Episode 51: Megan Rein
Join Lori and her guest, Megan Rein as they talk about making a big positive impact through business. Megan is a co-founder of SIIA Cosmetics which promotes inclusivity and gives back to the community. Stay tuned as she shares how she has extended her humanitarian efforts through business!
Here are the things to expect in this episode:
Here are the things to expect in this episode:
Creating a business that helps solve inequality in the beauty industry.
Hiring immigrants who have historically been overlooked by the job market.
What are beauty deserts?
And much more!
Connect with Megan!
Website: https://siiacosmetics.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siiacosmetics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganerein/?utm_medium=copy_lin
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@siiacosmetics?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en
Discount code: POSITIVE15
Connect with Lori Kranczer!
Episode Transcript
00:07
You're listening to the Positive Impact Philanthropy podcast where we share the journeys of everyday philanthropists as they incorporate philanthropy into their lives, Philanthropy is a personal journey and through the stories we will share here, we hope that it sparks something in you and how you can make your own philanthropic impact in the world. I'm your host, Lori Kranczer, attorney, philanthropic advisor and legacy giving strategist. Together, we're going to explore what it looks like to be an everyday philanthropist and make a positive impact in the world. Before we get started, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode. Now today I'm really excited because I have met her before and I asked her to come on to the podcast to share her story. Her name is Megan Rein and she is the co-founder of Siia Cosmetics and a few other things as well. So I want her to share her story. So Megan, tell us more about you.
01:02
Well, thanks so much, Lori, super excited to be here and to really share stories of everyday philanthropy. Again, it doesn't have to be something only like Bill Gates does. Right? Right. So my name is Megan Rein. I am actually a former military brat. And so, in my life we always were very much involved growing up in the church and in different charities and volunteering. And so I always knew I wanted to make a super positive impact. I was really impacted by documentaries when I was younger, especially about like Doctors Without Borders back in the 90s and the Ebola crisis. So I was like, that's what I want to do. I want to work in international health. And then I went to school and I found out I absolutely hated medicine. I just I couldn't I couldn't stand organic chemistry. I found it all just not for me. And so then I was like, Okay, now I'm going to be a humanitarian. That's what I'm going to do with my life. And so I actually went to a master's program in London studying international development and humanitarian emergencies, because I was like, This is what I'm going to do. And over the course of a year, studying humanitarianism, what they really did was challenged the whole concept of like humanitarian aid organizations and how much benefits some of those historical organizations have done. Sometimes you can do more harm than good in certain cases. And so what I was convinced of is that the best way to really make a really positive impact in the world and do philanthropy is through business. So creating businesses that have a social good, built in or have some sort of charitable component built in. So that became me and my husband Hicham, so we founded SIIA cosmetics, because we were he was already working in a market called the independent beauty supply store market. And this market really serves I would say a majority of women in America, but especially women of color, lower to middle income women and rural women, women who live in areas that aren't necessarily served by some of the big box, you know, beauty stores or department stores. And so as they were working in this market in a different industry, we recognize that there was no high quality skincare or cosmetics in this industry. And, you know, when we would talk to consumers there women, they would say, you know, I really want X brand or y product and I can't find them anywhere near me. And so we said okay, this is a great you know, thing to, you know, a problem to solve because in the same way that there's food deserts throughout America, you know that that has become a very common term. Now there's personal care and beauty deserts. And, you know, on first glance, that doesn't sound like that important of a cause. But if you think about what beauty and taking care of yourself and self care especially, you know, the meaning that can have in someone's lives as far as confidence, ability to get jobs, ability to care for yourself and others, you realize that having access to high quality products to non-harmful products especially is very important.
04:59
And our products, you know, we make them 100% in Korea, so what we do is we pride ourselves on bringing the absolute highest quality skincare infused products, so beyond, beyond the brand itself. So what what our company does is we first of all solve this inequality in the beauty industry. And then secondly, we make sure that a portion of our proceeds at all time is going to a cause, generally about women empowerment, children health. Those are two main causes. The other thing we do is so my husband I shared with you before the podcast he's actually from Morocco. I met him there. That's a whole other story. And our other co founder Simon is a Korean immigrant. And so we are very much you know, affected by immigrant issues. I've always been very passionate about refugee issues. And so another thing we do is we actively hire immigrants and refugees and ensure we're always supporting that community as well. And so, I guess the point is, is that in creating this company, our vision was how can we create a profitable business, right, so it's self sustaining, right? You're not having to constantly go out there. Even though you know, nonprofits are wonderful, not not saying anything about that. But just from my perspective, it's how do you sort of turn capitalism into a force for good as opposed to some of the harms that it can cause right? And so by creating a business that focuses one on hiring, immigrants, people color people who historically have been overlooked by the job market, and then two, doing the same thing with beauty care products, so bringing prestige beauty to people who historically have been overlooked by the prestige beauty industry, you can really create a lot of big positive impact in the world. While also, you know, creating something that will sustain itself into the future beyond you know, your ability to be charismatic and attract donors. So that's, that's my journey. And
07:25
okay, so there are so much in there and I wasn't kidding when I said there were so we're gonna go back and talk about a few different things that you had mentioned. So I think we have to devote another podcast episode to humanitarian efforts around the world because that is also something that people aren't aware of that sometimes when you go into someone else's community, even when you mean, and you have the best intentions, you're actually upsetting the dynamic that's going on in that community. So that's a whole other episode. I think Megan will talk about that another time, but I want to talk about I have not really heard the term of regarding the beauty and the personal care, product desert. Can you talk a little bit more about that? Because I have a feeling many people have not heard about this?
08:16
Sure. Absolutely. So food deserts was like an academic term. That's become mainstream, and it's the concept that there's communities whether it's in a lower income, inner city neighborhood, or a very rural area, or anything in between. There are areas where for some, either structural or geographic reason there are people who do not have access to high quality food or fresh foods. So the only thing they have access to is convenience, food, fast food, something you can buy at, you know, a 711 or a gas station. And so in the same way, they're starting to be a conversation about personal care and beauty deserts. So the women and men in these areas only have access to sort of cheaper products, core quality products, those aren't always synonymous. But they don't have access to higher quality. And especially like products that sort of do it all right, because nowadays, we're all so busy. We want products to really work as hard as we do. And actually there's a wonderful organization called Glam for Good, that has really started championing this issue where they get donations from some of the biggest you know, beauty brands and give back to thinking about you know, women who maybe have transitional home, you know, situations. Women, lower income even rural. I mean, sometimes it's not even about the income. It's just about where you're living, and where certain retailers are, you know, not every retailer and every every city or town and a lot of women like to be able to see the products before they purchase them, of course, because it is an investment. So that's really the concept behind it. And so our market is was set up by the immigrant community from Korea and the 1950s. And so they've really established this massive, you know, 20 to 40,000 stores all across the US. And they really serve a lot of the people who've been sort of left behind by the mainstream beauty personal care retail industry. And, you know, it's not saying anyone's bad, it's just like, This is what it is right? It's just, it's easier to go to these denser urban areas. So what we've done is we've said okay, this market, which is mainly still run by immigrants, small businesses, people of color, they deserve to have a better quality of product for their customers and then obviously, customers deserve to have that choice. Because everyone loves, again, a $2 lipstick when I want a fun color. But when you're talking about stuff you're going to be wearing on your skin day in and day out. You want something that you can trust that you're not going to feel like it's gonna break you out. That doesn't have allergens, that sort of thing.
11:28
Okay, this is interesting, because a lot I mean, I'm in New York City where you basically have access to everything and it never occurred to me. I mean, I know about the food deserts, but never occurred to me about the beauty and personal care product deserts that exists now. That you are talking about, I can absolutely see that so, um, so thanks for explaining that a little bit more in depth and so, for SIIA cosmetics, what are you providing? Is it product or distribution promotion? Share a little bit about what you're doing.
12:01
Sure. So we have our own brands, see paramedics but we also distribute it ourselves. So we go to so my taking a step back, my co founder is actually South Korean his name's Simon. And so he has obviously family and friends back in Korea from when he used to live there. So we were actually able to get connected to the top factories in the whole world that you know, it's the same factories that manufacture for all the top luxury brands that you can think of. And so what we did is we said, Okay, well, if we're going to create a beauty brand, we want to bring the absolute best for our community because, you know, we sort of grew up in this community. And so we took the base formulas that are the same base formulas used and again, top you know, name your luxury high end over $100 a bottle, brand, the same base formulas and then added our own blend of Korean skincare. So it's really infused with that Korean skincare that really focuses on that holistic approach to skin health and skin protection. And then we bring it at a very, very reasonable price so that we're bringing the best products and making them as accessible as possible to everyone. Now a lot of brands have done a lot of work in this area. So for example, Fenty is probably one of the best brands out there as far as enhancing diversity and really making that a focus. And I like to say that they've democratized the prestige beauty store and other brands have really done a lot of work on bringing high quality products at a reasonable price, of course, but the missing piece is that if you're not in stores that are in the neighborhoods of where women live, and you're not easily accessible then that's the final step to sort of everyone being brought in to the prestige beauty industry. And you know, when we speak to women, they say, you know, sometimes I don't feel comfortable going into a Sephora or going into an Ulta because for so long they didn't serve sort of women of color, you know, with shades and those types of products. And I think they've done a really amazing job changing that but that that historical feeling is sometimes still there in that community, whereas these sort of community neighborhood stores have been there forever. So it's really the last frontier of bringing prestige, high quality skin enhancing products, to consumers where they are.
14:52
And so when you're distributed to where they are so saved there, they don't have access to Sephora and Ulta in their area, where are they able to locate these items?
15:02
So it's in these neighborhood beauty supply stores. So if people are familiar with like a Sally's Beauty, it'd be like that but independently owned and operated, and it could look anything from you know, a very small, maybe 200 square foot store in New York City, all the way to something that looks like you know, a Walmart superstore out in the suburbs, just all focused on beauty and personal care. And the thing that makes these stores very unique is that they focus on ethnic haircare and wigs and extensions. That's what really sets them apart from a lot of the other, you know, beauty retailers. And so these have become sort of hubs for communities. I don't want to speak too much on it because you know, I'm just sort of part of it from a cosmetic standpoint, but the hair side is so interesting, and it's got such a rich history and culture behind it. So you know, the consumers that shop there are very diverse everything from, you know, heavily African American areas to heavily Hispanic areas, to, you know, more rural areas that obviously would be more Caucasian. So it's, it's really a beautiful sort of swath of the entire American population that the source touch, very diverse. And so you know, we said, hey, you know what, just because you don't live sort of which it's great to live in New York City, love New York City, but not everyone can, right, so really taking a look at the beauty industry from a different perspective and saying, okay, all these other brands are working to provide all the shades to really include everyone make everything super inclusive. Well, let's do that next step. And let's also democratize beauty distribution, and let's be super inclusive in where we put our products and where we where we set our brand out.
17:06
Right? So it's not just the product and the pricing but the access. So the key component that you're providing now, so I love how you you've built this business around social good and creating a social impact but I want to go back because usually, you know, this doesn't come out in a vacuum right? You have some sort of inspiration or something in your life that of course you know, with your education and your and your former desire to be in humanitarian efforts. Where did that all come from?
17:42
You know, Lori, I was trying to think about it and I honestly don't know I think I think there's there's some part there's some intrinsic part of me that just always felt like um, so I grew up a gifted kid. And so I was always told, Oh, you're so smart and talented and you have to do something with it. It was just maybe it's it's probably my parents. In that I was always told if you have gifts, it's also a responsibility to do something with your life. It always made sense to do something positive and help others. You know, philanthropy was always a big part of our family. We always you know, we're doing, you know, giving the charities a lot of volunteering. And then like I mentioned in high school, I saw a documentary by Doctors Without Borders about the Ebola crisis and people going in, and really, you know, stopping this epidemic before it became a lot bigger. And I'd say that was probably the moment where it sort of solidified for me that I really wanted to do something really positive like those doctors. So those are probably the biggest thing. And then I'll say a little later on. I met my husband and we actually bonded over our sort of shared desire to do something good. And that's actually how we fell in love because we're nerds. But he has a saying I think his mom or dad gave him which is, if you won't give a penny when you have $1 You won't give you know $100 When you've got a million, and I love that because it's the idea that even when you feel like you don't have a lot to give you need to build that habit of giving and thinking of others. So that later on, it's already sort of in your mind, and it's it becomes very natural. And so yeah, I'd say it's, I you know, I don't know if this is good podcasting, but I really struggled to answer that question to be honest because it's just been so part of my life for since I can remember.
20:11
Well, you know, most people when I ask them our it is a little bit of a struggle to to think about it because it is just part of who they are and what their value system is. And it's it's hard to think back where did this come from? Because and in many of you will talk about I mean some people to talk about certain instances when they remember wanting to know prompting them to give back or to do something different but it usually just comes with the, the the family dynamic and your social system when you're growing up. And what's expected and what seems normal. So no, so that it's a great answer, Megan. But we're gonna lead into our last question, which is what you consider your legacy to be? Sure.
20:57
So I would love to have my legacy be that people remember me as someone who made a big, positive impact in the world, while also having a rich and beautiful life. So I look at people like, you know who I'm sure Melinda Gates is going to be remembered in that way. You know, women who really were able to do something big and important, but also had, you know, what they wanted to do with their life as well. Right? Not not be sort of defined by just sacrifice, but also balanced with having a beautiful and rich life as well.
21:46
That's great. Thank you. Okay, so with that, where can people find out more about you? Sure.
21:55
So first of all, you can learn more about SIIA at WWW dot see a cosmetics.com. That's S I I A cosmetics. We're also on Instagram at SIIA cosmetics. We're on Tik Tok. We're on all the oldest social platforms. My name is Megan Rein. She you can find me Megan E. Rein on Instagram. And then additionally for listeners of this program we've set up a nice gift so for using the code positive 15 You get 15% off your whole purchase. That's just forever and ever. So feel free to use that whenever and additionally all mentioned. So we do always make sure we're giving to a cause. So right now, the Ukraine crisis is obviously going on. So for the whole month of March 2022 we are donating 50% of all online proceeds to the Ukraine crisis fund that's been set up by Care. So just you know, if anyone feels like they want to stock up on amazing lipstick and foundation so you can do something positive for Ukraine while you're while you're shopping.
23:13
Amazing. So we're talking social good and philanthropic efforts. So thank you for that generous offer. If someone's going to your website and go to pick out some products what are your best sellers.
23:25
So our liquid foundation is the absolute best in the world. Our concealers amazing as well and then matte lipstick it feels and wears like lip balm but with you know a very bold color and very wearable and stays forever. There's lots of other products that are my favorite but those are those are sort of three key three key things.
23:54
Fantastic. Alright, so everyone listen out now and take advantage of that wonderful gift that Megan and SIIA Cosmetics is providing. And also, of course, they giving back to the Ukrainian situation currently if you're listening to this podcast in March 2022. So with that, thank you so much Megan for joining us, we hope to everyone that's listening. We provide some insights and inspiration that you can use for your own philanthropic journey. You can tune in every week on Wednesdays when we have new episodes that are dropped in and we'd love to hear your feedback. So leave a comment and rating but what you liked and what you would like to hear more about. So with that, thank you so much, Megan. It has been wonderful having you here and learning more about your background and SIIA cosmetics. Thank you.
Thank you for joining us. I hope we provided some insights and inspiration that you can use for your own philanthropic journey. You can tune in every week on Wednesdays when new episodes are dropped. It love to hear your feedback. So leave comment and a rating about what you liked and what you'd like to hear more about. And if you liked the episode today, make sure to share it to raise awareness about the story to inspire other women to take action. I'm Lori Kranczer and until next time, you can make a positive impact through philanthropy every day. Thanks for listening
