I recently went one on one with Emilia Ramos. Emilia is the founder and CEO of Agrestal Beauty.

Adam: First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? 

Emilia: I started my journey in 2017 after finding a passion for plant-based skincare. I had discovered the harsh chemicals in everyday skincare products and had a new mission to create an effective,  natural and handmade skincare line that offered a sense of luxury without having negative effects on our environment. Parallel to this career shift, I embarked on an internal, soul-searching journey. I had been longing to find self-love, self-worth, and a deeper understanding of the woman I wanted to become. For me, therapy acted as a catalyst, pivoting my journey towards prioritizing self-love. It wasn't until my two worlds -- self-love and skincare -- collided that Agrestal Beauty was truly born. My line was more than plant-based skincare products - it now served a deeper purpose to encourage self-love with every product, message and image for every woman to integrate moments of love in their daily rituals. Agrestal Beauty was born from my personal journey and I want to share it with the world.

Adam: What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Emilia: Funding has been a challenge as I get this business off the ground myself, but it teaches me to be resourceful with what I have in order to grow. I have found failures in making decisions too quickly, and taking on too much at once being such a small company. Often quick reactions only lead to chaos, especially when overextending yourself rather than embracing where you are and growing more naturally and sustainably. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? 

Emilia: In 2017, I had the initial idea for a skincare line but the real purpose and messaging of the company came a year later through my own therapy and journey to self-discovery and self-love. I felt there was a need to create a skincare line that connected the consumer back to their own self and wasn’t just about healing your skin to fit into society's standard of “beauty” - everyone is different and has different skincare needs. 

Adam: What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Emilia: In order to come up with great ideas, I believe you must create a space conducive to receive those ideas. I personally remove myself from negative and chaotic environments and go into a space where I can connect and listen to my thoughts, such as out in nature. I go to places that inspire me, and from there, I can meditate and invite creativity where ideas come to me. I also make time to write a lot. Even if it may be a bad idea, write down every idea you have so you can flush out your mind and get clarity to receive great ideas -- it’s all part of the process. 

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing?

Emilia: I saw the need for clean, intentional beauty and had the passion to support it and make it worthwhile. Intuition is a business tool that is not used often, but my intuition is what led me to pursue this idea all the way through.

Adam: What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Emilia: Start small! If you have an idea, try it out with your friends and create one stock-keeping unit (SKU) of what you want to produce to test it on a small group of trusted people. This way, you can receive feedback and work from there. When I was testing Agrestal Beauty, I would bring products to different events and give them to my friends and colleagues to have them test it and see how they liked it, adjusting the product to their experience. 

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? 

Emilia: Investing in public relations, social media, and marketing. These are key components that can take your business to the next level, and a founder/leader cannot do this on their own to the best of their abilities. Bringing in experts to support you in this department is a huge way to grow and reach new audiences via various platforms. 

Adam: What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level? 

Emilia: You have to go all-in and try all the outlets that make sense for your company. Watch the market, the trends and whatever makes sense try it for your company. A great example is TikTok, many companies saw the trend and jumped on this early, while others waited. This changed the trend for many companies, so always watch the market and stay on top of trends because that can be what keep your business relevant and takes your company to the next level. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Emilia: Be specific in who you are targeting for sales and marketing. Your sales should all flow through a seamless marketing funnel from emails, advertisements, SEO efforts, social media, press coverage etc. Your messaging should all be relatable, have a consistent aesthetic, and target the same type of audience, ensuring everything connects. You don’t want to have a marketing experience that throws the branding off and leaves your audience confused, the consumer should know that you’re speaking to them and what you’re able to offer them.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Emilia: A leader is someone that listens, remains calm during chaos, is adaptable, and pushes their employees to grow. A leader should be self-aware and know that, even as a leader, they still have room for improvement and growth, and should have gratitude for those that do work to support them. An effective leader is also someone that can make the hard decisions and motivate and inspire a team. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Emilia: Continue to work on yourself, seek mentorship, attend seminars, classes and never stop learning. Just because you're a leader doesn’t mean the work stops there -- you always want to see the opportunities to become the best that you can be. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams? 

Emilia: Do not micromanage - hire people that you not only believe in, but people who truly bring value to your company and understand your mission. No matter how many people you hire, have regular, weekly check-ins! You always want to ensure everyone is on the same page, and make sure you remain accessible to pour into the growth of those that you hire. No one wants to work for someone that only wants them to work and never grow. Be honest and upfront with your team on their performance and lastly, give feedback and always be open to receiving feedback in return. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Emilia: My three best tips for other entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders include: 

• Don’t get too comfortable, anything can happen so stay on your toes! Anticipate that you can have your best month and have a slow-performing month. 

• Do not be afraid to ask for help! Reach out to mentors, peers, employees and friends when needed. 

• Take risks and trust your intuition! 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Emilia: ”Bloom where you are planted” by Terry Lundgren. I received this and read it to mean that I cannot move forward if I am not the best where I am currently. If you want to take on more and succeed more, focus on succeeding where you are presently in order to get to where you want to go. Often we look to the future instead of being grateful in the moment, and seeing the opportunities and valued relationships we currently have. 


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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