Smart Beauty is a podcast for beauty business owners (particularly female founders) who are looking for tips on how to hone their brand voice and the story behind it – or anyone who's just curious about business and branding. It's hosted by Viola Levy, journalist and founder of copy-led branding agency Smart Beauty Creative. We also sit down with guests from some of the industry’s leading and disruptive beauty brands, as wel ...
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In this episode, we sit down with Roshanne Dorsett, founder of The Glowcery, a whole food superfood skincare brand founded on the belief that what you put on your body should be as nutritious as what you put into it. Roshanne shares her remarkable journey from working in criminal and human rights law to becoming a natural skincare formulator and entrepreneur. Burned out from the emotional toll of handling high-intensity legal cases, she found her way back to herself through wellness and eventually launched The Glowcery with a mission to create nutrient-rich, sustainable skincare products. In this candid conversation, Roshanne shares how emotional burnout in her legal career sparked her wellness journey and ultimately led to creating The Glowcery. She explains why cold-pressed, nutrient-rich ingredients form the cornerstone of her brand's philosophy and offers insights into her hands-on formulation process, which she likens to "Breaking Bad but with natural ingredients." Roshanne discusses the financial realities of entrepreneurship, including working warehouse night shifts to save for her initial investment. She reveals her approach to building genuine community through personal customer conversations and offers practical advice for implementing sustainable practices on a limited budget. The conversation explores pricing strategies for premium products, navigating retail partnerships, and the importance of connecting your personal "why" to your brand's mission. Roshanne explains why The Glowcery prioritises long-term skin health over fleeting beauty trends, shares the development story behind their award-winning Clean Green Superfood Serum, and outlines her vision to expand into a holistic wellness lifestyle brand. theglowceryshop.com / Insta: @theglowceryshop Tiktok: @theglowceryshop Subscribe to Roshanne's newsletter here. Resources Mentioned: Virgin Startup (business loans for entrepreneurs) The Stack World by Sharmadean Reid (community for founders)
In this episode of Smart Beauty, host Viola speaks with Anna Vale, a powerhouse independent consultant specialising in scaling indie beauty brands through strategic marketing leadership. With more than two decades of experience spanning executive roles across the US, UK, and Middle East, Anna shares her expertise on navigating the complex beauty landscape. Based in New York, Anna has collaborated with an impressive roster of brands including Youth To The People, Crown Affair, Provence Beauty, Estée Lauder, Tom Ford Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, and many others. As a consultant who specialises in brands within the Sephora and Ulta ecosystem, she offers unique insights into retail partnerships that drive growth. The conversation explores the challenges indie beauty brands face when scaling, from building the right team capabilities to strategic budget allocation. Anna discusses how brands can balance viral marketing moments with sustainable long-term growth, and shares her perspective on what retailers truly look for when taking on new brands. Other topics include: The critical differences between global markets and how strategy must adapt Why pricing strategy matters when planning for scale How legacy brands can maintain relevance while honouring their heritage The impact of celebrity-founded brands on the retail landscape The rise of social commerce and other emerging industry trends Anna's role as a fractional CMO and how brands can leverage this model Whether you're a beauty entrepreneur looking to scale, a marketing professional in the industry, or simply fascinated by the business of beauty, this episode offers valuable strategic insights from one of the industry's most respected thought leaders. annavale.com Want to work with us? Get in touch: hello@smartbeautycreative.com
In this episode, we sit down with Kate Kaye, founder of Wild Source - a holistic skincare brand born at her kitchen table that now graces the shelves of Liberty London. Based in Bristol, Kate shares her entrepreneurial journey from creating beauty products at age eight to building a brand that fuses skincare with spiritual wellness. She candidly discusses the challenges of launching without prior business experience, the realities of breaking into luxury retail, and how motherhood deepened her connection to beauty rituals as self-care moments. Kate offers insights on maintaining brand authenticity, the importance of creating sensory experiences in skincare, and why sometimes the best business strategy is simply to start before you feel ready. Whether you're an aspiring founder or skincare enthusiast, Kate's practical wisdom on perseverance, manifesting goals, and creating meaningful customer connections provides valuable perspective on building a purpose-driven beauty brand. wildsource.co.uk
In this special "bottle episode" of the Smart Beauty Podcast, host Viola Levy answers the question on every beauty entrepreneur's mind: "If I spend money on branding, when will I actually see a return?" Cutting through the fluff, Viola breaks down exactly how branding investments pay off across three key timeframes: immediate positioning benefits, mid-term pricing power, and long-term customer loyalty. Using real-world examples from beauty brands like Glossier, La Mer, and Fenty Beauty, she provides a practical roadmap for identifying when your branding investment is working and how to measure its impact on your bottom line. Perfect for beauty business owners who need to justify every penny spent and want to understand the concrete timeline for seeing tangible results from their branding investment. If you'd like to learn more about Smart Beauty and how we can help position your brand for long-term growth, book a discovery call: https://smartbeautycreative.as.me/discovery-call
In this episode, we sit down with beauty mogul Agnes Cazin, the visionary force behind branding and communications agency Haiti73 she is about to launch the inaugural Buzz of Beauty Festival “for the girls who shop at Selfridges and get their hair done in Peckham” which takes place at London's Africa Centre, Saturday 29th-Sunday 30th March 2025. With a career spanning global beauty giants like L’Oréal, Unilever, ORS, Puig, and Cantu, Agnes has dedicated herself to bridging the gap between Black consumers and the beauty industry. We discuss her journey from producing fashion shows and music videos in London’s creative scene to launching an event that supports and champions Black beauty entrepreneurs. Agnes shares the inspiration behind Buzz of Beauty, the challenges of navigating the industry and the vital need for education in brand-building. If you’re a beauty founder or passionate about the industry, this episode is packed with invaluable insights. Tickets for The Buzz of Beauty Festival can be purchased here. @buzz_of_beauty_festival hello@smartbeautycreative.com