16 - Reuben Carranza, Kate Somerville

In Episode 16 of Earned, Conor chats with Reuben Carranza, CEO of influencer-beloved skincare brand Kate Somerville, and former president of cult-favorite haircare brands R+Co and Olaplex. We dive into Reuben’s learnings from his 24-year corporate career at P&G, and hear how and why he transitioned to leading a small, independent brand like R+Co—and the challenges he faced. We gain more insight into the success behind R+Co and the rest of parent company Luxury Brand Partners’ portfolio, before learning why Reuben joined Olaplex’s team and how he helped double the brand’s business in just one year. Reuben then reveals his leadership and marketing philosophies, and shares the four most important questions for DTC brands to keep in mind. Conor and Reuben close the episode by discussing influencer marketing at Kate Somerville, which Reuben deems the “biggest key to [the brand’s] success so far.” We learn about founder Kate Somerville’s active role in fostering relationships with influencers through her clinic, and hear how the brand’s genuine “heart-to-heart connection” with its influencer family has become even more important in the COVID era.