How Two Beauty Executives Work From Home – Part 2

Working from home presents unique challenges, especially for those of us who haven’t worked this way before. That’s why we’ve called in the experts: Four Beauty Executives who have found a way to stay productive, connected, and sane while working remotely. 

Read on for great tips from Jennifer Ritter, VP Product Development & Innovation at Haus Laboratories, and Jennifer Weiderman CMO at Hempz. In case you missed it, make sure to check out tips from Rose Fernandez, CEO of Algenist and Lisa Maiman Hoffman, Marketing & Product Development Consultant at Clover Worldwide in Part 1.

Jennifer Ritter, Vice President of Product Development, Packaging & Innovation, Haus Laboratories

What is your experience with remote work?

Jennifer Ritter: Prior to my current role, I was a consultant in Los Angeles for 4 years. I was working from home during that time. While working from home is stressful, especially now, I enjoy it to an extent. I have a three-year-old running around, so I’m not saying it isn’t challenging, but it’s also a blessing to get more time with her. 

You can look at this as a positive experience. I like being able to wake up and have a slower morning. When I became a consultant after working for a large corporate company, I discovered how empowering it is to have control over your own schedule. 

Do you have a dedicated space for working from home? 

JR: Yes and no. Some people are lucky enough to have home offices, a desk, etc. I know some people who have purchased smaller desks or looked on Apartment Therapy for ideas. Personally, I use a chair in my room when the weather isn’t nice, but mainly I use my outdoor space. I have a table there with an upright chair, so it feels very similar to being at a desk. It’s great to be out all day in the sun. 

That segues into a great work-from-home tip: enjoy your actual house. You don’t have to be at the kitchen table. I feel so privileged to be in Los Angeles and have space outside, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s been a game changer.  

How do you manage distractions and stay organized?

JR: Family is probably my main distraction – especially with a toddler running around. It’s also easy to get distracted by the number of meeting invitations since we’re stuck at home. I understand – I’ve definitely felt the impulse to keep my team on Zoom or FaceTime while you’re working. We all want to connect and talk to someone while we’re working and try to simulate the way we work in an office. 

I’ve discovered it’s important to balance your hours. Delegate your meetings to the right team members and manage your schedule as you would if you were at the office. It’s also important to have a healthy social outlet with your team. Company-wide, we’ve done a virtual Happy Hour every couple weeks. For my team in particular, I’ve added a standing 4:30pm Thursday Happy Hour. It’s a time for us to talk to each other and connect, even if we are discussing business. This is an example of where we can connect better now than we could before – with us all stuck at home, we can take the time to discuss at the end of a day and plan for the next one. 

I try to really focus on what are the essential projects and essential meetings and resist the urge to always have a camera on me. I also try to take some phone meetings while I’m walking around my block and am able to enjoy my neighborhood. 

Do you follow a schedule?

JR: In the morning, I wake up at the same time as I would to commute in to work, so that I can enjoy some family time, take a few minutes to meditate, and enjoy my coffee and lemon water. I do my workout at 8am, which is calmer than having to do it first thing so I can get to the office. I also enjoy joining the Ryan Heffington live dance workouts when I can. 

I block out time to take lunch, and I make it a priority to have dinner at 7 or 7:30pm. I’m still working 10 hours a day, but making sure I create time for myself has made this experience much more positive. 

How do you combat the challenges of working remotely? 

JR: I try to help my team take time for themselves. If I write them an email, I ask that they not respond until normal work hours. I try not to have a touch-base for a meeting right away – I want my team to take a break and not stay on Zoom or the phone longer than they have to. My company also encourages people to take a day off if they need it. It’s something our CEO has made sure people feel comfortable taking if they need it. 

Another good trick for working from home is not to stay in your pajamas, ever. It’s the kiss of death. It can lead to feeling unproductive or negative. This doesn’t mean you can’t wear loungewear or workout clothes, but wearing something you wouldn’t be embarrassed to leave the house in is important.  

My personal challenge has been managing enjoying time with my daughter and getting all of my work done. If she wants to come in and see the people on Zoom, for example, I let her. This helps decrease her stress, because she knows her mom is there and available to her. I also have a great balance with my husband – we each have a designated role in keeping our household running. We worked from home together for three years. My advice to anyone working with their partner is to work in separate rooms. When you make time for each other, such as during meals and breaks, you’ll really be present and enjoying each other’s company. 

What is your advice to Beauty Executives who are now working remotely for the first time?

JR: From a business perspective, acknowledge that this is the way of the future. Get confident with it – really learn about the DTC models and think about how you can evolve your business to this new normal. As a Product Developer, I’ve had to reframe how I’m storing my samples and product testing, utilizing services like Ziply to make sure I’m getting multiple samples to increase efficiency. 

On a personal level, think about ways that you can take this time to get enjoyment out of your life. While you may not be a person who 100% loves working from home, it is an opportunity to slow down and focus on wellness – which has become a huge part of our industry. Focus on ways we can connect virtually – be that taking a Zoom yoga class with a friend, scheduling a virtual cocktail with business partners. If you become fluent in connecting this way, you’ll be able to maintain and evolve your relationships. In this difficult time, that is how we’ll grow. 

In many ways, this is a gift. I don’t count on getting this extra time to connect with my family again, so I’m finding ways to enjoy it even if it feels like a curse at times. 

Jennifer Weiderman, CMO, Hempz

What is your experience with remote work? 

Jennifer Weiderman: I began working with TSG Partners on the Hempz brand in July 2019. It’s my first role where I’ve worked remotely. It’s completely different than what I am used to, and there are pros and cons. It’s great to be in a physical workplace with your team, to be able to call someone over at a moment’s notice. That is the challenge that is still difficult for me to transcend. You have to be very diligent about setting up meetings and touch-bases with people. Making sure we’re working collaboratively, albeit virtually, has been important. 

Do you have a dedicated space for working from home?

JW: I do have a dedicated space. I didn’t create a home office right away when I began working remotely, but it’s turned out to be incredibly important. My office has a desk, printer, and two computers so I can work on one thing and see another. It’s nicer than any actual office I’ve had – it has a rug and a comfortable chair. I feel like I’m at a real office. 

When you have a kid, spouse, and pets, if you can have your own dedicated room with the right technology it’s a huge plus.

How do you manage distractions and stay organized?

JW: The most helpful thing in terms of distractions is to keep my office door shut. I typically spend most of my day in my office alone. It’s important to let my husband and kids know when I am not available, and having my door closed has become that signal in my household. 

Do you follow a schedule?

JW: I try to have a set schedule, although it does vary. My meetings are often early, as I’m working with people 2-3 hours ahead of Pacific Time. While this means I may be starting meetings as early as 7am, it does allow more time at the end of the day. 

At 2 or 3pm, when the workday is over for my Central and East Coast Time partners, I can focus on more strategy related-tasks, such as writing briefs or creating a presentation. I enjoy having this time in the afternoon to be productive once meetings have been taken care of. Of course, this schedule does vary – things happen. 

How do you combat the challenges of working remotely?

JW: The typical challenges that come up for me is to avoid getting distracted or interrupted. It can be challenging to maintain a professional environment with the dogs barking or kids knocking at the door, wanting to know what’s for lunch or dinner. Having my own space with a door I can close has made a world of difference. For me, it’s so much better than working from your kitchen island or dining room table. 

The other challenge is when you run into tech issues. If you run out of printer cartridges, there’s no supply closet you can go grab them from. If your computer is acting up, there is no IT department, so you have to try to diagnose issues and resolve problems. You have to be more self-sufficient. 

What is your advice to Beauty Executives who are now working from home for the first time?

JW: Stay in communication with both your team and the other people in your life. The other thing that’s so great about the Beauty Industry right now is the amount of Webinars and other modes of information sharing through this. Be it CEW, Beautymatter, Tribe Dynamics – there is so much great content that is inspiring, motivating, and centered around the idea of sharing information. Take advantage of what our Beauty Community is offering right now. Even if I only learn one thing, that’s one thing I didn’t know before.

Thank you to Jennifer Ritter and Jennifer Weiderman for their insights. Click here for Part 1 of this series with Rose Fernandez of Algenist and Lisa Maiman Hoffman of Clover Worldwide!