Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Aydar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shannon, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission with koloré skincare is twofold — to provide “Glowing skin with a bump of happy!” and to help support mental health services for youth and adults.

In 2019, I went back to school to pursue a diploma in organic skincare formulation. Mind you, Covid-19 kicked in soon after and things started feeling pretty dark. Instinctually, I started formulating with oils containing naturally bright colors like blue tansy and buriti, along with uplifting scents like lemongrass, peppermint and sweet orange. Every time I entered the lab, these amazing colors and scents began boosting my energy and giving me legitimate happy vibes. When I started using all these vibrant products in my own daily routine, I suddenly felt nourished, optimistic and hopeful again. My skin was glowing and I felt like my true self — full of creativity, driven by joy and energized.

I looked at the current skincare landscape and didn’t see anyone combining the beauty of color therapy and aromatherapy within the daily skincare routine and instantly had the entrepreneur’s coveted “ah-hah” moment. Why was this not a thing?!

Armed with the science of scent and color, I was highly inspired to develop koloré, a line of skincare products that help achieve naturally glowing skin with that little “bump of happy”. From there, the idea just took off. It has been such a rewarding journey and I am so delighted by the amazing feedback from customers who are really connecting with the mission.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My journey into skincare actually started about 12 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child. It was the first time I actually thought, “Wow, what is all this junk I’m putting on my skin?! Is it even safe?” Back then, non-toxic beauty wasn’t really a thing here in the states, so I set out on a 40+ hour journey to source skincare items from New Zealand, Australia and various other parts of the globe. It took forever to receive the products and I spent an ungodly amount on shipping. I thought, “We have got to get our act together here in the US! When my kids are at an age for me to return to work, I want to make an impact in this market”.

Fast forward to 2019, there were a lot of “clean” options here but they all felt a bit boring and stale. With an artist and musical background, my creative side was yearning to produce something that made the daily routine more exciting and productive. As I mentioned a bit earlier, discovering the joy of color therapy coupled with aromatherapy in the daily routine seemed like such an obvious winning combo! I was thrilled at the prospect of developing a line around those themes.

In addition to my schooling in skincare formulation, I also have a business degree with a specialization in marketing. In my career, I’ve been able to work on some of the worlds’ most amazing brands, from Levi’s and Sony to Microsoft and Pepsi. My background working directly for these companies and at top-notch ad agencies has given me great insight on how to bring a brand to life. I really enjoy this aspect of my work. On a day-to-day basis, I get to flip between creating new formulations to branding the products to interacting with my community on social media and beyond. Let me tell you, there is never a dull moment around here.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Beyond a doubt, one of my favorite branding books is Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand. He completely flipped the script on how I think about sharing the koloré story with potential customers. He provides a strong framework for crafting your brand and really forces you onto the receiving end of the message vs. thinking about things from your own perspective.

Donald also has a Business Made Simple audiobook that I thoroughly enjoyed. Even if you already have a business degree, this gives some really great top-line advice on how to run a business and tips on how to structure your day to be the most productive.

I’m obsessed with podcasts, as well. They are so brilliant to throw on during the commute or while I am making product. If you are in the beauty space, I recommend the Nopalera Podcast. The Soul & Science podcast is also interesting and spans beyond beauty.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I have to say, I really underestimated the impact of being face-to-face with potential customers. I’ve discovered artisan fairs and pop-ups are the most amazing way to connect directly with people and get relevant and actionable feedback on products. It has been the best source of new customers for us.

While e-commerce sales are important, you just can’t beat experiencing the intoxicating scents and colors of koloré in real life. In 2024, I will definitely be focusing more efforts on live events and securing retail partners to make these moments happen as frequently as possible.     

Contact Info:

• Website: kolore.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/kolore.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonferry/

Image Credits
Photographer is Ella Sophie for all images except my headshot