Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Most people think better skin comes from more products and pricier treatments. But Jordan Harper knew better. With no safety net, she built Barefaced to simplify skincare down to what actually works. 

This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Jordan Harper, Nurse Practitioner and Founder of Barefaced, to talk about what she learned after years of treating patients in cosmetic dermatology and why she decided to build a brand rooted in trust, not trends.

Jordan shares what the skincare industry gets wrong, how relationships drove early growth, and the lessons that came from expensive mistakes.

Episode Guide:

(00:00) Meet Jordan Harper, Founder & CEO of Barefaced

(01:35) What years of patient care taught her about skincare

(07:47) Serving people before selling anything

(08:55) The unsexy growth strategy that paid off

(18:01) The tradeoffs behind success

(19:16) When hiring “experts” goes wrong

(25:30) Why Barefaced has a 90% customer retention rate

(30:30) The four essential products for any skincare routine
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Too much of a good thing adds up fast. What starts as a little treat or “just one more thing” can quickly turn into clutter (and somehow… a very full apartment).

This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward, two initiatives rethinking how the beauty industry approaches waste, access, and community. We talk about how a simple gifting event sparked her passion for giving back, how curiosity builds real confidence, and why creators don’t have to choose between making money and making an impact.

Episode Guide:

(00:00) Meet Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access & Beauty Forward 

(01:46) The problem with donating beauty products

(09:52) Making money without losing your values

(12:07) When self-care becomes too much

(14:57) Choosing better brands in a wasteful industry

(18:24) Moving past performative good

(22:39) Turning passion into long-term work

(28:26) How to get involved with Beauty Forward

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“Nepo baby” is an easy label to apply to anyone who joins a family business. What we rarely talk about is the pressure to prove yourself and the effort it takes to be taken seriously.

This week on SUPERWOMEN, we sat down with Avery Hale Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Backroads, to talk about the experience of working inside a family business. Avery opens up about the challenge of stepping into a company with such a rich legacy.

Avery reveals how she navigated Backroads through the chaos of COVID, when everything was falling apart, and how she rebuilt the company from the ground up. From handling massive layoffs to keeping the business alive with no roadmap, she learned that surviving crises takes a whole lot of grit. 

Episode Guide:

(00:00) Meet Avery Hale Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Backroads

(01:44) What is Backroads?

(03:33) Growing up around the business

(07:10) How Backroads survived COVID

(11:32) When chaos becomes the best teacher

(13:53) The reality of being a working mom

(19:05) Going back to work after postpartum

(22:19) Lessons learned from dealing with crises

(25:53) The one rule for working with family

(27:41) Women's adventures at Backroads 

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What happens when the thing you worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you want to be living?

In this episode of SUPERWOMEN, Rebecca sits down with Ara Katz, co-founder of Seed, to talk about ambition, loss, and the moments that quietly redirect your life. Ara shares how stepping away from a high-growth tech company and reconnecting with her passion for science led her to build Seed, a microbiome company grounded in clinical rigor rather than wellness hype.

We also explore leadership and identity, including Ara’s unconventional management style and her decision to transition from CEO to Chairperson as an intentional evolution, not a failure.

Episode Guide:

(00:00) Meet Ara Katz, co-founder of Seed

(03:40) How Ara found the confidence to start Seed

(08:56) Gut health hype vs real science

(11:41) Why most probiotics don’t actually work

(19:00) Building a culture around great work, not validation

(25:28) Why stepping back as a founder isn’t a failure

(33:15) Nurturing Seed’s next phase and building what’s coming

(36:26) Leading with love, even when it’s hard

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Sometimes boredom is the push that leads to your next big thing. For Sammi Cohen, it was the spark that took her from a stable job at Amazon to building a career as a full-time content creator. One viral TikTok video eventually turned into hundreds. And before long, she built Social Currency, a media brand and podcast that reaches millions.

In this replay episode of SUPERWOMEN, Sammi shares the story behind that transition. We talk about the patience, grit, and yes, a little bit of delusion it takes to keep going between your first post and your first paycheck. She opens up about building trust with her audience, learning from failure without shame, and developing the instincts to know what content will stick.

Episode Guide:

(00:00) Meet Sammi Cohen, CEO and host of Social Currency

(03:20) Finding your voice online

(09:44) When monetization finally happens

(14:17) Sammi’s failed matcha company and starting over

(17:05) Dissecting the brands everyone’s talking about

(21:43) Turning mistakes into momentum instead of shame

(28:51) Redefining balance, priorities, and self-care

(32:39) Sammi’s creator instinct

(36:54) Navigating criticism and staying fair

(41:56) Finding your X factor

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