How Leaders Lead with David Novak

#268: Gregg Renfrew, Founder and CEO of Counter – Step back to move forward

4 snips
Dec 4, 2025
Gregg Renfrew, Founder and CEO of the clean beauty brand Counter, shares her extraordinary journey of building and relaunching a company after being ousted following a lucrative sale. She dives into the emotional turmoil of that experience and the lessons learned about resilience and effective leadership. Gregg discusses the importance of clean beauty, redefining industry standards, and how personal self-care practices can boost confidence. With insights on community-driven sales and navigating the fast-evolving tech landscape, her story is both enlightening and inspiring.
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INSIGHT

Define Clean As Safer High‑Performance Products

  • Clean beauty means high-performance products that avoid chemicals of concern untested for human health.
  • Gregg Renfrew argues safer formulations protect health, which she calls our greatest asset.
ADVICE

Detach Emotion To Make Tough Cuts

  • Let go of underperforming products or people without sentiment when they no longer serve the business.
  • Build the muscle to create emotional distance so you can make decisive, data-driven cuts.
ADVICE

Build Emotional Connection Through Transparency

  • Create an emotional connection and be transparent to win loyal customers and advocates.
  • Use storytelling and activism to educate customers and mobilize them for change.
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