CreatorIQ

In Episode 58 of Earned, Conor sits down with beauty investor Rich Gersten, co-founder and Managing Partner of beauty-focused growth fund (and newly announced Tribe Dynamics partner) True Beauty Ventures. To start the episode, Rich walks us through his career trajectory, unpacking his transition from private equity to venture capital, before explaining how he wound up investing exclusively in beauty brands. We then learn why he founded True Beauty Ventures at the end of 2019 to provide capital and guidance to smaller beauty businesses. Next, Rich shines a light on the qualities that distinguish a successful investor, emphasizing that the investment business is all about pattern recognition, so specialization is key. We also hear which characteristics of effective brand founders make Rich keen to invest, before learning about the metrics and KPIs that he values most. To close the show, Rich shares the knowledge he gained from investments that didn’t turn out as expected, and how those takeaways have informed True Beauty Ventures’ brand mentorship program.

Rich Gersten

Co-founder & Managing Partner of True Beauty Ventures

 In Episode 58 of Earned, Conor Begley, co-founder of Tribe Dynamics and Chief Strategy Officer at CreatorIQ, sits down with expert beauty investor and co-founder of True Beauty Ventures Rich Gersten.


58 - Rich Gersten, True Beauty Ventures

Investor and True Beauty Ventures Co-founder Rich Gersten on his Mission to Accelerate Growth for Up-and-Coming Beauty Brands

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Welcome to Earned, an influencer marketing podcast by CreatorIQ. In this series, Conor Begley, Chief Strategy Officer at CreatorIQ, sits down with esteemed industry leaders, exploring the minds—and marketing strategies—behind the most successful brands in creator-led marketing. In each episode, we dive into our guest’s background, as they walk us through the unique—and often unexpected—journey that led them to landing their dream role. We discuss their tried-and-true marketing philosophies, and of course, we talk about influencers, sharing best practices for maximizing the power of the Creator Economy and cultivating impactful influencer communities. Each guest also lends advice to young professionals starting out in the industry, and reveals a few of the key marketing strategies behind their brand’s coveted success, online and off—so be sure to tune in, and take notes!