Francesco Clark on founding, selling and buying back his skin care company

Francesco Clark on founding, selling and buying back his skin care company

When Francesco Clark started experimenting with skin care formulas, it was to help himself. At 24, a diving accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. That might sound like the beginning of Clark's Botanicals, the skin care company he founded, but it took a nudge from his former boss, Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey. She applied the contents of a glass vial that Clark's sister, Charlotte, had spirited away from the founder's home laboratory at a visit a decade ago. "I got home and I was incredibly embarrassed because I was kind of like, 'Charlotte, this is not a brand.'" Bailey called a few weeks later to insist that she feature the product in Harper's Bazaar's September issue. The ball was in Clark's court to package his homemade product ("'make it look chic,'") into something marketable. Clark's Botanicals launched in stores that same year. Though the brand has been on roller-coaster ride the last four years -- Clark bought back his company last year after relying on private equity funding in 2016 -- he is feeling bullish about the future. "You have to remove yourself from it, you have to look at the business holistically and how committed your customers will be to the brand after it is acquired," Clark said. "If the investment means the brand is growing in the right ways, then you should do it."

Episoder(381)

The Olympics' beauty moments, plus CEO Catherine D'Aragon on First Aid Beauty's role as Team USA's skin-care partner

The Olympics' beauty moments, plus CEO Catherine D'Aragon on First Aid Beauty's role as Team USA's skin-care partner

On this episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Pop editor Sara Spruch-Feiner is joined by Catherine D’Aragon, CEO of First Aid Beauty, to discuss the brand’s recent rebrand — its first in its near-20-y...

19 Feb 35min

Peptides 101: How BPC-157 & "peptide stacks" are driving wellness culture with NYT's David Dodge and McGill's Jonathan Jarry

Peptides 101: How BPC-157 & "peptide stacks" are driving wellness culture with NYT's David Dodge and McGill's Jonathan Jarry

Injectable peptide therapy, a controversial wellness trend that caught fire online in 2025, shows no signs of slowing down in 2026 despite an overwhelming lack of safety data. Peptides, especially “r...

12 Feb 52min

Why creators are building systems — not chasing virality — on TikTok Shop

Why creators are building systems — not chasing virality — on TikTok Shop

With the new year, changes are afoot at TikTok. On January 22, the U.S. version of the app sold for approximately $14 billion to an investor group that includes Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake...

5 Feb 24min

AS Beauty CEO Joey Shamah on shuttering CoverFX and Mally Beauty (for now), plus warning signs a brand is going under

AS Beauty CEO Joey Shamah on shuttering CoverFX and Mally Beauty (for now), plus warning signs a brand is going under

Over the last week, the beauty industry has seen the closure of three major makeup brands: CoverFX and Mally Beauty are shuttering, while Pat McGrath Labs, once valued at $1 billion, is headed to bank...

29 Jan 32min

Ulta Beauty’s Laura Beres talks the company’s new wellness boutique pilot

Ulta Beauty’s Laura Beres talks the company’s new wellness boutique pilot

Ulta Beauty is doubling down on the wellness category. “We’ve been on the journey with wellness since 2021 when we launched the wellness shop at Ulta Beauty, and we’ve learned so much about the cat...

22 Jan 31min

2026 beauty M&A predictions with industry vet Kimber Maderazzo

2026 beauty M&A predictions with industry vet Kimber Maderazzo

After a few sleepy years, beauty M&A had a gangbuster 2025, including three deals worth more than a billion each, leading many insiders to speculate on whether the momentum can continue in 2026. “We...

15 Jan 44min

Dr. Marnie's founder and CEO on the rise and longevity of derm-led beauty brands

Dr. Marnie's founder and CEO on the rise and longevity of derm-led beauty brands

The latest Glossy Beauty Podcast episode features board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marnie Nussbaum and beauty industry veteran Jodi Kaplan — the founder and CEO, respectively, of the Dr. Marnie skin-...

8 Jan 33min

The Glossy Beauty Podcast’s 2026 predictions

The Glossy Beauty Podcast’s 2026 predictions

What will 2026 mean for the beauty and wellness industries?  In today’s special episode, hosts Lexy Lebsack, Emily Jensen and Sara Spruch-Feiner share their 2026 industry predictions.  This includes...

1 Jan 46min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
e24-podden
pengepodden-2
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
pengesnakk
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
finansredaksjonen
utbytte
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
lederpodden
rss-markedspuls-2
rss-sunn-okonomi
rss-pa-konto
liberal-halvtime
stockup