Smoothie Beauty has changed the idea of what a beauty product should be. The company creates 100% fresh-food based skincare products using organic, “clean” ingredients. The concept of clean beauty isn’t new, but Smoothie Beauty and marketing director Jason Heiber have taken it to an all-new level.
Smoothie Beauty provides food for the skin, and products use natural fruit and vegetable ingredients to create products for the body’s largest organ. No Toxic chemicals and no harmful ingredients are used to make the amazing products designed by company owner and former model Stephanie Peterson.
Heiber has been behind much of Smoothie Beauty’s growth thanks to his marketing expertise. The startup has only been creating its one of a kind products since 2016. However, in just a short amount of time, Smoothie Beauty has become the talk of the skincare world. Heiber recently sat down with Totalprestige Magazine to talk about the company and its goals for the future.
Jason, can you please tell us about Smoothie Beauty and its products?
It’s Smoothie Beauty’s mission to take beauty back to basics by providing you with 100% fresh-food based skincare, combining the trends of face masks, organic beauty and ready to enjoy subscriptions.
Clean beauty is on the rise, rightfully so, and we even go one step further and offer beauty that is so clean and 100% free from any additives that it needs to be refrigerated and has a shorter shelf life. We essentially offer food for your skin, delivered on ice. It’s 100% transparency and full circle sustainability are the cornerstones of this company with a “back to the roots” take on beauty.
Can you tell us how Smoothie Beauty began and what some of the highlights have been?
Smoothie Beauty launched in 2017, founded by Stephanie Peterson. Stephanie saw a need in the beauty market, as this level of fresh skincare did not exist commercially. So, the first obvious highlight has been that we were able to prove the concept, and that there is growing demand in the market for this level of fresh skincare. We also raised an angel round early on, which helped our nationwide expansion into retail stores through Riley Rose’s Beauty Concept Store. We are currently the only refrigerated product in their stores.
How important are digital strategies for a company like Smoothie Beauty and which digital trends do you have to prepare for?
It is our mission to educate the consumer about the benefits that mother earth’s potent ingredients have for our skin and about the importance of treating your skin, our largest organ, accordingly. Anything that you wouldn’t put into your body, you should probably also not put onto your skin. Delivery of those educational pieces is key to drive awareness, increase our SEO score and ultimately increase conversions of our marketing efforts. The nature of our product requires an inbound marketing approach, which is the future of advertising as opposed to traditional sponsored content. I can see video continuing to go strong in 2018 and we will see a sharp increase in “voice search” for which we have to prepare for.
Jason, please tell us what makes Smoothie Beauty unique and stand out from competitors?
We are the only skincare that needs refrigeration and that is made from 100% organic fresh food grade ingredients. Obviously, our differentiator is also our biggest challenge.
What is next for Smoothie Beauty?
The cold-pressed juice cleanse was yesterday, our beauty cleanse is the new juice cleanse. We are excited to continue to develop and perfect new product lines and we are expanding our range into hair masks, face scrubs as well as Body masks – all made from 100% fresh food-grade ingredients so that you can literally bathe your skin in foods that best suit your skin and hair type. Wellness and beauty go hand in hand and gone are the days where we pick up products from the shelf without looking at the back label, not knowing what we are consuming or slathering all over our body and face.
We have a solid foundation after working out operational kinks and are now ready to raise a seed round to expand the business. Our founder has a strong vision for clean and fresh beauty and we are determined to change the way we look at skincare products for long lasting and sustainable skin and health benefits.
Jason, what is a day in your life like?
I get up at 6 a.m. and read for inspiration, mostly entrepreneurial books or magazines. I do Muay Thai at 8am and then I am ready to start the day, inspired and motivated to fight through all the challenges. Believe me, there are many. And as with any startup, I wear many hats, so not one single day is the same as the previous one.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
Being on top of daily emerging technologies or software, evaluating their significance and if, or how, to implement them. You have to stick to what works for your business, but you have to factor in the future and how that will affect you. Specifically in digital advertising you look at the importance of VR, AR and AI as well as social media, of course.
Apart from that, it is my goal and challenge to remove the word “marketing expense” in the traditional sense, which I work towards with positive returns in paid ads and with organic keyword rankings that bring in steady traffic.
What has been your most rewarding professional experience?
I co-founded a charitable community in Germany called “Come Back Stronger” where we support injured athletes during their recovery by providing a platform where know-how and motivation are aggregated and we donate funds to support this cause. The feedback we get through this channel and the difference we make in people’s lives is a very rewarding and motivating experience and has definitely strengthened my desire to pursue a path where giving back to the community should be part of an overall business concept. Smoothie Beauty is working on many fronts to follow this ideology as I think all up and coming brands should.
What drives you?
I have always been driven by challenge and by the fact that anything is possible. New York is the epicenter of excellence and the ultimate challenge in business, that’s what pushes and drives me.
What makes you smile?
When George Costanza from Seinfeld pretends to be an architect.
What scares you?
The ticking of the clock.
What is your secret talent?
The art of silence. Knowing when to speak and when not to speak.
Which historical figure do you most admire?
Nelson Mandela. I urge anyone to read his autobiography “Long Walk To Freedom”, it has put everything into perspective for me – life, achievements and failures – and I’ve received inspiration, education, and amazement from reading this book. I suggest any aspiring entrepreneur or just anyone that likes to complain a lot to read it.
Do you have any hobbies?
Sports, fencing and Muay Thai. I used to be a semi-professional fencer and I love to cook.
What are you never without?
My Macbook, sadly, and noise cancelling headphones – figuratively speaking.
Can you share two of your favorite quotes with us?
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lay defeat and death.” – Nelson Mandela
“Limits exist only in the mind,” – Author unknown
Instinct versus expertise: Which is more important and why?
Instincts are based on judgments, which are the result of experience. So for me, expertise is more important for a better outcome as it impacts instinct.
If you had the power to change just one thing in the world what would it be?
I would advocate a living standard where people take responsibility for their actions and decisions. We live in an environment where our decision-making is based on price and not “actual cost” in the greater sense, which is very dangerous. We don’t take responsibility for casual decisions that have huge repercussions on the environment or on the people in general. We live a life where willful “ignorance is bliss” is acceptable, think about that for a moment. Everyone has the power to change things, every second of every day. People just underestimate the power of voice and behavior.
For more information on Jason Heiber and his amazing beauty brand Smoothie Beauty, please visit www.SmoothieBeauty.com.
