Moj Mahdara: Beauty, Brands, and Business

The Sydcast

Episode Summary

Generational differences may seem to divide us but there is one thing that unites us all, change. Change is the catalyst that propels each new generation to make an impact and leave their mark on civilization and Moj Mahdara has secured her legacy with the launch of Beautycon, a diverse and inclusive beauty brand that aims to change the popular perception of beauty and our access to it. Moj and Syd discuss all things change; how to see it, how to make it happen, and most of all, how to accept it, in this episode of The Sydcast.

Syd Finkelstein

Syd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the Global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein’s research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life.

Moj Mahdara

Moj Mahdara is an entrepreneur and CEO. She is an expert in the beauty, wellness and CPG market and currently the CEO of Beautycon, a globally-recognized community for content creators, celebrities, fans, and brands. As CEO, she is responsible for driving brand vision for Beautycon and its growth initiatives, launching the brand globally, which include strategic media partnerships, content development, market intelligence, and e-commerce over the past 5 years.

Mahdara is an accomplished speaker, business figure and an active investor with international recognition for her expertise in Gen Z and Millennial consumer profiles and behaviors. She has been named to multiple lists over the years, including ones in Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire magazine; Fast Company’s “Most Creative People” list, The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 25 Most Powerful Digital Players,” Women’s Wear Daily’s “Digital Power Posse” list and Variety’s “Digital Entertainment Execs to Watch,” and has traveled nationally and internationally to present Beautycon’s first market intelligence white paper, FOMO Vol. 1.

Additionally, Moj is an active investor, and working on her first book and focused on bringing the industry together via Beauty United.org

Moj resides in Los Angeles with her wife, Professor Dr. Roya Rastegar, their son, Neev, and their dog, Sufi.

Insights from this episode:

• Differences between the generations, what sets Gen Z apart from the others, and why that matters in business and brand building.
• Reasons why businesses need to anticipate and adapt to changing platforms to remain relevant and successful.
• Details behind the creation of Beautycon, how COVID has impacted growth, and what Moj sees in the future for the brand.
• Benefits of leaning into change and providing the opportunity for others to change.
• Difficulties that Moj sees in the world and what can be done to bring about positive change.

Quotes from the show:

• “[Gen Z] do believe in the concept of emoting power, intention, and I find them to be very, very inspiring.” — Moj Mahdara [12:32]
• “I think Walt Disney and Disney are some of the greatest North Stars of marketing we’ve ever seen and to think about [Beautycon] through that lens has always been inspiring to me.” — Moj Mahdara [19:32]
• On the creation of Beautycon: “The idea was how do we build this at-scale for everybody who wants to enjoy the beauty and wellness industry.” — Moj Mahdara [20:40]
• On COVID’s impact on Beautycon: “We weren’t set up to be able weather a two-year experiential storm and pivot into digital.” — Moj Mahdara [22:05]
• On the rise of virtual conferences: “Some of these conferences now have attendance that is far beyond anything before because there’s no friction, there’s no cost.” — Syd Finkelstein [22:41]
• “What’s missing from these [virtual] conferences and events is the human connection and the opportunity for serendipity.” — Syd Finkelstein [23:03]
• “In life, what I have learned is that you always need to give people the opportunity to change. I think the kindest thing you can do for someone that you love is give them the opportunity to change.” — Moj Mahdara [29:05]
• “I think fear and anxiety drives most of people’s misunderstandings around each other.” — Moj Mahdara [31:12]
• “It will be interesting to see what happens as Gen X comes into more executive leadership roles. I am very curious to see what happens.” — Moj Mahdara [34:33]
• “We are really at a time and a place where there are just too many people that aren’t being taken care of.” — Moj Mahdara [37:47]

Stay Connected:

Syd Finkelstein

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Moj Mahdara

Twitter: @mojism

Twitter: @beautycon

Instagram: @mojism

Instagram: @beautycon

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)