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WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

Jodi Katz
WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY
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  • Episode 289 - Lindy Firstenberg & Catherine Nekavand - Luxury in Motion: A Global Journey of Brand Transformation, Culture, and Consulting Magic
    What do NASA and luxury beauty have in common? In this stellar episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Lindy Firstenberg, Senior Vice President, Beauty & Luxury at Alix Partners and Catherine Nekavand, Partner at Alix Partners - two powerhouse leaders who traded space suits and oil rigs for silk scarves and fragrance launches.Lindy, who once tested satellite mechanisms at NASA, shares how her journey took a glamorous turn at Louis Vuitton, where she helped launch the brand’s fragrance line. Catherine, a petroleum engineer who’s worked everywhere from Chad to Norway, reveals how she pivoted into the world of Tiffany & Co. and luxury retail, armed with a global perspective and an MBA from HEC Paris.Together, they unpack the art of transformation in luxury consulting, preserving brand heritage while using data and strategic insights to drive growth. They also share their leadership philosophies, tips for navigating career pivots, and how they keep the “magic” alive during mergers and acquisitions.And yes, we play a little game of “Beauty in Zero Gravity” because who says astronauts don’t need great moisturizer? Whether you're in the boardroom or dreaming of the stars, this episode will inspire you to embrace your path, even if it's not linear.A huge thank you to our partners at Beauty Connect Series - grab your ticket today at beautyconnectla.com and use code WBMB for 10% off! 
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  • Episode 288 - Lisa Rossmann & Bryan Appio - Water Cooler Wisdom: Hydration, Hustle & Honesty
    In this high-energy finale of our Health Compass: Navigating Careers in Wellness theme, host Jodi Katz welcomes Lisa Rossmann, Chief Concept Officer at Hand & Stone Spa and Bryan Appio, CEO of Drywater for a dynamic conversation about leadership, career pivots, and hydration.Lisa shares her journey from aspiring spy to beauty industry executive, while Bryan reflects on early entrepreneurial ventures and a drive to succeed shaped by his upbringing. Together, they explore what it takes to lead with empathy, build trust, and focus on internal excellence rather than external competition.Both Lisa and Bryan have learned to tune out the noise. In industries where competition is fierce and trends evolve daily, they’re not chasing comparisons—they’re doubling down on clarity. Instead of reacting to what other brands are doing, they focus on what truly matters: building strong teams, creating meaningful products and experiences, and staying aligned with their values.Their stories are proof that leadership today looks different than it did even a decade ago. It’s not about titles or traditional benchmarks—it’s about showing up with vision and the willingness to do things differently.The episode wraps with a fun and insightful hydration quiz, revealing surprising truths about water, wellness, and skin health. Whether you're a beauty industry insider or a leadership junkie, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and staying hydrated - inside and out. Tune in and drink it all in literally and figuratively. Check out more info on both companies at Handandstone.com and Drywater.com.
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  • Episode 287 - Dr. David Kim & Vicente Vasquez - Beyond the Label: How Branding, Behavior, and Belief Shape Our Everyday Rituals
    Preventative care meets powerful branding in this electric conversation with Dr. David Kim, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Lightsaver and Vicente Vasquez, Global Senior Brand Design Manager at Colgate-Palmolive.We explore the emotional and behavioral roots of beauty rituals — and what it really takes to shift them. From daily sunscreen to oral care routines, they reveal why so many people know what to do, but still don’t follow through.Vicente brings a sharp creative lens, shaped by a lifelong love of mixtapes, theater, and storytelling. That background fuels the emotional resonance behind the design work he now leads for one of the world’s biggest personal care brands.Dr. Kim shares the kind of insights that make you rethink your own habits — like why most people skip sunscreen (even when they have it), and how products feel, tone, and texture could be the key to long-term skin health. His take on beauty as preventative care is both science-based and deeply human.Together, they explore what makes a brand unforgettable, how to navigate creative critique, why timelessness beats trend-chasing — and yes, the best egg sandwich ever eaten during an interview.
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  • Episode 286 - Liz Josefsberg & Sarah Pesce share a mission: to help people move from sick care to well care
    Host Jodi Katz sat down with two women at the forefront of redefining health care as we know it: Liz Josefsberg, Founder & CEO of Target 100 Inc and Sarah Pesce, COO of stealth-mode wellness startup Radence.Despite wildly different paths—Liz went from Broadway star to Weight Watchers executive, while Sarah pivoted from nurse practitioner to health-tech builder—both share a mission: to help people move from “sick care” to well care.Liz's early career was center stage—literally. She spent years performing in Showboat and Les Misérables, all while privately battling weight fluctuations. That struggle led her to Weight Watchers, first as a member, then as a team member, and ultimately as their Director of Brand Advocacy. She helped build programs, consulted for the CEO, and guided celebrities like Jennifer Hudson and Charles Barkley through their own wellness transformations.But Liz wanted more than just the Weight Watchers playbook. She authored Target 100, a behavioral weight loss book that evolved into an app platform connecting hydration tracking, biometrics, and movement. Her mission? To give people a simple, evidence-based way to understand their bodies—and stay in the game without guilt or shame.Sarah began in cardiology, treating patients already facing chronic illness. It didn’t sit right. She saw an opportunity to move upstream—to build better systems for prevention. That led her to advanced degrees, hospital innovation work, and eventually to launching wellness labs that deliver “digital twins” of users through biomarker testing, wearables, and environmental data.Now, at Radence, Sarah’s team is developing a member-based preventative screening experience backed by a powerhouse science team. Her focus? Making cutting-edge longevity care accessible, personalized, and understandable—without needing an advanced medical degree to interpret your own labs.Liz and Sarah agreed on nearly everything: that bio-data is only helpful if it’s explained clearly. That technology is outpacing consumer understanding. That shame is a sales tool used too often—and that emotional support is what most health programs are missing. Whether it’s using AI to build “Liz in your pocket” or designing a membership that meets people where they are, their north star is clarity, context, and compassion.As Liz put it: “No woman has ever come to me and said she doesn’t know an apple is better than a Snickers. The problem isn’t information. It’s behavior—and how we stay in the game.”
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  • Episode 285 - Taryn Shockley & Kelly Murphy - Leaps of Faith: How Two Wellness Leaders Turned Career Pivots into Power Moves
    Jodi Katz sat down with two powerhouse women making waves in personal health: Taryn Shockley, USA Sales & Education Manager at AlumierMD, and Kelly Murphy, General Manager at Lola. What followed was a deep, human, and often hilarious look at ambition, imposter syndrome, reinvention—and the workouts that keep them grounded.Taryn’s story starts on the balance beam. A gymnast from age two, she was competing at elite levels by ten and earned a full ride to ASU. But when an injury ended her collegiate career, she made her first major pivot—into skincare. What began as a passion for facials turned into a sales role that demanded she master the art of influence in highly clinical, physician-led spaces. Today, she's navigating a category that’s equal parts science and sales—and getting real about how to stay resilient when your numbers (or your self-worth) are on the line.Meanwhile, Kelly dreamt of being editor-in-chief of Seventeen Magazine—a goal she nearly touched when working at Penguin Books. But the realities of New York rent pushed her into digital marketing, where she built a versatile toolkit across SEO, UX, and data strategy at top agencies like Publicis and Havas. Now, she’s steering the ship at Lola, a pioneer in clean period care, and facing challenges every modern marketer knows too well: a saturated market, rising media costs, and a pressing need to evolve the brand story. Her secret weapon? Relationship-building. Whether managing a 20-person team or advocating for upper-funnel investment, Kelly leads with connection—and a healthy dose of what she calls “female rage.”While their paths are wildly different, Taryn and Kelly share a trait we see often in the Where Brains Meet Beauty community: the willingness to leap. Whether it’s changing industries, stepping into roles they weren’t quite ready for, or pushing back on outdated business norms, both women prove that reinvention isn’t just possible—it’s powerful. Yes, we had fun. From underwater spin classes to soundscape-enhanced yoga, Taryn and Kelly gave us their go-to workouts and how they use fitness as both therapy and mental reset. (Spoiler: one peed on a trampoline, one has a Fuze House membership in every city.)Their stories are packed with honesty, hustle, and the kind of lessons you only learn by leaping before you're ready.
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About WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY

The beauty industry's top talent share their wisdom, advice and authenticity with our WHERE BRAINS MEET BEAUTY™ listeners. Topics include: work/life balance, how to hustle and how to handle challenges - all discussed with great honesty and humor. Conversations humanizing the beauty exec experience. Hosted by Jodi Katz, Founder and Creative Director of Base Beauty Creative Agency. New episodes launch every other Wednesday - follow us to get alerts! Episodes can be found on all streaming platforms and our website www.wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com Follow us on LinkedIn @JodiKatz and @BaseBeautyCreativeAgency for announcements, BTS, and more! For inquiries about the show, please email [email protected].
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