Women With Impact #14 - Jane Wurwand
Welcome to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 14th edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed Jane Wurwand, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Dermalogica, who is based in LA. She founded the iconic professional skin care brand 37 years ago and made it a global success: distributing the products to 100+ countries, training 100k+ skin therapists, and selling the company to Unilever in 2015. Jane Wurwand is also an author, keynote speaker and philanthropist, having established the non-profit organisation FOUND.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I am an entrepreneur and champion of entrepreneurs. As the founder of Dermalogica, I worked to raise the standard of education in the professional skincare industry and help skin therapists become successful small business owners. I'm also a wife and mother who spends time between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara when I'm not traveling for fun.
What does impact mean to you?
Impact means taking an action that makes a real difference to someone else. By improving outcomes for others, we open up options, opportunities and choices that never existed for them. They in turn, build their communities and families. The way to make real impact is to start with the person being in need of it. As a skills trained Skin Therapist and after decades of seeing first-hand how these small skincare businesses positively impacted their communities, I started FOUND, a non-profit whose mission is to support local entrepreneurs, especially those who are the most overlooked for funding.
How do you make a positive difference in the world?
I’m using the knowledge and financial success that I’ve gained through my career to help entrepreneurs be successful. Through FOUND, I'm funding and partnering with other groups to impact local entrepreneurs. Local businesses are the heart of our communities, creating spaces and opportunities to connect, making our neighbourhoods places we love and to live in. Small business owners lead the long tail of job creation, and put money back into the communities they sit in. I’m committed to helping more small business owners access funding, mentorship and other resources so they can be a positive impact on their communities.
The Lessons
How has your journey of making an impact changed you?
The journey has cemented my purpose. Growing up, I was told by my Mum, “learn how to do something.” When you have a skillset, you can own your future. So I spent my career helping skin therapists upskill, so they could build successful businesses. That led me to realise my impact for helping entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship for others has become my life’s work. Every experience that speaks to our heart is like a dot on the paper of our lives. Over time, the dots come together and reveal our true purpose.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
Staying true to our beliefs in the face of doubt and derision. People told us we should change our name – “Dermalogica is too hard to remember and say.” Our packaging was considered too industrial and sterile – but the simplicity of grey and white made the brand iconic. I’ve had an industry godfather tell me my ideas and presentation were “the worst he’d ever heard” - but I held strong to my beliefs. I had to be ok with pissing off 80% of the people to turn on 20%. It’s the only way to stay authentic. And unique.
What's the biggest lesson you have learned on your journey so far?
One of my greatest lessons came at 19 years old, from a salon client, Mrs. Herd. In her 80’s, she explained the reason she came to our salon so often was that it was the only place that anyone touched her. It stuck with me and shaped my entire career. The professional skin care industry is the rare industry that can change someone’s life through human touch and connection. We spend hours connecting with clients through our hands and our hearts. I believe the most important thing we can share is empathy and human connection.
The Inspiration
Who did you recently inspire to create impact? How?
I hope I inspire skin therapists and small business owners to stay the course and pursue their passion, because their impact is infinite. I wrote my book, Skin in the Game, to help others find their bigger purpose. You don’t have to be a business owner to be the entrepreneur of your own life. But I know that when we are driven by a bigger purpose, we can change the world.
What advice would you give to other women who want to have a positive impact?
You must ask: what’s the higher impact of what your work does for others? What are you fighting for? More importantly, who are you fighting for and why? Once you figure this out, the how will come. There will always be people who try to minimise you to make themselves feel bigger. Through it all, make sure you never undervalue yourself or what you are good at. Never shrink yourself or allow anyone else to diminish your potential.
Enjoyed this or have any feedback? Let me know in the comments!
If you know someone who fits my mission and should absolutely be featured on Women With Impact, please nominate them here.