On Your Own
March 14, 2016
One of the great
joys of this job is the relationships I have with women I hugely admire. Betsy
Schmalz Ferguson, President of venture-backed incubator, Skyler Brand Ventures,
is one of them.
Betsy and I go
way back. (How far? Let’s put it this way: I was still Beauty Editor at Harper’s Bazaar when I met her, and
hadn’t even landed at CEW yet.) We
first crossed paths when she was at Revlon, which was then followed by major positions at Limited Brands
and Estée Lauder.
Needless to say
her credentials are impressive.
ERASA XEP30, an anti-aging concentrate,
is the first launch under Skyler, a skin care incubator created by Jules
Zecchino, the former Vice President of Research & Development at Estèe
Lauder, and leading industry innovators. Only about six months out of the
starting gate, this unique formula—built around a proprietary mix of
neuropeptides that fills and firms—has already garnered lots of press and nabbed
a few awards.
I give Betsy
credit. In our ever-challenging economy, it takes guts to strike out on your own.
Clearly she knows what she’s doing.