Passion, Beauty, and Leadership: Rachel Shelowitz on Her Journey to CEO at Lawless Beauty
Rachel Shelowitz, CEO of Lawless Beauty
Q: Rachel, tell us about yourself and what you’re passionate about? What lights you up?
A: I am passionate about pretty things. I know that sounds little and shallow, but it's the spice of life and where the magic lives. When I see something beautiful, it fills me with imagination. A gorgeous painting in a museum takes me back in time to when it was being created and forward in time to where it might hang next and who would be enjoying it everyday. A sparkly dress or chic jumpsuit immediately takes me to the occasion it will be worn, with whom it would be mingling and what conversations would be buzzing around it. And when it comes to makeup, it takes me deeply inside and connects me to an emotional landscape where I am exploring myself and eventually, externally, where I can see how I am showing up and expressing myself in any number of situations.
Q: You’ve worked for several very successful, high profile beauty brands throughout your career. What are the products that have stood out to you over the years that have been iconic and why? What makes an iconic product?
A: There are products that have stood out to me as a consumer and those which have been poignant in my career. What these products have in common is a deep emotional connection, for one reason or another. As a consumer, the products that stand out as iconic to me are Lancome Juicy Tubes (the texture in that component created a sensorial experience that was first of its kind and now copied by so many brands), MAC Studio Fix (every single girl in high school wore that and carried it around - that first experience at a MAC counter with the massive shade range and wild makeup feels like a defining moment and product in my makeup journey), YSL Touche Eclat (the gold packaging, the clicking sound, the luminous finish - this product and the YSL brand were both inflection points in my career) , philosophy Purity Cleanser (the color, the scent, the QVC experience), Bobbi Brown Concealer and Pale Yellow Powder (i started my career at the Bobbi makeup counter and these two products were the foundation for everything then and taught me alot about creation star products as I built my career .Also, my first experience on TV was when we launched Bobbi on QVC and I was the model for Porcelain Bisque Corrector Concealer - major full circle moment for me)..
Q: Talk to us about your journey as becoming CEO at Lawless. What were some pivotal moments in your career that in retrospect supported your rise to the position that you are in now?
A: I have been very lucky in my career - every role has been both a challenge and a game changer, at every level. Early on, I was given the sage advice that in every encounter I have in the industry, I should get two new names of people I didn’t know and follow up with them, while always keeping in touch with those who are impactful along the way (in any capacity). My network has been a strength in that there are always people around me who know more and have more experience, and I find myself tapping into their knowledge base where I come up short and to share my own experiences when they are facing a challenge. Reaching out and staying humble are two lessons I learned from those who had been there done that.
Q: What would you say is the most challenging thing that you face as the leader of a beauty brand that is in hyper growth mode? Is there any insight you can share about Lawless’ longer term goals? (If no, I can just take that part out.)
A: Keeping my eye on the horizon while not missing what’s right in front of me is a constant challenge - I fail at that more often than I succeed, and that is where the strength of those around me comes in very handy. I haven’t hired well 100% of the time but where I have, those team members have become the heroes. The biggest insight I can share is that honesty and transparency are extremely effective and necessary tools of success in team building - both in terms of hiring as well as retention. Team is absolutely everything - it cannot be over stated.
Q: To people entering into the beauty industry, what sage advice would you give them?
A: I would give the advice that was given to me which is that once you meet someone in the industry, in any capacity, get two new names from them. It may take a lot of knocking on doors but it only takes one more person to open it and let you in. Keep going. If ever you hear that you are lacking experience, go get it. There are so many ways into the industry and usually it is those who get themselves on a highly customized and personal zig zag path who end up winning the race.
Q: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you tell her?
A: Positive Mental Attitude is a helluva drug, and if you haven't yet become the person you want to be, ask that person for advice about how to get there and follow it. In other words - think like the person you look up to and you will become the person you look up to.