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How One Woman Left The White House To Take Over The Beauty Industry — Exclusive
In the spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak hit a lot changed in the world. Working from home, home-schooling children, lack of physical contact with family and friends, and losing employment became the new normal. Other than medical professionals and those deemed essential employees, everyone was confined within the four walls of their homes. Although 60% of people who lost their jobs are back working, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment is still lower than before the pandemic. It also led to many job transitions, and in a report released by CNBC and global gender equality firm Catalyst, about 50% of employed Americans said they wanted a career change, and 33% of them wanted to change their fields, per CNBC.
Such is the case of beauty mogul Stephanie Lee, founder of selfmade, the first emotionally intelligent personal care brand (via LinkedIn). Lee was the director of the office for First Lady Michelle Obama at The White House. But when she transitioned into the world of beauty as the global product development and innovation at MAC Cosmetics in New York City, eventually selfmade was born. We spoke with Lee herself to learn how someone who worked for former first lady Michelle Obama developed a company that focuses on self-worth and emotional wellbeing.
