Intro/Outro (00:02):
Welcome to Logistics with Purpose presented by Vector Global Logistics in partnership with Supply chain. Now we spotlight and celebrate organizations who are dedicated to creating a positive impact. Join us for this behind the scenes glimpse of the origin stories change, making progress and future plans of organizations who are actively making a difference. Our goal isn’t just to entertain you, but to inspire you to go out and change the world. And now here’s today’s episode of Logistics with Purpose.
Enrique Alvarez (00:34):
Good Day. My name’s Enrique Alvarez. And welcome everyone to another episode of, uh, logistics With Purpose. We have an amazing guest today. How are you doing today, Maureen?
Maureen Woolshlager (00:45):
Good. How are you?
Enrique Alvarez (00:46):
Happy New Year. I’m doing fantastic. Happy New Year to everyone out there and happy New Year to our guest as well. Amanda Baldwin, c e o at Supergoop. Amanda, thank you for joining us. It’s going to be a very exciting interview, and thank you so much how you been?
Amanda Baldwin (01:00):
Happy New Year. Uh, drinking from a fire hose and the true entrepreneurial dream. Um, came back at a nice very restful break, um, and back in it so
Enrique Alvarez (01:11):
Well wishing you and your family and your team the best this year. I mean, I know that there’s big plans at Supergoop and there’s big plans at your career as well, so, uh, we’ll talk a little bit more about that in a second. But first of all, and I guess before we jump into your career and some of your accomplishments, could you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Where did you grow up? What was your childhood like?
Amanda Baldwin (01:32):
I’m a native New Yorker. Uh, I’ve made it all of 20 blocks in my life, is kind of what I joke about. Um, cause which is good <laugh>, um, I don’t know. Um, but it is who I am. So I grew up in New York City. Uh, I’ve always, the thi probably one of my earliest childhood memories as it as it relates to our conversation today is really, I remember when the gap became popular and kind of wondering and wondering by the store and wondering why is the gap all of a sudden popular and what is it about the product and the brand? And the first job I ever wanted was to design store windows. So I’m old enough to have grown up in a world without digital, without the internet, and without cell phones. So that was the first job that I wanted. But I think that was the first signal that I love brand, that I love marketing, that I love merchandising, that I love product that was in me from the beginning.
Amanda Baldwin (02:21):
Um, there’s been a long and exciting journey to kind of get to where I am today, but I think it was really rooted in that. Uh, and I had an amazing education. Um, really had an, you know, incredible opportunities from a very young age and was really taught from a very young age to figure out how to use that to hopefully make the world a better place. And think that was of value that was really instilled in me very early on by my parents. And so being leading Supergoop is kind of a, a one of those things that I never would’ve put down on a piece of paper is this is what I think, um, I’d be doing at this age. Cuz none of the things that make Supergoop special probably even existed at the time. Uh, but it all kind kind of makes sense. Um, I think that’s the sort of amazing thing about a career journey, and I always say like, think about what it was that you loved to do when you were eight or nine years old before people told you what you should do or what, you know, and you just kind of went with your instincts. And I have an eight year old son, so I’m watching very interestingly and sort of saying like, oh, wow, this is what I actually have told people is what is he curious about now? So, uh, that’s,
Enrique Alvarez (03:24):
No, that’s very always very interesting. Right. And you probably never really end up doing what you imagine doing it at eight, but I’m, uh, but especially in this world with technology growing, the way it’s growing, I’m sure that a lot of things have changed and will change for your son and our kids as well when they grow up. They’ll probably be something completely different and exciting for sure.
Amanda Baldwin (03:44):
Yeah, no, it’s, it’s, you know, it’s fun to imagine and I think it’s about finding kind of things that you’re really passionate about and, and, you know, my, and again, I get into these sort of philosophical co conversations with my son about this, about like, what does it mean to really love something and really be motivated to do it? And, and I think that’s what we’re all after. Um, and I don’t think there’s any one right answer, but I think there’s a right answer for you. Um, and you know, I know we went to business school together and I think when I look at people and kind of where they’re in their careers now, the ones that are really thriving are the ones that really sort of
Enrique Alvarez (04:17):
Fall down. I agree. Yeah, totally agree with that.
Maureen Woolshlager (04:20):
Kinda on those lines, Amanda, is there a story or experience you had from your childhood that helped kind of shape who you are now? And especially as we’re talking about watching our own kids and the experiences they’re having, you know, maybe there’s one that you always tell your son or your husband that you might wanna share with us about how you, how you grew up and maybe what shaped some of your decisions later.
Amanda Baldwin (04:43):
I mean, there’s certainly this story that, that I was sharing about kind of watching brands and why were they successful and being very curious about that, which led me to write my 10th grade history paper about different fashion over time and how it was sort of an indicator of social culture and, and so somewhere along the lines that was, that was falling into place. I think the other thing that, um, again, I didn’t realize at the time, but I think was really impactful on me is I was a gymnast growing up. And so, um, you know, nowhere close, you know, a lot of times you say that and people like picture Simone Biles. I’m like, no, that’s like somebody, you know, if you’re an average high school basketball player, you don’t think like, oh, Michael Jordan, right? So this is, I wanna, uh, but I did spend a lot of time, um, upside down, uh, as a, as a young kid, and it, that really shaped me a lot.
Amanda Baldwin (05:34):
And I think it shaped me a lot as a c E O, uh, because, you know, I always kind of give people the analogy of, you know, I’ve spent a lot of time on four inch wide balance beam, four feet off the floor trying to figure out how to stay on it. Uh, and the level of kind of focus and ability to kind of block out the noise and stay very focused on what lies ahead and what the task is ahead is really important. And the other thing that I really learned from that is they teach you how to fall in gymnastics. Like falling is a part of the process and you cannot learn a new trick if you don’t fall. Like it, it’s just possible. And so falling is something that I practiced a lot, um, growing up. And so I got really comfortable with the idea that you don’t learn anything if you are not pushing a little bit outside of your comfort zone. And, and gymnastics is just a funny sport because it’s so literal in the way that that unfolds. Um, so I, I’ve fallen in front of a lot of people smacked my face and had to get back up and finish. Uh, and I think it
Maureen Woolshlager (06:42):
Wasn’t like you saw falling as failure, you just saw it as one.
Amanda Baldwin (06:48):
They’d be like, here, now you’re gonna first try this trick where you’re gonna fall into this pit of foam, and now we’re gonna put these guardrails on, and then we’re gonna take those off. And it was the way you built a skill was so unique that I think it really, again, I can barely touch my toes anymore, but it certainly <laugh>.
Enrique Alvarez (07:06):
I don’t believe that person,
Amanda Baldwin (07:07):
But it, it impacted me very much from a mental point of view that I don’t, I didn’t realize at the time, but I think it really shaped how I approached things.
Enrique Alvarez (07:16):
It’s not only a great analogy, but like a really good life, um, I guess lesson to learn, right? I mean, we’re all gonna fall and you clearly learn how to fall and then stand up and go keep going, and don’t be afraid of, I guess the pain that comes with falling. So no, that’s incredibly powerful, uh, right off the bat. So could you tell us maybe also during your childhood, like someone that kind of inspired you, um, as you were growing up, someone that kind of started guiding you, inspired you, some mentor, someone that kind of can helped you kind of grow up to the person you’ve become?
Amanda Baldwin (07:51):
There’s so many people. I think when I, whenever I get asked that question, I never picture one face. I picture many faces. Uh, and I picture different people along different junctures in my life. I picture teachers that I had at various different ages. I picture people that I met in college, friends that I’ve had, you know, sometimes they’re friends, sometimes there’s quote unquote authority figures teachers that you have. They’re some of the people that I work for early on in my career. There’s some people that I may have seen on a stage once or, but I’ve always been someone who’s sort of watching and absorbing. Um, you know, we asked a little bit about, you know, being a kid, and I think my mother said that when I was little, I would always sort of just be soaking it all up. Um, and very quiet, uh, and just kind of watching things. And I think that’s, that’s probably a lot of how I’ve learned. And so there’s been very direct mentorships. Um, and then there’s just been a lot of people that I’ve, that have led me by example, um, and by just sort of watching them in action, but many, many, many people along the way. And still many, many people. You’ve
Maureen Woolshlager (08:55):
Had a really impressive career, Amanda. I mean, recently you were named the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year in 2022. Um, you’re part of the top 25 women leaders in consumer health tech. You made the 2022 Inc. 5,000 lists. I mean, these are significant accomplishments and you know, our sincere congratulations to you and, you know, I’m sure the team that that helped you with that. Um, how did you start your journey in the, in the beauty industry? You know, you’ve talked about mentors and different experiences. Has it, has your entire career been in this field or can you give us a little bit of background about how you got there?
Amanda Baldwin (09:34):
Yeah, and thank you for also saying that those awards are about my team, because it’s always very hard for me to hear those things and not acknowledge the fact that yes, I’m sometimes the one standing on the stage, but I do not do this alone. Uh, and I, and I did, you know, as we sort of alluded to in the beginning, I didn’t ever imagine that this was where I would be. Um, when I came outta college, I had this sort of interest in business that was, you know, rooted in I think marketing and advertising. And again, some of these, these stories that I was telling of, of early days, walking around the streets of New York, but I didn’t really know how you got into business. Again, it was a very, I was young and kind of learning along the way. Um, so I ended up working on Wall Street because, um, I had a liberal arts background and, you know, the, the banks came and recruited, um, out of undergrad, and they were very willing to take someone like me who had never opened an Excel spreadsheet before and was asked in an interview, you know, what’s a p and l a balance sheet and a cash flow.
Amanda Baldwin (10:32):
And I could explain the first two, but the last one I really was, was not sure about. Um, and that was okay. Uh, so I started on Wall Street, I started as a banking analyst at Goldman. I had a great couple of years, and then I went into, um, a private equity job after that, which was, you know, pretty much the way that, that a lot of people operated, um, that were kind of coming from a similar background that I was. Um, but I was in, when I was in private equity, I was working all on consumer retail businesses. And that was the moment where I really realized and kind of reconnected with some of those experiences that I had had as a child. And my, I I sort of remember that in one of my first deals we were walking the floor of, of a company that we eventually ended up investing in.
Amanda Baldwin (11:17):
And it was my job to be in the office of the C F O and help him build the model of this m and a transaction that we were doing. And, and I loved him and he actually, this guy went on to be the c e o of the company, and we still are in touch, but what I really wanted to be was with the head of design <laugh>. And like when we walk, I remember sort of being like, wait, wait, can I stay here? <laugh>? And that told me something, right? That I, and I, and I still love a good spreadsheet, um, and I’m super analytical, but there was a piece of me that really wanted to be in the business that wanted to be in the creative aspects of the business. That really, all of a, of a sudden that spark kind of lit for me again about I love aesthetic design.
Amanda Baldwin (11:59):
You know, we were talking a little bit about my yellow lamps and the Supergroup brand and all that stuff is very creative and it wasn’t really part of my job description. And so that set me off on this, okay, I’m gonna see if I can make a career pivot and apply to business school, and if I can get into an organization, work in a company, I’ll be a better investor for it. Um, I won’t close that door because I’ll sort of, and there was actually somebody on the investing team at Apex where I was at the time, who had been an X C O and I was like, oh, well he really understands these businesses because he’s been in them before. Right? Uh, and I really admired that. So that kind of led to the, to the pivot into going back to a school, going to Wharton, writing an essay about how I wanted to run a beauty company one day.
Amanda Baldwin (12:47):
The why beauty was also a whole big process that was rooted in looking at a lot of different categories over the course of the time that I was in Apex. I was looking at all these different consumer businesses and realizing that beauty is a great business, it’s super creative, but it’s also super analytical. And this was where at least two worlds could collide for me. So that was, that was kind of how I ended up in the beauty industry. And um, when I started off, it was the world of the big brands and department stores and magazine ads, and that was really kind of the moment in which I graduated into and had an amazing set of experiences at, at Lauder and then L V M H and, and that kind of world, um, and still drawn those experiences, still very much admire those organizations.
Amanda Baldwin (13:33):
And then the world going digital indie brands kind of coming onto the fore, uh, the rise of social media, the rise of influencers, all these things really changed the rise of Sephora changed how the whole businesses really operated, and I was really excited to be a part of that. So that was kind of how I started going back into smaller, um, entrepreneurial thing. I don’t think I, you know, the irony of winning an entrepreneur of the Year award is unlike probably 99.999% of people who end up on the list that you mentioned. I never thought I was an entrepreneur. <laugh>, uh, only only you know, and, and Holly, our founder who’s so amazing, she comes from an entrepreneurial family. She had six businesses before she was 16. Like that’s usually what you hear, right? When you hear about, um, an entrepreneur. And it’s only later in life that I think I’ve always been an out-of-the-box thinker. I’ve always kind of wanted to challenge the status quo, but I don’t think I ever really realized I would ever be in a situation like this came much later in life. Well,
Enrique Alvarez (14:32):
I Sounds sorry. No, no, you go ahead Maureen.
Maureen Woolshlager (14:35):
I was gonna say, I just think it takes a lot of courage when you’re in early on in your career to make a pivot like you did because you’re coming out of undergrad, you have a couple years under your belt, maybe you’re paying off student debt, or you’re still trying to get your feet wet in, in the business world. Um, and to kind of pivot the way you did and more follow what your heart was saying rather than maybe what your checkbook needed to <laugh> to justify. I think that takes a lot of courage. And I think you, you know, you can say you are leading by example in that way because, you know, I don’t think most people really do that. They think about it and then they wonder maybe 10 years later why they haven’t done that.
Enrique Alvarez (15:15):
I
Amanda Baldwin (15:15):
Agree. I think, you know, I always, I have this phrase that says, you know, follow your heart. It never lies. I really believe it. I’ve always tried to really think about that. Um, and I kind of believe in gut, uh, and instinct and a feeling and just kind of even as scary as it is to just kind of let that unfold. It’s how I chose to came, come to Supergoop, like this was not probably analytical decision, um, was, you know, to join a small company at, you know, several million dollars in sales and under 10 people when I was, you know, pretty senior at a big private equity firm and kind of had everything worked out for myself, <laugh>, right? Um, but I believed in what supergroup is and our mission to change the way the world thinks about sunscreen. And I saw the big idea and the sort of magical thing that Holly had already created. And yeah, that was a gut one too. Um, which I don’t think, again, people are like, how in art did you do that? I’m like, I don’t know. It didn’t so crazy at the time. But now looking back on it, maybe it, maybe it was. So again, I sort of learned that I have this in me that I probably never even recognized before,
Enrique Alvarez (16:28):
Which is clearly traits of a good entrepreneur, right? I mean, you’ve been from gymnasts to banking to private equity to B school trying to change to running supergroup, which is, uh, and you’ve said this many times before, and you’ve mentioned it earlier today with us, and you’ve said it on your interviews. And so let me use quote, you said, uh, you love brands and how they tell stories, create worlds and inspire our imaginations. What part, because I know that you love them and I know that they attract you. Do you, can you tell where that kind of attraction, that kind of like personal connection you have with this storytelling side of things comes from, or it’s just the way you are?
Amanda Baldwin (17:06):
It’s a good question. I think it’s, I think it’s a combination of I love art and design, um, but I have no skills in it. So <laugh>, uh, I, I like the road not taken for me was to be an art history major, to get a PhD, to work at a museum, to work in an art gallery. Um, that’s the road for me not taken. Um, and I haven’t totally given up that I won’t take it at some point, so we’ll take
Enrique Alvarez (17:35):
No, you sh definitely should, I mean, are you, do you paint or sing or dance? What’s your No,
Amanda Baldwin (17:39):
I have no skills. So it’s, it’s gonna come at it from, I think, and I think what I discovered along the way is that I love creativity and I’m very visually driven. And so I, when I look at something I see, I can sort of somehow assess if it’s visually appealing. And I think humans are, are sort of driven by that. And, and there’s something in brands that is about what I see and what I react to emotionally. And that’s really what a brand is. And then that, that’s your first impression of it. Uh, and I think, so that love of aesthetics and like what does something look like or what does it sound like or smell like or all those things. And then I am fascinated by human psychology and why are we, you know, why are we the way that we are and the broadest sense.
Amanda Baldwin (18:27):
Um, and I’m not a scientist. Um, so I, I probably don’t come at it. I come at it from a more theoretical way, what way? And that’s how what I studied in college and I think brands are, are the intersection of those things. Yeah. Um, I think they’re a real reflection of the world that we live in. And so my curiosity about humans, curiosity about people kind of somehow that’s where those two things connect. And I think that’s, that’s always been at the underpinning of why I kind of come back and love my job is because that’s really what I do all day, um, is I think about how to build a brand and I think a lot about people, um, and learning about how to be a better leader and how to do that, how to talk to consumers, how to talk to our partners that are internal, external, all of that. Like, there’s a lot in what I do that, that it’s just about that. Um, and I think it’s, it’s something I really enjoy because I’ve really, I’m curious about it and I’m, I think that was something that was somehow instilled in me early on, but that’s when I can’t totally put my finger
Enrique Alvarez (19:30):
On. No, that’s, uh, that’s fantastic and thanks for sharing. And at the end of the day, I feel like what you said, just brands reflecting human behavior and feelings and things like that of course is very appealing. And do you think that’s why you end it with, uh, super group? Cuz there’s tons of other beauty companies out there, but we know supergroups very special in the way they do things is different. And I guess it’s quick two-part question. Uh, just for people that might not know who, what Supergoop is, which uhm sure they’ve been living under Rockford the last couple years. No, we
Amanda Baldwin (20:00):
Still have a lot of opportunity I love, but
Enrique Alvarez (20:02):
It’s a great brand. They’re doing things different. So what, so what is, what is Supergoop for people that don’t know? And then do you think that kind of the magic or the reason why you ended up kind of deciding this path has to do with their story, their feelings, the people, the culture?
Amanda Baldwin (20:18):
Yeah. So Supergoop is the first and only lifestyle brand, a hundred percent dedicated to sun protection. What that means is that we are changing the way the world thinks about sunscreen. And it, I mentioned Holly, it, it is rooted in her founding story. Um, it will always be rooted there. And she had a friend who was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 29, and that started her on an entrepreneurial journey. And she did, um, have these instincts that were built into her from a very young age of saying, well, I’m gonna create a product and a brand that’s gonna change that. Uh, and that is what she’s dedicated her life to. Uh, for nearly 20 years now, um, has been, that journey has been unfolding. I joined the, almost seven years ago, six and a half years ago. So I, I still have, I, you know, I’m a relatively latecomer to the, to the foundations of this brand.
Amanda Baldwin (21:10):
Uh, and I think that like, what really struck me when I met Holly and heard her story, and it was still a very young brand at the point, and I still think of us as a very young brand in the, in the grand scheme of what we hoped to accomplish was how big the idea was, um, how rooted in scientific fact it is and how special the brand is. And I just, this was the investor in me that was listening to the story. I mean, remember when I was kind of met Holly, a consumer investor and you know, what better, what bigger investment can you make than your own career? Uh, and so I felt like she was onto something that was, had the potential to be a global powerhouse that created and defined a category that did not exist. And I was really sort of inspired by that, uh, and excited about that.
Amanda Baldwin (22:04):
And I knew that what we were trying to do was not just, you know, it, it a, the mission of the company was actually began with the eradication and still is about the eradication of skin cancer, right? So this is founded in, in something that really is about a mission and making the world a better place. And the brand has this spirit of joy and you know, we say we’re spreading the sunshine and what you’re able to do in sunscreen is inherently a lot of the things that are really positive on life, right? And I just was really drawn to that. Uh, and then I, you know, Holly’s an amazing founder and that for me, it was a big career opportunity because she was like, okay, I know I need somebody who’s gonna help me build this business. Um, she’s a incredible, she had this incredible vision. She still has an incredible vision and, you know, she was willing to kind of let me be a part of that.
Maureen Woolshlager (23:00):
Wow. Well, we haven’t talked yet specifically about any of the products, which I think we’ll get to at some point, but most recently you guys have done a launch with the first of its kind mineral sunscreen. And I will admit that I have bought like the spray and make my kids spray themselves before we go in the pool or out on the beach or things like that. But I am not an educated consumer on sunscreen other than some is better than none. So I would love to hear, tell us about like what makes like a mineral sunscreen different or what makes it first of its kind because, you know, you might, I could be a new customer today, <laugh>.
Amanda Baldwin (23:40):
Yeah, yeah. So everything that we do is rooted in, again, this mission change the way the world thinks about sunscreen so that everybody is wearing it every single day. We believe that there are times and places for clean chemical sunscreens, mineral sunscreens, there’s there they operate in a different way. And we could go down, talk all about the science of it, but from a, from a short version of the story, um, chemical sunscreens are, can be invisible, they can be sprayed on, they can be, um, they, they can blend much better into the skin. Um, they tend to be much more, uh, friendly when it comes to swat uh, sweating through it. So you, you actually, when you’re doing something really active, those are really great choices. Mineral sunscreens are small little white particles made of zinc or titanium that sit on the surface of the skin, uh, which means that they are great options if you have sensitive skin, there are great options.
Amanda Baldwin (24:32):
If you have a really young baby, there are great options. If you have acneic skin, like there’s many reasons why you might choose mineral sunscreen. The product that you’re referencing is, um, uh, called Bio retinol, um, plus spf. It’s a, it’s within a franchise that we have called Daily Dose where we’re taking other ingredients that are really well known and well respected within the dermatologist community retinol, vitamin ceramides, and combining with them with SPF F because the reason that you want SPF F with, um, with your, the rest of your skincare is because kind of none of it means anything if you’re not protecting yourself from the sun. So retinol is probably, you know, retinol and SPF forever is like the two things that a dermatologist will tell you. Like if you just do that, you’re probably good. Uh, but retinols are make you highly sensitive to the sun, and so they’re never used during the day.
Amanda Baldwin (25:28):
Um, so that’s what really makes us a unique formula. We used a bio retinal, which is, uh, plant-based, um, versus retinols, which are made in lab, uh, that is also better for sensitive skin. And we combine it with SPF F, which makes it real. That’s what’s sort of first to market about it. Uh, but the reason that we did that is because we think like if you can combine those two ingredients, they’re gonna work more effectively and then somebody can continue and kind of get into this positive cycle retinols, basically make your skin cell turnover, um, more rapid. Uh, and so you can kind of get into this positive cycle of taking care of your skin. The reason it’s a mineral formula is a, because of the, you know, making sure we’re not, um, the skin can be more sensitive when you’re kind of going through a retinol routine, but also because of how you, the ingredients combined. Sometimes you can combine certain ingredients with mineral sunscreens, they won’t combine with chemical sunscreens. There’s a whole chemistry behind all this. So very long-winded answer, but I think relevant to sort of how we think about how we develop product and the level of attention to detail that goes into the choices that we make, um, are really pretty profound.
Enrique Alvarez (26:35):
Well, and it’s amazing the, uh, depth of all this, uh, the science right behind sunscreens, uh, products that we all use very regularly, daily. We should, oh, we should use more. We should daily, I guess <laugh>, I should start using them daily too, but, uh, but no, the science there and of course you guys always speak the very best components and I wanted to slowly shift gears here a little bit to the sourcing part of it, the supply chain logistics side of things. Um, so all the materials, all the raw materials don’t affect the environment. They’re healthy, they’re natural, they’re, uh, pretty, uh, safe to use. As you explained a little bit. And adding to that, you also have a pretty good and strong, and I would say, um, creative recycling program, right? That shows that supergroup cares not only about the sunscreen the customer and, but they also care about the planet. Could you share a little bit more about why do you guys do that and, and what the program’s all about and all this reverse logistics strategy that you, I know are very passionate about?
Amanda Baldwin (27:36):
Yeah, I mean, look, at the end of the day, we are doing, you know, our products is about doing good things for your skin, but it also needs to be respectful of the planet. And so I’ve always believed in something that, you know, our team really shares is the single biggest thing that the beauty industry, I believe is on the hook for, is the amount of packaging that we put into the system, right? Like, it just is a lot. And so how do we think about making that better, right? There’s, and then there’s a whole series of initiatives, some of which are out in the universe now, some of which are gonna take several years for us to even be able to accomplish. How do we think about bringing those to life is really the work that we’re doing. I think what you’re referencing is that we launched a program with TerraCycle this year to make sure that we were offering, um, our consumers the opportunity to recycle the packaging that we already have out in market.
Amanda Baldwin (28:28):
And so we’ll sort of take that on with them and you can send it back to our DT site Sea site, and then we’ll work with TerraCycle to do that. We also are putting products, um, into the market now that are already curbside recyclable, right? So like, kind of, so there’s a lot of different ways to think about that. You know, there’s secondary cartons are a hundred percent recycled. So the, we’re gonna think about as we launch things in the future, what can you do refillable? Not there’s, there’s no one way to do this. Um, I think that it’s, and it’s, and I believe in progress over perfection, right? There’s, and I think being really open and honest with people I think is really important because I think there’s certainly, it’s easy to kind of use a lot of big language, um, but we really are very careful about being very open and honest about where we are on that journey, um, and saying we’re moving these things forward. We still have work to do. Um, the whole industry has work to do, uh, but it’s something that we think is, I’ve seen a huge amount of progress in, in what I’ve seen in packaging in this industry over the course of the fi five years, where you can deliver on some of the expectations that a consumer has, not asking them to sacrifice, um, and be able to be better for the planet. And that’s really what we’re trying to achieve. Um, kind
Maureen Woolshlager (29:40):
Of of along those lines, talking about purpose-driven, giving back, um, one of the, what we’ve kind of read and learned about Supergoop is that a key part of creating, it was focusing on, uh, children’s exposure to the son. Um, you, you mentioned earlier you have an eight-year-old, um, I have a couple children as well, and I really struggle to kind of really get them to understand the importance of sunscreen. And so any words of wisdom or experience that you have kind of in your own household, trying to get your eight year old to really understand, you know, the importance of sunscreen, um, and not just, uh, running out in the sun or at the beach or whatever without
Amanda Baldwin (30:20):
It. Yeah, I mean, and there this, you, you nodded to the origin of our brand and the first supergroup sunscreen was in classrooms. Um, Holly was a teacher and a harp before this part of her journey in life started. And so that was the original business plan was to put things into schools to educate children on the importance of wearing sunscreen. Turns out that it’s a really fantastic charitable initiative now for us as an organization, not an easy thing to scale a business and to actually be able to do as a standalone thing. So that was the pivot to retail. And again, there’s like many interesting iterations that came after that. But we now do have a program called Ounce by Ounce, where we will mail anybody, um, a pump of sunscreen for their classroom. So if a teacher emails us and says, you know, we, we, we will happily do that.
Amanda Baldwin (31:06):
So that’s still in our, in the, the sort of how we operate as a business. I think in terms of tips of the same tips that we use for adults, make it fun, make it something you love. I mean, and we were talking a little bit about New Year’s resolutions before we jumped on the podcast, I think. Yeah. Why do, why do they not stick? Why, why do habits not stick? It’s cuz nobody really likes them. So the, so the the the sort of, I guess somewhat obvious but very profound insight at the origin story and the creation of this brand was, it wasn’t that there was no sunscreen to wear it said nobody actually liked it. Um, and so how do you change that? You change the product, you make it feel really great on the skin. You create a sunscreen moose that was inspired by the shaving cream wars of Holly’s kids on a lawn.
Amanda Baldwin (31:52):
Um, or you, you find textures that are really enjoyable and wear beautifully under makeup or that guys enjoy when they’re on their run or whatever it is. You’ve gotta start with product, but then you wrap it in a brand that is about joy and, and somehow that’s how we kind of all I think start to change our philosophies. And, and we’ve seen this happen, um, over the course of the time that I’ve been, Holly certainly seen it since the beginning where all of a sudden sunscreen is becoming something that people look forward to and they take pride in and they enjoy. And you can’t, you cannot, you cannot win people over by scolding them or scaring them. As scary as one in five people will be diagnosed with skin cancer actually is, that’s not gonna make anybody change their behavior. Absolutely. Have you
Maureen Woolshlager (32:34):
Guys had any, you know, um, sort of marketing or initiatives where you’re kind of giving out samples or doing things where you’ve seen the change? Like someone said, oh, I, you know, a bunch of guys running or something where maybe they wouldn’t ever think about wearing sunscreen and then somehow they got their hands on some supergoop and then it really changed how they thought about, um, you know, applying sunscreen before they go for a run in the city or something like that?
Amanda Baldwin (33:03):
Yeah, all the time. We hear it from consumers all the time, whether it’s in, you know, they write to us or we hear it or they tell us directly or Holly’s spotted somewhere and her wear sunscreen t-shirt like supergroup is the sunscreen that maybe wear sunscreen. Like that’s what our goal is. Like that is, that’s the line that we’re hoping for and it’s not the same product for everybody. And I think like that everybody find, we have 50 formulas now, uh, and and it’s not about one size fits all. I think that was the other thing that we were, you know, it was very unusual. This is, and this is, you know, we’re here to talk about logistics. This is not <laugh> an easy logistical problem when you have 50 plus different formulas and different shades and sizes and regulated and all over the world. And like, that’s, that’s a hard thing to figure out how to do. Um, and you know, I think that that’s, um, that’s probably a really important part of, of how we change change behavior as well, is you have to, you can’t, not everybody’s gonna fall in love with the same thing, right?
Enrique Alvarez (33:59):
Yeah, well, tons of different SKUs as well, which kind of complicate the supply chain of your product for sure, as you said. But I think at the end of the day, you’re committed to your cost and your purpose and it’s paying off and you guys are very successful. I’m sure that you guys will continue to grow. You briefly mention a little bit about the, uh, program that you have ounce by ounce, and I just donating, uh, uh, SPF F to schools and communities across America. I know that, and I, for people that are listening to us, if you are a teacher or a dean or you actually know someone in a school, which I’m sure everyone does, uh, you can go to your website, uh, write Amanda, and then actually how do you, cuz you can apply for this right
Amanda Baldwin (34:41):
Program, there’s a form. Yeah. So I think we just need to make sure that we have the Yeah, because different schools have different policies. We ask for a form to be filled out, but yeah, it’s on our
Enrique Alvarez (34:49):
Right mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I encourage everyone to, to do that. And, um, congratulations again. This has been, it’s a, it’s a great brand and has a great purpose behind it. And the s bys kind of, uh, initiative is very interesting and exciting. Did you just recently launch it? How, can you tell us a little bit more about some of the results of the Ounce by ounces?
Amanda Baldwin (35:09):
Yeah, I mean, we’ve donated thousands of pumps. I think I wish it were bigger. Uh, I think we could do more. Uh, so we need everyone’s help in doing that. Uh, and it was actually, um, it’s a fun story. The, the idea was hatched before I actually even started the job. I sat down with Holly and, and her brother Steven, who was, you know, involved in the company in, in its earliest days and still is somebody who I talked to. Uh, and I don’t know how we got on this topic topic, but it was like, we need to figure this out. Like what, what is our, you know, and it tells you something, right? I hadn’t even started the job and this was one of the things we were talking about. Uh, and I remember sitting around a dining room table and being like, what should we call it?
Amanda Baldwin (35:49):
How does the math work? What can we afford to do? You know, and again, this is, this is before, you know, very small company, how do we do something that we can actually execute when we’re, you know, under 10 people? But I was, it’s the same concept that it is now. Um, you know, I think and, and the strategy of the company is the same strategy that was hatched then. Um, we just are able to do things. We’re, you know, with more people, we’re able to do more of what we hope to, and that’s, that’s gonna be the strategy going forward.
Enrique Alvarez (36:16):
No, that’s amazing. And well, and, and on top of all of the things that you guys do, uh, you’re also pushing for legislation, which I don’t want to get a lot into it, but I feel like that’s a little bit something that’s out there as well for the sunscreen in industry as a whole. It seems like, and I learned all this from, from your website, right? There’s some states that actually haven’t passed certain legislation that doesn’t allow you to donate product to schools, even though it could be amazing for the students.
Amanda Baldwin (36:43):
Well, you just need a, you need a permission slip from your parents, right? So that’s why we have to make sure that, that when we’re, you know, that we have these forms that are filled out on the website. But, um, yeah, I mean, look, anything that we can do to help to sort of make sunscreen more accessible, that’s really how we think about it, is that we can’t stop an epidemic of skin cancer if sunscreen’s not accessible, right? So that’s, that’s really where we kind of will get involved in these sort of things, is to make sure that there are options for everyone, a avail, easily accessible, available. Um, and that’s really where we put our efforts.
Maureen Woolshlager (37:16):
In addition to the Ounce by Ounce initiative, you guys also have a how I S P F, um, initiative as well. Can you talk a little bit about that? About people sharing how they, uh, put sunscreen on or how they value it and things like that?
Amanda Baldwin (37:29):
Yeah, I mean, the way, you know, my, my marketing team is just unbelievable and they’re always creating new ways of telling our stories. So I think, you know, how I, SPF F is really about people explaining like, how does sunscreen fit into my daily routine, right? And sometimes showing people the different ways and helping them, it’s really about helping somebody visualize it in their own way, helping them discover the product that’s right for them and showcasing what I really believe about this brand, which is like, there is no one human or one brand. Like a lot of times brands will have a single celebrity face and like, this is the image. And I’m, and I’ve always been like, we could never do that because there’s no one human that would ever be able to represent all of the diversity and the people that, you know, we want everybody to wear sunscreen every day, right?
Amanda Baldwin (38:15):
So a little bit of that initiative is also to show the scope of who, how, when, all these different ways in which the, in which the product can be used. So just inspire people a little bit and tell really fun stories. Um, you know, we did a, our campaign last year was called Every Single Face very much same as as how I, how I S P F. And we had a chef and a Frisbee, ultimate Frisbee playing, uh, doctor or dermatologist and a designer and a and just like this breadth of how people are also living their lives as they’re wearing sunscreen and really attaching that to, to the brand is something that’s really important to us.
Enrique Alvarez (38:51):
No, that’s smart. Definitely in great marketing branding team, uh, for sure. Um, what have been some of your biggest lessons? I mean, you’ve gone, you’ve, you’ve experienced pretty much everything and you’ve been in the mm-hmm. <affirmative> financial side of things and, and, and the branding side of things, and you’re leading Supergoop. What, what have you, what have you learned and, and how have you kind of changed your grown as an individual?
Amanda Baldwin (39:12):
Oh, too much for our podcast? Yes.
Enrique Alvarez (39:15):
We’ll have to have a couple of episodes to follow, but if you could
Amanda Baldwin (39:19):
Episode
Enrique Alvarez (39:19):
One of the bigger ones that you can
Amanda Baldwin (39:21):
Share many, um, still to come, I think the, probably the single one of the most important things that I’ve learned is that the only constant is change. And that when you’re in a growing company, just really developing a level of comfort and agility and flexibility around change is really important for me as a leader. It’s important for the organization to understand that, you know, and I came from big places, right? Where of course we were growing and of course there was like new things going on, but like the, the underlying tenure was mostly, okay, what did we do last year? How are we gonna slightly tweak it this year? And then we’re gonna repeat it again. That is not what it is like to build the company. Uh, and probably any entrepreneur listening to this can certainly relate to that. That’s been something I’ve learned because I just didn’t understand that. Uh, but I’m super motivated by it and I’m super inspired by it. But like learning just to get comfortable with that and how to lead through that, how to navigate that, um, has been, has certainly been the thing that I’m thinking about and, and sort of recognizing in myself that, you know, who I needed to be at 10 people is different than who I need to be at 150 and and beyond. And, and I’m learning every day. I’m learning every day.
Maureen Woolshlager (40:41):
You’re a C E O, Amanda, you have an impressive, you know, work history. You have your mba, you are a mom. Tell me about your volunteer experiences, because it seems like you dedicate a lot of time to volunteering as well. And kind of along with that, how do you find time, but also how does that impact some of your decisions or perspective, you know, when you come to work and put on your c e o head?
Amanda Baldwin (41:03):
Yeah, you know, it’s funny, my husband asked me that sometimes too. He is like, how do you find time? I’m like, because I have to find time <laugh>. Uh, and because, and again, this gets back to sort of how I was raised, how I was taught when I was in the school that I went to for 13 years was with, with the opportunities that I have comes the responsibility to do something with them. Like, and that’s just, just like a non-negotiable for me, right? Um, so if I have to find the 25th hour on the day to do it, then I’ll find it. Um, personally, um, I’m very passionate about early childhood education. Uh, I’m not an expert in it, uh, but I have sort of consistently in my entire life, um, since I was probably about seventh grade and started tutoring kids as I, you know, I was seventh grade, I started tutoring a fifth grader for the next seven years of each other’s lives.
Amanda Baldwin (41:55):
I’ve always said like, how can I help in that way? Because, and maybe that’s, you know, somewhat tied to even how supergroup thinks. Like if you kind of can help someone at an early point in their lives, maybe you can change the trajectory of, of what comes from there. And so that’s kind of how I got involved in Kip, um, which is a charter school network. And I sit on that board and, and that’s probably my single biggest, um, volunteer commitment. And then I’ve gotten involved in various different business capacities and, and kind of work with different organizations. Um, and I also really believe that the schools that put me in the position to be able to do what I do now, um, if I can give back to them, uh, and I sort of have a philosophy of somebody reaches out and asks for help and they’re an entrepreneur, they’re building a business, like I’ll always take a phone call.
Amanda Baldwin (42:42):
Um, and it, for me, it’s usually between when I I I walk to work, it’s the only way I get any exercise <laugh>, and I’ll be, okay, I’ve got 30 minutes and as long as you’re willing to talk to me and those 30 minutes, 45 minutes, like I’ll talk to anybody. Uh, and so I think about that a lot too, um, of like, just are there little things that I can do along the way? And it never feels like enough, um, honestly, but I try to do the best that I can and also be home and get the homework done and, um, you know, be a good mom and be a, you know, be there for my friends and my family and all those other things. But somehow I just sort of look at that other stuff as it just is what needs to happen.
Enrique Alvarez (43:24):
Well, Amanda, thank you so much. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your incredibly busy schedule to kind of come here and share with us a little bit of your upbringing, a little bit of your story, and of course all the success that Supergroup has had so far. And I’m sure they’ll continue to have it, uh, with you leading the company and the amazing product that you have and purpose driven culture. How can our listeners connect to you and, and purchase supergroup products?
Amanda Baldwin (43:51):
Supergroup.com um, has a full array of all of our, um, products and if they need advice, there’s a great chat function on there that will pop up and a member of our Sunshine Squad will happily, um, offer any. Um, but if you wanna go into a store, seora, an Ulta Carry products, sometimes people wanna touch and feel. And, um, so those are probably the best, um, places for anybody to go and, and find the product and, um, you know, definitely stay in touch, ask for, ask for anything. There’s great, great people to help on the website, so
Enrique Alvarez (44:23):
Thank you. Maureen, what was your favorite part from this conversation? We covered a lot and she definitely has an impressive, well,
Amanda Baldwin (44:30):
I’m just waiting until
Maureen Woolshlager (44:30):
We, we finish so I can go into my screen and like go onto Supergoop and see, because I went on earlier this week and I wanted to see and I’m like, wait, suns eyeshadow with sunscreen and I’m thinking like, I wanna figure out how that works and you know, I’m, I meant now that you said Sephora, I can go in there and maybe, yeah, it’s
Amanda Baldwin (44:49):
A good place. They have not everything, but a pretty, yeah, pretty broad range that if you wanna try something in store yeah. Before you buy it, um, I can usually touch and feel most of the formulas there, so. Well,
Maureen Woolshlager (45:01):
And I live, you know, down in the south, so it’s gonna be warm again in like two weeks. So I should start, I’ll look at that huge bottle or you know, carton of all the different sunscreens I have. It’s out in the garage for the kids and slip a super group one in there and, and see how I, how I can get them into it.
Amanda Baldwin (45:18):
Look forward to hearing your feedback. Yeah,
Enrique Alvarez (45:20):
I’m sure you can ask your daughter, uh, Maureen, cuz I have a 13 year old daughter and she’s, she knows exactly what the brand is all about a lot more than, than I do if I offer
Maureen Woolshlager (45:29):
Her a sunscreen. That might be like a good segue. It might be a win-win for everybody instead of, uh,
Amanda Baldwin (45:35):
That’s very much how that started was again, uh, kind of everything goes back to our purpose, but we learned that, you know, five, 10% of skin cancers happen on the eyelids, so how on earth are we gonna get? I
Maureen Woolshlager (45:46):
Had no idea
Amanda Baldwin (45:47):
Those eyelids, you gotta make it shimmery. Um, maybe, maybe not for your eyelids, Enrique, but though we have an eye cream
Enrique Alvarez (45:55):
Go for a little bit more neutral.
Amanda Baldwin (45:56):
I, you never know.
Maureen Woolshlager (45:57):
You get used some glitter, glitter, ice shadows
Enrique Alvarez (45:59):
That’s might start using it.
Amanda Baldwin (46:01):
That was the inspiration. We do have an eye cream called Bright Eye, but again, it’s sort of like these are places on people’s skin. They’re, you know, brilliant. It’s, it is not about bikinis in the beach. Like that’s brilliant. It’s not why we have a skin cancer epidemic. That’s not why 90% of the signs of agent come from the sun. It’s daily incidental exposure to and from your car as I’m walking to work, even the light coming through the windows, that’s actually the, the stuff that we should all be thinking about. And that’s why this is a 365 day a year. It’s why it says every single day on all of our cartons. Um, because that’s really what we’re trying to inspire.
Enrique Alvarez (46:34):
Well, thank you. Thank you so much once again, amazing advice for everyone out there. Thank you. Thank you everyone else for listening to our episode. And if you enjoy and like episodes and interviews, like the one that we just had with Amanda, please subscribe. Thank you everyone, and I’ll see you on the next episode of Logistics with Purpose.
