IAM1241 – CEO Makes a Naturally-Safe Premium Haircare and Home Fragrance Products

Lynn is a long-time advertising executive (formerly CEO of J. Walter Thompson NY) turned entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Lynn has been fortunate to work on some of the world's most iconic brands including American Express, Clinique, L'Oreal, and Hershey's. She launched two businesses in 2020: MASAMI, a clean premium haircare launched in February 2020, and Isle de Nature, a luxury bee-powered home fragrance, launched in September 2020.

• CEO Story: After working with the big brands in her career, she found a niche that big companies don’t offer, and that is a clean premium haircare and bee-powered fragrance that offers no toxic substance.
• Business Service: Making a good for people and the environment. Naturally safe premium haircare and home fragrance products
• Secret Sauce: Build a network. Not just for business connections, but to have people you can trust and who can push you out of your comfort zone. Be curious.
• CEO Hack: Virtual meet-ups like Lunch Club (business matching) and Current (talking about challenges or issues). These platforms are great for starting a business network.
• CEO Nugget: Don’t wait to get noticed, you have to tell what you want and what your expectations are. And if you’re not delivering, ask for help and feedback.
• CEO Defined: Setting a vision that is about positive growth, that creates and defines success not just in monetary but in terms of legacy.

Website: www.lovemasami.com

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE

Transcription

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Please Note: Our team is using the AI CEO Hacks: Exemplary AI and Otter.ai to support our podcast transcription. While we know it's improving there may be some inaccuracies, we are updating and improving them. Please contact us if you notice any issues, you can also test out Exemplary AI here.

00:20 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEO's without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is to I AM CEO podcast.

00:47 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the  I AM CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Lynn Power of Massimi. Lynn, it's great to have you on the show.

00:55 – Lynn Power

Thank you so much. And it's really great to be here.

00:57 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, super excited to have you on. And before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Lynn so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Lynn is a longtime advertising executive, formerly CEO of J. Walter Thompson, NY, turned entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Lynn has been fortunate to work on some of the world's most iconic brands, including American Express, Clinique, L'Oreal, and Hershey's. She launched two businesses in 2020. Massimi Clean Premium hair care, launched in February 2020, and IO Day Nature luxury Bee powered home fragrance, launched in September 2020. Lynn, super excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

[restrict paid=”true”]

01:38 – Lynn Power

I am. Lots to talk about, I'm sure.

01:42 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. You've been doing lots and lots of awesome things. So I guess to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

01:52 – Lynn Power

Sure. Do you want to go all the way back to the beginning?

01:55 – Gresham Harkless

Sure. Yeah. Absolutely.

01:58 – Lynn Power

Okay. Because I think, like many people, I didn't set out to be a CEO. It wasn't like that was my career goal, although there are some people I know who do have that as a goal. And in fact, I didn't even really plan on getting into advertising. I wanted to go into the FBI. I was actually a criminal justice English double major in college, which I know sounds strange because they don't even go together. But I really want to. I just was interested in the whole, I don't know, the whole crime-solving thing, right? Which I've realized is not so different than advertising or being an entrepreneur.

Cause it's solving problems. And that's kind of what I guess I was sparking on, but I didn't know it then, but at the time I graduated college, there was a hiring freeze. This was back in the late eighties because I was old, and I ended up getting a job in advertising. Just fell into it. I started as a receptionist, and that's actually a great way to start. I know sometimes people are, they don't want to start in a position that feels, you know, below their college education. But to be honest, you get to see and hear everything, and you get to absorb the culture and the business in a very visceral way. And so that's what I did.

And I really loved the idea of using creativity to solve business problems. So back to my problem-solving. And once I kind of realized that this is a really good place for me to be, a good career to be in, then I kind of worked my way up. Good or bad, the ad industry kind of rewards people for jumping around. You almost have to, if you want to promote, get promoted, and kind of, you know, elevate yourself in your career. So if you're somebody who's willing to kind of take a leap and go to that next job, which I was, then you can, you can set yourself up pretty well. And I spent a couple of years in Chicago. I moved to New York. I was actually dating my now husband, who I met in advertising, and we thought we'd be in New York for just a couple of years, and it ended up being like, 25 years.

04:16 – Gresham Harkless

Wow.

04:17 – Lynn Power

Yeah. And so I just, I, you know, I. I came to New York. I worked at an agency that was not very creative, and I decided I wanted to go to a more creative agency. And then I ended up going to another agency that I was at for almost ten years, and I worked on Gillette and launched a bunch of their brands, which was really fun. And then I went and worked at L'Oreal with celebrities, which was fun. And then I ran a small agency called Arnold, and then I ended up being the CEO of J. Walter Thompson, New York. So that was all great. But I think what ultimately happened was back. It was 2018. I kind of had this realization that, like, okay, maybe. Maybe I need to take control of my own destiny and not work for other people. And that was what sparked me to become an entrepreneur.

05:12 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate you, you know, sharing that story and, you know, everything that you've been able to do to get to where you are now. I was not a double major, but I was an English major and a minor in criminal justice. So I love that perspective on it. So you're speaking my language. I absolutely appreciate that. And, you know, especially understanding. And I didn't even think of it, like, being able to kind of solve problems, which I think is at the core of a lot of leadership, but definitely of entrepreneurship.

05:38 – Lynn Power

Okay. You're the first person I've met who has their wires crossed in their brain like I do. I love that.

05:46 – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Like I said. I said, like I said even before I hit the record button, you're in the right place. And even before we need that, I think that is something that's pretty awesome. Cause I don't hear that a lot either. So I wanted to drill down more here, a little bit more on how you're serving your clients. Could you tell us a little bit more about your business, how you're making that impact how your business is, and how you're making that impact for the clients that you work with?

06:05 – Lynn Power

My focus is really on my customers and making products that are good for you and good for the environment. And a lot of big companies that I've worked with in the past have a really hard time doing that. It sounds so simple and so basic. Like, of course, you want products that are good for you and good for the environment. But a lot of legacy companies have these systems and supply chains set up in a way that just doesn't lend itself to that very easily. And it's easier for a small company like me, like a startup, to kind of just set it up right from the beginning and some degree, you know, just to some level. So that's really been my.

My customers, if you want to think of it that way, or my clients have been my customers. I want to deliver these high-performing products that are good as well. And when they love the products, that makes me really happy, because then I feel like I've done my job. It's still early days. I'm in the luxury space. I have two brands, as you mentioned. One is in the clean, premium hair care clean beauty. And this, again, to me, is a little bit of a head-scratcher because I worked in beauty for years, and most of the things I worked on were not clean, meaning they had toxic ingredients in them, brands I worked on. But these days, people know that, and they're very tuned into what's in the product, what ingredients are good for you or bad for you, whatever.

And so the fact that like, there still are all these products on the market that have toxic stuff in them is kind of mind-boggling to me that that's okay. So it's taking a long time to really kind of turn the tide and get to the point where the majority of products are actually good for you. But it's happening just slower than I think anyone like I would like. And then same with I have a luxury candle business and we created a product that's clean or burning, that doesn't have toxic fumes.

And that again, doesn't seem like it should be rocket science. But yet a lot of the products on the market are still not great. So go figure. You know, it's still expensive to make products that are good for you.

Unfortunately, because the supply chain is set up in a way where we dont get the volume discounts and the advantages of being able to put those ingredients in our product in the same way that a big manufacturer can at the cost that they can do it. So I think that part of it too, is the cost hasn't come down to a point where consumers feel that it's an easier trade-off, I guess. And then, of course, there's the new Coke phenomenon, right? Like God forbid the canteen changed their formula and people didn't like it. You know what I mean?

08:48 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah.

08:49 – Lynn Power

So it's a lot of things I think, as to why, but I think it's slowly changing. As I said, the more it becomes the norm that these products are changing the industry, and not just in beauty, but what we eat, and what we use to clean. You know, there are so many industries, that need to change, but it will hopefully happen.

09:12 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. And I almost wonder. And this, you know, is where we'll definitely see over the next maybe five to ten years. You know, just especially the impact of these past couple years and how that has changed and disrupted a lot of habits and wonder if that will be a result of people making maybe a stronger shift and leading to, you know, even more change. Maybe not necessarily today, but in, you know, in the future, we start to see those, those opportunities come, come about from that. And so I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself individually, the businesses, or a combination of both, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

09:50 – Lynn Power

Okay. I'm actually an introvert at heart and people always tell me I'm not. And I'm like, no, trust me, I am. But what I've learned to do is to pretend to be an extrovert. And what I mean by that is one of the best things you can do in business, whether you're an entrepreneur, whether you're in the corporate world, or whether you're transitioning, is build a network, because it's not just about leveraging the network for a business connection, although that's helpful.

It's having people that you trust and that you can bounce things off of and also have people that are going to push you out of your comfort zone and challenge you in a way that sparks your curiosity. Because if you have a network that's outside of just like, like, say, advertising people, you know, which was my old network, you know, hopefully, you'll find that there are people that are going to be teaching you things and. And you're going to always be learning.

And I think that, to me, is one of the best sorts of secret sauces you can have, is being curious. But. But to be curious, it's like sometimes you need the prompts that make sense. Like, you need things to evoke your curiosity and spark your curiosity. And so, like, I've. During COVID I've joined a couple of virtual meetups. One is called the lunch club. I don't know if you know it, but it's free to join. And they match you with different people in business. It's not a dating app.

I'll just put that out there. It's all about business, but you get to meet people that you wouldn't normally meet because they're not in your normal world. Right. So that's been really enjoyable for me because sometimes, you know, you can connect the dots in really interesting ways. So that one. And there's another platform I like to call current. C u r r n t, which is about subject matter experts talking about different challenges or issues. And every time I do a panel on there, I learn stuff. And that's another one.

It's not only free to join, they actually pay you points, which you can cash in for your participation. So it's like, these are just. I'm just suggesting some tools for people who don't know where to start. You know, it's like, okay, that sounds good, like, build a network. But how do I start? Well, these are two easy, great ways to do it. And you can manage them on your schedule. And take on as many meetings or not as you want as you're up for, you know?

12:23 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I absolutely love that. I love that, you know, that. That secret sauce and understanding, like, how you've been able to kind of, you know, develop you know, that that network that you, that you mentioned as well, too. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice. You might have already touched on this, but it might be something if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

12:47 – Lynn Power

Well, I would say don't wait to get noticed that you're doing a good job or that somebody's going to just wave their magic wand and put you into a role that you're really excited about. You have to make it known. You have to tell people what you want and what your expectations are. And then if you're not delivering, you have to ask for help. You have to ask for feedback.

13:13 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. I think the saying that was coming to my mind is kind of quote-unquote, squeaky will gets the oil.

13:18 – Lynn Power

I do think women are really well suited to embrace, you know, some of our sort of more natural skills and leverage those in a leadership role. But the trick is you have to make that leap to a leadership role, and you have to make people know that you want a leadership role. Otherwise, know you can practice it on your own.

13:41 – Gresham Harkless

But, yeah, it won't have as much impact potentially. So, no, I appreciate you expounding upon that a little bit more. So that kind of, you know, touches on what I was going to ask you now for, which is kind of like the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote-unquote CEO's on this show. So, Lynn, what does being a CEO mean to you?

13:59 – Lynn Power

I mean, to me, it's about setting a vision that is inclusive, that is about positive growth, and that creates and defines success in a way that goes beyond just dollars and monetary success. I think that's what really being a good leader is all about, because monetary success is just one element of the business, and it's generally not the most important one. It's like, thinking about your legacy and what you want to leave behind. It's not just about a good stock price, you know?

14:39 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I think, and I love how that kind of, you know, touches on everything that we've been talking about, especially, you know, your business and being aware of the chemicals and different things that you're putting in and understanding that legacy beyond just like sometimes the things that we're doing today, but the impact that you're having and how that reverberates through our products and services, through the people that are on our team investor, whatever and however that might look. But we often have an impact that's a lot bigger than what we seem. So I truly appreciate that definition.

15:08 – Lynn Power

Cool.

15:09 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best people can get ahold of you and find out about all the awesome things you and shame are working on.

15:23 – Lynn Power

Yeah, well, I'm very easy to reach because I'm very active on everything, pretty much. So. I'm on LinkedIn, so that's easy. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. I'm not on TikTok personally, but my brand is. But if you're interested in following Massmi or Ilda nature, it's love. Mosmi hair is our social handle and Ilda nature is isle everywhere as well.

15:56 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I truly appreciate you, Lynn. We will definitely have the links and information in the show notes as well too, so that everybody can follow up with you. Thank you so much again, Lynn. Truly appreciate you and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:08 – Lynn Power

Oh, thank you so much. It was really fun and appreciate being on. Thanks.

16:12. – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

[/restrict]