Description

“I dove in head first and it was a sink or swim situation,” says Emilie Hoyt, founder of Lather, a true pioneer in the clean beauty space now in its 23rd year. From a young age, Emilie dealt with migraines brought on by synthetic scents in soaps and cosmetics. So she set about creating her own alternatives. Here she speaks to other women in business about what it was like to create an independent venture when heavy hitters like L’oreal were dominating the beauty business. She talks about running things by herself before she had her team, discovering her strengths and weaknesses, her greatest regret and her biggest mistake that took her far too long to correct.

Like so many who start a business, there was a lot that Emilie didn’t know but she was afraid to speak up. As Lauren and Priscilla always say, asking for help is a superpower, and Emilie concurs with examples. She also explains how much of success is saying yes, while also knowing when to quit and move on. She shares stories of the brand’s early and unexpected champions, and some of the complications with creating different bestselling products.

The same synthetic fragrances which caused Emilie to seek alternative products remain in any number of everyday products. The fragrance industry is massively deregulated and protected and she warns about the dangers of fragrance, the effects of it on the body and what consumers can do to protect themselves. She also gives insight into Lather’s next moves, including efforts toward sustainability. 

Quotes

• “At that time in the late 90s, when I was starting Lather, independently owned-beauty was pretty much non-existent and the barrier to entry was enormous. Everything was really owned and controlled by Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, all of the bigger players. There wasn't an entry point…which has also dramatically changed for the better. (11:15-11:54 | Emilie)
• “Keep yourself open–there are a lot of paths to get to where you're going, to get to a point, and just never, ever give up.” (13:15-13:26 | Emilie) 
• “It has been 23 years and I'm still a small independently-owned company, so it's not overnight. It's…just realizing it's going to be a lot of very small steps.” (13:54-14:31 | Emilie)
• “Had I said, ‘No, we don't really do that,’ or ‘We don't do that business or ‘No we just do consumer or whatever,’ I don't think we would be around…if there's a way to still accomplish your goals and have a product of the quality that you're proud of and be able to serve a need, it can just lead to so many more things.” (18:39-19:15 | Emilie) 
• “The number one thing, if you do nothing else, do not put anything with the word fragrance on your body. Ever. I mean ever.” (39:44-40:00 | Emilie)

Guest Links

Connect with Emilie Hoyt: info@lather.com

Explore the world of Lather: Lathar Website

Priscilla’s Favorite Lather Products:

https://www.lather.com/collections/moisturizers/products/sweet-almond-face-moisturizer

https://www.lather.com/collections/face-masks/products/white-clay-deep-pore-cleansing-mask

https://www.lather.com/collections/muscle-ease/products/muscle-ease-gel

https://www.lather.com/products/nail-cuticle-renewal-oil

Forward Female Links

Instagram: @forwardfemale @hernextbigmove

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