1:1 with CMO of Rare Beauty
I was scrolling through TikTok one late night and I came across an interesting video. There was a woman chatting about breaking into the beauty industry and gave tips on how to apply. She then mentioned an opportunity for a 30 minute 1:1 if interested. I dropped a comment and took the survey. A week or two later, I received an email to schedule a 30 minute chat with Katie Welch, the Chief Marketing Officer of Rare Beauty - Selena Gomez’s makeup company.
Rare Beauty is breaking down unrealistic standards of perfection.
The brand states that their makeup is made to feel good in, without hiding what makes you unique—because Rare Beauty is not about being someone else, but being who you are.
“Being rare is about being comfortable with yourself. I’ve stopped trying to be perfect. I just want to be me.” - Selena Gomez
Rare Beauty also launched The Rare Impact Fund with the goal of raising $100M over the next 10 years to help give people access to mental health services. It will help support the local, national, and global organizations that have a direct impact on the well-being of Rare Beauty’s community, with a focus on underserved communities.
Katie Welch graduated from college with an English degree. She has 20+ years of experience in the beauty industry. Katie has worked at Victoria’s Secret, Bliss, Hourglass, The Honest Company and now Rare Beauty.
I hopped on Google Hangouts with a bit of nervousness. I wore my favorite zebra print button up shirt and smiled as my camera turned on. I waited a few minutes and another smiling face joined me. Katie was bubbly, humorous and very insightful. She carried a bundle of joy in relation to her career growth and how she wanted to help others gain knowledge on the beauty industry as a whole. As a CMO, Katie juggles brand positioning, product storytelling, creative campaigns, launch activations, global communications.
One of the first questions I asked Katie was, Why did she choose Rare Beauty? She described how she saw the role as the opportunity to work on a project from the very beginning, which is not as common. Katie also liked the idea of being able to story tell and share Selena’s story along with the consumer’s.
During the 30 minutes, these were the key takeaways from our conversation:
Just go for it. Be vocal for the things you want.
In your current role, ask yourself, “How am I contributing to the business to make an impact?”
No task is too small.
Pay attention to those around you and learn from them.
Daily routine tip: Get some sleep to wake up early and make time to prepare and ease into your day.
Book suggestion: Algebra of Happiness - Finding the Equation for a Life Well Lived
“I think Rare Beauty can be more than a beauty brand—it can make an impact. I want us all to stop comparing ourselves to each other and just start embracing our own uniqueness.” - Selena Gomez
Rare Beauty
Mission: We are on a mission to help everyone celebrate their individuality by redefining what beautiful means. We want to promote self-acceptance and give people the tools they need to feel less alone in the world.
Vision is to create a safe, welcoming space in beauty—and beyond—that supports mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural background, physical or mental ability, and perspective.
We believe in the beauty of imperfections.
We nurture a caring, respectful community.
We create meaningful connections and relationships.
We champion authenticity and positivity.
We lead with transparency to build trust.
We believe there is power in being vulnerable.