Glow Journal - podcast cover

Glow Journal

Gemma Dimondplay.acast.com
Join beauty writer Gemma Dimond (neé Watts) in conversation with the world’s biggest beauty pioneers. We’re picking the brains behind the beauty products that fill your bathroom cupboards- the CEOs, founders and creative minds heading the brands that shape the beauty industry. From cult favourites to the products you reach for every day, from young entrepreneurs to companies steeped in history, these are the stories behind the most successful beauty businesses on the planet.

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Episodes

Sophie Marcoux | Founder of Ficifolia Fragrances

In episode 142 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the co founder of Ficifolia Fragrances, Sophie Marcoux. Ficifolia Fragrances is only two and a half years old, in which time Sophie has launched 6 individual perfumes as well as the fragrance Flight Deck- a first-to-market offering that I consider one of the most a beautiful examples of thinking outside the box when it comes to converting customers, regardless of industry, that I’ve come across. I had some questions for Soph ...

Jul 15, 202549 min

Season 7 baby! A life update from Gem

We're back! I'm back on mic and it feels good. It feels different, and I feel different, but it feels good. Here's an update on why I've been so quiet on here since November, plus a little bit of a listener Q&A on ageing, botox, everything showers and switching off. Season 7 baby, let's do it. Stay up to date with Gemma on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal , or get in touch at hello@gemkwatts.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jul 01, 202533 min

Gem on New Meds, New Beauty, and New Year's Resolutions

Wrapping up Season 6 with another solo episode! To wind up an incredible incredible year I'm answering your questions- we're talking my semi-recent PCOS diagnosis, 2025 beauty predictions, New Year's Resolutions and a few more career questions for good measure. Thank you once again to everyone who submitted such thoughtful questions. I will see you next year for Season 7 (!) of the Glow Journal Podcast! Stay up to date on Instagram at @gemdimond and @glow.journal , or get in touch at hello@gemkw...

Dec 03, 202442 min

Maddison Brown | Co Founder of Outside Beauty & Skincare

In episode 141 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the co founder of Outside Beauty & Skincare, Maddison Brown. Outside Beauty & Skincare is not your average celebrity beauty brand. I already knew this, but it just becomes more and more clear the longer you speak to Maddison for. Given how impressive her career has been thus far (acting opposite Nicole Kidman when she was still a teenager, then spending 4 seasons in the role of Kirby Anders in Dynasty on The CW), you’...

Nov 12, 202440 min

Frances van der Velden | Founder of Airyday

In episode 140 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Airyday, Frances van der Velden. I knew this was going to be a great storytelling episode, because I was already reasonably versed in the Airyday backstory, but what blew me away in this conversation was how much actual tangible business advice Frances so openly shared. Frances was diagnosed with a Basal Cell Carcinoma, which led to her trying more or less every sunscreen on the market to find a formula she lov...

Oct 29, 202448 min

Gem on Business, Beauty, and Botox

Six years in and it’s time for my first solo episode. The botox bit is clickbait. Hi! Gem here. This is probably the most honest and open I’ve been about a bunch of things on the internet. This was cathartic! We're talking my studies, how I got into the beauty industry, my career prior to leaving my job and going out on my own 8 years ago, career advice... you understand. Thank you to everyone who submitted such thoughtful questions. If you enjoyed this and would like me to do another solo ep so...

Oct 16, 202450 min

Augustinus Bader | Co Founder of Augustinus Bader Skincare

In episode 138 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the co founder of Augustinus Bader, Professor Augustinus Bader. The Augustinus Bader brand turned over $7 million USD in 2018, the year it launched. Within 2 years that figure had grown to $70 million, and this year it’s reported that sales will have topped $130 million. That is the power of Augustinus Bader, both the man and the brand, the latter having won over 120 beauty industry awards since launch, including being named ...

Oct 01, 202449 min

Jose Bryce Smith | Founder of O&M

In episode 137 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of O&M, Jose Bryce Smith. When we talk about a founder being “ahead of their time,” Jose Bryce Smith may well be the very best example. Jose co-founded Australia’s first ammonia-free hair salon and launched one of the first ever ammonia and PPD free hair colours, but beyond being a pioneer (something Jose tells me she’s not so sure she’d ever want to do again), Jose’s story is really just one of the best I hav...

Sep 17, 202453 min

Carla Oates | The Beauty Chef Founder Returns!

20% off sitewide at thebeautychef.com with code GLOWJOURNAL In episode 136 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks once again to the founder of The Beauty Chef, Carla Oates. Something of an unintentional theme over the last couple of months of the podcast has been founders who’ve truly been first to market with something- not just saying they identified a gap for something, actually identifying a gap (easier said than done in the beauty space). I last had Carla on the show in season...

Sep 03, 202443 min

Holly Holub, Donna Chan & Lori Pirozzi | Founders of Glow Culture

In episode 135 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founders of Glow Culture, Holly Holub, Donna Chan and Lori Pirozzi. Holly, Donna and Lori have a number of things in common- two of those things being an early wish to run a business and create something of their own, and a deep seated love of beauty. The three women met years ago, working on the corporate side of beauty, and over long conversations during lockdown they realised just how much their stories and interests o...

Aug 20, 202445 min

Dr Jacqueline Beltz | Founder of OKKIYO

In episode 134 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the OKKIYO, Dr Jacqueline Beltz. I’ve talked a lot recently about how my favourite brand stories to share are the ones that really are offering a solution to a problem; founders who genuinely have identified a gap for something no one else is doing. The fact that we’re now six years into this show and I’m still able to meet people like Jacqui, who truly are doing something new, feels really special. Dr Jacqueline Beltz is a M...

Aug 06, 202440 min

Wende Zomnir | Founder of Urban Decay & Caliray

In episode 133 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the co-founder of Urban Decay and Caliray, Wende Zomnir. Wende Zomnir is beauty industry royalty. This is the woman behind the Naked Palette, Urban Decay’s now-iconic 2010 launch that ensured this already wildly successful brand would go down in beauty history. Wende, alongside the tech mastermind that is Sandy Lerner, founded Urban Decay in 1996 with a distinctly grunge, “punk” if you will aesthetic. That in and of itself wa...

Jul 16, 202452 min

Rebecca Harding & Ingrid Kesa | Co Founders of LUI

In episode 132 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the co founder of LUI, Rebecca Harding and Ingrid Kesa. This is my favourite genre, so to speak, of founder conversation to have for a number of reasons: the first being I know both Bec and Ingrid personally, and how often in life are you given an opportunity to just ask your friends questions about their job for an hour? Never; the second reason being that LUI was developed out of a very real gap in the market; and the third...

Jul 02, 202453 min

Shamini Rajarethnam | CEO of Rationale

In episode 131 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the CEO of Rationale, Shamini Rajarethnam. Despite Rationale having been founded in 1992, Shamini and I agreed that it does still feel like an insider’s brand to an extent. Those of you have heard of Rationale likely first heard of it in 2011 and beyond, which is not a coincidence as this is when Shamini was brought on as the brand’s Marketing & Digital Coordinator. By September 2014, Shamini was Rationale’s General Manag...

Jun 18, 202444 min

Lindy Klim | Founder of Fig Femme

In episode 130 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Fig Femme, Lindy Klim. I don’t really think Lindy Klim needs an introduction, however I can say fairly confidently that this interview does show a side to Lindy that I’m not so sure the general public will have seen before, despite her having spent over 25 years in the public eye. Lindy has founded not one but two beauty brands (Milk & Co with her ex husband Michael back in 2008, and Fig Femme in 2020), but...

Jun 04, 202436 min

Jessica Sepel | Founder of JSHealth Vitamins

In episode 129 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of JSHealth Vitamins, Jessica Sepel. Top level- at age 27 or 28, Jess Sepel and her now-husband Dean bootstrapped JSHealth Vitamins, which they launched in 2018, and it is now worth a reported $600 million, is available in 1800 retail stores in Australia, over 1000 in the UK, and has experienced 300% year-on-year growth in US. If that’s not interesting to you, I’m not sure what will be. More interesting than that,...

May 21, 202448 min

Jo Malone CBE | Founder of Jo Loves

When I first started planning season 1 of this podcast, that I thought would be a mini series, back in 2018, I wrote a list of dream guests- bucket list, beauty industry stalwarts whose brains I wanted to pick. Jo Malone was, of course, on that list, and on her most recent trip to Australia last month, we made it happen. Jo’s story is unlike any other, and while we all know her name, I don’t believe as many people know her story as well as they probably should. Jo grew up in South East London an...

May 07, 202439 min

James Vivian | Founder of Viviology

In episode 127 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Viviology, James Vivian. When I connect with someone over a love of beauty, whether it’s on this podcast or away from it, the thread or the through line always comes back to a feeling. I think it’s that feeling that separates people who truly love this industry from the people who do view it as solely superficial, and it’s also the feeling that you get from James when you listen to or sit down with him. What dr...

Apr 23, 20241 hr 8 min

Ashli Templer | Founder of Yours Only

In episode 126 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Yours Only, Ashli Templer. We obviously talk a lot on this podcast about identifying a gap for a product and developing out of a really genuine need, and I think the Yours Only story is probably one of the best examples of that that we’ve covered across all 6 seasons. Ash grew up, in her words, “not being able to eat any cake at birthday parties.” She’s always had many, many food allergies, and things were only...

Apr 09, 202445 min

Adrian Norris | Founder of IKKARI

In episode 125 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of IKKARI, Adrian Norris. I have thought Adrian Norris to be one of the most interesting brand founders in the country for many, many years now, since he co founded fashion house Aje in 2008, and I have loved watching him enter the beauty space upon founding skincare and wellness brand IKKARI last year. There’s so much about this brand and Adrian’s story that I love but one thing in particular that I found so inte...

Mar 26, 202451 min

Jordan Mylius | Founder of Hairification

In episode 124 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Hairification, Jordan Mylius. You’ve heard of Hairification- from a distribution standpoint, they’re the fastest growing haircare brand in Australia having launched into 840 Coles stores in 2023 (that’s 840 retail locations from day one) and, as of last month, hitting the shelves of all 470 Priceline stores. Quick maths- Hairification is available in over 1300 retail locations in less than a year post launch. J...

Mar 12, 202452 min

Thibaud Crivelli | Founder of Maison Crivelli

In episode 123 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founder of Maison Crivelli, Thibaud Crivelli. I’ve made no secret of the fact that fragrance is probably my favourite category to talk about, particularly from a storytelling perspective. Thibaud talks about fragrance in a way that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before and that is, again, why I’m so fascinated by this category. I love asking people how they either construct a fragrance or brief it into their perfumer,...

Feb 27, 202442 min

Alessia & Marco Angele | Founders of Sunset Daze

In episode 122 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founders of Sunset Daze, Alessia and Marco Angele. What I love about talking to founders at this stage in their brand’s development (for context, Sunset Daze launched their first product, Liquid Rays, in December of 2022) is that all the really tactile bits that come with a launch are still so fresh in their minds- they’re not looking back on their launch through a wistful lens, there’s no revisionist history, the advice ...

Feb 13, 202455 min

Lev Glazman & Alina Roytberg | Founders of Fresh

In episode 121 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Dimond talks to the founders of Fresh, Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg. This is one of the best founder stories I’ve heard in over 5 years of hosting this podcast. I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s just so much gold in here- particularly a story Lev towards the start of our chat. I could have sat and listened to Lev and Alina talk for a full day, with ease. It was honestly a joy to just facilitate this conversation. We recorded ...

Jan 30, 20241 hr 23 min

We're Back! Season 6 Begins on January 31

We're back- and with a whole new surname! Gemma Dimond (fka Gemma Watts) returns to host Season 6 of the Glow Journal podcast from January 31. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 28, 202425 sec

BONUS | The Secrets of La Mer with Rocio Rivera PhD

It’s our final episode for Season 5! I met Dr Rocio Rivera on a La Mer brand trip to Singapore in July and have been trying to get her on the show ever since. I have had a relationship with La Mer for many years now both as consumer and a working relationship, and even I have found it to be a brand with a lot of mystery surrounding it- I’ve known the products work, I’ve seen first hand what they do for the skin, but it wasn’t until I listened to Dr Rivera speak in Singapore that I really underst...

Nov 14, 20231 hr 1 min

Martine Ho | Co Founder of Sunnies Face

In episode 120 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the co founder of Sunnies Face, Martine Ho. Martine Ho comes from a family of artists and performers, so where many people grow up thinking of creative pursuits as hobbies, Martine knew first hand that a career in the arts is entirely possible if you work for it. Born in Manila but largely raised in LA, Martine grew up passionate about photography and graphic design, and even told her classmates that she wanted to own a beauty...

Oct 31, 202337 min

Stacey Hollands | Founder of Lust Minerals

In episode 119 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Lust Minerals, Stacey Hollands. If you’d told a teenage Stacey Hollands that she’d one day be the founder of the country’s biggest mineral makeup brand, I don’t think she’d have doubted you for a second. What she may not have believed, however, was that in a matter of years she’d grow that brand from one that started in a linen cupboard to one worth over $20 million. Stacey is one of those founder who’s always k...

Oct 17, 202331 min

Indianna Roehrich | Founder of Tomorrow-Today Beauty

In episode 118 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of Tomorrow-Today Beauty, Indianna Roehrich. If you’ve worked in the fashion, beauty, or lifestyle media space in Australian in the last decade, you know the name Indianna Roehrich. Indi started her own social media management agency, Simply Social Management , in 2015 when she was just 22 years old. I first met her a little under 10 years ago and she’s always struck me as being ahead of the curve- the concept of s...

Oct 03, 202334 min

Katherine Ruiz | Founder of People Haircare

In episode 117 of the Glow Journal podcast, host Gemma Watts talks to the founder of People Haircare, Katherine Ruiz. Katherine never pictured herself starting a beauty brand, but she has always had an interesting relationship with her hair, and that relationship was sort of a visual representation of the relationship she had with herself. Katherine has naturally curly hair but, as so many of us do, wanted hair she didn’t have so she grew up straightening it, slicking it back, whatever she could...

Sep 19, 202339 min
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