Say Yes to Opportunities: Interview with Maria Hatzistefanis, Founder and CEO of The Rodial Group

I recently went one-on-one with Maria Hatzistefanis, founder and CEO of The Rodial Group. The Rodial Group’s brands – Rodial and Nip + Fab - are sold in 10,000 stores across 35 countries including Selfridges, Harrods, Neiman Marcus, Blue Mercury, and SpaceNK.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Maria: I was always passionate about fashion and beauty. My first job was as a beauty writer at Seventeen magazine. That’s when I first identified a gap in the market for sophisticated skincare products that would offer targeted treatments for specific skin concerns. I wasn’t ready to start a business at the time, so continued my studies. I earned an MBA at Columbia University and got a job with an investment bank on the Corporate Finance team. I thought my future was in finance, but two years into it I got fired. It was a devastating moment, but this is when I realized I wanted to start my own business.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?  

Maria: When I got the idea 25 years ago, the beauty industry at the time was very generic and was a “one style fits all” with no unique and interesting products on the market. I had this vision to revolutionize the beauty industry with ingredient-led products, which at the time didn’t exist. I launched Rodial from a back room at home in London, and 25 years later we’re available in over 3,000 stores and over 35 countries worldwide. When I started there were gaps in the beauty industry and what I wanted to do was unique with a fresh point of view. For anyone starting a business now, you need to do your research and make sure your idea is unique to stand out in a very crowded space.

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?  

Maria: I didn’t know! I had a gut feeling that was driving me to keep going. The first few years were tough, and I was questioning myself and my business idea. The business took off when we had our industry breakthrough after 5 years in business with the launch of the Snake Serum which became a viral success. At that time, we didn’t have social media and that’s the one product that put Rodial on the map. My view is to start with a small number of SKUs/services to test the ground before a new business expands. This way you can get some feedback on your core idea before you invest in a wider range, make it the best it can be for the consumer you are targeting, and.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Maria: International expansion is key for any business. From very early on, we participated in trade shows to get more eyes on Rodial. We met instrumental and international distributors and retail store executives which helped to grow the business.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Maria: These are evolving all the time. Currently, are all looking for new audiences to expand our brand reach. A 360 approach is needed to include not only social media but traditional media (print & online magazines, TV, retail activations) as well as discoverability via brick-and-mortar stores and pop-ups. During the Pandemic, brands were getting incredible ROI from paid social media, but customer acquisition costs are very high right now and marketing budgets need to be spread among a variety of various initiatives.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Maria: An effective leader recruits the right team that can form a strong culture, share the bigger company vision, and then allow their teams to execute it. Spending time creating a strong culture is underrated but it’s the most crucial element to ensure the team works together as a unit. If you’ve recruited well, the role of the leader is to support the team to success rather than micromanage. I spend time recruiting and ensuring every person who joins Rodial can add to our culture. Developing leadership skills is part experience and part constantly educating ourselves (books, podcasts, attending conferences) and creating a network of peers that we can exchange views on leadership styles.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Maria: Know your customers and always create products that they would use. It is tempting to expand and add categories and new audiences but can derail the DNA of your brand

Keep on learning by reading motivational and business books, and podcasts & attending conferences. Even the most successful people need their motivation too.

Say yes to opportunities. Life can lead us in so many different directions. Sometimes we say no to great opportunities out of fear that we may not succeed. My motto is to say yes and figure it out later.

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

Maria: The best piece of advice is a quote from Jay Z when asked about the secret to success: “The secret to our success is that we never gave up.” I was inspired by this - and it is the title of my book How to Be An Overnight Success - where I go into detail about how to be successful by not giving up.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is 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. 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. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, 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. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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