Harley Gusman - Founder, Dewyer Skin
Harley is the founder and CEO at Dewyer Skin, a genderless, vegan, and eco-friendly face-care brand that aims to create an even, hydrated complexion. When she’s not managing all aspects of the biz — which has products on the shelves of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and more — she can be found dreaming up her next venture, traveling, or in her words, “camping somewhere with an incredible view, my cat cuddled next to me and a fire burning.”
The Basics:
Hometown: Miami, FL
Current city: Los Angeles, CA
Alma mater: University of Miami
Degree: B.A., Creative Writing & Psychology
Very first job: I babysat and worked at an ice cream shop!
Hustle: Founder, Dewyer Skin
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
My mom. She has worked her ass off my entire life (and her entire life) and is seemingly always reaching higher. I admire her strength and her independence. I feel lucky to have a mother who was an incredible example for me growing up. She’s the reason why I know hard work can, and will, pay off.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
Mars. Just kidding. If I could be anywhere, it would be in my tent, camping somewhere with an incredible view, with my cat cuddled next to me and a fire burning.
What IG account have you been binge-scrolling lately?
My own.
What’s one Dewyer product you can’t leave home without?
I am an avid face washer; I can’t leave the house or go to sleep at night without washing my face first, so if I had to choose it would be the Face Wash. But the Face Oil is also a must!
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
My hustle looks like coming up with new products and ideas in my head or stressing about insanely small details until I realize it’s four in the morning, ha! I also tend to wake up early and go straight to my emails to wipe them clean—I hate a heavy inbox. Emails first, then coffee, then I usually have a bunch of calls I have to take throughout the day. My favorite days are the ones I get to work on creative ads, updating the deck for new retailers and directing photo-shoots… the juicy stuff.
What inspired Dewyer Skin? What has the evolution of the business been like since you created it, and what was the most important piece of your vision for it?
The inspiration behind Dewyer came from my insecurities struggling with problem skin and acne throughout my whole life. The evolution for the brand has really impressed me. What I mean by that is that I knew I had a great product from the very start, but I had no idea it would take off as quickly as it did. Dewyer had a very fast “glow-up”... Once I got into retail, it was like I constantly felt the need to one-up myself. The most important vision is performance. SO MUCH of what is sold online holds a lot of “fluff”... fluff is cute, but it’s not going to heal your acne.
Tell us about your focus on oil-based products and why you chose this route.
I’m pretty proud of stressing the education behind oil-based products, because I feel like they are everywhere now! I used to have acne, and I was always taught to put alcohol on it, or alcohol-based products, or anything that would suck my skin dry! It wasn’t until I noticed that oils not only took care of the dryness, but healed my blemishes, that I was like “hmm… I’m on to something here.”
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
Honestly, I don’t believe any of my past professional experiences prepared me for the work I do today because I never loved any of my prior “professional” careers. Maybe the lesson there is: don’t settle for a job that doesn’t allow room for growth. Working in an office had its perks, but if anything, the frustration that accompanied a strict regime and following orders is what pushed me to have the confidence to leave all of that behind. Academically though, I believe writing simply inspired me. Having any kind of inspiration at all will wake you up and allow you to recognize that passion can really fulfill you.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
You know, walking into Urban Outfitters and seeing my product on their shelves is pretty damn cool. I’m proud of that.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Being a woman has impacted my experience both negatively and positively. On the negative side, I have certainly experienced what it feels like to not be taken seriously for the plain fact that I am not male. My initial meetings felt diluted by the mere fact that I was surrounded by established men who only cared about other established men. But that didn’t last very long at all. On the upside, I quickly learned that there are SO many women in my field; smart, incredibly driven, successful women on every single phone call, and every Zoom meeting. I love that it has become so normal for me to work with women or to expect to work with women.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
My partner! She doesn’t know this (I don’t think), but she’s taught me A LOT. She also handles herself like a badass. I admire women who can back themselves up and respond with a sharp tongue. She also knows so much about the beauty industry. You’d be surprised at how intricate the back-end of this field is.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
If you find yourself stressing the small stuff, you’re in the right place. It means you care about what you do, and you’re likely doing it right. But also, have fun. If your career isn’t the most joyful, make it joyful. Dance on your way to the copy machine! Get up and do some yoga once that Zoom camera is off! Take a break! Enjoy yourself and your time—any way you can.
In partnership with: Our Place
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