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COLETTE NEWBERRY &<br />
MARK CURRY<br />
Founders of Be - a beauty startup that<br />
delivers insight-first white space innovation<br />
to market through varied business models.<br />
WHICH PRODUCTS ARE YOU BOTH MOST EXCIT-<br />
ED ABOUT AND USE YOURSELVES?<br />
COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELVES<br />
AND WHEN AND HOW YOU CREATED BE?<br />
Mark: I’m a dreamer, having always envisioned an innovation<br />
business built on the rock of insight that is able to organically<br />
grow where the opportunity is —free of compromise<br />
and limits. With all my ideas ready to go, I met someone<br />
who professed to partner on my journey as an investor. Excitedly,<br />
I reviewed LinkedIn and picked people, without hope<br />
or agenda, and messaged those I would love to work with.<br />
Colette was front and centre of that very short list. I messaged<br />
asking if she wanted to be part of something special<br />
and she wrote back instantly (keen!) and I asked where she<br />
would like breakfast.<br />
However, on the cusp of Be launching, the investor pulled<br />
out. I had to ring Colette and explain that I could not pay her,<br />
could not guarantee that we could do the things we started<br />
to plan, but she decided to stand with me in creating a business<br />
that puts insight and consumers first and let everything<br />
else build itself.<br />
Then, after turning down two multimillion pound offers, we<br />
agreed a deal with the perfect partner. Spending my last<br />
£<strong>11</strong>.08 on G&Ts and plotting how we can show the world<br />
how Be products can make them feel fabulous in an instant<br />
and additionally have longer term benefits. Colette and I exist<br />
solely to be the ‘Worlds’ red lipstick’. Be is about the feeling,<br />
not the physicality of beauty. The aura, not the aesthetics.<br />
Because when you are on point and on your game, you<br />
walk taller, freer and with a bounce that everyone recognises.<br />
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO HAVE ONE UMBRELLA<br />
BRAND WITH LOTS OF MINI ONES BRANCHING<br />
OFF? HOW MANY MINI BRANDS ARE YOU LOOK-<br />
ING TO LAUNCH IN THE NEAR FUTURE?<br />
Surprisingly, Mark is the first one to test all things glittery<br />
and shiny—there are some incredible products launching in<br />
BOD shortly, which he has given the seal of approval on!<br />
I am the original lazy beauty user, so I’m really excited to<br />
launch a range of skincare with the core values of simplicity<br />
and efficiency (which also looks gorgeous for a bathroom<br />
selfie!). But what we both are most excited by are the ranges<br />
that really tap into some real issues people face — those skin<br />
problems that prevent you leaving the house. If we can help<br />
the poeple with troublesome skin with a range of products<br />
that actually work, then we couldn’t be happier!<br />
DO YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPTS FOR<br />
PRODUCTS YOURSELVES? HOW DOES A PRODUCT<br />
‘COME TO LIFE’?<br />
Mark: Yes, we always start insight first. We know the beauty<br />
industry inside and out, and what ‘sells’, but make a point of<br />
ignoring this and tapping first into issues that consumers face.<br />
Colette: Once you have that core insight, you build out to a<br />
solution that makes sense for them, and then start to work on<br />
product formulations that work (Mark’s Science background<br />
is a HUGE help), packaging that looks great (something I<br />
will not compromise on!), and then build out communication<br />
strategies that speak to the consumer simply and effectively.<br />
WHAT INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES YOU?<br />
Mark: People. Every time. We are building out a team of<br />
like-minded, passionate and energetic people who work to<br />
the same goal of making our brands the best they can be.<br />
Seeing the Be team’s reaction as a product comes to fruition<br />
is priceless — it doesn’t get more motivating than that!<br />
IF YOU HAD ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE<br />
JUST STARTING OUT A BUSINESS, WHAT WOULD<br />
IT BE?<br />
Colette: Get comfortable with ambiguity! We could never<br />
have dreamed of where we would get to with Be, and the<br />
journey we would go on. One day the world might look pretty<br />
scary, then suddenly something clicks and you get that little<br />
win you’ve needed! Our Be mantra is ‘blind faith!’<br />
Colette: We are vociferous in our challenge to launch multiple<br />
propositions as fast as we can to answer as many consumer<br />
needs as possible. Our challenge to launch true white<br />
space innovation has got us to 6 unique brand propositions,<br />
which we plan to get to market in the next 12 months — we<br />
are strapped in and ready for the ride ahead!<br />
<strong>2017</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> | <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>11</strong> <strong>#INSPO</strong> 13
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