Victoria Beckham has switched industries three times so far during her career: trading in the Spice Girls for a solo career, then launching her own fashion label. Now, she’s in the midst of her third big pivot: a foray into beauty, via a sustainable luxury brand. And she brought in Sarah Creal, a lifelong product developer who’s worked with everyone from Bobbi Brown to Estée Lauder.
PS: 9 to 5ish listeners can get 10% off Victoria Beckham Beauty products by using code Skimm10 at checkout. Some restrictions apply.
On Entering New Industries
Victoria: It's hard for a fashion brand to get credibility in beauty, but it's also incredibly difficult for a celebrity who has a fashion brand to get credibility in beauty. So it really has all just been about the product.
On Choosing A Business Partner
Sarah: Victoria is optimistic and also realistic. I'm handling the logistics and supply chain and all the stuff that makes people's eyes glaze over. And I think the fact that she respects me and knows that I've brought everything I can to whatever the situation is, we just kind of constructively move on.
Victoria: Sarah had a very nice job and a very nice office. I've always been a risk taker, and Sarah took a risk — she gave all of that up to come join the WeWork in New York and be part of a startup.
On Earning A Reputation
Victoria: When I went into fashion, it was all about the fashion and the product being good. It wasn't about my celebrity. If anything, it was a bit of a double-edged sword because of that. So I knew it was about head down, really have a strong point of view, work hard.
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