Listen "S4. EP. 67 - Urban Decay’s Wende Zomnir Is Back - Building Caliray, Her Next Beauty Icon"
Episode Synopsis
Wende Zomnir, a beauty industry disruptor and co-founder of both Urban Decay and Caliray, joins us today to talk all about breaking beauty in two different decades, the serendipitous aerobics class connection that led to partnering with Cisco Systems co-founder Sandy Lerner, and how finding plastic trash on a deserted island in the Maldives sparked her mission to create truly sustainable beauty.She breaks down the wild early days of Urban Decay - from tracking down Shirley Manson through Minneapolis phone books to creating the first social media campaign by paying cool New York girls to pass out makeup to their friends. Wende also opens up about her extensive wellness routine that includes surfing, weightlifting, yoga, and competitive tennis, and why she believes hormone replacement therapy should be accessible to all women. Plus, she shares the origin story behind Urban Decay's legendary All Nighter setting spray (spoiler: it involved spraying her face with actual hairspray during beauty pageants).Welcome to It Takes A Village with Delina Medhin, where inspiring founders & creatives share ‘who I built this with’. Have you ever asked yourself…“how can I be happier, healthier, peaceful, famous, powerful, or successful?” When you want change, your life will shift, you let go, and begin to trust other people. This new energy will attract new people & create momentum in your life that reveals your purpose. Awareness is life’s balancing tool and you are in the right place at the right time, always. 00:00 Introduction00:09 Wende's Career Beginnings at Cisco Systems00:37 Sandy Lerner's Influence and Female Empowerment01:19 The Evolution of the Beauty Industry03:58 The Serendipitous Meeting with Sandy07:43 Wende's Son and Family Life08:53 Wende’s Passion for Surfing and Sports12:27 The Birth of Caliray and Sustainability in Beauty14:10 Challenges and Innovations in Sustainable Packaging18:33 The Evolution of Beauty Marketing and Social Media31:27 The Iconic All-Nighter Setting Spray35:24 Mitigating Life Drift: Hormone Replacement Therapy37:18 The Beauty Drink: A Lifestyle Brand38:55 The Importance of Wellness and Exercise41:26 Fundraising and Building Relationships45:05 The Caliray House: A Unique Workspace47:05 Exciting New Products: Lip Guards49:19 Challenges and Team Dynamics in a Startup55:01 Leadership Lessons and Personal Balance57:58 The Magic of Yoga and Beginner's Mind01:00:41 SPF Routine and Product Recommendations01:05:26 Global Aspirations and Brand Identity01:09:05 Advice for Aspiring FoundersLearn more about Wende Zomnir:Wende Zomnir is a modern beauty industry pioneer. She unleashed Urban Decay in 1996, filling the void with makeup that fueled a beauty revolution. Urban Decay democratized beauty and wellness, and Wende paved the way for the indie beauty movement and future beauty entrepreneurs. After running over plastic bottles with her surfboard, she turned her sights on another beauty revolution: sustainability and performance clean formulas. In January 2022, Wende founded Caliray, a West Coast beauty and wellness brand serving face and planet. Caliray creates performance clean beauty products with skincare-level ingredients, and infuses the products with sexy sustainability and innovative packaging solutions. Connect with Wende:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wendezomnir TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@wendezomnir Instagram https://www.instagram.com/caliray/ Website https://caliraybeauty.com/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@caliray Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/caliray/ Connect with Delina:Instagram @delinamedhinTikTok @delinamedhinYouTube @delinamedhinThreads @delinamedhin Website www.delinamedhin.com Head to the show notes website here.
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