1 00:00:04,019 --> 00:00:06,330 Sean Aylmer: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. I'm Sean 2 00:00:06,330 --> 00:00:09,450 Sean Aylmer: Aylmer. A couple of years ago we spoke to Ava Chandler- 3 00:00:09,450 --> 00:00:12,570 Sean Aylmer: Matthews, one of the two founders of Ultra Violette, a fast- 4 00:00:12,570 --> 00:00:16,169 Sean Aylmer: growing Australian skincare company. It was founded in 2019 and 5 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:18,870 Sean Aylmer: just took off really, largely by focusing on a product 6 00:00:19,110 --> 00:00:23,460 Sean Aylmer: that so many others had ignored. Sunscreen. Ultra Violette has 7 00:00:23,460 --> 00:00:26,279 Sean Aylmer: already taken over Britain more or less, and now is 8 00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:29,970 Sean Aylmer: expanding into more than 400 stores across Europe. I thought 9 00:00:29,970 --> 00:00:31,770 Sean Aylmer: we should check in and see how the business has 10 00:00:31,770 --> 00:00:34,650 Sean Aylmer: changed in the last couple of years. Beck Jefferd is 11 00:00:34,650 --> 00:00:38,100 Sean Aylmer: the co- founder of Ultra Violette Skincare, the other half 12 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:40,770 Sean Aylmer: to Ava Chandler- Matthews. Is that fair to say that Beck? 13 00:00:41,010 --> 00:00:42,571 Beck Jefferd: That's fair, Sean. Yes. 14 00:00:42,571 --> 00:00:43,979 Sean Aylmer: Fair enough. Welcome to Fear and Greed. 15 00:00:44,250 --> 00:00:45,269 Beck Jefferd: Thank you for having me. 16 00:00:45,630 --> 00:00:48,030 Sean Aylmer: So we spoke to Ava in the middle of 2020 17 00:00:48,030 --> 00:00:51,150 Sean Aylmer: or August 2020. The business was just over one year 18 00:00:51,150 --> 00:00:54,360 Sean Aylmer: old and plenty of big plans. You've sort of taken 19 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,221 Sean Aylmer: off since then. You seem to be thriving. What's happened? 20 00:00:56,221 --> 00:01:02,160 Beck Jefferd: Well, I'm definitely still on the journey to kind of get 21 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,700 Beck Jefferd: things moving from an export point of view, but I 22 00:01:05,700 --> 00:01:09,390 Beck Jefferd: guess we have had a really great 18 months. We 23 00:01:09,390 --> 00:01:13,140 Beck Jefferd: started by testing whether the Brits actually would wear sunscreen 24 00:01:13,140 --> 00:01:16,500 Beck Jefferd: every day, although we prefer to call it skinscreen, which 25 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:20,670 Beck Jefferd: is more about skincare plus sunscreen. So we launched into 26 00:01:20,670 --> 00:01:25,350 Beck Jefferd: the UK about two years ago now, 2021, and lo 27 00:01:25,350 --> 00:01:29,009 Beck Jefferd: and behold, they do actually get that message that skinscreen 28 00:01:29,010 --> 00:01:31,920 Beck Jefferd: is a really important part of an everyday routine. So 29 00:01:32,250 --> 00:01:35,220 Beck Jefferd: that gave us some real confidence to look where else 30 00:01:35,220 --> 00:01:38,580 Beck Jefferd: in the world our products could be sold. So sunscreen's 31 00:01:38,580 --> 00:01:42,450 Beck Jefferd: hard to have a global formulation because the regulations in 32 00:01:42,450 --> 00:01:46,740 Beck Jefferd: different countries are very different, but our formulations use more 33 00:01:46,740 --> 00:01:50,520 Beck Jefferd: modern actives that are compliant all across Europe. So we 34 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,090 Beck Jefferd: looked across one of the ponds from the UK and 35 00:01:54,090 --> 00:01:57,300 Beck Jefferd: Europe was there really willing and able to take our 36 00:01:57,300 --> 00:02:00,180 Beck Jefferd: products. So that's where we focused our attention next. 37 00:02:00,690 --> 00:02:03,180 Sean Aylmer: Okay. Now when you were telling that story, I suddenly 38 00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:07,350 Sean Aylmer: thought probably not everyone is like an Australian. We are 39 00:02:07,350 --> 00:02:10,890 Sean Aylmer: so aware of sunscreen and the need for sunscreen and 40 00:02:11,100 --> 00:02:14,520 Sean Aylmer: certainly my kids' generation wear it all the time. Is 41 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,720 Sean Aylmer: that not the case in England? 42 00:02:16,139 --> 00:02:18,540 Beck Jefferd: No. And you think back to the Slip- Slop- Slap 43 00:02:18,540 --> 00:02:22,080 Beck Jefferd: campaigns that we all grew up with, that really did 44 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,350 Beck Jefferd: a good job for teaching us how important sunscreen was. 45 00:02:25,650 --> 00:02:28,290 Beck Jefferd: I guess where that fell down, it kind of implied 46 00:02:28,290 --> 00:02:29,460 Beck Jefferd: you just needed to do it when you went to 47 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:33,389 Beck Jefferd: the beach. But what modern dermatology would also tell you 48 00:02:33,389 --> 00:02:36,720 Beck Jefferd: is that it's a really important ingredient for protecting your 49 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,290 Beck Jefferd: skin, not just from cancer, from the sun, but from 50 00:02:40,380 --> 00:02:45,150 Beck Jefferd: melasma, from all kinds of different damage and also degradation 51 00:02:45,150 --> 00:02:48,149 Beck Jefferd: of the collagen in the skin. So therefore that causes 52 00:02:48,180 --> 00:02:52,320 Beck Jefferd: wrinkles. And, no, not every market has had a Slip- Slop- 53 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,110 Beck Jefferd: Slap campaign like we had, and that is really, we're 54 00:02:55,110 --> 00:02:57,510 Beck Jefferd: up against that in other markets from an education point 55 00:02:57,510 --> 00:03:00,660 Beck Jefferd: of view to make sure we can first explain why 56 00:03:00,990 --> 00:03:04,169 Beck Jefferd: a sunscreen is important and then why a skinscreen is a 57 00:03:04,169 --> 00:03:04,919 Beck Jefferd: better option. 58 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,190 Sean Aylmer: And what about Europe? We were just talking about the UK 59 00:03:08,190 --> 00:03:11,130 Sean Aylmer: then, the education needed there. Is it the same in Europe? 60 00:03:11,550 --> 00:03:14,730 Beck Jefferd: Oh, I think they're even more behind, quite honestly, in 61 00:03:14,730 --> 00:03:19,350 Beck Jefferd: terms of understanding the protection benefits of SPF. So again, 62 00:03:19,350 --> 00:03:21,840 Beck Jefferd: we've got a really big job ahead of us to 63 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,889 Beck Jefferd: get the why down pat first and then really shifting 64 00:03:25,889 --> 00:03:27,750 Beck Jefferd: them into why Ultra Violette from there. 65 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,380 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So tell us about how you are marketing your 66 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:34,169 Sean Aylmer: products in the UK and Europe. Is it a social 67 00:03:34,169 --> 00:03:35,550 Sean Aylmer: media campaign? 68 00:03:36,210 --> 00:03:39,780 Beck Jefferd: Social media is definitely one platform that we rely on, 69 00:03:39,780 --> 00:03:43,170 Beck Jefferd: and that's really to get a positive message out to 70 00:03:43,170 --> 00:03:45,780 Beck Jefferd: a younger target audience, which is who we go after 71 00:03:45,780 --> 00:03:49,830 Beck Jefferd: for Ultra Violette. We want our brand to be fun, 72 00:03:49,830 --> 00:03:56,460 Beck Jefferd: engaging, informative, and not any fearmongering around dangerous impacts of 73 00:03:56,460 --> 00:04:00,090 Beck Jefferd: the sun. And also to be a friendly, trusted voice 74 00:04:00,090 --> 00:04:01,830 Beck Jefferd: that you could turn to every day. So social media 75 00:04:01,830 --> 00:04:04,290 Beck Jefferd: is a really obvious choice, but we work with some 76 00:04:04,290 --> 00:04:07,590 Beck Jefferd: amazing retail partners. So in the UK we have Harrods, 77 00:04:07,650 --> 00:04:11,550 Beck Jefferd: Liberty, Space NK, just to name a couple. And those 78 00:04:11,550 --> 00:04:14,220 Beck Jefferd: retailers also do a great job in talking to their 79 00:04:14,220 --> 00:04:18,930 Beck Jefferd: own customers, and we've found some really positive marketing campaigns 80 00:04:18,930 --> 00:04:21,480 Beck Jefferd: we can run through our retailers to get directly to 81 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,089 Beck Jefferd: the customers. So I'd say we augment our social media 82 00:04:24,089 --> 00:04:26,400 Beck Jefferd: with a lot of retail- based communications. 83 00:04:26,940 --> 00:04:42,210 Sean Aylmer: Stay with me, Beck. We'll be back in a minute. My guest this morning is Beck Jefferd, co- founder of Ultra Violette. What about their whole 84 00:04:42,270 --> 00:04:44,969 Sean Aylmer: line, which many people have, I mean they all want 85 00:04:44,970 --> 00:04:48,750 Sean Aylmer: to go brown, even if it means sunburn first and 86 00:04:48,779 --> 00:04:51,180 Sean Aylmer: then you put enough moisturizer on your skin, your skin 87 00:04:51,180 --> 00:04:54,960 Sean Aylmer: will turn some vague shade of brown or non- white 88 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,440 Sean Aylmer: at least? That seems to be prevalent everywhere. Is that 89 00:04:58,440 --> 00:04:59,370 Sean Aylmer: something you're running into? 90 00:05:00,089 --> 00:05:03,870 Beck Jefferd: It's interesting, particularly I'd say here in Australia, again, we 91 00:05:03,870 --> 00:05:06,450 Beck Jefferd: really are more aware of the damage of the sun, 92 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,589 Beck Jefferd: but any kind of browning and definitely burning is actually 93 00:05:10,589 --> 00:05:13,589 Beck Jefferd: skin cells in trauma. So when you think of it 94 00:05:13,589 --> 00:05:17,130 Beck Jefferd: like that, it kind of diminishes the positive effects that 95 00:05:17,130 --> 00:05:19,110 Beck Jefferd: you might feel by having a bit of a tan. 96 00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:22,020 Beck Jefferd: And we're seeing here in particular, people moving to a 97 00:05:22,020 --> 00:05:25,890 Beck Jefferd: safe tan. So that's either a fake tan or bronzing 98 00:05:25,890 --> 00:05:29,610 Beck Jefferd: powders that wash off. It's definitely not sunbeds, and it's 99 00:05:29,610 --> 00:05:32,070 Beck Jefferd: definitely not baking in the sun to get not even 100 00:05:32,070 --> 00:05:35,400 Beck Jefferd: a healthy tan. We're really seeing that there is no 101 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,610 Beck Jefferd: such thing. So again, that's a message that we really 102 00:05:38,610 --> 00:05:41,700 Beck Jefferd: try and impart, not from a point of creating fear. 103 00:05:42,150 --> 00:05:45,930 Beck Jefferd: But skin cells in trauma is how it's been described 104 00:05:45,990 --> 00:05:49,350 Beck Jefferd: in the dermatological community, and that's something that we have 105 00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:51,810 Beck Jefferd: really listened to and we just try and make sure 106 00:05:51,810 --> 00:05:54,419 Beck Jefferd: that people can find a product that's right for them 107 00:05:54,420 --> 00:05:56,820 Beck Jefferd: to use every day to give them that protection through 108 00:05:56,820 --> 00:05:57,480 Beck Jefferd: Ultra Violette. 109 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,690 Sean Aylmer: What about the US? Presumably that's a huge market, then 110 00:06:00,690 --> 00:06:02,640 Sean Aylmer: Asia, of course, which is even bigger markets. 111 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:07,589 Beck Jefferd: Yeah, we're in five different countries across Southeast Asia. So 112 00:06:07,589 --> 00:06:09,480 Beck Jefferd: we launched there at the end of last year, over 113 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,800 Beck Jefferd: 40 stores, and they really get the SPF message. They're 114 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,310 Beck Jefferd: very good at protecting their skins. So again, just trying 115 00:06:17,310 --> 00:06:20,070 Beck Jefferd: to overlay a cultural lens to how we go to 116 00:06:20,070 --> 00:06:24,479 Beck Jefferd: market. So Southeast Asia's great, still coming up to speed 117 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,420 Beck Jefferd: with Ultra Violette, but we've got some really great distribution 118 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:30,390 Beck Jefferd: there. In terms of the US, it really is the 119 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:33,659 Beck Jefferd: beauty behemoth. When you talk anything in the beauty space, 120 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,029 Beck Jefferd: and obviously a lot of the consumer and personal care 121 00:06:36,029 --> 00:06:39,540 Beck Jefferd: space, you can't talk about a global expansion plan without 122 00:06:39,570 --> 00:06:43,290 Beck Jefferd: the US coming into consideration. So, look, we're taking it 123 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:48,180 Beck Jefferd: very carefully. The US has some very different laws about 124 00:06:48,270 --> 00:06:51,060 Beck Jefferd: what ingredients are allowed to be used in sunscreens, and 125 00:06:51,060 --> 00:06:54,750 Beck Jefferd: they haven't modernized that list of sunscreens in quite some 126 00:06:54,750 --> 00:06:57,990 Beck Jefferd: time. So we find that with more modern formulations like 127 00:06:57,990 --> 00:07:01,230 Beck Jefferd: ours, the US isn't quite ready for those yet from 128 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,550 Beck Jefferd: the FDA, it's their regulatory body hasn't approved them. So 129 00:07:05,550 --> 00:07:08,010 Beck Jefferd: we're taking our time with the US. We're definitely looking 130 00:07:08,010 --> 00:07:10,410 Beck Jefferd: at when those changes are coming in and we expect 131 00:07:10,410 --> 00:07:13,530 Beck Jefferd: that they will and being really ready to launch when 132 00:07:13,530 --> 00:07:14,010 Beck Jefferd: they do. 133 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:17,100 Sean Aylmer: So what's the plan for Ultra Violette then in five 134 00:07:17,100 --> 00:07:18,120 Sean Aylmer: years, 10 years? 135 00:07:18,990 --> 00:07:21,990 Beck Jefferd: Well, we built Ultra Violette to be a global brand, 136 00:07:22,050 --> 00:07:26,430 Beck Jefferd: and we really think the heritage story of a skinscreen originating 137 00:07:26,430 --> 00:07:29,040 Beck Jefferd: from Australia where it's the toughest place in the world 138 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,910 Beck Jefferd: to get a sunscreen approved and overlaying with that, our 139 00:07:32,910 --> 00:07:35,340 Beck Jefferd: backgrounds that Ava and I both have in the beauty 140 00:07:35,340 --> 00:07:38,400 Beck Jefferd: industry where we think we know what good looks like 141 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,410 Beck Jefferd: in terms of something we actually want to slap on 142 00:07:40,410 --> 00:07:43,440 Beck Jefferd: our faces every day. We think those two things come 143 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,950 Beck Jefferd: together really nicely to build a global brand. So we've 144 00:07:46,950 --> 00:07:50,460 Beck Jefferd: got 20 countries we're in now after four years, we've 145 00:07:50,460 --> 00:07:53,910 Beck Jefferd: got some really big plans and we're slowly building the 146 00:07:53,910 --> 00:07:57,870 Beck Jefferd: team, the brand, and the working capital to support that. 147 00:07:58,590 --> 00:08:01,380 Beck Jefferd: And we've got really big visions for where we want 148 00:08:01,380 --> 00:08:02,280 Beck Jefferd: to take this brand. 149 00:08:02,970 --> 00:08:06,300 Sean Aylmer: Now you did work with Ava for a beauty organization from 150 00:08:06,330 --> 00:08:09,030 Sean Aylmer: memory. Weren't you from BP originally though? 151 00:08:09,510 --> 00:08:11,940 Beck Jefferd: Oh, yeah. I've got a background in the oil industry, 152 00:08:11,940 --> 00:08:13,140 Beck Jefferd: which has got nothing to do with beauty. 153 00:08:13,140 --> 00:08:16,560 Sean Aylmer: Of course you have. What were you doing in the 154 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:17,310 Sean Aylmer: oil industry? 155 00:08:18,660 --> 00:08:21,990 Beck Jefferd: I was a plucky graduate and I wanted a job 156 00:08:21,990 --> 00:08:25,200 Beck Jefferd: in a big multinational firm that did cool advertising, and 157 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:26,970 Beck Jefferd: that was back in the day when BP used to 158 00:08:26,970 --> 00:08:30,270 Beck Jefferd: do great big ads. So I was kind of a wide- 159 00:08:30,270 --> 00:08:33,210 Beck Jefferd: eyed uni student thinking that that would be a great 160 00:08:33,210 --> 00:08:35,250 Beck Jefferd: career. And, look, to be honest, it was. I spent 161 00:08:35,250 --> 00:08:38,580 Beck Jefferd: nine years there and met probably, well, I met my husband 162 00:08:38,580 --> 00:08:41,880 Beck Jefferd: and I met my best friends at that organization. So 163 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,209 Beck Jefferd: there's a lot to be said for taking a different path. 164 00:08:45,510 --> 00:08:49,710 Sean Aylmer: And so then how did you jump into the beauty products 165 00:08:49,710 --> 00:08:53,130 Sean Aylmer: where you met Ava? And then just very briefly recap 166 00:08:53,130 --> 00:08:54,930 Sean Aylmer: the story of why you started Ultra Violette. 167 00:08:55,500 --> 00:08:58,290 Beck Jefferd: So I spent nine years at BP and then I 168 00:08:58,290 --> 00:09:01,740 Beck Jefferd: jumped out and joined L'Oreal. I was living in New 169 00:09:01,740 --> 00:09:03,840 Beck Jefferd: York at the time, and I thought L'Oreal would be 170 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,420 Beck Jefferd: a fun place to work, and I realized it was, 171 00:09:06,420 --> 00:09:09,360 Beck Jefferd: and the beauty industry was really for me. So coming 172 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,350 Beck Jefferd: back to Australia after 10 years living abroad, we then 173 00:09:13,350 --> 00:09:16,740 Beck Jefferd: joined Mecca. So Ava and I both met working at 174 00:09:16,740 --> 00:09:20,130 Beck Jefferd: Mecca Brands where we looked after their private label product 175 00:09:20,130 --> 00:09:23,010 Beck Jefferd: development and brand development. So it was while we were 176 00:09:23,010 --> 00:09:25,020 Beck Jefferd: there that we really had a great vantage point to 177 00:09:25,020 --> 00:09:28,260 Beck Jefferd: what was going on in the prestige beauty space and 178 00:09:28,290 --> 00:09:31,830 Beck Jefferd: over margaritas one night, we came up with an idea 179 00:09:31,830 --> 00:09:34,230 Beck Jefferd: about tackling sun in a new and fresh way that 180 00:09:34,230 --> 00:09:37,829 Beck Jefferd: we hadn't seen done in that prestige beauty landscape and 181 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:39,900 Beck Jefferd: Ultra Violette came out of that. 182 00:09:40,650 --> 00:09:43,350 Sean Aylmer: Do you ever miss not working for a corporate? 183 00:09:44,220 --> 00:09:44,670 Beck Jefferd: No. 184 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,111 Sean Aylmer: I thought there might be something there, so missed the support or the HR or something, but no. 185 00:09:49,111 --> 00:09:54,209 Beck Jefferd: No. Do you know what? I'm grateful for that background because I 186 00:09:54,210 --> 00:09:57,420 Beck Jefferd: think it really taught me how to do things properly 187 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,620 Beck Jefferd: and I hope we've brought that spirit of doing things 188 00:10:01,620 --> 00:10:04,710 Beck Jefferd: properly, but in a more entrepreneurial and nimble way to 189 00:10:04,710 --> 00:10:07,770 Beck Jefferd: Ultra Violette. So I definitely am grateful for that background. 190 00:10:07,770 --> 00:10:13,050 Beck Jefferd: But, no, I don't miss the hierarchy and the other 191 00:10:13,050 --> 00:10:15,090 Beck Jefferd: things that come with being in corporate. I love having 192 00:10:15,090 --> 00:10:15,990 Beck Jefferd: a small business. 193 00:10:16,380 --> 00:10:18,630 Sean Aylmer: Fantastic. Beck, thank you for talking to Fear and Greed. 194 00:10:18,809 --> 00:10:19,440 Beck Jefferd: No problem. 195 00:10:20,130 --> 00:10:23,730 Sean Aylmer: That was be Beck Jefferd, co- founder of Ultra Violette. This is the 196 00:10:23,730 --> 00:10:26,100 Sean Aylmer: Fear and Greed Daily Interview. Join us every morning for 197 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:28,800 Sean Aylmer: the full episode of Fear and Greed, Australia's most popular 198 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,470 Sean Aylmer: business podcast. I'm Sean Aylmer. Enjoy your day.