If you’re a regular reader of my blog, or if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know I don’t often share about Beautycounter in my posts or my feed. (I talk about it often in stories, because the brand is part of my everyday life just like other things I share there are.)
The reason I keep that information separate is because I want to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone who reads my blog or follows along with me on social media wants to hear about Beautycounter all the time. (I have a separate Beautycounter Facebook group and email list set up specifically for those people who HAVE raised their hands and let me know they’d like information and updates about the brand.)
But Beautycounter IS a big part of my life, and so today I want to share a bit about the Beautycounter leadership conference, L.E.A.D. (Lead with Education, Advocacy, and Determination), I attended in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago — and about why I’m so proud to be part of this company:
I often tell people that Beautycounter is the most unexpectedly fun thing that has entered my life. I joined (just over two years ago) because I’d fallen in love with the products and thought the 25% discount sounded pretty nice.
It wasn’t long before I realized I ALSO loved getting to share this brand — and the mission behind it, to fight for more control around the ingredients used in our skincare, makeup, and personal care products — with others. I started sharing the brand with my friends, but I also started meeting new people thanks to Beautycounter. Then I started to see my Beautycounter business generate meaningful income for our family, and that made me even more motivated. Now, I honestly can’t imagine my life without this important component. (I NEVER saw myself in a direct sales role, but now it’s a big part of who I am.)
I was honored to be included in this year’s leadership conference, and was so impressed by, well, the whole event. Here are a few things that were particularly great:
- Meeting many women who I’d only ever interacted with virtually was so amazing. My team is spread out geographically, and so I had never met many of them in real life before. It was SO much fun and so very special to spend a couple of days together. I feel so much closer to them now!
- I left the conference feeling like I’d been nurtured as a whole person. This was such a holistic event, complete with a conversation with Beautycounter founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew’s executive coach that centered on vulnerability and comparison and how to build and maintain healthy relationships. (One of my favorite quotes from that talk: “I have so many conversations with people who are comparing their insides to everyone else’s outsides.”
- Our founder and CEO is an incredible woman. To be clear, I knew this prior to attending L.E.A.D. (After all, she’s been featured in the New York Times, Fast Company, and countless other publications, plus as consultants we get to hear her speak virtually pretty regularly.) But hearing Gregg speak in person — being right there in the room with her — really hammered it home. During the event, she was funny and vulnerable and poised and real and motivating and encouraging — we got to see so many sides of her. I love being part of a company that has Gregg at the helm.
- It was really cool having a front-row seat to product development news. Beautycounter is a company that’s just as committed to effectiveness as it is safety. (Because safe is great, but if the products don’t perform well, where does that leave you?) With that high bar in place, they’re always working to develop new products and tweak the ones that are already part of our line to make everything as great as possible. It was awesome hearing about some of the developments on the very near horizon (including more even more sustainable packaging).
- This company is the real deal. They’re working hard to make high-performing products that set the bar when it comes to safety, and to achieve that they are always working hard not just at product development but also product testing. They’re also constantly working hard to advocate for stronger legislation that would hold ALL companies to higher safety standards within skincare, makeup, and other personal care products. (This is super important, and there’s SO much work left to be done. Case in point: the recent California bill that tried to ban 20 questionable ingredients from cosmetics…and that didn’t pass — thanks to, you guessed it, cosmetics companies.) And, because Beautycounter is a B Corporation, they’re also focusing on being thoughtful about the environment and treating their employees really well. They’re a company doing well AND doing good.
- I am so impressed by my fellow consultants. This is a company made up of women who care. Though we each have our own reasons for joining this company, there were so many commonalities between us. We care about health, and about sharing resources (not just Beautycounter-related ones) that can help those we love lead safer lives. We strive to run our businesses with authenticity and connection. We are motivated to learn and grow, both in Beautycounter and other areas of our lives. It was really powerful to be around such an incredible group of (mostly) women (and to be able to easily strike up a conversation with anyone and know you’d have tons in common).
- I left feeling so very energized and armed with actionable information. This conference was full of wonderful insights and information we could take home with us and, in many cases, immediately put into action. I was impressed by the caliber of training that was shared at L.E.A.D. (both by fellow consultants and corporate leaders).
Long story short: Two years ago Anna would have never dreamed she’d find herself at a Beautycounter leadership conference (for a whole slew of reasons). But today Anna is so incredibly grateful that she was there — and that this brand is such a significant part of her life.
One last thing: I have to make sure to let you know that Beautycounter is running a 15% off sale through Monday, April 15! It’s a great time to try the brand for the very first time or to stock up on favorites or try something new if you already love the products. (Oh, and if you’re not sure where to start, take my short skincare survey and I’ll deliver personalized recommendations straight to your inbox.)
