Alexis Adams

I attribute my success to my parents and the great leaders I've had along the way. Even the not-so-great ones taught me valuable lessons about what not to do. Getting that behind-the-scenes experience when I would intern over the summer, getting a peek behind the curtain and basically having a seat at the table with the different teams that go into developing products - that's what led me to where I am today. I was inspired in this field since high school when I would spend my summers interning at Estee Lauder, getting to be in the labs with the chemists. I was so intrigued by how they actually make products, because for me it was like baking a cake. I knew I didn't want to do the science part, but I was intrigued by the people that briefed R&D, how they followed the trends and looked at different textures and had color swatches for inspiration. That's really what guided me to want to move into marketing and product development. I followed my passions and found my niche, and I'm grateful to still be doing that today.

The best career advice I ever received was from an incredible leader I once had, and it was to always show up as your true self. That advice has really stuck with me. I've been told a lot of things in my career - that I would never make it, that I'm too nice, that I don't have the right look to be in beauty. I was really young when I heard that from leaders I looked up to, and hearing stuff like that will either demise you completely and make you second-guess everything, or it'll spark that fire in you to want to prove them wrong. My goal has been to prove all those folks wrong. I don't need to be unkind and unempathetic to my teams. I will always be my true self, and in doing that, I've created so many amazing relationships, even with people I don't work with anymore. I have great relationships with people, and I believe that's because I always showed up as my true self. A lot of times people think if you're nice it means you're weak or that you're naive to things, and that's not true at all. You can be nice, but you could also be firm. I think it's the people that don't understand that who are really the biggest losers in the industry. It doesn't mean you don't have a backbone, it just means you treat people the way they should be treated. Especially in an environment that is mostly women, we should be building each other up and not tearing each other down.

In my personal life, I love yoga I used to be an avid runner but had to stop for health reasons, so I turned to yoga and it has been physically and mentally everything I've ever needed. I do hot yoga in a steam room, and it's really helped me learn a lot about myself, teaching me to let thoughts and emotions come in and out like a wave would and just be in the moment. I enjoy crocheting and love making blankets for family members and friends. I enjoy a good book, one that you could really get lost in. Most of all, I just run around with my two kids - my son is 9 and my daughter is 6. We spend a lot of time as a family going to sports practices and dance recitals. Both of my kids have some learning differences and special needs, and I just look at them and I'm so proud of how far they've come. My son doesn't need a lot of his services anymore, which is a true testament of who they are as people and how hard they've worked. I can't wait to see what they're gonna do in the future. My daughter is such an artist, always drawing and creating, pulling scraps of things and turning them into beautiful artwork. In my work, I learned so much about my values when I worked at Sundial Brands on Shea Moisture and Nubian Heritage, where I found such a connection and passion for communities that are underserved. That was one of the best jobs I could have had for the personal learnings I gained. I believe in treating people the way they should be treated and building each other up, not tearing each other down.