POWER COUPLE
MARLA AND BARRY BECK M
arla and Barry Beck, co-founders of upscale beauty retailer Bluemercury, made headlines in February when they sold their company to Macy’s for a reported $210 million. The couple, who started their business in 1999 right here in Washington, – their flagship store is on M Street in Georgetown - also started the M-61 skincare line together and recently partnered with HSN to sell the popular products on the shopping channel. >>
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SALE OF BLUEMERCURY! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE COMPANY FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS AND FOR THE TWO OF YOU? Marla Beck: We are incredibly excited about this next phase of our company’s growth. The great news is that we will still be the same company, offering the best beauty products in neighborhood stores with honest, expert advice. We will continue to be innovative and creative. With Macy’s as a partner, we’ll have access to more resources – they have a huge tech innovation lab in San Francisco where I can design mobile apps and technology experiences to enhance the purchase of cosmetics. We will also be able to grow nationally at a faster pace. I am still the CEO and Barry is still the COO of the company, and we will remain headquartered in Washington. YOU BUILT A COMPANY TOGETHER AND WORK SIDE BY SIDE HOW DO YOU SPLIT THE WORK? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF STARTING A COMPANY WITH YOUR SPOUSE? WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS? AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHERS WHO DO SO? Barry Beck: We hold primary responsibility for different areas. Marla is the CEO and handles the parts of the company that touch the customer: how we merchandise the products, our company branding, field hiring and product development. I am the COO and am responsible for the overall daily operations of the company, from the finance function to real estate site selection and store design and development around the country. The challenge is making sure running the company doesn’t consume our lives, but the upside is we’re doing what we love and we’re doing it together, which makes every day rewarding. I feel some of the best businesses usually have two founders. It’s rare that one person has all the characteristics to build a great company.This has been a secret to Bluemercury’s success.This concept of a partnership Yin and Yang relationship has been a key source of so much gratifying personal and professional success for both of us. We complete each other. It’s funny, we never attend any meeting of consequence separately; we always go together because we each bring something unique to the table. WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL ADVICE TO ANYONE STARTING A COMPANY TODAY? Marla Beck: If you are passionate about what you are doing or selling, it is not work. My favorite thing, still, is to go into stores and ask our staff what are your favorite products, tell me your favorite tips and tricks around beauty. I also love asking: if there was a beauty product you could invent, what would it be? Barry Beck: I have a couple of recommendations for anyone starting a business. (1) Just do it; jump in and start your business. Many hopeful entrepreneurs suffer from analysis paralysis.They over analyze their business plan, rather than jumping in and getting started. I always tell entrepreneurs that after a year, they will throw their plans in the trash because even after just six months in business, everything will change. (2) Read my favorite book, “Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s” by Ray Kroc. The McDonalds story exemplifies how entrepreneurs are constantly required to examine, revamp and rework their businesses, starting over and over again; being forced to start and restart their enterprise and restructure for growth. I believe it is one of the most important entrepreneurship books ever written. DID YOU EVER IMAGINE THE COMPANY WOULD BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS? Marla Beck: I don’t think of success as a thing in and of itself. For me, everything is about being creative and innovative and changing an industry. When we started Bluemercury,
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com
90 percent of all prestige cosmetics were purchased at department stores. Now that number is 60 percent. We are always setting out to change and revolutionize an industry, a product, a way of doing things. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR COMPANY IN WASHINGTON AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO REMAIN HERE? Marla Beck: Washington is home for us. Our family is here, our friends, and it’s a quick train ride to New York, so it’s worked for us. Barry and I met here, our first store was here, it is a creative and energetic city. WHAT WOULD YOUR CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS? Barry Beck: The capstone of my career is when we joined forces with Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s Inc., a Fortune 100 company in their first acquisition in over a decade. Macy’s is one of the most prestigious and respected retailers in the entire world, and they have made a resounding statement that they intend to make Bluemercury their most important growth platform. This was an amazing feeling of validation and the confirmation and recognition of the value we have created. WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS? WHY? HOW HAVE THEY HELPED YOU? Marla Beck: Leonard Lauder has been a huge mentor over the years. His mother, Estee, was an entrepreneur and he saw her ups and downs and was able to take what she created to a global level. He is a visionary and has always given us amazing guidance. Barry Beck: My father, who always wanted me to go into business for myself. He was adamant that I do so, so I did. One of the earliest real conversations I can remember with my father was when he said to me,“I don’t care into which field of work you go, so long as you own it.” I thank him for that; it was probably the best advice I received. Additionally, my father was always a man of extreme honesty and integrity and a man of action. He had the opportunity to go into a family business, but chose the hard road and went into business for himself. He always said, “The most sincere form of sincerity is action.” That conversation set the stage for my serial entrepreneur career which has involved starting several different companies. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL STYLE WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS AND WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP? Marla Beck: I love mixing high and low, always. I have Zara and J. Crew mixed with Prada and Carven and James Perse and Helmut Lang and Theory. I love new designers like Veronica Beard, Emerson Fry and Laveer. I love supporting entrepreneurs. I am uniform based. I wear dresses or pants plus silk blouses. Barry Beck: My favorite ties are Charvet and Brioni, both from Neiman Marcus in Chevy Chase,and pants by Ralph Lauren, who is doing amazing work with pants, jeans, and slacks. I also wear belts from John Lobb. I am also crazy for anything Brunello Cucinelli, including their sweaters and buck shoes in suede; I have them in both tan and blue suede. My favorite suit maker has always been Brioni and Kiton, but I have a few custom tailored suits that are quickly becoming go-tos.
MS BECK’S DRESS by A.L.C. MR BECK’S CUSTOM SUIT by Marcraft, shirt by Tom Ford, tie by Ferragamo
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