Why the VP of a Beauty Company Is Learning to Code

Disruption is part of our business culture. The world’s largest ride-sharing company owns no cars. The world’s largest accommodation service owns no property. And the world's largest social network produces no content. 

The most disruptive businesses are those with an interface; a means of connecting the consumer with the good they desire. So is the case of beGlammed, the first on-demand app that connects hair and makeup artists with the consumer.  

Launched in May 2014 it is now the leading on-demand beauty app. It seems simple enough. Combine two billion dollar businesses-- beauty and the on-demand platform-- and watch it spread like wildfire. On the surface, it is. 

It was an idea so compelling, or a “no-brainer” as VP of Marketing and Business Development Alexandra Amodio says, that it made her rethink the aphorism “Perfect is the enemy of good.”

“I know,” she says, “It’s important not to delay until you have a ‘perfect product’ that can come to market, but at the same time, you need to have perfect branding and perfect service, because that’s how your customers will remember you.” 

Alexandra Amodio at Create & Cultivate DLTA, May 2016

The app didn’t exist when the business first launched. In the beginning, for the first two months people would call and book. “We were a technology company and we had this amazing idea at the cross-section of technology and beauty and we didn't have the app yet." BeGlammed now offers services in 20 U.S. cities and one international city. 

“I looked back at records the other day, and I was the first appointment.” 

She was also the first employee and has been with the company before they had investors, which, she says has been a “wild ride.”

In January 2014 she met the Maile Pacheco, the founder, shortly after the idea had been hatched. Pacheco got her start in sales, as a makeup artists for MAC on the floor, but pivoted her way to the corporate side of the business, eventually pioneering her own way and creating a role as the facilitator between MAC’s celebrity clients and the brand sponsorship.

After staying with the MAC for almost a decade, Pacheco had built so many amazing connections within the beauty industry that her own business was a natural next step. She was operating out of Vegas at the time so that’s where beGlammed launched. The next two markets were Dallas and Los Angeles. 

“I remember three years ago, I was going to makeup counters to get my makeup done for events and every time I would buy three products, and I thought— like so many— that was the only way an ‘average’ person could afford to be done up before an event.” 

She was spending more money on products than she would on the beGlammed service— which now comes offered in tiers.

This is one of the major shifts the company has made. In the beginning there was only one pricing option, but now beGlammed offers three pricing options to fit any budget. “We’re making a luxury service affordable for all, no matter your budget, and we’re the only brand doing this. That’s become a big part of our marketing strategy that I didn't foresee in the beginning. You can get a blowout for forty dollars. Or you can get your makeup done by a celebrity makeup artist."

Photo by Arnelle Lozada

Instagram has also been very influential in their business. “We get so many clients who see Gigi Hadid’s makeup from the Met Ball and say, ‘I want that.’” It’s a direction she sees the interface moving.

Creating shoppable looks and creating affiliate partnerships is likewise something she’s passionate about and has performed very well in the fashion space. BeGlammed wants to create the ability for consumers to see a beauty look they love in the afternoon, ‘purchase it’ and have it applied by a professional in their home, office, or hotel that same night. “From a selling standpoint,” Amodio says, “there’s no better opportunity to sell a product than when you’re getting your makeup done. You have a 90-minute one-on-one very organic interface between the consumer and the makeup artist whom you trust.” 

Potentially that means beGlammed product or a bigger partnership with larger beauty brands.

“There are a lot of opportunities within beauty,” she says, while acknowledging that the speed of the on-demand market means there is pressure to keep up with Uber and Airbnb, both of which have “tons of resources and are moving really quickly.”

“You want to keep up and have the ‘Uber-puppies,’ but we always need to keep in mind what our MVP is, why we started, and make sure we are never losing sight of that.”

"We always need to keep in mind what our MVP is, why we started, and make sure we are never losing sight of that.”

Tweet this.

For now beGlammed is focussed on becoming the beauty authority in the space, as well as continually growing their influence.  Says Amodio, “This could mean we spend more energy promoting the artists within our senior tiers, growing our editorial presence— in a way that brands like Who What Wear and Into the Gloss have done a fantastic job at— and delving much more heavily into the beauty tutorial and vlogging space.”

The need to “keep up” is one of the reasons why after ten years in the startup work she’s learning to code. She started with Codeacademy, now receives coding-related news from Hacker News, and is part of the GitHub community.  “The very first computer science class I took was an online CS50X course from Harvard, which was intro to computer science and programming. It’s incredibly empowering to have an idea for the interface and be able to have a conversation with developers. It also gives you a deeper understanding of how feasible something is and how much it will cost.” 

It’s incredibly empowering to have an idea for the interface and be able to have a conversation with developers.

Tweet this.

She quotes the late Steve Jobs in the Lost Interview with Steve Jobs, who said, “I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” 

Thinking she is. When you believe in the service you’re offering, and know that what you’re putting to market a service people will love, “it’s almost too easy,” says Amodio. But what separates the idea people from the success stories, is “cohesive branding, product development, and customer service. Having a completely integrated approach will always be the most important part of any puzzle.”

More from our blog:

Enter the Now: The Dreamiest Bohemian Spa Destination in All of LA

Affordable luxury. It's not something Angelenos know that much about. That us, until now. Or rather, The Now. The luxury-walk-ins-welcome-spa that opened last year in West Hollywood, is all about that balance. After detecting a gap between high-end spas that cost a premium and Eastern foot spas that skimp on luxe, Erica Malbon and Gara Post looked for a way to unify those elements. 

Drawing inspo from the Coqui Coqui hotel in Tulum, Mexico, The Now offers the luxury spa experience at a (very) affordable price. Massages start at just $35 (just about the cost of two pressed juices), and guests can choose from a variety of add-ons. The first location attracted ladies like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, and the cofounders announced (today!) that a second location will be opening soon in Santa Monica. 

They're out to relax LA, one neighborhood at a time. 

We caught up with Erica and Gara to see how they spend their day, what advice they have for aspiring female entrepreneurs, and why touch is so important. 

Gara: 

5:30 am: Wake up and drink a large glass of room temperature water with lemon. Then meditate for 20 minutes. This is my daily ritual.

8 am: Get my kids ready for school. 

9 am: Go to Pilates or hot yoga at Core Power yoga - the works outs are so hard, but so effective.

10 am: Arrive at The Now and meet up with Erica to work on getting the boutique ready for the day.

Erica: 

12 pm: By noon we’re starving so we’ll run across the street to Erewhon for juices and salads. They have the best food!

1 pm: Meet with the team to review new ideas for products we want to sell at the boutique.

2 pm: In the afternoon we’ll have massage therapists come by for interviews with us and Amber, our massage therapist ambassador

Gara:

4:30 pm: Head home to get dinner ready for the kids and family. Creating balance between work and family is really important to Erica and me. 

8 pm: Back to work, usually with a glass of wine.

What made you decide to get into the health spa business? 

We both come from a design background, so we didn’t necessarily think that we would end up launching a massage boutique. That said, we are both really passionate about self-care and self-love. We really liked the idea of an affordable massage in a luxury environment, which is where our design background comes in. We want to give people the opportunity to connect with themselves and recharge on a regular basis. Since we’re both hard workers and entrepreneurs, it was a natural jump for us even if we didn’t have background that aligned in an obvious way. 

What are your respective backgrounds?

Gara: I have a jewelry line called Gara Danielle that I’ve been designing for 18 years (which is why I’m always wearing at least 15 rings and 10 bracelets!). I still work on it every day and am currently brainstorming a potential special collection for The Now. Stay tuned!

Erica: I worked in marketing and design with my husband on fashion and style brands. I had actually just designed my own line of luxury travel accessories, but I put that on hold to work on The Now. You never know how it will resurface though!

How do you scale a business and keep your massages starting at such a great price point?

We work with amazing massage therapists who love having a regular but flexible job they can come to. So it ends up being a win win for everyone!

A lot of establishments in LA run on the premise of exclusivity. But you’re offering an experience with very inclusive prices and still attracting an A-List clientele. What’s the secret? 

We have a couple beliefs that we always go back to. One of which is that we believe in the power of touch. It’s healing in a way that nothing else is and it really should be part of everyone’s regular routine. With that being part of our foundation, how could we ever create a place that is exclusive? Everyone deserves to feel great. That’s why our hashtag is #MassagesForAll. We think people, A-list or not, are attracted to The Now because our view comes from an honest place. Also, we’ve designed the space in a way that feels like a luxurious vacation. And who doesn’t want to go on a great vacation?

"We believe in the power of touch." 

Tweet this. 

What is your best advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs?  

Gara: Work hard.

Erica: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Yes, it’s scary, but that means you’re doing something exciting and new. 

Gara: And be kind. To yourself and others. 

To book online or via The Now App visit www.thenowmassage.com

The Now, 7611 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-746-5525,

photo credit: Tessa Neustdt