Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode will give you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on iTunes, and stay tuned.
Skincare is undoubtedly dominating wellness trends in 2020. Now, more than ever, the consumer demands transparency and education when it comes to ingredients being used in their everyday beauty products. Hillary Peterson, the founder and CEO of True Botanicals, a Made Safe–certified, organic skincare line, sought out to do just that six years ago. Following a thyroid cancer and melanoma diagnosis, Peterson became determined to take a deeper look into her most beloved beauty products, realizing they all contained detrimental toxins. The mission of True Botanicals quickly formed—her goal was to formulate transformative skincare products that wouldn't compromise an individual's health or the environment. "The line was built around problem-solving. And we started very simple, which I think was a good thing," explained Peterson during her Second Life interview.
Today, the renowned company has grown revenue by 200% since last year while focusing on a direct-to-consumer model with plans to expand the company's real-life presence beyond the San Francisco flagship store. Not to mention True Botanicals holds both the prestigious Elle magazine Genius Award and Allure's Best of Beauty Award. While Peterson has fulfilled her mission of creating not only a trustworthy skincare brand but also a lifestyle, her past career life was—surprisingly—not one of skincare at all.
Perhaps less shocking, Peterson's career path is one of fearless transitions and constant problem-solving, similar to the foundation of which she built her company. From working at Union Bank to Levi's for over seven years, Peterson's passions have shifted, but her work ethic and contagious drive remained stagnant. Head to iTunes to subscribe to Second Life, and listen to this brand-new episode to hear all about how True Botanicals transpired and the one blind trial that changed everything.
Keep scrolling to shop some of True Botanicals' best sellers.
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