Week of 2/20/17 Recap
Quick overview: I ended up not going to Korea because we made significant progress on the product front (more thorough update below) and as a result, my co-founders came back today (a week earlier than we had planned for). This is GOOD NEWS! Two words to describe my week: Head Space. Because I had planned on being in Seoul this week, I didn’t have many meetings/calls on my calendar. Upon finalizing that I wasn’t headed to Korea, I was tempted to schedule a bunch of meetings and fill up my calendar. Rather, I heeded my own advice and used this week as an opportunity to just think. And it was incredible.
All in all, this was a very productive week with palpable momentum. This serves as a reminder to lock in when unexpected news/challenges arise (i.e. last week) and stay the course.
Biggest challenge we faced: We are still navigating through the challenges I shared the last couple weeks (company name/trademark registration and FDA approval process for SPF product), so I thought I’d share a new challenge that is top of mind: finalizing packaging, specifically for our moisturizer. We’re caught between doing run-of-the-mill packaging that is offered by 99% of other brands for moisturizers vs. introducing something that adheres to our product philosophy of simplicity and essential but also makes it a noteworthy experience. Stay tuned.
Key Wins:
Please note: I’ve removed the names to ensure confidentiality and trust among people we work with so we don’t jeopardize their position in any way.
Creative:
- Received proposal from a potential creative partner who has worked with clients like Violet Grey, Spring, and Apolis.
- We are having final meetings with prospective creative partners next week and making a decision on who we will work with. !!!
Legal:
- Finalized advisory agreement docs for two advisors who’ve been working with us from pretty much day one. Excited to officially have you on board Michelle and Jeannie!
Product:
- FINALIZED FORMULATION FOR MOISTURIZER! Next steps are to play around with the scent and see if we can introduce a unique fragrance that doesn’t impact the product efficacy (i.e. minimal additives) yet is something that enhances the overall experience. This is a HUGE win. Big ups to our manufacturer, Nick and Jason for pushing us to the finish line.
- Made progress on formulations for Cleanser and SPF Lotion. We are 2–3 iterations from finalizing the Cleanser and 1 iteration from finalizing the SPF Lotion.
- Finalized packaging options for Cleanser and SPF Lotion. Receiving final pricing options.
- Still working on packaging option for Moisturizer.
Engineering:
- Met with a potential dev partner who has built e-comm websites for clients like: Drybar, IT Cosmetics, Tatcha and John Elliott.
- We are meeting with them again next week to negotiate pricing.
Fundraising:
- Talked to one potential investor who is Co-Founder of one of the fastest-growing e-comm consumer brands right now.
PR:
- Talked to a potential PR agency who currently works with clients like Dirty Lemon, BAR Method, Frank Body, and Quip.
Miscellaneous:
- Talked to Co-Founder of Peach & Lily, COO of Frank Body, a chemist who has launched his own skincare brand and consulted for clients like L’Oréal, and a 30-year skincare product expert about all things related to our Phase 1 products (formulations, packaging, FDA approval process).
