Ever wonder what it takes to be a CEO in the beauty industry? Hint: it takes a strong entrepreneurial spirit with a side of creativity and willingness to evolve within a changing environment. Sound hard? Yeah, but CEO Elizabeth Lopez of rue Santé, is up for the challenge.
Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to get to know Elizabeth about a couple of months ago. She has been a great resource and the epitome of a CEO that can weather any storm.
Let’s get to know Elizabeth in, “8 Questions with rue Santé CEO, Elizabeth Lopez”:
Question #1:
Tell us a little bit about how you ended up starting rue Santé.
I come from a long line of phytophiles. My father, his mother, her mother and so on – we believe in the power of plants. My grandmother cured every ailment I had as a child with herbs from her garden.
Decades later, I did the same thing – when my health started affecting my skin and hair, I looked to plant-based ingredients for my self-care. My personal road to health gave birth to rue Santé.
Question #2:
What’s one of your favorite products?
Loved Moisturizing Face Oil. This is the one product I would like to have if I were stranded on a deserted island. It’s a precious face oil that is incredibly versatile.
It can be used as a cleanser, eye serum, and nourishing moisturizer for any part of the body – hands, feet, dry cuticles, hair. The aroma is stress-relieving and comforting, and the texture is just heavenly.
Question #3:
What sort of pivots or challenges have you had during COVID times?
We started making hand sanitizers for our own use at work because we couldn’t find any at our local stores – we sacrificed a few of our aloe plants and our precious perfume ingredients to make an organic, vegan formula that smells amazing and protects the skin as it sanitizes.
A brief post about this on Instagram led to requests from our clients, who were also having a hard time finding hand sanitizers. Now, it is one of our top sellers.
Question #4:
What do you do to unwind when you're not running a company?
I love to read, listen to music, and explore the wonders of nature. Basically, I’m a geek. I enjoy doing research and learning more about amazing plant-based ingredients and coming up with new products. The line between work and play is very blurry for me.
Question #5:
What are your long term goals?
Generally, to be happy, healthy and lead a balanced life. Specifically, to buy a large parcel of land and open up a rue Santé sanctuary – a place of wellness for humans and animals of all kinds.
Question #6:
What are some of the other, less COVID centered, lessons have you learned?
Life is unpredictable. No matter how well you plan, it can all come crashing down. You have to be ready with plans B – Z sometimes. You have to be resilient and keep going.
Question #7:
Who is someone you lean on for advice when things get tough?
I’m lucky to have amazing friends and family members in my life who support rue Santé. I reach out to my parents a lot. Sometimes, all it takes is hearing their voices to fortify me.
Question #8:
We just have to know, do you have a pet? A furry friend that gets you outside, inspired or just laughing?
I have two kitties, Boo and Tazmania (Taz), Russian Blue sisters that are spoiled beyond belief.
One is a scaredy-cat and the other is a little devil. They are the loves of my life, (but don’t tell my partner). They make me laugh and give me strength. They are like a shot of serotonin.
Whenever I am upset or sad, I hug them and kiss them until I feel better. It always works.
