710 Allyse Cirillo: Founder & CEO of Saint Jo Skincare

0:00Kara Goldin:I am unwilling to give up, but I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be. You just want to make sure you will get knocked down, but just make sure you don't get knocked out. So your only choice should be, go focus on what you can control. Hi everyone and welcome to the Kara Goldin Show. Join me each week for inspiring conversations with some of the world's greatest leaders. We'll talk with founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and really some of the most interesting people of our time. Can't wait to get started. Let's go. Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Kara Golden Show.

0:45Kara Goldin:Today's guest is someone who is redefining what it means to build a beauty brand with values, results, and serious momentum. I'm joined by Elise Cirillo, who is the founder and CEO of St. Joe Skincare. You need to remember that brand right now. It's fairly new, but it's gonna really take off. So it's very, very good. As I was saying to Elise, she sent me some products and they are just so, so scrumptious. I love them. So really, really amazing. So Elise decided it was time to stop building for someone else, had been inside product development, and decided that it's time to go out on her own and start her own brand.

1:36Kara Goldin:And her mission was to create skincare without compromise. So St. Joe blends high-performance science-backed ingredients with clean, non-poxic formulations without sacrificing your health or values. and I cannot wait to hear what it's been like to not only launch this incredible, beautiful brand with amazing, amazing SKUs, but also to scale it and all the decisions that you have to make that maybe you didn't know when you were working for that big company before. So Elise, welcome. Welcome to the show. Super excited to meet you and have you here. Thank you, Kara, so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

2:21Kara Goldin:Very excited. So, okay, so let's talk about St. Joe skincare and what makes it different from other clean beauty brands on the market. Yeah. So really what makes us different is that we really are putting the customer first, right? Most clean beauty, the industry is confusing, and we're really trying to break down that barrier and give people the 101 to how to even live a low-tox, clean, healthy lifestyle. And really it starts from your skin and within. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. Hey everyone, Kara here. I've had an Apple Card for a few years now, and honestly, it's one of the best kept secrets out there.

3:07Kara Goldin:It's made managing my spending feel effortless because I can see what I spend when and where at a glance. And here's the best part. Applying is so easy. You just go to the wallet on your iPhone to apply and see your credit limit offer in minutes. Then start using your Apple Card with Apple Pay right away. No hassle, no waiting, just simple and fast. What I love most about my Apple Card, I get up to 3 % daily cash back on the things I'm already buying. No points to keep track of. So if you're looking for a credit card that fits your lifestyle, Apple Card is it. Give it a try. Apply now in the Wallet app on your iPhone.

3:52Kara Goldin:Subject to credit approval, Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch, terms and more at applecard.com. Right. So what we've developed is a five-step skin system that really gives you everything she needs and nothing she doesn't. And it's focusing on how to properly use your skincare in the right order and really take away that guessing game and simplify our lives. There's so much going on in our lives that why not your self-care routine really be simple. And that's really where St. Joe is trying to carve the way so that we can just be in the bathroom, in the homes and traveling with the women who have such a busy life.

4:38This is one less thing that they need to worry about, but they know that they can feel so good about it because the products are beautiful. They feel great. They smell great, but really they're working, right?

4:49Kara Goldin:No, they're absolutely incredible. So how did you come up with the name? How did you decide to name St. Joe, St. Joe? So I love that question. Actually, St. Joe is a little bit of a personal name. My middle name is Josephine and my two grandmothers are Josephine. And when I had lost one of my grandmothers that was so close with me, I just was really when the opportunity for this company to kind of come alive. And I was working with the manufacturers and the manufacturer had approached me saying that, you know, they really love what I want to do with formulas. They would help help push it through for me.

5:28So really the St. Joe just came from knowing that my angels and my supporters are with me and they're telling me to get down this path.

5:38Kara Goldin:So you've worked inside of large companies and you've seen that many products be developed. You've developed many of these products as well. And obviously, naming is such a key thing when people are, maybe they have an idea for a company. But what would you say about naming? Like, what are the key things that you think consumers gravitate towards? So I think consumers want to understand who's behind the brand, right? Is there a reason? Is there a why? Or is it just another big company that's losing sight of those consumers? And I think really when you're approaching a name, it really does need to be a story, an inspiration.

6:19Someone who, if it can be personal to me, then why can't someone else create a company or a name that's personal to them? Just like our own names, right? They tell the story. They tell our personality. So I feel like a name is very significant and kind of helps show its own personality. So I really wanted to create something that could really be a wellness brand and not truly just focus on topicals or supplements and really just kind of round it out. And at that time and that moment, that name comes to you and it starts to build its own personality. And that's what I love.

6:55Kara Goldin:No, I love it. So how did you think about packaging? It's such a key component, especially for beauty. And how did you think about it when you were developing St. Joe? So it's funny. I could show you all of the bad packaging we went through, right? And all of the many samples that we had in sourcing. And really, when you think of packaging, you need to think of the consumer behind it, right? What is the experience you want your consumer to feel and to go through? And really, when you think of what's the beauty industry right now, you almost have to choose. You have to choose between your luxury products that look really nice but might be filled with chemicals or toxins, or you can find your cleaner beauty that might be not focused on luxury products that look really great in your bathroom or in your travel bag.

7:48Right. So for me, it was really to make sure that we were bridging that gap and finding materials that were once, you know, sustainable, but to healthy for the product. So our bottles are actually made from glass. So it's really important because it also helps the formulas just perform better in glass versus plastic. And the tops of our products are actually from bamboo. So really kind of giving that wellness, wholesome life to the products as well.

8:19Kara Goldin:So I read that you had a personal transformation and ended up losing a significant amount of weight and rethinking your own wellness journey. How did that experience influence St. Joe and your mission? Yeah. So going through such a change, right? I think prior to that, right, is like you kind of fall into this. Oh, my gosh, I don't even recognize the person that's looking back at me. And it was in all areas of my life. It was my job. It was my health. It was, you know, just the person staring back. And I was actually doing really well in my career, but wasn't filling my cup. And it was showing, right?

8:59It was showing on my skin. It was showing in my body that I just wasn't feeling like I was supposed to be doing what I'm doing or where I was supposed to be. I was making great money. I was at the top, you know, sitting with all these men and in a room and it was really great, but something truly wasn't missing. And I started chipping away at health and I started realizing it's overwhelming. Where do I start? What diet do I do? What do I write? What are all these things? So really just understanding that other women or other people must be feeling overwhelmed of how to even start a journey. That was really the aha moment for me is that taking that first step into my health journey, right?

9:39And making changes, reading the ingredient lists, the labels, just making those changes is really then at that same time I was learning about the beauty industry. And I was seeing that those two are very deeply connected, right? Your skin health and your inside your body health. And that was really where I knew that St. Joe had to exist for the girls or for anyone who felt overwhelmed and didn't know how to live a low-tox lifestyle and didn't know what products they really were going to be good and healthy for them. That is definitely the, you know, the why behind St. Joe.

10:18Kara Goldin:I love it. And with that, you ended up, you're not just about skincare, you're also about supplements. And can you talk a little bit about maybe your SKU mix that you launched with, but what was kind of the reason behind each of these different products that you launched? Yeah, I love that. So the reason why we call ourselves skin and within, right, is really because you cannot separate the two. You have to, you have to, what shows up on your skin is a direct reflection of what's happening inside your body, right? So really, I had learned that firsthand. And when I started my wellness journey, I wasn't just, you know, looking to change how I looked, but how about I felt what I was putting into my body.

11:02So really, I was paying attention to, you know, what supplements, what vitamins, what are all these things that I need to fuel myself, but also to make sure that my skin was getting the nutrients that it needed. So really that is where St. Joe is really not just a skincare brand. And it's really because we wanted to create more simplified wellness products. So we created five topical, five skincare products and then two supplements. So the supplements are your AM and your PM. So of course, AM to give you all of your nutrients to glow throughout the day. But then your PM supplement that really helps promote restful sleep, collagen rebuilding, right?

11:41Hydration. So it's really giving you everything that your skin health needs from the inside out. And that's really that balancing of your skincare and the synergy between what you're taking, right? Is like your full food for what you need. And it's going to support your hormone balance, your collagen production, your stress response, right? All of those things that really do show up on our skin. So it's important that we tackle this from skin and within.

12:13Kara Goldin:You talked about the five SKUs and what is the order? Can you talk a little bit about each of those since you don't have a hundred SKUs yet? I'd love to hear about the five SKUs. Like how would you use the five SKUs? Yep. So I love to take that guessing game out, right? That's one of the most feedback that I've gotten is that everyone is really happy and excited that I've actually numbered the SKUs for the consumer. So first, we'll start with our number one, which will be our cleanser. And our cleanser is really that non-stripping, pH-balancing cleanser that's really going to take you day and night.

12:52Then you have our step two, which is our D-Fend. And really, what's that going to do is support your skin barrier. It's really going to be that first layer of serum that's super important for the longevity of your skin health, but also preventing your aging, right? So it's going to help with fine lines and wrinkles and really give your skin that first layer of nutrients that you need. Then we have our third step, which is our brighten. And that's really going to be your next layer of combating hyper pigmentation, sunspots, and really acting as that glow for your skin. Our fourth step is our nourish.

13:30So that's our moisturizer. And really for that product is really focusing on hydration. And you start to actually see your skin start glowing by that fourth step. And then our fifth step is our illuminating, which is our glow oil. And that is a plant-based oil that is one of the most stable forms of vitamin C that's out in the market right now. And vitamin C being an oil and being your last step actually helps penetrate all of the actives before it. So it's really thought out carefully, the steps that we're promoting and the SKUs that we're promoting is really curated. Now, of course, you can use these products as one-offs in your routine that you love and trust, but really we've tried to build products that work together, work with your skin and really give your skin the chance to work and heal itself instead of all of these harsh products that are doing the work for us and ultimately aging us faster.

14:30Kara Goldin:Yeah, definitely. You've been in the apparel industry and the shapewear industry, but then you had acquired or the company you worked with had acquired Clean Beauty. So you've paid attention to a lot of what's going on in the industry. What do you think is kind of like the dirty little secret about so many products that maybe, you know, your friend who is not in the industry, you would tell them to watch out for? Yeah. So of course I am a little bit of a newbie to the beauty industry. I've been in the industry for three years now. And really the first thing was the clean name, right? Clean Beauty almost lost its meaning because companies are really using this as a marketing buzzword.

15:18They're stripping the ingredients, but they're not focusing on the ingredients that they're actually putting into it. So some of them are still, you know, still putting in or they're removing some harsh fragrances. Right. But there still might be some unnecessary ingredients that are in there like fillers or synthetics. So really the dirty secret is clean is not consistent and it's not consistent across multiple brands or even multiple retailers. Some retailers have a different meaning of what their clean standard is. So really for St. Joe, it was about not just removing all of the toxic ingredients, but really handpicking what are the ingredients that we are going to put in.

16:02And we're not going to go after synthetics. We're not going to go after these harsh fillers that your skin really doesn't recognize. So it's more about, you know, that dirty secret of you have to be careful with, you know, truly what is clean beauty? What does it mean to you? How is it important to you and what brands follow that for you?

16:22Kara Goldin:So what is the most important way today that you're getting word out about St. Joe's skincare? So I think for us, it's important that we give the education to. So not only are you can find us direct to consumer, but really we are on Instagram. We're doing our due diligence on TikTok to really to go behind the education of the products, the education of the ingredients to really start changing the conversation around clean beauty. And then, of course, partnering with other brands or influencers that can really help use the products, feel good in the products, and then help spread the word. When do you know that it's time to create a new product in your line, a new SKU?

17:14I love that. So for product development, we're almost always a year out. So we always need to be thinking, well, what is next? Right. Once you get a consumer, how do you make sure you're filling all aspects of her life? Right. The point of St. Joe is to help simplify and help give her products that she needs on a daily. So really what's next after that is really finding, OK, what else is missing? Or me as a consumer, what else do I feel that I'm using other other brands, products that St. Joe doesn't have yet? So I really always look at what are the consumers telling me? But what am I feeling too?

17:50What am I missing in that routine? Is it an exfoliator? Is it body care, hair care, right? Where are we still failing in clean beauty? And where can St. Joe help simplify and bring better products to the market?

18:03Kara Goldin:So you had worked for other people. Now you started your own company. How different is it than what you expected? Yeah, so it's a huge transfer of skills, right? I think with other people, I was always behind the scenes. I was always so focused on the product, so focused on the consumer. And of course, that's my expertise and that's my skill. But I think now being as a founder, I have to think about almost everything, right? We have to think about being the marketer, being the you know, being the web developer, being all of these other things that really I wasn't trained for. And now I'm really leaning on the people that I know are experts in this.

18:51And then I'm diversing myself and jumping into each category. But I think being always so safe behind the product and now I'm part of the product and I'm part of the brand is that's really what's breaking down my barrier and pushing me into these new challenges, right? I feel so confident in building products and really understanding women and people and pain points. But putting myself out there has probably been the biggest challenge and the biggest switch from, you know, from leader versus founder and CEO.

19:24Kara Goldin:Yeah, no, definitely. And you decided to launch online initially, and you're not in retail stores quite yet. So how important do you think that is for brands. I mean, you gain so much information about your brand once you actually allow the consumer to purchase the product and you get to see the lighting behind the product, I guess, if you decided to go retail first versus direct to consumer. There's all different lessons at every step. What's one of the more important lessons that you've learned as you've launched? So I think it's really important that we listen to the customer. So for me, going direct to customer, direct to consumer is important because I really wanted to hear, are these the products that people love, right?

20:17Are people having transformations, skin transformations that I've been having about, you know, my team's been having with the product. So for me, the consumer first, that approach is always my go-to approach. Then once I know, okay, these products are validated, they're ready for bigger scale, that's then when we'll go to retail. But for me, customer feedback, clinical trials, all of the important steps first, right? It's a walk. It's a fast jog before a run. And I really wanted to do it smart and do it with the consumer in mind first. Sometimes when you get into retailers, things can change, you know, a certain way can change and really making sure that St.

21:00Joe's backbone was strong before we went ahead with all of that yet.

21:04Kara Goldin:Is there a product that you developed along the way while you were trying to figure out those five? And I guess it's really seven with the supplements, but that just didn't work. Maybe you were trying to create something. maybe you had some ideas that it just wasn't going to happen, or maybe the reverse that, that maybe you discovered something by accident. Definitely. So I think both, right. I've definitely discovered things that I can't wait to launch that just happened to work out perfectly, but really where we're stuck right now is SPF, right? So SPF is the next step in your routine that you really do need.

21:47But of course, you know, the right SPF, the right formula that's non-toxic, but also smells good and feels good and goes good under your makeup, right? That's so important. So for me, building an SPF will take more time because I just don't want to compromise on anything. I don't, I want the SPF that I, you know, sell to you or give to you. I want it to be the right one. So that has been the trickiest thing. And of course, there's so many regulations and certificates. So I really wanted to make sure I understood the SPF world. So that's probably our biggest challenge, but we will crack it and we will have a great one.

22:25Kara Goldin:Yeah, definitely. I created a sunscreen with Hint a few years ago and it's extremely regulated. It's really hard to do the right thing. So it's good that you're taking your time. But when you look at building your company, so you're interviewing people, you probably were interviewing people at your former company, but it's, I don't know, it takes on a different meaning because you're sort of creating the culture that you want to go alongside this incredible brand that you're building too. And so what do you look for in people when you're looking at not just hiring people to work at St. Joe, but also partnerships, right?

23:12Kara Goldin:Like who you're working with. And I mean, I used to say, like, I won't deal with assholes. Like, it's just, and, you know, even if it's the best thing in town, I just like it. At the end of the day, it only gets worse. It doesn't get better. So I, yeah. And so I definitely have had moments where I've had to say that, but I'm so curious what you have looked for in people that you're interviewing. So in my, you know, in my career, I've hired and fired many people. And really that term is so important because finding the right candidate is so important for your business, for your team, right for, for the name behind your brand.

23:59And so I think for me, the most important thing is sometimes I don't even look at the resume. Sometimes I just want to feel the energy. I want to see the excitement, the passion, right? I don't need you to have the perfect experience. I just need you to have the drive, the want, you know, can you, can you live the brand? Right. And how can I make sure that I can mentor you and train you and do all of those things? Because I really do feel some of my greatest team members and coworkers were probably people who didn't have experience in that exact field, but they came with so much open heart to learn about it, to grow, to be part of the brand and truly not just think of it as a job, but really think of it as a place that they can grow.

24:46So for me, I love leading. I love mentoring. And I really do put a lot of energy. Most of my days are spent in team meetings because I put a lot of energy behind my girls or my team. So for me, that is probably the most important. Is your vibe there? Do you love the products? Do you love the mission? Do you even love the customer that we're trying to reach? That's the most important for me.

25:10Kara Goldin:Yeah, definitely. What was your first hire that you made? Yeah, so my first hire was probably marketing. marketing, all of the things that I knew I was always a part of, but I never led. So for me, it was, you know, who can help me with web development and, you know, and help make my logo and bring my vision to life. So that was definitely my first hire. How have you funded the company to date? So I love to say that my corporate life and all of my relationships that I've built along the way with manufacturers, formulators, developers, I've been able to team up with a lot of these people because I have had such strong relationships and helped build really big businesses.