ng to customers. Inside Retail: How did the idea for POV Beauty first come about? Ani Hadjinian: It started with something Mikayla Nogueira had been seeing for years, both when she worked in beauty retail and later through her community. So many people would say they were “bad at makeup”, but when you looked at what was actually happening, the issue often started before the makeup ever went on. Their skincare wasn’t layering well, products were pilling, foundation was separating, or they just didn’t know how to prep their skin in a way that worked for them. People were cobbling together a routine from five different places and hoping for the best. We kept coming back to the same question – “What would it look like to build skin prep as a real category, with products that work well individually but are also designed to layer together?” That’s really where POV started. IR: How does working with a comparatively indie beauty brand like POV Beauty differ from working with major beauty companies and brands like The Estée Lauder Companies, Bobbi Brown and Augustinus Bader? In what ways has your previous experience in the beauty industry aided you in your current role? AH: At a larger company, there is usually infrastructure around you. There’s a team, a process, a precedent. At a startup, sometimes you’re making the decision and building the process at the same time. That can be incredibly energizing because you can move fast. It also means you feel every decision more directly. My previous experience has helped because I’ve seen what happens as brands get bigger. I’m constantly thinking ahead: “If this works, what happens next?”, “What becomes a problem when we’re five times the size?” and “What do we need to put in place now so we’re not trying to solve it under pressure later?” IR: What is a piece of advice you would give to the day-one version of yourself on your brand founder journey? AH: I’d tell myself that the speed will never feel comfortable, and that’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong. Getting comfortable with moving before you feel ready is basically the job. IR: In what ways has the beauty industry shifted from when you first started in this field to today? AH: Consumers have so much more power now. When I started, discovery was much more controlled by brands, retailers and traditional media. Today, someone can discover a product from a creator, read the comments, watch 10 reviews, compare it to three other products and buy it within a few minutes. The feedback loop is also much faster. Social media, reviews and UGC give you a constant stream of information about what people like, what they don’t understand and what they wish existed. If you’re paying attention, that can influence product, marketing, education- almost every part of the business. What’s interesting, though, is that physical retail still matters enormously. Seeing something online over and over can create awareness, but being able to walk into a store and actually try it can be what gets someone over the line. IR: What advice would you give to retail executives to best keep up with these shifts? AH: Content is the new storefront; it draws people into the store. So, watch, study, learn and obsess over where the conversation is happening, not just where the transaction is happening. The sale might close in-store, but the decision is made long before someone walks in. Retailers who only optimize for the register are missing half the picture. IR: What are the items in your business toolbox? AH: A hammock. One at the office and one at home. When I feel stuck, or I feel boxed in by the day-to-day, I lie in it and just look at the sky. Staring up does something a desk can’t do – it gives your mind room to go beyond what feels immediately possible and think in bigger, more open ways. That’s where my best ideas come from, the ones that show up when I actually give myself space to think. IR: What guidance would you give to aspiring executives who are trying to work their way up the corporate ladder? AH: Stay curious even after you’re “supposed” to know the answers. It’s easy to let curiosity fade as you get more senior, because you’re expected to have conviction, not questions. But I’ve found the opposite to be true. The more open-minded I’ve stayed, the better my decisions have gotten. Some of the best ideas in this company haven’t come from me; they’ve come from staying curious enough actually to listen for them.  I still read every comment, every review and everything people say about our products, because that’s where the real education is. You don’t outgrow the need to learn; you just have to be more intentional about seeking it out. IR: What is your current favorite SKU from the brand? AH: I love them all, but if I’m forced to pick one, I would say Snatch It Face Ampoule. It is hydrating and nourishing, and it just makes my entire skin look so refreshed. I love the texture; I love getting my PDRN and peptides in one product. It is simply the best for both my makeup and also for skin repair. Further reading: How Alissa Miky harnessed red algae to create functional beverage brand Oomee