In a bi-weekly series, we're interviewing female executives, founders, CEOs—basically, boss ladies—on their one "power suit" a.k.a. the outfit they wear every day for easy dressing to conquer whatever the job throws at them.
\You can add Marianna Hewitt to your list of successful influencers-turned-entrepreneurs. She's best known for creating the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, an antioxidant-rich hydrating mask that has earned skincare cred across the industry. The mask, sold on the Summer Fridays website and in Sephora, comes in a sleek blue tube that looks great on your vanity. It also looks beautiful on the 'gram, a major plus.
'Lauren Gores Ireland and Marianna Hewitt (right) attend Summer Fridays skincare launch in Culver City, California, on March 15, 2018.'
Hewitt, who co-founded the brand with Lauren Gores Ireland in 2018, traces her passion for skincare back to her early influencer days, when she would post beauty product reviews on her YouTube channel and, later, Instagram Stories.
"Every time I would post a skincare item on YouTube or Instagram, my audience would ask 'Is this pregnancy safe? Is this good for sensitive skin? Does it have this or that ingredient?'" she recalls, "I always felt like I fell short on answering their questions thoroughly, so eventually they became my focus group and inspiration for starting Summer Fridays."
Hewitt and Ireland used the questions and advice from their followers to create a formula from scratch, with the help of chemists. It took two years to make each product (the brand currently carries three), all free from harmful ingredients like silicones, phthalates, and surfactants (you can read more about that here), and contain beneficial ingredients like chestnut extract and vitamin C. Hewitt and Ireland also do not test products on animals, instead choosing to send them to friends and family for feedback.
All these do-good and feel-good components of the brand tie nicely into its name—Summer Fridays—as they evoke that blissful end-of-the-week feeling. "Everyone's working hard and self-care is important. A summer Friday means taking time for yourself and giving your skin that day off to recuperate," Hewitt says.
The entrepreneur appears to have the whole work-life balance thing figured out. If you're eager to absorb her laidback Cali energy, learn more about Summer Fridays and what she wears to feel powerful while running her young company, below.
Her Morning Routine
"It depends on what I have going on because right now I have two full-time jobs. One is running Summer Fridays with Lauren and the other is my influencer life. If I'm in Los Angeles, I wake up around 7 a.m. and start my day with a smoothie. I follow nutritionist Kelly LeVeque of Be Well by Kelly and have her book, so I'll make something from that. I'll then have a coffee and hop on email to go through any time-sensitive messages.
'Hewitt speaking on stage at the Dear Media podcast featuring WorkParty on August 2, 2018.'
Them, I'll go into the office. We try to schedule all of our meetings and phone calls back to back on the days I'm in L.A., so we can be the most efficient with our time. I have this productivity time cube—which you can get on amazon—and it's good at helping you set up time blocks for different projects. I'll dedicate myself to individual tasks in 30 or 60 minute increments and I won't feel tempted to check my phone."
Her Getting Dressed Strategy
"My everyday work life is pretty simple. When I get ready for the office at Summer Fridays, I don't worry about doing my hair and makeup because our company culture is young and we're based in California. We dress like ourselves and never want to feel like we're playing dress up just because we run a business now.
When I'm traveling, I pack everything in cubes. It's not necessary a space saver, but it helps to know where everything is in your suitcase. If I am packing for a longer period of time, I'll keep clothes on hangers and stuff them in a duffle bag and check that in. That way, I can just grab everything and hang them up. I always pack black, white, and neutral clothes because then I can wear every top with every pair of pants. I always bring a pair of flats and nude heels.
'A laidback but professional work outfit you can wear 24/7.'
I check all my beauty products in because they're over 3.4 ounces, but on the plane I bring lip balm, hand-sanitizing wipes, a vitamin C packet—I drink that as soon as I board—and OLLY sleep vitamins. My favorite sleeping eye mask to block out light is the one by Slip."
Her Work Uniform
"Since the weather is nice in L.A., I usually wear the same thing: a long-sleeve tee, denim, and a pair of comfortable heels—I love Gianvito Rossi. My jeans are usually from DL1961 denim and I use my Saint Laurent tote as my work bag. It's a nice bag for the office and for going out, so I've gotten so much use out of it. A great tote bag for work is such a good investment piece. If I'm attending something as an influencer, I will definitely get more dressed up and do my hair and makeup.
'You can never own too many pairs of denim for the office.'
I love rose gold jewelry, so I have these tiny earrings that I always wear. I also received a necklace right when we launched Summer Fridays and it has our brand's logo on it, which I always wear because it's so meaningful. The necklace is a nice way to rep the brand without wearing something like a logo t-shirt."
The Three Words That Describe Her Power Outfit
"Comfortable, confident, and classic."
Her Motto
"Something I always say is 'don't be afraid to ask anyone for anything.' Don't be afraid of rejection because you never know if the person on the other end might just say yes."
If you love Hewitt's California-casual work style, shop similar pieces.
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