Genevieve Dolan, Founder of Vieve’s Leaves
Name: Genevieve Dolan
Founder: Vieve’s Leaves
Who is Genevieve Dolan?
Genevieve Dolan is the founder of the all-natural skincare line, Vieve’s Leaves. After battling severe acne issues for over a decade, Genevieve took her skincare into her own hands, creating her own line of skincare products that would soothe her inflamed skin and finally clear up her cystic acne. Genevieve's goals are to help every person achieve clear, radiant skin through a simplified skincare routine.
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
Vieve’s Leaves believes that healthy, balanced skin starts with a handful of natural ingredients and a lot of research. Developed in partnership with scientists and skincare experts, Vieve's Leaves products target some of the most common skin issues from dryness, redness and inflammation to wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
As a female entrepreneur in the saturated market of skincare, being a FoundHer means that I can use my successes and failures to help other women in their entrepreneurial journeys. Additionally, being a female founder who is deeply connected with the skincare journey means that I can better relate to my existing and future customers. In partnership with scientists and skincare experts, I created a small but mighty line of products that are for every skin type- sensitive, aging, acne-prone- because I want everyone to feel confident in their own skin.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
As a small business, I outsource my public relations and marketing efforts to women-owned and founded agencies and female influencers. I also partner with women-owned boutiques and spas to sell my product. Lastly, I am always available to offer advice and answer questions to other female founders looking to launch a brand and spread their message!
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
Vieve’s Leaves came to life during the uncertainty of the pandemic. I had been furloughed from my event planning job earlier that spring, and had been longing to get into the beauty and wellness space.
In the summer of 2020, I was trying to decide if I should go back to event planning part time or if I was ready to take the leap and pursue my passion. I was nervous because having a structured career was comfortable- I knew what to expect (for the most part!). But I knew that it would be close to impossible to launch a business if I continued working full-time; I just wouldn’t have the bandwidth to pursue both ventures simultaneously. I was ready to share Vieve’s Leaves with the world, so I knew the choice I had to make. I broke the news to my former employer, who shared some great advice for my new venture. Since then, I’ve been fully invested in Vieve’s Leaves. Taking the leap has been a whirlwind of emotions experiencing the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur, but I am so proud of the brand I have created and the positive impact it’s had on people’s confidence through improved skin and a simplified skincare routine!
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
Before Vieve’s Leaves, my positions at other companies were focused on project management and client service. Both of these roles required attention to detail, task prioritization and problem solving - all of which helped with strategy. These have been useful skills in my entrepreneurial endeavors because as a founder you have to wear multiple hats. I have a great team that helps me check all those boxes, but without my previous experience in project management and client service, my entrepreneurial journey would have been even harder. They’ve also been incredibly useful when implementing strategy and making pivots, which are commonplace in these early years.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I have a fantastic social media team! I partnered with a women-owned social media agency in South Florida who really understands that the beauty industry is all about “how you look.” I work closely with them to direct the brand’s content and choose influencer partners, but I have full trust in them to execute the Vieve’s Leaves vision on our social platforms.
The secret to a successful social strategy is to understand the brand inside and out. Our social team understands Vieve’s Leaves both from an external brand perspective but also on a personal level from their own experiences using the brand in their skincare routine. Their personal experience with the brand allows them to create authentic content that reflects the user experience and better resonates with our audience.
How did you land your first client?
A good friend of mine owns M on the Square in Lake Forest, IL,, a fabulous flower boutique that specializes in floral arrangements, home goods and wellness products. When I launched Vieve’s Leaves, Missy was one of my first supporters and was the first to stock our flagship moisturizer and serum! She has an impeccable eye for beauty, and I couldn’t be more excited and grateful to be among all of the other beautiful, up-scale products in her store.
My dream stocker was my favorite beauty boutique in my hometown of Chicago, Arch Apothecary. After a year of cold calls and dropping off multiple rounds of samples, I met with the owner of the store. The meeting was serendipitous because the store was making changes in their inventory and ready to bring in newer brands with a unique mission and brand story. And Vieve’s Leaves was a match!
Vieve’s Leaves has been so successful on Arch Apothecary Chicago’s shelves and in their spas (they offer facials that incorporate our product), that they’ve expanded our footprint into their Milwaukee location. It’s exciting to scale with a store that is truly as passionate about the brand as I am. We are now available in a total of five retail stores, as well as our online store of VievesLeaves.com and our Amazon storefront.
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