Eric Malka shares his journey from arriving in the U.S. as a 17-year-old immigrant with $100 to co-founding The Art of Shaving, a brand that redefined men’s grooming by turning shaving into a premium ritual experience. He explains how a chance job in men’s grooming and exposure to traditional shaving culture in London inspired him to bring the concept to the U.S., where he and his wife opened their first store using natural ingredients and a four-step shaving system. Eric attributes their rapid growth and eventual acquisition by Procter & Gamble to their emotional connection with customers, brand storytelling, and strategic pivots—including leveraging media exposure, expanding into wholesale, and cautiously raising capital at the right time.
We discuss...
- Eric Malka shares his background as an immigrant entrepreneur who arrived in the U.S. at 17 and eventually sold his company to Procter & Gamble.
- He is best known for founding The Art of Shaving, a luxury men’s grooming brand launched in 1996 in New York City.
- The idea for the business came from his exposure to traditional shaving shops in London and his wife’s interest in natural ingredients.
- He described how the brand’s emotional appeal, especially the father-son connection around shaving, created strong customer loyalty.
- Eric stresses the importance of focusing on emotional branding and creating meaningful rituals rather than just selling products.
- He attributes the shift in the shaving market to overpriced blades, the beard trend, and disruptors like Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s.
- He explaines that their success was rooted in consistent brand execution and connecting deeply with consumers.
- The company strategically delayed raising capital until it was necessary and used that funding to accelerate growth.
- Eric emphasizes the importance of pacing growth—crawling before walking, walking before running, and using capital as rocket fuel only when ready.
- Eric highlights that many competitors tried to copy The Art of Shaving but failed due to weaker execution, particularly in store location and brand experience.
- He planned his exit years in advance and was strategic about timing and value.
- Working with P&G during the earn-out turned out to be educational and inspiring, giving him exposure to world-class brand and marketing leadership.
- Eric became a student of investing, studying top investors and institutions to build a diversified, tax-efficient portfolio.
- Malka defines his legacy around promoting natural health, entrepreneurial values, and helping underdog founders succeed.
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For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/the-art-of-shaving-eric-malka-724