More Than Skin Deep, with Susan Beischel – Episode 438 of The Action Catalyst Podcast

Susan Beischel, designer, entrepreneur, and founder/CEO of luxury brand Skin, talks about working at Neiman Marcus alongside Stanley Marcus, always listening to what’s inside of you, why it’s never too late to start or make a change, how resilience is an achievement in itself, being “built for challenge”, what discipline REALLY is, and why she’s known as the “queen of pleasure”.

About Susan:

Susan Beischel, designer and entrepreneur, founded the luxury brand Skin in 2003. Since then she has successfully built the company into a global lifestyle brand encompassing lingerie, accessories and clothing. Skin is widely recognized for the use of soft natural fabrics, organic cotton materials and sophisticated, versatile silhouettes.

Susan grew up in Wisconsin surrounded by the natural environment giving her roots in nature and an appreciation for pure natural beauty. Although her roots are in nature, her spirit branches out over the globe. She earned a B.S. degree in Retail Management at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and graduated with honors as an All American Athlete on scholarship. She went on to earn an M.B.A in Entrepreneurship from the Kellstadt School of Business at Depaul University of Chicago. That determination and commitment to excellence is evident in her work, season after season, with collections that marry function, luxury and adaptability.

Susan has been featured on Martha Stewart and her line has been shared by many large influencers including The Kardashians and Hailey Beiber.

Learn more at SkinWorldwide.com.

The Action Catalyst is presented by the Southwestern Family of Companies. With each episode, the podcast features some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Learn more at TheActionCatalyst.com, subscribe below or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave a rating and review!

LISTEN:

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RSS FEED: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-action-catalyst/

SUBSCRIBE ELSEWHERE: https://the-action-catalyst.captivate.fm/listen

__________________________________________________________________________

(Transcribed using A.I. / May include errors):

Stephanie Maas
Susan, it is super nice to meet you. Thank you for being here.

Susan Beischel
Thank you, Stephanie. It’s wonderful to meet you.

Stephanie Maas
So I gotta come right out of the gate. So the big strong question I see you’re from Wisconsin. How do you feel about Aaron Rodgers going to the Jets?

Susan Beischel
Oh, don’t ask me about that. I go back to like Bart Starr days. And like Vince Lombardi.

Stephanie Maas
I’ll let you off the hook. Well, enough about that back to you. You have such an amazing story. I remember when COVID hit, there was so much doom, and gloom and fear. But yet, you would have these people pop up and talk about just amazing things that were coming out of it and would come out of it. And I think one of the huge positives that came out of it is an awareness around mental health, physical health, all those things. And you obviously had had this company for a long time prior to COVID. But then there was kind of this boom created because of that. So just share with me a little bit about your story prior to that with this amazing company. And then what COVID meant for you and your company.

Susan Beischel
Okay, sure. Well, prior to COVID, I actually started the brand almost 20 years ago now. And it was with a mission. That skin, the four letter word, which I was able to trademark, I knew was such a powerful word. If you’ve ever thought about it, the skin on your body, the largest organ, right is so delicate and thin. But yet it holds up this whole body. I didn’t even know how that’s possible. If it were a balloon, and you tried to put your body inside all the blood, the guts, the bones, the organ, I don’t think it would stand. So it’s really incredible. So I knew that I had a powerful mantra, but I started the company and named it skin because skin is a container that holds this whole body. It holds the physical body, the mental body, the spirit body. And I had a vision that I wasn’t just going to be creating a clothing brand. It everything was much deeper. For me, I had a history and fashion. But I never cultivated a lot of friends in the fashion industry. I don’t know, I just always looking for meaning in things. And my vision was always to address the body, progressively as the brand group. So we started with the inner most intimate parts with the lingerie loungewear that touch the body. And during COVID, our company actually almost doubled. We were fortunate because we had the kind of clothing people needed to wear then. But we’ve always been offering comfort. The number one value of the brand in the clothing side is comfort. How does it feel on your skin? We want women to feel comfortable in their skin. That’s again, addressing the body feeling good. First about yourself is the start to feeling mentally roll and healthy. Why is this for you? Why this for me? I think we’re all born to do something. And actually, I was studying fashion out of college. And I ran track in college. And that was my big thing. I really wanted to go away on the weekends and run meats and go on spring break to Florida and actually kind of signed up for fashion as my major because they had an internship program where you could go somewhere. So I’ve found that I am a very dynamic person, I need a lot of things in my life. I’m a problem solver. I like scanning the world. I like adventure. I like all the things and fashion gave me that because it involves finance and numbers and people and creativity and travel and all the things and then I’m infusing this spiritual intellectual mental component to it as well. So I guess it’s kind of all the things that I him.

Stephanie Maas
So 20 years ago, or I guess 20 years before COVID. You go, Okay, I have this idea. I’ve got a little bit of a background and this kind of a personal mission, if you will. Where do you go? How do you do this?

Susan Beischel
Well, first thing I would say to everyone and anyone is always listen to what’s inside of you. It’s there for a reason, the dream, the vision, the inspiration, it’s planted in you for a reason. And it’s not in anyone else. So you don’t need to even look outside and scan and say to someone already do this, or there’s too many people doing this, because there’s a billion people on the planet, and we just need to connect to our, our group, our tribe. And the second thing I would say is, it’s never too late, I started my company at 40 years old. And I’m still starting things. And I’m just getting started, in fact, so don’t ever think you are too old, or you can’t start again. So starting, you asked, Where do you start? The first step is to start, you need to start, don’t keep thinking about it, drawing it up on paper, creating all the plans. Start the idea, who is your customer? How can I get in front of my customer? What is my product is my product, right for that customer. So my experience, I always look for the white space, and I match the product to the customer. So I could walk into any office and any room and pitch the right product to the right people. It may not be my product. But if I’m building a product, you better believe I will find a know who the right people are, and know why they need my product and present it thoughtfully for them to understand why they would need it.

Stephanie Maas
First of all, do you have a skincare line? But when you said you started the business at 40. And I did the math, I am thinking oh my gosh, so I’m gonna need some skincare tips later.

Susan Beischel
I’m working on it.

Stephanie Maas
That’s exciting. What did you do before?

Susan Beischel
I worked in fashion, I started my career at Neiman Marcus back in the day when Stanley Marcus was there. And in fact, it was the only company that I would even consider working for because Stanley Marcus created an experience. He created magic in stores. And at a young age, that was my jam. That’s what I was doing. I was always into creating an experience, which is also part of my brand. It’s a sensory experience. Anyway, so I started my career at Neiman Marcus, but I have to tell you, when I graduated college, it was during a recession. And to even get an on campus interview, you had to put your name in that hat and be picked to interview with a company. And I didn’t get picked for Neiman Marcus, but I got all dressed up in my business suit. And I went and sat at the office at 7am. And I waited where I knew they were going to conduct the interviews and a man walks in dressed with a briefcase and I said excuse me, are you from Neiman Marcus? And he said, Well, yes, I am. And I told him the story. And I said Would you have any time today or over the next three days to fit me in for an interview? And he said well, yes, of course. Come on in. Long story short a month later, I got the envelope in the mail accepting into the executive training program. So that’s where I started, I knew I wanted to be creating meaningful, detail oriented experiences for people. So I worked for Neiman Marcus for six years. Then I worked for a small, not so small, like $30 million company Mom and Pop fashion company. And there I opened the first Jil Sander store in America. And then I moved to New York. The reason why I moved to New York was because we sold the company to venture capitalists and they required a corporate CEO to come in and run the company. And that kind of didn’t work out. They didn’t have the same value system, same alignment as our core customer base. So I saw the writing on the wall and I left and where do you go in in fashion, it’s either New York or LA. So I came to New York, and then I worked on the wholesale side and learned that side of the business. So I had retail I had wholesale, I was always itching to have my own company, but I didn’t know what my big idea was. It took me a long time to figure it a hook. I trust the net will be there, but I need space to figure it out. So I think I was $50,000 in credit card debt when I moved to New York are moving here paying like crazy rents that you’d never seen before. I approached a couple of designers who were selling lingerie and I said, let me sell it for you, I’ll sell it. You just pay me a commission. And by being in the lingerie industry selling their product, I saw white space. And then because I was on the wholesale side, I had connections with factories. And then I called them and they said, here’s my idea will you produce for me, and you know, you’re a startup. So you need people to help finance. They agreed, and that’s where I started.

Stephanie Maas
That’s an incredible journey. And honestly, when I was reading through your bio, it can come across as it just seems so seamless and so easy. But there’s nothing I just heard in that journey that sounded easy handouts, you pursued what you loved. And you took the risks along the way. But you also I mean, I love hearing that. And I think that’s something that really sets entrepreneurs apart. That’s what you do. But that’s also what gave you ownership, don’t you think?

Susan Beischel
Well, entrepreneurship is not easy. Listen, Life is not easy. I’m good at making it look easy, because I love life. And the way you get through the recession of 2008, the pandemics, the what’s coming, all of it. The way you get through it is just accepting these are the realities. Now what next step? It’s always okay, that happen next. Now, what do I do next? You know, just the biggest, I think, skill that entrepreneurs business people need, and certainly the successful winning ones have. And that’s resilience. It’s just the ability to get up every day because somebody quits, right? When you’re ready to launch some, you know, bait calls or something. There’s someone ships late, the internet goes down. There’s always going to be something. It’s not easy. I’ll tell you. So when I launched, I went out and sold I created the collection. The factory was working with me. They didn’t finance me. There was supposed to be a group who was financing. It was a month before we were to ship it. I called the factory checkup on them. How’s it going? Everything good. We should like what production What are you talking about? I said, What? What do you mean? He basically said, Well, we never got the money. We never started the production. And I had sold to major stores names you would know of my credibility is everything. So I got off the phone, and I fainted. I fainted on a cement floor. I fainted on the floor. I woke up to people are you okay? Are you okay? I’m fine. Move sighs I went to my desk. I went to my computer. I cashed out my 401 K. And then all the factories said, I’m going to be the sole owner. I will be financing it. Will you still work with me? Will you produce? They said yes. I transferred the money. I moved forward. I emailed and called every one of the clients that purchased from me because obviously now it’s going to be late. The production cycle is late. And that’s a big no no. In retail world you got to deliver on time. So I personally reached out to every client. Everyone said yes, they would take it three months late, but it’s super easy. I do love challenges. I do love the ride. I do love the ups and downs. I I just I think I’m built for challenge.

Stephanie Maas
Where does that come from? And and I want to touch on the word you mentioned resiliency. I mean, I get that you’re an athlete or newer college athlete. So I know a lot of it is just in that mentality, but going way, way back, where does that come from?

Susan Beischel
That’s a really good question. Because I knew a man he wrote a book are entrepreneurs born or made. And I’ve recently had a discussion with some people about your childhood, and how has it shaped you? And I would say I actually didn’t even think about it until about a year ago that connection between events in my childhood that may have shaped me. But I would say a lot of the my brothers and sisters are similar. We all have a work ethic. We all have respect. We all were taught to To say hello to people in the room to greet people to think people to be grateful for things. And I, I mean, grew up in a small town of 1300 people. And I knew that I didn’t, I wouldn’t say didn’t belong there. But I knew that I was different from all the kids around me. And I was a doer and a participator. And I was thirsty for knowledge for everything. So I tried everything, all sports, all arts, all clubs. And I knew that I needed to be a small fish in a big pond. In fact, I won state champion and stuff like that, you know, in high school running, and my dad wanted me to go to a small school near home and be a big fish in a small pond. And I did not want that. Because even though I won state, it was all done by class by how big your school was, and I was in school. So I don’t consider myself a winner. And I was not having that. Like, Dad, I’m going to a big school where I can get better training, I can get better, I can be around people who are running better, and I will be better by the first year might have been the first semester I don’t know, I got full scholarship, and then became an All American national champion relay member. And that’s the whole key, you get in the room with people who know more, have done more, and you rise to the level as they say.

Stephanie Maas
I think there’s a lot of power in that. Oh, I love that rise to the level. Yeah. As you think back through the years, who were some of your key influencers? Either it was, hey, I want to go be just like that person. Positive or yep, I see what they’re doing. And I’m never going to run my business like that.

Susan Beischel
This is a really interesting question. And the answer may not be liked by everyone. Because, as I said, I didn’t start my company until I was 40. And even when I started my company, it was head down, nose to the grindstone, and I had asked myself, who do I look up to? Who are people I aspire to be like, I honestly didn’t know who they were. It’s a good skill to be independent. And it’s a good skill to be able to do a lot, but you can go faster and bigger with others. So it wasn’t until actually the pandemic so during the pandemic, I actually had time to join masterminds to join Tim Grover was one of my mentors. He’s the coach of Michael Jordan and Kobe a success coach, a joint Grant Cardone and Elena Cardone. 10 axing everything, just because they’re always focused. I was actually a kind of person that hated the word discipline. I was always a doer, but the word discipline meant like someone’s controlling me, and I like, roll. But it’s you controlling you. And discipline is really about doing what you say you’re going to do.

Stephanie Maas
Wow. Okay, let’s have some fun.

Susan Beischel
Oh yes, for sure, they call me the the queen of pleasure, actually. Because I do make things fun.

Stephanie Maas
Okay, so if somebody wanted to wow you, how would they do that?

Susan Beischel
Oh, it’s everything designed. You walk into the space and it’s amazing. It’s gorgeous. It’s everything’s put together. It smells great. The food is amazing. Everything’s thought through. That’s how you wow me. It’s all every detail because I will notice it.

Stephanie Maas
What do you do for fun? Leisure wise, do you still run?

Susan Beischel
I do not run. I got bad knees. But now since I’ve laid off for so long. I could probably run again. But I do everything. I live in New York. Like you cannot leave New York once you live in New York. I wake up every day. And I’m in love. You can ask anyone. I wake up and they load to the sun. It is an amazing place to be. I’m an adventurer and what eyes wide open. So I actually sing. And I’m not a singer, but I sing because it’s fun and it challenges me. I sing on a stage every now and then I go to the arts. I go to the plays, I go to the restaurants I go to the Central Park I have a dog at I do everything in Manhattan that there is to do there are some days I just Google, what’s there to do today in New York, and I go and do it.

Stephanie Maas
What is next? And, you know, I think for a lot of folks, they have these visions and these big goals, and you’ve done it. I mean, you wanted to start your company, you wanted it to have this holistic meaning. Now what?

Susan Beischel
Well, it’s not over. I don’t consider it done. Actually. It’s how I approach all things that I do. Some people have coached me that I need to celebrate more things that I’ve done, and I just do it and then go to the next thing. And where I’m at now with this company, it’s not done. There’s still so much I would say, we’re only a quarter of the way through this brands journey a quarter, and that’s 20 years. So there is so much yet to do.

Stephanie Maas
That is very exciting. Your story has been so interesting, and I appreciate your willingness to share. So I just thank you so much.

Susan Beischel
No, thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure and wonderful to be in your presence and to have the opportunity to meet you.