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Courtney Claghorn, co-founder of SUGARED + BRONZED, joins Lara Schmoisman on Coffee Nº5 to share how she bootstrapped a beauty service out of her apartment into a nationwide brand. From $1,000 in startup capital to 10 stores before raising funding, Courtney reveals the lessons of growth, customer loyalty, franchising, memberships, and creating a product line—all while keeping customer service at the core.

We'll talk about:

• How Courtney turned $1,000 in savings into Sugared + Bronzed
• The leap from apartment spray tans to opening a first brick-and-mortar in Santa Monica
• Bootstrapping growth for 9 years before raising outside capital
• Building a team you can actually trust—and learning when to take back control
• Creating a product line without losing focus on services
• Customer service as the foundation of brand loyalty
• Why raising capital with the right partners changed everything

For more information, visit Courtney Claghorn's LinkedIn.

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Alec Batis, beauty industry veteran and founder of Sweet Chemistry, joins Lara Schmoisman on Coffee Nº5 to unpack the pursuit of eternal beauty. From organ regeneration science to peptide innovation, he shares how true beauty goes beyond flawless skin—blending performance-driven skincare with wellness, meaning, and social impact.

We'll talk about:

• The personal story that drove Alec to chase beauty through science
• Lessons from leading marketing at Victoria’s Secret Beauty and NARS in the supermodel era
• Why “juice without fiber” became his metaphor for a shallow beauty industry
• The medical-grade peptide technology behind Sweet Chemistry—and why it’s a game-changer
• Why functional ingredient levels matter more than “story” ingredients
• How wellness, art, and social impact fit into the future of beauty
• The movement toward “whole beauty”—beyond what’s skin-deep

Find Sweet Chemistry’s Social Responsibility Efforts on their website: https://sweetchemistry.com/pages/commitments

For more information, visit Alec Batis' LinkedIn.

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Mark Menning, PhD, pharmaceutical scientist and founder of MARK Los Angeles, joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack how flavonoids, clinical trials, and advanced delivery systems are reshaping skincare. From FDA-approved antivirals to cold sore serums and acne care, he shares how science—not hype—is driving the next era of beauty and wellness.

We'll talk about:

• Why drug delivery—not just ingredients—defines whether skincare works
• How a career in pharma led to groundbreaking skincare innovations
• The role of flavonoids as powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral actives
• Lessons from running full clinical trials in an industry that avoids them
• Why consumer feedback forced MARK Los Angeles to reposition products—and why it worked
• How inflammation became the “enemy” driving premature aging and poor skin health
• What the future of beauty looks like when science—not marketing—sets the standard

For more information, visit Mark Menning's LinkedIn.

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Susanah Zeffiro, Brand Partnerships Lead at BeReal and former Spotify and Epic Games exec, joins Lara Schmoisman to explore the future of social media, authenticity vs. AI, and how brands can win with Gen Z by leaning into raw, unfiltered connection instead of glossy campaigns.

We'll talk about:

• Why Gen Z is rejecting filtered perfection and demanding authenticity
• The throughline of Susanah’s career: spotting what’s next before it hits the mainstream
• Lessons from Spotify, gaming, and now BeReal on building brand partnerships that actually work
• How raw, iPhone-shot creatives are outperforming polished campaigns
• The rise of “monocultural moments” and how real-time engagement reshapes brand storytelling
• Why BeReal isn’t chasing algorithms—and why that matters for users and brands
• How social platforms are shifting from entertainment to search, and where BeReal fits in
• The future of influencer marketing in an era of authenticity and unfiltered connection

For more information, visit Susanah Zeffiro's LinkedIn.

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Steven J. Edelstein, VP of Growth & Partnerships at MyFBAPrep, joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack why most brands fail before they scale—covering pricing strategy, supply chain traps, trade show mistakes, and the future of beauty innovation through personalization and smarter storytelling.

We'll talk about:

• Why pricing strategy must start with your audience—not just your ingredients
• The real margin rules that make or break a brand
• The hidden costs in supply chain and trade shows that drain young businesses
• How copying formulas and white-labeling kills true innovation
• Why personalization and lifestyle-driven products will define the next decade
• The shift from discounts and one-off sales to loyalty and continuity programs
• How to create emotional connection that keeps customers coming back
• The future of beauty: smarter delivery systems, niche focus, and brands that actually solve problems

For more information, visit Steven J. Edelstein's LinkedIn.

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Henry Barton, Global Head of Network & Community at Duel Tech, joins Lara Schmoisman to reveal how the smartest fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands turn their most passionate customers into unstoppable advocates—and why community is your ultimate growth engine.

We'll talk about:

• Why your most loyal customers are your most powerful marketing channel—and how to activate them
• The difference between brand “fans” and true “advocates” (and why it matters)
• How to find and nurture your brand’s real community—not just followers
• The compounding power of advocacy-driven growth in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands
• Real examples of brands leveraging advocacy to outpace competitors without bigger ad budgets
• Why community building should be in the C-suite conversation—not just marketing’s to-do list
• The mindset shift from acquisition to amplification—and why it’s the future of brand growth

For more information, visit Henry Barton's LinkedIn.

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Ken Hughes, known as The King of Customer Experience, joins Lara Schmoisman to share why connection—not product—is the ultimate differentiator in today’s AI-driven world, and how brands can design loyalty that lasts.

We'll talk about:

• Why products and services are now commodities—and why connection is your only real differentiator
• The “goldfish moment” every brand should be creating (and how to scale it)
• How Taylor Swift built one of the most loyal fandoms on earth—and what brands can learn from her playbook
• The danger of “one-night-stand marketing” and the shift from transactional to relational thinking
• Why ROI isn’t enough—and how to build with “desire to invest” instead
• Real-life stories of brands going beyond expectations to create emotional loyalty
• The perfect balance of AI and human touch in customer experience

For more information, visit Ken Hughes' LinkedIn.

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Nader Naeymi-Rad, Founder and Publisher of Beauty Independent, joins Lara Schmoisman to unpack the evolution of the beauty industry—from the death of indie beauty to the rise of professional founders, and what it really takes to build a brand that lasts.

We'll talk about:

• Why the “indie beauty” label is outdated—and what founders need to focus on instead
• The harsh truth about brand exits, celebrity equity, and investor-backed hype
• How Nader accidentally launched a movement that changed the industry
• What really separates a brand from a collection of products
• Why founder stories matter—but only when they're earned
• How to know if you’re building something that lasts (or just playing dress-up)
• The professionalization of beauty entrepreneurship—and why “passion” is not a business plan

For more information, visit Nader Naeymi-Rad's LinkedIn.

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