Get up, dust yourself off, and keep going again and again.
Lucy Splichal is the co-founder of the San Diego-based beauty brand, Cheeky Physique. As a former fashion designer and longtime lover of beauty shortcuts, she noticed a hole in the market for quick fix, physique-perfecting products that actually worked.
Thus was born Cheeky Physique – a collection of luxurious body care products that deliver visible results with minimal effort. Lucy joined forces with her fiancé and co-founder Jesse Jimenez in 2015 to launch the brand and develop their line of lip plumping, curve boosting and body firming solutions.
Today, the Cheeky Physique collection is sold online and in shops and spas around the world.
Next up, the duo will be expanding their beauty empire by launching Jesse Jimz – a line of sophisticated skincare products for men of grit.
When she’s not scheming up new beauty products, Lucy can be found thrift store shopping and indulging in long, leisurely brunches.
Where did the idea for your company come from?
I began my career in the fashion industry, but I’ve always been a beauty junkie. I noticed that there were tons of innovative products for the face and hair, but not very many for the body. When I moved to San Diego, I had the chance to start something new and decided to launch my own brand of results-driven body care products.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I start each day with an iced coffee and my journal – planning, setting intentions, and meditating. In the business, I oversee branding, marketing, and product development. I spend most of my day coordinating with vendors and working with our marketing and production teams. It’s a never-ending stream of emails and phone calls and I’m often amazed at the way things come together to meet a deadline or deliver a big order. My co-founder Jesse is a former software engineer, so we use the Scrum agile method in our business. Working in two-week sprints keeps us focused and productive.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I’m a planner so I like to break things down in different ways – from mindmaps and lists to diagrams and post-it notes. The main thing is to get stuff out of my head and written down so I can organize it and create a plan of attack.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Indie beauty! Consumers are growing tired of the same old mass-produced products. They’re looking for brands that dedicate themselves to a specific niche while focusing on clean, consciously-produced products. It’s exciting to be part of this movement.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I swear by the Pomodoro Technique. I set a timer for 25 minutes and focus without distraction until the timer goes off. I repeat this over and over all day long. If I’m feeling especially distracted, I’ll set the timer for 10 minutes. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in even 10 minutes of focus.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stop worrying about what other people think.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Chocolate is a vegetable!
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Get up, dust myself off, and keep going again and again.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Having an international focus. I love traveling and am fascinated by different cultures, so it’s natural that almost every aspect of our business has international ties. In addition to our local San Diego staff, we have a virtual team that hails from the Philippines, South Africa, and Russia. We import ingredients and raw materials from around the world and then turn around and export our finished products to dozens of different countries. This international focus has opened up countless opportunities.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
From my experience in the fashion and beauty industries, there are always designs or products that flop. You can’t get emotional about this. The best way forward is to constantly put new things out there. See what works and what doesn’t and keep moving ahead.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I wish there was a service like Grubhub or Eat24, but for healthy, home-cooked meals.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
A massage! As much as I think I’m managing stress, my body tells a different story.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
We use Trello to organize our two-week sprints. I’m easily distracted by side projects and our Trello board helps me stay focused on the priorities.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz is a must for every entrepreneur. It teaches you how to keep more of the money you’ve worked so hard to make.
What is your favorite quote?
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.
Key Learnings:
- See what works and what doesn’t.
- Organize projects in two-week sprints for maximum focus and efficiency.
- Keep planting seeds for the future. You never know what will pay off months or even years down the line.
Connect:
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.