We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Genevieve Dolan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Genevieve below.

Genevieve, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

I’m finally learning what “it takes a village” means in life! The Vieve’s Leaves village is made up of partners, family and friends that are aligned with my vision and are just as invested in the brand’s success as I am. Early on I learned that to be successful, I couldn’t expend all my energy on the channels that weren’t my strong suits. So I focus on brand-building and sales while my marketing and PR needs are outsourced to two great local agencies, Torch Group and The Tropical Agency. Through trial and error in past partnerships, I learned to trust my intuition and take my time in finding the right partner to accomplish my goals. As a bootstrapping business, every cent spent is an investment, and we want to make sure it’s worth the risk.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Born and raised in Chicago, I’m one of five children with parents who’ve always been proactive about living a balanced life. From a young age I was interested in my mom’s beauty vanity and my sisters’ hair care tools. When I was in high school I developed cystic acne, and I tried unsuccessfully to achieve clear skin through all kinds of methods. I’ve been on just about every prescription acne medication and have tried most topical treatments – none of which gave me clear skin but did leave uncomfortable side effects. In my 20s, I started to look inward and try a more holistic approach to healing. After deep research into this method of healing, I wanted to take the knowledge I gained and share it with the world through my own line of simple and effective skincare products.

The Vieve’s Leaves brand was born with the intention of helping others bring balance and confidence back into their lives. Starting with skincare, we offer the proper nutrients and ingredients for lasting results. Vieve’s Leaves products, a serum and a moisturizer, are a simple solution to complex skincare issues and the best choice for sensitive/combination skin types. They are incredibly hydrating and packed with nutrients that boost collagen production, calm inflammation and improve overall skin tone & texture.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Within the first year of starting Vieve’s Leaves, I realized that some of our partners’ promised deliverables were very far from the truth. I tried to work with the team to get to a point where we would be closer to reaching those deliverables, even if we couldn’t quite hit those metrics, but nothing worked. I knew the only way Vieve’s Leaves would succeed is if I started over from scratch, so I cut ties with those partners and hired a completely new team. When building this new team, I had to make sure we were aligned in our visions of success for the brand. Now my team and I work closely to address any challenges head and brainstorm often on ways to reach new customers, improve the brand and continue delivering on our mission to provide a simple solution for complex skin issues.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In my 20s, I took my health and wellness into my own hands. I went to holistic doctors and did the research on supplements they recommended for my mental and physical health, which would also help my skin! From there, I learned about CBD, and was hooked. I knew the hemp plant had an abundance of benefits, but when I learned that CBD was non-psycho active, I figured it could really help with some of the stress symptoms I was experiencing – and it did. This research became my new hobby, and I wanted to find a way to share it with my friends and family.

When the pandemic hit and my career in event planning was paused I was given the opportunity to explore a career in the the CBD industry and what that might potentially look like if it was incorporated into skincare. I saw this as an opportunity to create a product that not only worked for my skin, but could also benefit others who had similar issues and were unable to find consistent solutions. Eventually I took the leap and launched a skincare line that was infused with CBD. Although it is sometimes seen as a controversial ingredient, I haven’t given up on it’s incredible benefits! Just like it’s a great supplement for those with a sensitive nervous system, it’s also a better soothing ingredient for those with sensitive skin. The skincare industry is ruthless, but I’ve found resilience in my passion for the brand and helping people get the skin they’ve always wanted!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vievesleaves.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vievesleaves/

Image Credits
Spencer Reagan and Mood the Agency