Lynn Power is a long time advertising executive, formerly CEO of J. Walter Thompson NY. She’s worked on iconic brands such as Clinique, American Express, Hershey’s, L’Oreal and Campari. She left advertising in 2018 to start a brand consultancy which then led to launching her own brand, MASAMI, clean premium haircare in February 2020.
Where did the idea for MASAMI come from?
I met my co-founder, James in 2018. He had been working on clean haircare formulations for almost 10 years! I had left my advertising career to start a consultancy working with startups. But we decided to join forces to create MASAMI and bring it to market. We launched in February 2020.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
My days are all over the place but it always starts with yoga – that helps me focus. And from there, I usually am checking our social media, chatting with potential salon partners or retailers, connecting on R&D and product production – every day is different, but always busy!
How do you bring ideas to life?
I love the creation process! It typically starts with a strong understanding of the brand, the values, the tone of voice. And then digging into consumer behavior and the connecting it back to the channel. I’m lucky that I’m surrounded by a lot of creative people, so there’s no lack of ideas on our team.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Conscious Beauty! People are starting to demand it, which is great. It’s much more than just the ingredients in your beauty products (which shouldn’t be toxic), it’s the approach to sustainability, the supply chain, the packaging.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I try to get 8 hours of sleep. I think many people underestimate the importance of sleep but I feel like I’m much more productive when I am well rested.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Never, ever get a perm. Even if all of your friends have one.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
That aliens exist. Yes, some people would agree. But a lot of my friends think I’m crazy.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I network like crazy. I love meeting new people with different skillsets or from different industries. I’m good at connecting the dots to see how an idea can transfer over and I find it’s a good source of inspiration.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Partnering with other like-minded businesses has been a great way for us to help each other. I’ve met amazing brands and indie brand founders and we have created blogs, held giveaway promotions, livestreams, all kinds of things.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
We had made some assumptions about our MASAMI customer, thinking they would be a Henry (High earner, not rich yet), a woman, urban, a “beauty explorer” but we’ve found that our best customers are women over 40, people with dry/frizzy challenging hair, men and pregnant women. We are always learning and evolving and adjusting our marketing as we grow.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I would love someone to scan my kids’ art and create a book (so I don’t have to keep the stack of huge pictures they drew in elementary school but I can’t bring myself to throw out!)
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
A rice cooker! I have no idea how I lived without one.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
I use an app called Videoleap that lets me edit my own videos right on my iphone. It’s been a fantastic tool for us as a small business to be able to create video content very efficiently.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Khaneman. It’s a fascinating read on why we make the decisions we do (hint: it’s our fast brains at work).
What is your favorite quote?
I like this quote from Mary Shelley (who was quite a badass in her day): Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
Key Learnings:
- Prioritize self-care – take care of your mind, body and spirit.
- Stretch yourself to meet new people, you’ll be amazed at what you will learn.
- There is no place for fear in entrepreneurship.
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.