Latest / Skin Anarchy / Camila Pierotti , Sol de Janeiro, Founding Partner
Transcript
- 0:06SPEAKER_00: Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of Skincare Anarchy.
- 0:09SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad you're back.
- 0:11SPEAKER_00: Um, today I have a phenomenal guest once again, but especially um with this brand because I have a very special place in my heart for this brand.
- 0:20SPEAKER_00: So uh without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to the founding partner for Soul Deanero, Camilla Pierotti.
- 0:29SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the show, Camilla.
- 0:30SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited that you're here.
- 0:32SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
- 0:33SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me and thank you for the great intro on the brand.
- 0:38SPEAKER_00: No, it's a you know, I can't praise it enough.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: I love it.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: It's my favorite, like, you know, it's been my favorite body care brand for a long time, and the scent is something I'm addicted to.
- 0:48SPEAKER_00: So um I'm super excited to talk to you about, you know, everything brand related, but also about you and your journey and your background in the whole industry and you know what led to um SDJ.
- 1:01SPEAKER_01: Yes, of course.
- 1:02SPEAKER_01: I mean, should I just dig in and tell you?
- 1:05SPEAKER_00: Yeah, start from the beginning.
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: The more stories, the better.
- 1:09SPEAKER_01: The more stories, the better.
- 1:10SPEAKER_01: Wonderful.
- 1:11SPEAKER_01: That's that's actually my favorite thing to do is storytelling, and I think that's the why our brand has been so successful because we do tell our story.
- 1:23SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we're three founders and we all have such different journeys.
- 1:27SPEAKER_01: And my journey obviously started when I was born in Brazil on Rio.
- 1:34SPEAKER_01: And when we were young, my family moved over here to the US.
- 1:39SPEAKER_01: And it's funny because it was never meant to be a permanent move, and we still always went back and forth uh because of my parents' jobs.
- 1:50SPEAKER_01: And so I felt like I was always in between these two worlds, right?
- 1:54SPEAKER_01: I was one day we were always gonna go back to Brazil, but at the same time we were living in the United States, and we would go back so often, and that's when I became kind of like the storyteller that I I love talking about.
- 2:12SPEAKER_01: But I noticed the differences, the nuances between the approach to beauty, between the Brazilian world and the American world.
- 2:24SPEAKER_01: And I think that moment where I knew there was something special about my background and being Brazilian was when I would I would wear my tiny bikini, and people would ask me, like, how can you wear such a small bikini?
- 2:40SPEAKER_01: And sometimes when I was with my family, they'd ask my parents, you know, the parents.
- 2:46SPEAKER_01: My parents, how can you let your daughters wear such small bikinis?
- 2:51SPEAKER_01: And you know, when you're faced with a question where you have no answer to it, because to us it's not small, it's just a bikini.
- 3:02SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, and obviously in Rio, it's such a strong beach culture, it's a very hot, humid climate.
- 3:10SPEAKER_01: We're a very affectionate culture.
- 3:12SPEAKER_01: So just by the lifestyle that we live, you do show more skin, and we're not ashamed about it.
- 3:21SPEAKER_01: We don't try to hide it.
- 3:22SPEAKER_01: Um, so so for us it was very normal, whereas here in the US, obviously, um in the Northeast, you have your very defined four seasons.
- 3:36SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
- 3:36SPEAKER_01: Your body is covered for most of the time.
- 3:39SPEAKER_01: So if we never have um, yeah, in Brazil, our skin is always in display, whereas in the US, you have this very small window of where your skin isn't uh covered up.
- 3:52SPEAKER_01: So so in a world where, you know, I know we're not seeing each other on in person, but I'm not the tallest, I'm not the skinniest, I'm you know, just an average body type.
- 4:07SPEAKER_01: And I still felt more confident than my friends who were much taller and skinnier, you know, that fell into that standard of beauty, you know, in a more complete way than I did.
- 4:20SPEAKER_01: So I still felt more confident in showing off my skin.
- 4:24SPEAKER_01: I felt more comfortable in my tiny bikini, and that's when I knew there was something special about this difference that the the Brazilian point of view in the Yeah, yeah.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: No, I mean I I I don't want to interrupt, but I just want to say that I think what you said is so like it's so wise because I think in the West, you know, this is a conversation I've had with many people is that it's not just about like body positivity, it's also about stopping the whole body shaming thing.
- 4:52SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
- 4:53SPEAKER_00: Like it's like a so when you're explaining your culture and like how open-minded and like you know, there the body shaming aspect isn't something you grew up around, you know what I mean?
- 5:03SPEAKER_00: It's not something that is part of your like, you know, just your psyche and the way you approach yourself, your life, like that's a huge thing, and that's something that's you know, I think it needs to be a movement.
- 5:13SPEAKER_00: Like that's the true movement, you know.
- 5:15SPEAKER_01: So absolutely, and for resilients, especially a karyaka, which is someone who's from Rio, what is weird to us would be cover going to the beach and being completely covered, you know.
- 5:30SPEAKER_01: Like what is normal is to show off your skin.
- 5:34SPEAKER_01: And you know, I don't know if you've ever been to a beach in Rio, but I can tell you no one or maybe only one person looks like Giselle Ibunchan, you know, no one looks like a model.
- 5:48SPEAKER_01: You have all colors, all sizes, all ages at the beach just enjoying themselves.
- 5:55SPEAKER_01: And I think because our approach to life is to enjoy ourselves and the company of our loved ones, we're always around so many people.
- 6:06SPEAKER_01: That's what the beach is about.
- 6:08SPEAKER_01: You know, it's not about checking out your body, it's about you just enjoying that time at the beach, and and then from the beach, it just extends to the whole city, the whole country.
- 6:21SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
- 6:22SPEAKER_00: No, I can definitely, and I love that you're explaining this in such a um like a cultural way, because that's something that you know, I think the more and more we can learn about cultures, the more we can understand, like, you know, all the different ways we can be human, right?
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's like you hearing that I think people always want to know that what they want to do is acceptable somewhere by somebody.
- 6:44SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
- 6:45SPEAKER_00: So it's like sharing the story is so powerful because if there's someone listening out there and you're not comfortable with your body and you're wondering, you know, should I buy that next swimsuit or something?
- 6:54SPEAKER_00: Like you have to, you know, it's good to understand that there are cultures where it's it's a beautiful thing to embrace, you know, your skin and who you are and just your, you know, like birthday suit, I guess you can call it, you know.
- 7:07SPEAKER_00: So um I love that.
- 7:09SPEAKER_00: I love that you're sharing that.
- 7:10SPEAKER_00: And I actually, you know, I want to ask you like before the company, um, you know, so Danero, did you have any experience in the beauty industry before you begin?
- 7:18SPEAKER_00: Or was it something that just was natural for you?
- 7:21SPEAKER_01: I did.
- 7:22SPEAKER_01: I was always drawn to the the world of beauty.
- 7:25SPEAKER_01: So my first job in beauty was at Clinique, and that was there for six years, and after Clinique, and I worked in all the categories, and then after Clinique, I moved to NARS, which is uh, you know, fashion makeup.
- 7:41SPEAKER_01: And you know, I learned so much about the beauty world and even how you know the process of launching a product and how to study the market and that whole business side of this beauty world.
- 7:57SPEAKER_01: Um but the only thing that didn't resonate with me that as much as makeup is super fun, um it you're still covering yourself up, you know, you're covering and you're you're kind of making yourself um, you know, going back to this beach culture.
- 8:19SPEAKER_01: Sorry, I'm I'm gonna start a new train of thought, but I just remember sitting in conference rooms and people saying, like, oh my gosh, this lip color, this lipstick is perfect to go to the beach.
- 8:30SPEAKER_01: And here I'm thinking to myself, who the heck wears lipstick in the beach?
- 8:35SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, if you take a lipstick to the beach, it's gonna melt.
- 8:40SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
- 8:42SPEAKER_01: You know, and so so that's where the that beauty part did not resonate with me because to me, beauty is feeling comfortable in your skin and showing things off instead of covering things up and caring for your skin, and you know, instead of again covering things up again, like you know, caring for your skin so that you reveal the best possible version of your skin, and it's not perfect, no one's but you know, being okay with it.
- 9:15SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, and I think you know, it's one thing about beauty, and I think this is an awesome point, you know, that you've sparked is that you for be when I think about beauty and like individual perception of what we consider to be beautiful, you know, it's a lot of self-acceptance, it's a lot of you know, um, the process of going through, you know, I accept myself for exactly how I am, and and all of those things, you know, they require you to be to strip, you know, naked for lack of a better term, in the in the most, you know, like dynamic way, because you have to explore like what is it that makes me uncomfortable?
- 9:50SPEAKER_00: What is it that I don't like about my body or whatever, you know?
- 9:53SPEAKER_00: And to to be able to like do that, I think that is the whole beach experience.
- 9:58SPEAKER_00: You go there and you're you know, I I've never worn makeup on the beach.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: I have no idea like how I would even do that, you know, like I would be miserable.
- 10:06SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, like the thought of wearing foundation on the beach, like you know, and to me, a beach is like humid and hot.
- 10:13SPEAKER_01: I'm like, it would just all come off.
- 10:15SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't even know how that's even possible.
- 10:18SPEAKER_01: But but yeah, and I totally agree with you in like you know, stripping yourself, and and you know, obviously I don't want to, I'm not going to objectify anything, but it is more of a celebration, right?
- 10:33SPEAKER_01: Yeah, very, very comfortable, and and that time at the beach, it's not a it's not meant for you to feel self-conscious in any way, it's for you to enjoy what you're doing at the beach.
- 10:48SPEAKER_01: And in Brazil, you socialize at the beach, right?
- 10:51SPEAKER_01: You spend time with your friends, you spend time with your families, or maybe you're exercising, you know, or you're by yourself, but it's enjoying that moment and looking at the beautiful scenery and looking at everything that's that's around you, like it's enjoying life, it's not about thinking, oh my gosh, get me my cover-up, you know.
- 11:14SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's almost like a meditative thing, right?
- 11:17SPEAKER_00: Like it's like a meditative process almost.
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: Like you're really indulging in self-care when you're out in the sun and you're on the beach.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: Because I know, like for me, I spent you know, five, six years in the Caribbean, and I realized that it's very similar to what you said.
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: You know, the beaches were very much a place for everybody, you know, no one stares at you, no one makes you feel weird.
- 11:37SPEAKER_00: So I definitely think that that cult, you know, that cultural aspect from various, you know, areas geographically, like we really need to incorporate that into the US, you know, and and really kind of highlight what you're saying more in the way that our social media presents body image.
- 11:54SPEAKER_00: And, you know, like I I could go on about that, but you know, I'm I'm so like 100% on board with everything that you've explained here because it's it's really important to recognize that these are it's okay, you know, you don't always have to, like you said, cover up, or you don't always have to explain why you're doing what you're doing, you know, on the beach when you take your clothes off.
- 12:15SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of times I see posts, for example, some you know, someone will post a picture of them on the beach or on vacation or something, and then they explain why they're you know what I mean, like showing skin, like in the caption.
- 12:27SPEAKER_00: And it's like you don't need to, you know, you don't need to go into that big explanation, so exactly, and then even you know, take it to the next level of moms, right?
- 12:40SPEAKER_01: Like moms want to enjoy the beach with their kids, and you know, you have to jump in the water, you have to wear your bikini or swimsuit or whatever, but yeah, it's right, there's no to explain it.
- 12:54SPEAKER_01: There's only joy.
- 12:55SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 12:56SPEAKER_00: So, you know, that actually takes us to our next question is um, can you describe the the concept of like body joy and what that means for you know Sol De Nero's you know, brand DNA and just how it's really you know embedded into the whole vision for your company?
- 13:12SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
- 13:13SPEAKER_01: Um, Body Joy, the first version of Body Joy is our slogan, love it, font it, you've got it.
- 13:20SPEAKER_01: And we wrote our slogan and our longer brand manifesto, our brand mission, before we had anything.
- 13:30SPEAKER_01: We didn't have products, we didn't know what we were gonna launch, we didn't know what aesthetics we were gonna have.
- 13:36SPEAKER_01: But what we knew, the the three founders and Ah, heila, Mark, and I, we knew that we wanted to get a message out to the world.
- 13:46SPEAKER_01: So that's that's how the brand started.
- 13:49SPEAKER_01: It was just a message, and we're like, okay, you know, how are we gonna bring the brand to life?
- 13:54SPEAKER_01: And that's the product.
- 13:55SPEAKER_01: But everything that we do is about loving, flaunting it, and that's you know, you've got it.
- 14:02SPEAKER_01: So it's a message about focusing on what you love, and then body joy is is the next generation of that that it's the joy of taking care of your body, of taking care of yourself, and stepping out into the world and feeling great in your skin, and you giving off this positive positive vibe and that becoming a chain reaction with the people around you.
- 14:33SPEAKER_01: So we say body joy is a chain reaction.
- 14:36SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 14:37SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: It's like good vibes to the max.
- 14:40SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 14:41SPEAKER_01: Yes, and and I want to focus on the joy, the word joy, because what we really want to say is sold janeiro creates products for you to take care of your favorite body part, whatever it is, your feet, your you know, boom boom, your which is means butt in Portuguese, your hands, whatever it is, that we want to take care of your favorite body parts.
- 15:08SPEAKER_01: But we want people to enjoy that process.
- 15:11SPEAKER_01: We don't want it to feel like a chore.
- 15:14SPEAKER_01: So it's about caring for yourself a little bit every day, you know, whether it's three minutes, five minutes, 15 minutes.
- 15:23SPEAKER_01: The point is that you're not taking like one day a month or whenever, like, let's say you have a wedding to go to, a party to go to, and you spend the whole day taking care of yourself.
- 15:33SPEAKER_01: No, that little bit every single day that gets you to that state of body joy, and you know, the mindset that this isn't a chore, this is me taking care of myself, and that's where joy well.
- 15:48SPEAKER_00: I want to just say, you know, as a consumer, one thing I really appreciated about the brand, and this was I remember this very distinctly because I was in Sephora, and that was the first time that I had seen the boom boom cream, and I was like kind of like, you know, a little like, you know, just very curious, obviously, but it was like I love how it's like slightly risque, and it, you know, it was very attractive, the concept of like what that cream was, you know, like the product itself, you know, as a consumer looking at that.
- 16:15SPEAKER_00: And I remember when I first purchased that, that was the first product I purchased from your line, and using it and the scent and the whole experience, like it just made me feel better about, you know what I mean, how my skin looked and how my body care, like, you know, that I was using good products and taking care of, you know, just things that I never really thought about before, you know.
- 16:36SPEAKER_00: And so I think that you guys coming out with that product, and it was such a statement, you know, in its own way.
- 16:42SPEAKER_00: Even like the packaging and the way the labeling was, like it was very like here we are.
- 16:47SPEAKER_00: It's a you know, beautiful product.
- 16:48SPEAKER_00: I mean, I love the packaging, and it was like saying, hey, take care of parts of your body that are there for everybody.
- 16:55SPEAKER_00: And you know, so I love the messaging, is what I'm really trying to get at, you know, even with something as simple as your packaging.
- 17:01SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and you know what?
- 17:03SPEAKER_01: Yes, you bring up the package and the scents and the texture, everything we've thought about, so that it is a joyous experience.
- 17:12SPEAKER_01: Like, for example, it's this large, chunky yellow, you know, like a ray of sunshine that it's meant to be displayed, it's not supposed to be hidden behind your medicine cabinet or under your sink.
- 17:27SPEAKER_01: So it's meant to for you to show it off, and the texture is beautiful as you apply it, but then it absorbs quickly, and you can get dressed quickly, so you can get out and enjoy life.
- 17:40SPEAKER_01: And the scent also, you know, once you put it on, people notice you.
- 17:45SPEAKER_01: So every element of the product, from the name to the package to the scent to the texture, is meant to bring you joy.
- 17:54SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you know, honestly, I wanted to also mention that the scent, like I want you to go into that because the fragrance of the product is just, I mean, it's over the top extraordinary.
- 18:05SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, when I say that, it's not just the product itself, yeah, it smells wonderful, but even when I mix it like with my perfumes, like it just elevates the overall sensory, you know, experience I want to have when I put on a scent on top of it.
- 18:18SPEAKER_00: So layering on that fragrance that you you know put into the products is very easy and it's such a beautiful combination with almost anything I put on top of it.
- 18:27SPEAKER_00: So, can you tell us a little bit more about the iconic fragrances and you know the beautiful way you crafted your products?
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: Because I think that that is something everyone knows about SGJs, that you know, you you can use it and you're gonna smell amazing all day.
- 18:43SPEAKER_01: Yes, no, and thank you because we knew um as we were developing this cream uh that scent was going to be a very important part of our brand.
- 18:55SPEAKER_01: But I am uh I'm going to be honest, we didn't know how big it was going to be.
- 19:02SPEAKER_01: We didn't know that we would be flooded with comments how irresistible this is, or how someone got a date as they were walking down the street.
- 19:12SPEAKER_01: You know, lovers want to get together more often when one of them wears this product.
- 19:20SPEAKER_01: So that to us was a big surprise.
- 19:23SPEAKER_01: And I think that it's an element, it's a combination of the fact that it is a very sophisticated perfume.
- 19:33SPEAKER_01: It's complex, there are many layers, and you actually get all of it all at once with this undertone of something delicious, and you really can't put your finger on what it is.
- 19:50SPEAKER_01: Like, yes, yeah, we do tell people what the fragrance notes are, but you know what people say back to us?
- 19:59SPEAKER_01: They say that it smells like summer.
- 20:02SPEAKER_02: Yes!
- 20:04SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, yes, it does.
- 20:06SPEAKER_01: So they come back to us with a feeling, they don't come back to us saying, Why, you're right, it does smell like pistachio and caramel.
- 20:14SPEAKER_01: Like they don't they don't say that.
- 20:15SPEAKER_01: They they come back with a state of mind and a feeling, and that couldn't make me happier because that's how we want to transport people.
- 20:25SPEAKER_01: We want people to feel like they have the state of mind.
- 20:29SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, from a technical standpoint, yes, we work with top, top, top fragrance houses, award-winning perfumers to help us get there.
- 20:40SPEAKER_01: And it's a process because it it for us, it does have to be sophisticated.
- 20:46SPEAKER_01: We develop our fragrance in the cream as if it is a standalone fine fragrance, and then we tie it into the cream.
- 20:55SPEAKER_01: Doesn't sound so it's sophisticated with this element of gourmand that can't cross the line of being tooty fruity or too sweet, you know.
- 21:06SPEAKER_01: So it's it's a very delicate balance, and the fragrance development takes us as much time and effort as the product development.
- 21:17SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you know, it shows, you know, in the in the products, and it really shows how much like thought has went behind, especially something like the fragrance, because you know, um, that was one of my most like I think for me as a consumer, it was my biggest selling point on the whole line.
- 21:33SPEAKER_00: Because once I had tried the cream, I was like obsessed with the scent.
- 21:37SPEAKER_00: And I was like, I have to have the body wash and I have to have the spray and I have to have everything.
- 21:42SPEAKER_00: And I remember when, you know, you guys released it as an actual fragrance, I was like super hyped.
- 21:47SPEAKER_00: Like it was all over my influencer account.
- 21:50SPEAKER_00: I was like, oh my God, I can't wait for this release.
- 21:53SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I mean, I think the fragrance and the way that it makes people feel that in itself is like, you know.
- 22:00SPEAKER_00: A huge testament to how well crafted your brand is, you know.
- 22:03SPEAKER_00: And I agree with all the feedback you've gotten about how it smells like summer because it really does, you know, in the best way.
- 22:11SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
- 22:12SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 22:13SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
- 22:13SPEAKER_01: And customers that tell us that, because we're like, yes, you are right.
- 22:19SPEAKER_01: It does smell like vacation.
- 22:21SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
- 22:22SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I wanna I want to um actually ask you what were some of the milestones when you first released um the brand and you know, and when it was first a big success, what were some of those milestones that led to all of that success?
- 22:34SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, I have to say that the journey of being an entrepreneur and launching a brand, it's one milestone after another.
- 22:43SPEAKER_01: And one, you know, one obstacle, one challenge, and in between you have these small successes that bring you up, you know, you're going forward, but you're also going upward.
- 22:56SPEAKER_01: Um, so obviously we spent a year building our message and then a year developing the products and putting together our websites.
- 23:09SPEAKER_01: So the biggest milestone in the beginning for us that we did very well at was capturing the attention of people.
- 23:21SPEAKER_01: People wanted to know what our stories, what, what our story was.
- 23:25SPEAKER_01: We wanted to know what what the brand represented and what each product represented.
- 23:31SPEAKER_01: So that was something that we, you know, I I think we did very, very well, and we continue to do so.
- 23:38SPEAKER_01: And I still still I tell the same story since I did from day one to today, but obviously I have now I have a lot more to talk about.
- 23:47SPEAKER_01: But that that storytelling um was something that was our you know big milestone in capturing that attention.
- 23:58SPEAKER_01: And as um our customer customer base grew, again, like that attention kept growing, growing, growing, and we caught the eye of Sephora, yeah, who is you know a great, great partner of ours.
- 24:15SPEAKER_01: Able to grow so much with Sephora, they are perfect, they help us tell our story, they help us stay true to our brand, and they help us grow.
- 24:25SPEAKER_01: Um, so you know, going from nothing and capturing the attention, catching the attention of Sephora was by far our biggest milestone.
- 24:35SPEAKER_01: And it was very, very early on.
- 24:37SPEAKER_01: It was about a year after we launched that we launched in Sephora.
- 24:42SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
- 24:43SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 24:43SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, I think like it's Sephora is very good at like finding like the really truly like amazing brands like immediately.
- 24:50SPEAKER_00: Like it's like they they always showcase like because I've discovered so much in Sephora.
- 24:55SPEAKER_00: I think like all of us, you know what I mean?
- 24:57SPEAKER_00: We you go into Sephora and you find a brand new line and you're like, oh my gosh, I didn't even know this existed.
- 25:02SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's I I really like the way that Sephora showcases amazing brands and like also helps you discover things that you know, I for me, like for example, like beauty is like a you know, it's a very large, much larger experience than just buying, you know, a cosmetic product or a you know, it's like vanity.
- 25:21SPEAKER_00: It's more of like an experience of like, oh, I wonder, you know, what the cultural norms are like for this product and where it stems from.
- 25:29SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I I like the I like the way Sephora approaches um all the brands they work with.
- 25:34SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and again, so because it was such a huge milestone, they were the perfect partners for us to go from a very small indie brand to well, we're still quite small, but we're also growing very, very fast.
- 25:49SPEAKER_01: So thanks to that, we've been able to grow um and continue to get the attention of other people, uh, you know, other countries and international retailers and grow internationally.
- 26:02SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, like the this launching in Sephora was our biggest, biggest milestone.
- 26:10SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 26:11SPEAKER_00: I really love that.
- 26:12SPEAKER_00: And you know, I want to um actually ask you this is uh kind of not off-topic, but a little bit different question, is I want some advice um that you can offer to all those new entrepreneurs out there, especially you know, women who come, we all have such different backgrounds, and maybe there's you know, someone listening out there that also knows of some great little secret that's you know culturally like there for them and they want to start their own line.
- 26:36SPEAKER_00: So any advice you have for you know new entrepreneurs, um you know, anything at all?
- 26:43SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I have there's a very long list of advice that come from what we've you know succeeded in and also things that we have not succeeded in.
- 26:54SPEAKER_01: But the biggest one um that for our brand that is very true for our brand is that we we simultaneously took advice from a lot of people and ignored a lot of their advices.
- 27:09SPEAKER_01: Um so it it allowed us to pick and choose while staying true to the brand.
- 27:16SPEAKER_01: And staying true to the brand is what's gonna make your brand survive over time across retailers, across channels.
- 27:25SPEAKER_01: Because in the very beginning, we were told for just to give examples don't use yellow in your packaging, because it'll, you know, people will think that it's a sun care line or a summer only brand.
- 27:41SPEAKER_01: So definitely don't use yellow.
- 27:42SPEAKER_01: But we knew yellow was the right color for our brand.
- 27:46SPEAKER_01: We're called de janeiro, sol means sun in Portuguese.
- 27:50SPEAKER_01: Of course, it had to be yellow, and we wanted it to be happy, so yellow is just signifies happiness, right?
- 27:59SPEAKER_01: So then they said, you know, don't use the word boom boom on the name, you know, boom boom is a real word in Portuguese, it does mean butt, but to us, boom boom represents represents so much more than the butt, it represents curves and the curves of our bodies, and that's what we want to celebrate.
- 28:21SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, we were crazy to call this boom boom, you know, Brazilian, but we did it anyway because it told our story.
- 28:29SPEAKER_01: Um don't put the name on the cap because no one ever photographs the cap.
- 28:35SPEAKER_01: Well, I'll tell you that whenever a product is photographed alongside other people's, ours is the name that you can always read, you know.
- 28:44SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
- 28:46SPEAKER_01: So I hello to hello, can you hear me?
- 28:52SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I can hear you.
- 28:53SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's these two opposing things is that take advice, but also you have to sift through that advice and make sure that you're you're stay true to your brand and you always tell your brand story.
- 29:09SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, I love that.
- 29:10SPEAKER_00: I mean, truly, you know, very, very wise words.
- 29:13SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, I I couldn't agree with you more.
- 29:17SPEAKER_00: I definitely know that it's very hard to start a business, but then yeah, like you said, staying true to your vision, staying true to you know what you really believe in.
- 29:25SPEAKER_00: That's you know, it's it's hard.
- 29:26SPEAKER_00: It's really hard.
- 29:27SPEAKER_00: So I appreciate you sharing that.
- 29:29SPEAKER_00: And I hope everyone listening out there, I hope you're you know taking note because you know, part of my goal with Skincare Anarchy is to, you know, have you know just amazing people like you, you know, that can give advice and really guide others because I think you know, you should always lead by example.
- 29:45SPEAKER_00: And I think your brand is just it's phenomenal.
- 29:47SPEAKER_00: You know, I've watched it grow over the years, I've watched, you know, on from the influencer end, I've seen people just go nuts over the products, and it's been so awesome to just see that because you guys really it's so well deserved.
- 30:00SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you so much.
- 30:02SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I I'm gonna add one more thing is that um to the advice and also this message of saying true to ourselves.
- 30:12SPEAKER_01: In the beginning, we we had no money, like we had such little money, we didn't even pay ourselves for months and months.
- 30:20SPEAKER_01: Um and that actually helped us at the end because we were so much more creative.
- 30:28SPEAKER_01: It helped us to find different ways, you know, to tell stories and to stay true to ourselves.
- 30:36SPEAKER_01: So so that's another thing.
- 30:38SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, don't be afraid.
- 30:40SPEAKER_01: Um, yes, it's very scary to be an entrepreneur and start a business and have something that that you're so passionate about that people may or may not like.
- 30:50SPEAKER_01: But um yeah, just plowing through and and working hard and believing in your message is so important.
- 31:00SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I completely agree.
- 31:02SPEAKER_00: And you know, I actually have a question that I I wanted to ask you earlier, but um, I just wanna I just want to know because you know, even from the side, because you know, we're talking about skincare at the end of the day, and you know, what from the skincare aspect, I've definitely not only enjoyed your products in terms of texture and the way that they my skin absorbs them, but also I've noticed like it's really had a great effect on my, you know, on my skin and my skin health.
- 31:26SPEAKER_00: And I was wondering like, what are some of the hallmark ingredients that you um you know used in your initial products, if you don't mind sharing that?
- 31:34SPEAKER_01: Of course.
- 31:35SPEAKER_01: Um, the the our first approach when it comes to product development is twofold.
- 31:41SPEAKER_01: One, we use high-quality ingredients, um, that the and the second one is that they're tried and true ingredients over generations.
- 31:52SPEAKER_01: We're not looking for the newest trend that you know a few years later will be out of fashion.
- 31:58SPEAKER_01: We use coupaçu butter, which is an amazing product native to the Amazon.
- 32:05SPEAKER_01: It's you know, Amazon's version of shea butter that is even better.
- 32:11SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's been used by indigenous people in Brazil, but also regular people like you can make ice cream out of it.
- 32:20SPEAKER_02: Wow!
- 32:21SPEAKER_01: And they have some great, great properties that it has a very similar molecular structure to our skin, so it's absorbed so easily.
- 32:32SPEAKER_01: So not only is it great for your skin, but it makes the product feel great too.
- 32:39SPEAKER_00: That's so cool.
- 32:41SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 32:42SPEAKER_01: And so almost, you know, pretty yeah, every product we have has cuposu butter.
- 32:49SPEAKER_01: We have coconut oil, which is again, I feel like it became trendy in the US in the last couple years, but in Brazil, we've been using it for everything.
- 32:59SPEAKER_01: We use it for beauty, but we also use it for cooking.
- 33:02SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 33:02SPEAKER_01: We drink coconut water on the beach, we use coconut milk in our food, so it's it's part of our culture, and that has again also been tried and true.
- 33:14SPEAKER_01: Asay, um, acai also, these acai bowls became kind of famous here uh recently.
- 33:21SPEAKER_01: But it has been part of, you know, again, also used by indigenous people to get um energy and fight free radicals, and you know, now we use it in our product as well.
- 33:34SPEAKER_01: And the boo boom cream specifically has guaraná, which is very, very high in caffeine.
- 33:41SPEAKER_01: And used um, you know, we even drink it as a soda in Brazil, um, but it obviously has great properties for beauty.
- 33:51SPEAKER_01: So our approach is to get these core uh Brazilian ingredients that are indigenous to Brazil, source them sustainably so that there's no damage to the environment or the communities, and use them in our products.
- 34:08SPEAKER_01: So, so yeah, so it's like it's about the highest quality ingredients that have been tried and true generation after generation.
- 34:18SPEAKER_00: Wow, I really love that.
- 34:19SPEAKER_00: I love that you've stayed so close to your culture when you formulated your products.
- 34:24SPEAKER_00: That is so beautiful.
- 34:25SPEAKER_00: I you know, I see so many brands that are like they take like little bits and pieces from so many different cultures, but then like, you know, they won't give credit or they don't do it right, or they don't understand fully the ingredient they're working with.
- 34:37SPEAKER_00: So it's such a like it's so refreshing and a you know, breath of fresh air to hear you say like these are all indigenous ingredients and these are all things that you know you grew up around and you've seen.
- 34:47SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 34:47SPEAKER_00: And I agree on the coconut oil, by the way.
- 34:49SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of cultures like people don't understand that it's been around for a very long time, you know.
- 34:55SPEAKER_00: And as an Indian woman, I can say we also are very uh similar to Brazilian, you know, um customs.
- 35:01SPEAKER_00: We use uh coconut oil in almost everything, so I I completely hear you on that.
- 35:06SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
- 35:07SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I I I don't want to stretch this too much, but I have one more question for you, and that's what's next for STJ?
- 35:15SPEAKER_00: I want to know any new launches you guys are coming out with or any information you can uh share with us.
- 35:21SPEAKER_01: Sure.
- 35:22SPEAKER_01: Um, we have a lot going on, so I can't share everything, but I want to say two things.
- 35:30SPEAKER_01: Um stay tuned for our hair category to grow.
- 35:35SPEAKER_01: Hair has become a very, very important category for us.
- 35:39SPEAKER_01: Brazil is a place that is it has incredible diversity, and with diversity that needs all different types of hair.
- 35:48SPEAKER_01: So we're building out our offering to offer something for every hair type and to so that people can build a routine around that.
- 35:59SPEAKER_01: So hair is gonna grow, and then building on the success of our fragrance, we're gonna continue to build that through products, but also through uh limited edition items because we have so many scents in our library that we just wanna get it out there, we want everyone to be Sheraza.
- 36:22SPEAKER_01: And Sheraza is the word that we use in Brazil, it means to smell literally translated, it means to have a smell.
- 36:30SPEAKER_01: But when you call someone Xerza or Sheroso, it means that you smell amazing.
- 36:36SPEAKER_01: And yeah, that we call all of our fragrances because it is such a resilient beauty secret, it's a compliment that we give each other, we notice what people smell like.
- 36:49SPEAKER_01: So, um, so building on that again, you know, just yeah, putting the best version of yourself out there.
- 36:57SPEAKER_01: There are many ways to be Sherraz with Sol Jenier.
- 37:01SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love it.
- 37:03SPEAKER_00: I love that so much.
- 37:04SPEAKER_00: That's that's very cool.
- 37:06SPEAKER_00: And I I can't thank you enough.
- 37:08SPEAKER_00: This has been so fun, just hearing your journey and the brand journey and everyone listening.
- 37:12SPEAKER_00: If you have not checked out this line, you are missing out.
- 37:15SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure there's no one out there that has not, you know, already checked out.
- 37:19SPEAKER_00: But I'm gonna link everything in the in the art, and I and I can't thank you enough.
- 37:23SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for your time.
- 37:24SPEAKER_01: All right, thank you so much, Ecta.
- 37:26SPEAKER_00: Have a great day, you too, Camilla.
- 37:29SPEAKER_01: Bye.
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