Growing A Brand Socially

One of the first things I looked at when researching my latest company was to take a closer look at those at the helm.  This company, in particular, mirrored what I had found with my former clients.  Find ground-breaking visionaries to work with that have a proven track-record, innovative products and the ability to change industries.

Some excerpts from an interview from one such visionary - Lori Bush.

In many ways, Lori Bush and the social commerce company Rodan + Fields are synonymous. She’s been there from the beginning, when its founders repurchased the company from Estee Lauder and relocated its products from prestige retail to create a brand-name direct selling opportunity.

There’s an advantage to that kind of continuity, but Bush is well aware of its challenges, too. Fire in the bellies of 10 people and a vision to get it done grew the company, but there are organizational and cultural differences between a startup and a mid-market company. As Bush likes to say, “Scrappy isn’t scalable, especially in this world of direct selling.

“It’s really easy to be thrown off because of an emotional response from the field, as well as internally, when you try to build and change,” Bush says. “Being open enough to receive feedback, being certain that you understand the difference between what has made you successful and the chains that are holding you back, and strengthening the great while cutting the chains is a huge part of where we are right now in our business trajectory.”

Alongside the company, she too must transition, refocus and continually grow to lead Rodan + Fields through expansion beyond the United States. The company’s build-out of a global platform, Bush says, calls for an operational focus, which will include cultural and technological components as well as the building of a positive corporate middle management.

No stranger to getting her hands dirty, Bush often takes on proxy or surrogate roles when there is a void or a risk to the company. “I learned the hard way that ignorance is not bliss. You really need to at least understand some core fundamentals of every aspect of the business,” she says.

As a female CEO, Bush understands there are hard-wired cultural differences between men and women. She says, “For women, there’s a narrower window in terms of behaviors that are effective in an organization and when building a career. There are still aspects of command-and-control style leadership—sometimes necessary to run a company effectively—but they are not considered especially feminine. They are even considered unattractive or off-putting when coming from a female executive.” It’s a fallacy that Bush remedies by making herself present and visible, engaging and connecting with people, inspiring true belief and working very, very hard. “So when I do get tough, it is clear it’s without any kind of personal agenda.”

“I believe in this idea of independent partnering, knowing who you can pick up the phone and call when you have an issue or need another perspective. Innovation comes from diversity in thinking, so I make a point to extend to a lot of people.”

Rodan + Fields

Rodan + Fields was the first prestige skincare line to exit the department store for the world of direct selling. The company was founded in 2008 by world-renowned dermatologists Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, the creators of Proactiv? Solution.

What the pair did for acne, they are now doing for sun damage and anti-aging skincare.  The company’s demographic continues to lean toward affluent consumer groups, while their business opportunity attracts and empowers tens of thousands of personal enterprises, and in the process defines the future of social commerce. Consultant growth (compound annual growth) is up 105 percent from 2008.