I recently spoke to skincare entrepreneur Rochelle Jacobs. From letterhead to launch, Rochelle oversaw the creation of skincare brands June Jacobs and Naturally Serious Skincare and is responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of both brands.

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

Rochelle: I grew up being inspired by the generations of women in my family who made their own homemade skin care products—and my mother, June Jacobs, is the most inspiring of them all! When she was 40 years old, she and her business partner launched a successful clinical skin care company from absolutely nothing. After working in finance at two large public companies, I joined my mother, and shortly thereafter launched her namesake brand, 21 years ago. I was the eighth employee! My mother had always pushed me to be the best I could be and in her mind, that did not include working with her—ever. Until it did! I saw how quickly her then “tiny” business was growing, and asked if I could come help her grow it. Without hesitation, she said absolutely not! Unfortunately for her, she taught me to never take no for an answer, so I set up a formal interview with her and her business partner. The rest is history.

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

Rochelle: Every good and bad experience I’ve had has helped me in some way, shape or form. Sometimes it is immediately obvious how the challenge impacts me, and other times it isn’t until a decade later that I am able to pull off something that would have been nearly impossible without a particular past experience. I often feel like my life, both professionally and personally, is a constantly evolving and growing complex algebraic equation. While I could easily give you a list of all my failures and accomplishments, here’s what I know to be true: We are all still (hopefully!) learning and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, so you need to be able to adjust your ideas and practices accordingly.

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

Rochelle: I didn’t. WE did. I am a big believer in the “it takes a village” concept. After my mother and her business partner launched their clinical skin care line, we opened June Jacobs Labs in 1999 as our own manufacturing, research and development facility. It was my mother’s “crazy” idea, which turned out to be the best thing we ever did. With this private lab, we have 100% control over our innovation and quality. In 2003, we launched the eponymous June Jacobs Spa Collection, which was inspired by the generations of women in my mother’s family who taught her how to create homemade skin care.

June Jacobs Spa Collection was one of the first brands to market natural-yet-effective skin care products, so creating Naturally Serious felt like an inevitable next step for me. I wanted to take clean skin care to the next level, which is why our products are not only good for your skin, but also good for the environment! We cleanly and consciously formulate each and every Naturally Serious product, from research and development to final packaging. As a result, our vegan/vegetarian formulas are completely free of B.A.D. (Banned, Ambiguous or Debatable) ingredients—and full of our patented Anti-Pollution Blend of six anti-oxidants (pomegranate, goji berry, grape seed, green tea, red tea and white tea), which is clinically tested to help combat visible signs of aging from environmental damage. Each formula comes sustainably packaged in recyclable/reusable containers and cartons certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

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

Rochelle: While many factors will set you on the path to success, none are as important as believing in yourself. Be confident in your vision and believe that you have the power to accomplish it. If you can figure out how to follow a career path closely aligned with one of your passions, your day-to-day won’t feel so mundane and will most certainly make attaining your goals that much easier. 

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

Rochelle: Me and my longtime friend and colleague, Sarah McNamara, are both career-driven women and mothers on the go. We didn’t have time to think twice about our skin care (and what was actually in it!), but knew we wanted clean and conscious products that supported our healthy lifestyles and personal values. The problem was, as we searched for our “perfect” skin care, we discovered that many products claiming to be clean and conscious actually had unwanted ingredients and questionable brand philosophies. Unable to find truly clean, ethical and effective skin care, we pursued the idea of Naturally Serious to take out the guesswork for other time-strapped women like ourselves. At Naturally Serious, we’re completely transparent about what you will (and won’t!) find in our formulas. Our clinically clean, sustainable packaged, 100% cruelty-free products are ones you can actually trust in!

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

Rochelle: I think it’s important to run your ideas, big or small, past other people in your life. This includes business partners, but also friends and relatives! A good idea all comes down to whether it will resonate with the consumer, so you want to ensure that it resonates with those consumers in your inner circle. Think of them as your own personal focus group! Listen to what they tell you and hear what they say to each other, in order to make the most informed business decision.

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

Rochelle: Naturally Serious is still a young brand, so the sky is the limit as we look to grow our business. An integral part of that growth is fostering open communication across all levels and departments. I love hearing everyone’s ideas, then gradually streamlining and finessing the best ones together as a team. One specific example of building our brand is social outreach. It’s incredible to see the #NSSkin community spreading awareness on Instagram by using our products and sharing them with their followers. YouTube is another incredible platform that has allowed clean beauty influencers to discover our brand. We try to nurture those connections as much as possible to help spread our clinically clean and conscious skin care ideals.

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

Rochelle: Network and learn from others who have built businesses and had success. As a female leader, I especially feel an immense responsibility to forge connections with other women. Being not only committed, but also available to my team is so important. If they trust me and believe in my credibility as a company leader, I can hopefully inspire them to take ownership of their roles and careers.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Rochelle: Arming yourself with industry knowledge is crucial to success. If you have this fundamental foundation, then you have everything you need to make informed decisions. Know and understand the industry landscape to see where there might be white space and innovation opportunities. Also, never forget your customer! When faced with a dilemma, try putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself whether it is something they would truly want or need.

Adam: What are your best skincare tips? 

Rochelle: I believe that beauty starts from within! To me, wellness is holistic and I look for healthy ingredients in both the food I eat and the skin care products I apply. We created Naturally Serious with these personal values in mind, hoping to help other women who have similar standards. Our products are not only super-effective, but also good for your skin and good for the environment. One of my best tips is to start using anti-pollution skin care. Like sun damage, environmental damage can lead to signs of premature aging, so it’s important to defend your skin from the aging effects of environmental aggressors. My daily anti-pollution essential is our Skin Warrior™ Anti-Pollution Repair Cream—I live in New York City, so it’s a must! I use this multipurpose cream in the morning and at night to help soothe the look of dry skin, seal in moisture and shield against the aging pollutants that I face on an everyday basis.

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

Rochelle: I’d say the most important lesson I’ve learned in my career thus far is not taking myself, my business or anyone else for that matter, too seriously. Additionally, the more senior you are in your career, the more people look to you for final decision-making and alignment. However, I set out each day to make sure that I listen to what others are telling me—and often times hearing what they are saying to each other—to help make the best decisions. 

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

Rochelle: Learning, listening and acting. Consistent communication is essential to building a team and maintaining their support. I never take for granted all of the incredible employees that have been loyal to our brands and who have devoted their careers to growing the business with us.

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

Rochelle: Attracting the right individuals and then ensuring they are constantly growing and learning has been both the most incredible and inspiring, yet demanding parts of my job. It’s imperative to find the right personalities, talents and attitudes to bring a new brand like Naturally Serious to life. We designed a working environment where everyone feels empowered to run with creative ideas. Since we have a more niche team, we want a structure that fosters superior communication across all levels and departments; this way, everyone shares input more efficiently and we can execute ideas most effectively.

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

Rochelle:

• Never stop building meaningful relationships with customers and other people in your industry. Choosing to view competitors as potential partners and collaborators can positively impact your business in a big way. Networking is highly underrated and will forever be the major key to your success.

• Focus on setting and achieving small incremental goals rather than trying to instantly build your vision of what the company should be. Always set realistic goals and milestones.

• The best leaders learn with a team!

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

Rochelle: The best advice that I’ve received is to love what you do. Being passionate about your career makes working feel like so much more than just a paycheck. It empowers me to achieve my goals and overcome any obstacles along the way.