“LOS ANGELES, THE INDIE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”. A FAB CONVERSATION WITH BEAUTY FOUNDERS IN L.A.

6 min readMar 15, 2022

A meeting hosted by Zack Parker and Camille Cabale.

1. What was it about LA (Austin for Shaz and Kiku) that made you want to start your brand here in this ecosystem?

“L.A. is the place of dreamers, you can be anything you want to be in L.A., and it’s totally acceptable.

I transitioned from Hollywood (a management company in the entertainment industry) to beauty. I knew there would acceptance from the community, dreamers go for it! You come up with ideas and put them into action.”

Nyakio Grieco

“I was a journalist. I was living in NYC. I had this intuition … moving to Los Angeles, I decided to launch in L.A. Four years ago, Los Angeles was not the indie capital of the world. It’s is now, we should call it the Silicon Valley of Beauty.”

Troy Alexander

“ I totally agree. The talent is there too. People are used to work from home in L.A., because of the commute. We (Yuni) only use freelancers. The surfing is good, the weather is fantastic. It’s also a lifestyle!”

Emmanuel Rey

“We chose Austin as we have strong ties to Texas where we have been raised. The city is growing to something spectacular. Everything can happen. There is a great community of CPG founders. We are close to our manufacturing facilities and suppliers. It was another reason.”

Shaz Rajashekar and Kiku Chaudhuri

“Creators, Influencers are definitely in L.A., and also in Austin with the SXSW happening now.” Zack

2. In LA, we have this ecosystem of entertainment, influencers, and creators that make this a melting pot of opportunities for a direct-to-consumer brand.

With so many opportunities out there, the trick is to be true to who you are and not just go after anybody who can serve as a megaphone to get your brand out there. Do you have any examples where it went well or it went really bad?

“Bigger than the brand, serve the collective. It does not go well when it’s performative.

We can see through that very quickly. If it’s believable, everyone wants to support you.”

Nyakio

“It’s about togetherness. We haven’t launched yet. Influencers are about my mission, not just the money, They need to be aligned with your brand.” Troy

“In the beginning, I met a beauty influencer, she had a waiting list of three to four months. I did not see how it could be authentic. Instead, we connect with yogis, fitness and wellness people who were only approached by apparel brands and they welcomed us with open arms as they had they did not work with beauty brands.” Emmanuel

3. There has been this spectrum of a couple of decades ago it was all brick and mortar. Then, all the new DTC brands that were created went 100% online. Now there seems to be a swing back in the pendulum to somewhere with a mix of both.

Can you talk about the future of retail and how you plan on optimizing your mix between online and brick and mortar?

“We knew we wanted to be omnichannel. Our online business is key. We are happy to partner with Thirteenlune, Nyakio supported us from the beginning. We are at CredoBeauty, We are part of the Sephora Accelerate. We are obsessed with clean ingredients and sustainability, and choose our partner accordingly.”

Shaz and Kiku

“D2C vs B&M? For sure Brick and Mortar helps you showcase your brand to the world, but it has also a huge cost and impact on the cash flow. Obviously, you need a balance, in D2C you own the customers (knowledge of them), the margin… And you can’t forget Amazon, you need it, and control its weight in your total business. My advice before partnering with a retailer:

-Make sure that your customers shop there

-Your Price point is compatible with the environment

-Be aware of the cost of doing business with the retailer

The big check at the beginning, it’s great, but then it’s the beginning of work!”

Emmanuel

“Question on the Listing Fee. It doesn’t mean that the retailer will invest behind your brand. You still need to drive the customer to the store.”

Emmanuel

“As a beauty founder, I had to pay so many events and spending with just a retailer…It is our responsibility to have the brands part of our community, and that they thrive. We (ThirteenLune) don’t do it like everybody else.“

Nyakio

4. Lastly, as a founder myself I have to ask about the fundraising environment. The press says that people are throwing money at companies left and right. That can be a difficult thing to read if you are struggling to raise money.

How has your fundraising journey been and what are your thoughts on the funding environment today?

“As a white male founder, I know it’s easier.” Zack

“2007. First-time entrepreneur, female, and black. I learned that VCs and Private equity wouldn’t look at me. I had to come to my community, friends and family, and friends of my friends… When I launched at Fred Segal, people were saying you need to be serious and go to NY retailers.”

“Now, It’s a bad business move not to be inclusive.” Nyakio

“I learn so much. I’m teachable. I make no excuses to be a black founder not to find fundings. We can be able to connect with anyone. During the covid, I went to Linked in and Crunchbase, and I wrote cold mails. Find your way, believe in yourself, believe in your instinct and guts. I’m grateful for my investors.”

Troy

“Ask for help, not for money. It’s easier to have new connections.” Troy

Chat, Added sources and events in Los Angeles: Dot.LA, GrowLA

Thank you to our guest speakers and host. Go L.A.! Dear Fab friends, don’t forget to subscribe to the Free quarterly newsletter to receive the replay,

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