team of highly accredited chemists, you know, to develop these formulas.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't me by myself in the lab, just like tinkering away, making some fun formulas.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: It was working with, you know, highly intelligent, highly, you know, accredited research individuals who know their stuff, developing these formulas and getting feedback from experts within the industry.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but what I feel like I really was able to bring to the table is all of the requests of my audience and the people who felt like they just didn't have the right products for their skin or they just couldn't find that perfect balance of effective products but accessible products.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really, I feel like what I was able to contribute and also, you know, create this brand as a catalyst for positive social change.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: That was the primary goal from the beginning.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, whenever it's there's an online space, there's always positivity, there's always negativity, and I'd say like overwhelming positivity.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's what I, you know, try to focus on.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: And and it's it's just so cool whenever I get to see my subscribers in public or read their messages and they're saying, like, you know, your products changed my skin.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: They helped so much.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: It got rid of these issues.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I love them.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's really what, you know, makes it worth it.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_02: No, I bet.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: And that's amazing.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you, you know, I love the the vision with which you came into this, and I love the energy and and the true love you have for your followers and people who really, you know, hear you and they understand the advice and the knowledge you're delivering.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: I I think it's a beautiful thing.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I I do have one last question for you because I know we're short on time, but I I want to ask you this because it's very important right now in this industry and it's really kind of up and coming, I think, is your view on men's and being, you know, male representation in the skincare and beauty space.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, how do you feel about that?
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: Just as an overview, and you know, what are some things you've noticed, especially being a male content creator and and having been through the you know the nitty-gritty of getting gaining followers and the trust of the followers?
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: What has your bit your impression been like so far in this industry?
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, this is such a great question, and it actually comes at an amazing time because I believe tomorrow or the next day, I'm posting an entire video on my channel talking about men and beauty and why there's shame associated and the public stigmas and perpetuated sexism that plays into why there is a hesitancy around featuring men with beauty.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: But I'd say, you know, it has changed so much, even just in the last five years, seven years.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: I remember when I first started watching YouTube and there was, you know, uh content creators like Manny Mue and Patrick Starr that were really starting to grow.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember how ashamed so many companies were of you know affiliation with them.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: And they talked with experiences talking about how brands would not want to associate with them for fear of getting backlash over, you know, um men wearing makeup.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that sentiment, you know, unfortunately, I think kind of carries over into skincare, at least it did before.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, of course, I get the comments of from I would say more closed-minded people that are just like, you know, men shouldn't be doing this, blah, blah, blah.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_01: But overall, I'm so fortunate to have such an accepting audience.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's so cool to see how many people did not even bat an eye and just um how many people are not only willing to like watch my content, but you know, listen to the recommendations that I would give and see how little, you know, uh something like my gender has, you know, to play in something like skincare.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: And it really doesn't make sense to me because I'm like, skincare is about health, you know, it's about daily investments into your health, just like brushing your teeth, just like taking a shower.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: But there is a stigma, uh I think largely rooted in you know, sexism against women, um, that you know, it's kind of plays out when it comes to how, you know, a lot of times men interact with beauty.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I think the really encouraging thing is that with Gen Z, we are seeing a dramatic shift, a dramatic change where, you know, men using beauty products is really normalized.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like everyone has a skincare routine.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: I see lots of, you know, um cis hetero men wearing nail polish, wearing makeup, you know, um different things like that, and you know, not caring what people think.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's amazing.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm really encouraged to see how progressive it is online.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: And at the end of the day, you know, for me, I'm just like, skincare is about health, you know, it's about taking care of your health, and that should be accessible to everyone.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: And no one should feel ashamed or, you know, guilty for wanting to invest in their health and you know, boost their confidence.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_02: I absolutely agree with you.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_02: I think that that really is the fundamental here is that you shouldn't be afraid just because you're you're a man and you know, whatever norms are set in society, you know, everything that higher is it, I completely agree with you.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I think also it it goes so much more beyond than just like gender.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's just like you said, it's it's a thing about health.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: You have to take care of your skin, you have to wear sunscreen, you know, you have to, you have to make sure you're hydrated, well hydrated.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_02: You know, these are all concerns that you know you're going to go, if you go into uh, you know, I hope this never happens to anybody, if you go into an ER and you're very, very ill, they'll look at your skin, you know, they'll look at your skin, they'll look for dehydration, they'll look for any kind of weird, you know, marks or scarring or something that can indicate.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_02: So your skin is part of this overall view that doctors and physicians and you know professionals have of your health.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I completely agree with you, Hiram.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: I think it really is shifting that conversation more towards health.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: And also, you know, just to add to what you said, I think the normalization of especially something like makeup needs to, it needs to hurry up and be a thing in this industry.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because let's be real, how many of us have had exit or like bad, a bad skin day, and you just want to pat on that foundation where you don't even know it's on, but it's there, you know, and it's doing what it needs to do with like cover up the redness.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know why we're shaming one gender for doing the same thing women do every single day.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: We do it all the time, we do it at work, we you know, we touch up our makeup, you know?
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I love that.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I completely agree.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's so encouraging to see the progress that has been made.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, with any, you know, societal shift in views, it takes a while.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I'm I'm really encouraged to see how quickly it's been progressed, where we're gonna be in like five years.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the the biggest proponents of that change is like the younger generation.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, it's just let people express themselves and feel comfortable and feel confident, you know, however they want to, whatever makes them, you know, feel happy because that's inevitably what will make other people happy and just contribute to the betterment of our society.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I am totally with you on that one.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: I yeah, I completely agree.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Hiram, I want to thank you so much.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I I can't wait to have you back on.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: I would love to have you on anytime.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: I think there's just so much you and I could really talk about and dive into.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, thank you so much.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: That would be amazing.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, thank you so much for having me.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's been an honor and everyone listening.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to end up posting the the art with all the information on Instagram for this as usual.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_02: But this has been such a fun episode.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you've loved it.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: And if you have not already, definitely go check out skincare by Hiram and the Inky list.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, you you gotta do it because and also I hope Collette's listening.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: And if Collette's listening, I love you.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_02: She was such an amazing human being.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_02: Both of them are marketing, and now Hiram is on the team as well.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: So three amazing people creating something amazing.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_02: So go check it out.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_02: Leave us your comments, your questions, any feedback.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I'll be back next time.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, Hiram.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
• 31:06
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• 31:11
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• 31:13
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• 31:28
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• 31:45
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• 31:49
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• 31:54
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• 31:59
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• 32:06
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• 32:10
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.