Behind the Scenes at Curie: Sarah Moret
Sarah Moret, the founder and CEO of Curie, is a boss worth knowing. Sarah started her career in venture capital, which meant investing in early-stage startups. Many of these startups were wellness based, which got Sarah curious about clean beauty.
She saw all of these brands making amazing clean, natural products but still felt there was a misconception that these products wouldn’t work as well as the standard stuff. She wanted to prove that wrong and started with deodorant (it’s pretty clear when it doesn’t work…) and voila! Curie was born.
Here’s what she had to say about this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, #EachForEqual, and why it’s important for more women to be bosses. Plus, she gives some pretty great advice for anyone out there who is considering creating their own thing but doesn't know where to start.
Why do you think it’s important to have women in leadership positions?
It’s important to have diversity of opinion in any company and industry. It provides a different perspective—if everyone acts or thinks the same way, your team can’t excel. I also think that women naturally make strong and empathetic leaders. Some of the best leaders I know, especially in business, are women. There’s even an HBR study that proved this!
You came from the world of venture capital, what did you learn from being in a male-dominated industry?
There is not a lot of female representation in venture capital. The most recent data I’ve read says that less than 11% of venture capitalists are women, and that only 12% of venture capital funding goes to companies with a female on the founding team. That is not a coincidence.
How do you think the personal care industry can be a leader in social, economic, and leadership equality for women?
Women are the primary consumers in the personal care industry, so it naturally is an industry that benefits from having women leaders. We’ve seen in recent years several female-led personal care companies provide tremendous economic value. Drunk Elephant sold for $845 million and Glossier is worth over $1 billion. This proves that not only are women effective leaders in starting movements, but they can provide tremendous value to the economy.
What are the joys you’ve discovered in building a community of women in business?
Almost all of our service providers and team at Curie are women. Both of our manufacturers, our chemist, our fulfillment center, our PR team, our accounting firm, and all of our employees to date are women. I'm lucky to have a community of strong, supportive women around me through all the highs and lows that come with running a company.
What would you say to other entrepreneurial women who want to start something but are scared of failure?
If you have a good idea, you’ve fleshed it out, and you’re in a position in life that you can take the risk involved with starting a company (financially, emotionally, logistically) then do it. Don’t wait until someday, just do it. When I started Curie, I made a conscious choice that no matter the outcome, I would never regret taking the leap, even if I failed. The only thing I knew I would regret was forever wondering “what if”. The funny thing about fear is that the best way to get rid of it is to have the things you fear actually happen. I used to be so scared of failure, of rejection, of being told no. But once you actually experience those things—which you WILL many times, over and over again, as an entrepreneur—they become less and less scary, until you become a more badass, fearless version of yourself.
Any other advice you want to pass along to women who are inspired by what you’ve built at Curie?
Do what you love and what sets your soul on fire and success will follow.
Curie's CEO is a true inspiration. And if there’s one thing to remember this International Women’s Day, it’s that history is made by people who take risks, dream big, and go for it.
Sarah:
Saw you in the tank. Congratulations. Let me know the next time you are in LA.
Best,
Andrew
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