May 12, 2025 • 37 mins
Natasha Cornstein didn’t set out to become a CEO—but when opportunity knocked, she was ready with a curious mind, a humble heart, and a killer red lip. In this episode, Kendall Berg sits down with the powerhouse behind Blushington to unpack how Natasha went from skeptic customer to transformational CEO of a brand redefining beauty for all.
With zero experience in the beauty industry and no prior CEO role, Natasha reveals how she prepared for leadership by reading voraciously, staying radically open to feedback, and rejecting the idea of transactional networking. Her philosophy? “Your next hello can be your future.” From navigating a pandemic pivot to launching a franchise model centered on inclusivity, Natasha breaks down what bold-yet-introspective leadership looks like—and why most women underestimate the power of franchising.
Whether you’re climbing the ladder, switching industries, or building from scratch, Natasha’s story is a reminder that resilience, curiosity, and relationships matter more than a perfect résumé.
In this episode, we discuss:
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How can I transition into a leadership role with no industry experience?
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What’s the best way to network without feeling fake?
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How do I know when to pivot my business model?
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What does servant leadership really look like in practice?
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How can women get started in franchising?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natasha Cornstein (00:00):
How did I become CEO from being a customer? By saying hello to someone the next day. So at the time I walked into Blushington Back in 2014, I walked in as a customer. My PR firm at the time said to me, listen, Natasha, you're 40 years old. We can't send iPhone pics. You have to have a headshot and some makeup. And I said, I've never really loved my makeup experience, and I think a lot of women can relate to that. Where you sit, you spend all that time, then you're forced to buy something that you don't even want and you don't like how you look. So I went with real skepticism.
(00:44):
So the next day, after my Blushington experience, I was having breakfast with a young woman raving about Blushington, and lo and behold, she did their pr And I said, would it be possible to meet the founders of Blushington? And that day, she put me on an email.
Kendall Berg (01:03):
Welcome back to this episode of Secrets of the Career Game. So many people are trying to navigate a corporate world that is laden with secrets, cleverly hidden and unspoken rules to a game that most employees don't even know that they're playing. On this podcast, we try to give you a peek behind the curtains and some tips and tricks to ultimately make you successful in your career and help you progress a little bit faster. Welcome back to the pod lovelies. Today we have a fabulous guest for you. We have Ms. Natasha Cornstein joining us. Natasha's journey with Blushington didn't really start just as an executive. She started as a customer. Now she is the CEO, which is a wild journey to have gone on.
(01:46):
Transformed it from brick and mortar into now this technology driven franchise powerhouse, all while being a mom, a spouse, having friends, living her best life as a woman, doing all of the things. And so we are so excited to have you on today's episode. Thanks for being here.
Natasha Cornstein (02:06):
Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. I love what you do and the forum you've created and excited to have a conversation with you.
Kendall Berg (02:18):
Well, Natasha, why don't you tell listeners a little bit about your background. Obviously, you've been on this wild journey as you've progressed to now CEO of a large company. What has that looked like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (02:29):
You know, my journey to becoming a CEO did not start out with any set idea in mind. I was born and raised in the Midwest, won a fellowship to come to New York City. I'll never forget calling my dad and saying, I'm so nervous. I just so nervous do you think you could meet me? And when I got off the airplane, he standing there waiting for me. And we drove into New York City in a yellow taxi, just like I had seen in the movies. And eyes big and looking out and said, I don't know if I can make it here. So for anybody that thinks that they can't make it in New York City, that song is so true. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. So don't be intimidated by big cities or big dreams.
(03:19):
I came with that, with the. With a dream of living in New York City. And one opportunity led to the next. And the reason it did is because I think I was always open to having conversations, always excited about getting to know people of all ages, all backgrounds. And I wasn't on this mission that I had to meet certain people or I had to follow a certain career path. It just was really about this building block and this layering of meeting people that maybe opened a door I would have never considered. So, yes, my career has been very non traditional, starting on the overnight assignment desk at Fox News, working what they call the graveyard shift. So I would get to work at 11pm I would leave long after the sun came up.
(04:12):
And then one thing sort of led to another that got me where I am today. And we can go into as much or as little detail. But I would say to anyone listening or part of our conversation today, my mantra in life and in my career has always been your next hello can be your future. So just be open to talking, to listening, not for the sake of it. You know, that word networking to me is so transactional. Be open to talking and meeting to people. You never know where it will take you. And that's what my career has been.
Kendall Berg (04:50):
I love that. And it's so true what you're touching on. You know, we talk about networking a lot on this podcast and one of the big pieces of advice I always give people is you need to be building relationships before you need them. If you wait until you need to know somebody to start talking to them, it's going to feel inauthentic. We're not going to build the same level of connection. We're not going to have that same clarity in what do they need, what's important to them, who are they as individuals. So I love that you're bringing in this soft skill piece because I think it's incredibly underrated when it comes to career progression.
Natasha Cornstein (05:24):
So.
Kendall Berg (05:24):
So how did you end up at Blushington and now in the CEO role? So you're building all these amazing relationships. You've moved from film and tv. Now we're over here in the beauty industry. What did that journey internally look like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (05:37):
Well, it was a wonderful journey. And before I touch on it, I just want to go back to what you said, because it is so crucial, your insights. I can't underscore enough to people how important it is to, again, whoever it is, wherever you're meeting with them, to stay in touch. Not to be annoying, but. Right. Because it can. You know, there is a fine line, but to stay in touch, wish a happy new year, find out how their launch of something went, congratulate them, follow them on LinkedIn, follow their journeys. And I admire my own husband so much, who's always run his own businesses, but he is amazing about staying in touch, and I think that's part of what makes him so respected in his industry. And he taught me that. Exactly the advice you gave.
(06:36):
So don't be in touch when you need something. Build the relationship. I love that advice, and it's informed both of our careers. How did I become CEO from being a customer? By saying hello to someone the next day. So at the time I walked into Blushington Back in 2014, I walked in as a customer, my PR firm at the time said to me, listen, Natasha, you're 40 years old. We can't send iPhone pics. You have to have a headshot and some makeup. And I said, I've never really loved my makeup experience. And I think a lot of women can relate to that. Where you sit, you spend all that time, then you're forced to buy something that you don't even want, and you don't like how you look. So I went with real skepticism.
(07:31):
And then I opened that door, Kendall, and it was love at first sight for me. I loved the environment. I loved the warm welcome that I received. And then I loved sitting in that makeup chair with an artist that said, what is this for? And what do you like or not like? And it was this incredible exchange and listening experience. And I always say when I stood up from that makeup chair at Blushington, I felt like a supermodel. So the next day, after my Blushington experience, I was having breakfast with a young woman raving about Blushington. And lo and behold, she did their pr. And I said, would it be possible to meet the founders of Blushington? And that day, she put me on an email.
(08:17):
And we spent months getting to know one another by email, by phone, before we met up in person in New York City. And was offered the job. So it was just an extraordinary, I think maybe not culmination, because the beginning of something new, but really this inflection point of that open mindset, that willingness to listen and get to know people, that opened the door of a lifetime for me.
Kendall Berg (08:47):
It's such a great story. And I don't know, Natasha, if you know this, but in addition to being that career coach and running this podcast, I also do pageantry. So I'm very familiar with the experience that you're describing of sitting down in a makeup chair. And by the time they're done, you're like, I hate this. But I can't say anything because I just paid a lot of money, and even though I don't like the way my face looks, I'm going to smile and say it's great, and I'm going to run like I stole something. And so I love this experience. I love this experience that you're describing, though, of, you know, asking the questions, feeling beautiful when you leave, getting that education for them of what are you looking for?
(09:24):
And then that education in return of what are they doing and how does that, you know, translate to what's happening on your face? And so I think the concept is so great. Right. As somebody who uses services like that a fair amount, in fact, I have an event later this evening that I'll have to get ready for. And so it's so great to hear that you started as a customer with this, like, warm, positive experience, and you just knew this is going to be it. So had you done any work at all in the beauty industry prior to this point, or you get brought in as this professional CEO, and then this is kind of a dual introduction into both the beauty industry for you at the same time that you're stepping into the CEO role?
Natasha Cornstein (10:06):
It was a duel for me. I had no. I had never worked in the beauty industry, and I had been the global head of communications, but I had not been in the CEO seat before. So, yes, this was a dual entree for me and the way that I prepare. And this is really for anything in my. Both my personal life and my business life. I'm an avid reader, and I have built tremendous relationships both personally and professionally over my career and throughout my life that I really count on peers and mentors.
(10:46):
And so the moment that I was offered the job, I dove into as many books as I could find about the history of the beauty industry, about the beauty industry today, about brand development, about becoming a licensed cosmetologist, and also read leadership books and spoke to leaders and had enough experiences at this stage in my life to understand qualities that I had loved about the leaders I had worked with and for and qualities that I maybe did not want to emulate. So I can tell you Kendall, that there was a learning curve for me, that I was a quick study.
(11:33):
I've made plenty of mistakes over the decade that I've been in this chair and feel really great about all that I've learned along the way to become the CEO I am today, which I would say is a I run a very horizontal organization. I consider myself a servant leader. I don't think I came into the seat that way. I had a very different sort of top down mentality when it is really a bottoms up and horizontal organization that thrives or at least in my leadership experience has been the greatest success has been that transition in leadership style. And I learned it and I imagine most people in this seat learn it through trial and error.
(12:23):
I think those of us that progress and I think that lead companies that are growing and thriving, you have to be willing to be introspect to acknowledge mistakes you've made or things that you could have done better or differently. I have no trouble apologizing, which is something for whatever reason I would encourage to anyone that's listening, saying I'm sorry costs nothing. And having that willingness to be, you know, to reflect on what part you've had or how you could have done something better or differently is really important and then do it better or differently. So I'll do a post mortem on a meeting, on events, on something that we've launched and I always ask the question what could I or we have done better or differently?
(13:21):
What should we consider doing the next time and be really open to that feedback and not in a performative way. Kendyl I think a lot of leaders say share your ideas and tell me what you think we can be doing or trying and then it sits in the suggestion box or the inbox or it falls on deaf ears. And I've learned that is the fastest way to disengage your team and the fastest way to build loyalty, create retention on your team is by truly listening and then executing. And sometimes that executing is just responding and explaining this. We're not going to do this right now. Here's why. And sometimes it's going to be amazing. Now come back to me with a plan and let's figure out how we're going to get this going.
Kendall Berg (14:15):
So many great nuggets that you just touched on. Natasha I'M like, we could do entire podcast episodes on just, like, the big three things you touched on. But I love that for you get this new role. And what I didn't hear you say was, I had massive imposter syndrome. I had terrible anxiety. I was felt like I was gonna fail, which I think so much. The commentary now is, yeah, we all have imposter syndrome. We're all struggling with this. And to an extent, that's true. There's plenty of roles I've stepped into where I was like, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm gonna wing it. But I love that your solution to that was great. What do I need to learn so that I can feel confident?
(14:57):
When I get in this seat, I'm going to read everything I need to know about the beauty industry, about cosmetology, about leadership. Then I'm going to look at myself as I'm doing this job and go, nope, that wasn't it. Pivot and learn something new. And so the three things you touched on of, like, reading and learning, doing your research, being introspective, and then listening to your team, I think that's almost a master class. And how do you be a great leader? How do you progress your career? Because so often we think, oh, well, I. But I haven't done that job yet, or, oh, well, I messed that up. So people must not think highly of me anymore. They must not want me to do this anymore. I'm never going to get promoted.
(15:38):
And the reality is that what you shared is so true of so many of us at so many different levels in our career. It's not just about the days where we're perfect and everything goes our way. In fact, I would argue I have very few of those. But it's the days where we have to say, hey, I'm sorry you brought this up. You were right. Let's go with your idea. How do we make a plan? How do we learn from this? Hey, I don't know how to introduce this new model. You just changed business models. I have no idea how to run this new business model. I got to research. I got to learn about it. I got to study it. I got to talk to people who've done it.
(16:16):
So many great things that you did in this journey that I feel almost get overshadowed with. But she's a CEO. Like, she was already there. And I love that what I'm hearing from you is like, nope, I was not there. But what I was willing to put in the work to do all the things I needed to do to be ready for this opportunity.
Natasha Cornstein (16:41):
That's absolutely right. And when I look around at CEOs that I admire, they generally you hear all the time I started in the call center or my husband has worked in sports for 20 years. You know, many of the GMs of today and the head coaches of today were in the video room, you know, 20 years ago. So there is no, you know, set path here. There's no magic formula. And sure, there were plenty of days that I was nervous or scared or days that I made mistakes. I make mistakes almost every day. And then it's, how do you recover from them? How do you pick up the pieces? And when you are sitting in my seat, you have to dust yourself off pretty quickly and move forward. And I would say again to anyone listening, you know, be bold and be introspective.
(17:42):
And sometimes those two don't always go hand in hand. And for me, that has been a really winning formula to be willing to take risks, to be willing to be bold, but also to be willing to acknowledge when things didn't go well and to understand when they did and how to double down on that. But I don't double down when I'm wrong. I don't double down when I've made a mistake. And to your point of, you know, I have no trouble saying you're right, I have no trouble with saying I'm sorry. And so, again, finding that combination that's right for you and that I had to find what's right for me, that's very different.
(18:32):
So when I do all that reading like I talked about, and I do will tell you, Kendall, and I will tell those that are with us today, every morning, my first hour of my day is about reading every day. And even if I have a packed schedule and I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in, I do take that time every day. I think it's crucial, and I think it's been a big building block to, you know, the success my team and I have had up until this point.
Kendall Berg (19:03):
Yeah. And I do something very similar in the mornings. Right. So people who have followed me for an extended period of time, we're always doing a book club. We read a book every single month.
Natasha Cornstein (19:12):
Amazing.
Kendall Berg (19:13):
Because I'm that same way. I feel like when I'm reading, I'm learning new things, I'm tapping into somebody else's perspective. I get to think about things in a different way. So I love that as a morning ceremony that listeners can Take away and start to implement in their own lives. I'd love to kind of flip the script on this just a little and say in the opposite way, when someone who works for you is in a new position, is making mistakes, is learning a new space as their leader, what do you look for? From where you would say, yes, you're learning a new area, yes, you're making some mistakes, but you're doing it in a way where I still feel confident in your abilities, I still feel like you're the right person for this position.
(19:57):
If we flip this script a little bit, how do you coach up your team? What do you look for from them? Where you would say, I love the way this person is leaning into this new space as opposed to feeling like this person's kind of missing the mark and I need them to correct. What does that positive engagement in a learning period look like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (20:18):
Well, I think it's. I think there are a couple components to this. I think I do ascribe to hire slowly, fire fast. So I will say that there are situations where I think that you can be coached up and I think that there is, you know, a time where I want to make that investment or I ask my business partners to make that investment. So you have to. I think the first decision that I look at is am I going to work with this person, coach this person? Person, Excuse me, am I going to coach this person? Was it the right choice for us in the right role? So I think that's probably the first thing I look at. And then when it comes to making that decision that I think it's the right fit for all of us and for the organization.
(21:09):
It's about very private coaching. So it's about scheduling time to sit down together and have it be a conversation and not have it be a lecture or a one sided conversation. I do find that most people maybe aren't as open to feedback. So there is a reflexive defensiveness when it comes to coaching. So I try very hard to lead by example and always be showing my team that I'm willing to say I was wrong, that I'm willing to say I need help, or can you explain that to me so that when it comes time to the coaching conversations, it can hopefully be a little more disarming. So that is typically my approach is to really talk about, you know, I've been in your shoes, which is a very real thing to say. You know, again, it didn't start in the CEO seat.
(22:12):
So I try to really make it relatable and then have the conversation. And sometimes it's the compliment sandwich of compliment, coach, compliment. Sometimes we get right to it. It depends. But the first thing that I work on in terms of coaching with anybody that is staying in the organization is working on having that open mindset, being in a place to be able to listen and act upon the feedback that's actionable, come to a consensus about seeing what it is that I might be seeing and saying. Because if you just lecture and sit down someone, they tend to be defensive and walk away saying, whatever. Or can you believe she said that? And we've all done that. Right. We've all been there where we're like, whatever, I can do it better. What is she talking about?
(23:11):
So I really try to bring a style where it's about consensus building in coaching and having it be productive. And again, this is. I got here, Kendall, after definitely having had a number of meetings early on, you know, when I took the seat of like, you know, this is how it's going to be and do it or, you know, it's not going to work. That's just a. That's a lose.
Kendall Berg (23:39):
Yeah. And there's two things that you said I want to echo back to you that I think are so great. One is higher, slow fire, fast. I think especially as women in leadership roles, we have a tendency to want to almost baby certain people in our organization. Right. I work with female leaders all the time. They're like, well, I have this one underperformer, but like, I just don't give them as much anymore. And I'm spending a lot of time with them. And I feel oftentimes we wait too long to really take decisive action. And Barbara Cochran did an interview, she got a lot of heat for it at the time where she said, like, I love firing people. I have firing Fridays because one bad apple in my group of apples is going to poison the lot. And she wasn't wrong.
(24:20):
Delivery could have been better, but her.
Natasha Cornstein (24:22):
But it wasn't wrong.
Kendall Berg (24:23):
As if you see that trend and someone's not open and receptive to feedback, someone's not the right culture fit to be consensus driven, to be coachable, then taking that action is really important. And the second is we need to be receptive to feedback. Right. I've received some pretty terrible feedback over the course of my career. I'm sure you have as well.
Natasha Cornstein (24:44):
Yeah.
Kendall Berg (24:45):
And sometimes receiving feedback is less about the words that are said and more about the spirit of what your boss is trying to communicate to you. Right. There will be times where you disagree, but if your boss comes to you and says, hey, you need to work on your communication, there's probably a kernel of truth in that we can take and work on and invest in and be open to, even if maybe the example they give is something that we don't necessarily agree with.
(25:10):
And so I think both of those pieces that you touched on are so critical for those who are listening, who want to build and grow their careers is you have to be coachable, you have to be open minded, and you have to be willing as you become a leader to realize when somebody isn't and kind of let them go find a different opportunity that might be a better fit while you grow your business. So I love both of those points. I want to put that back in context of your business a little bit. You guys have recently changed your business model.
Natasha Cornstein (25:37):
Yes.
Kendall Berg (25:38):
So you came in, you went into a brick and mortar in New York, you sat down in a chair, Susie was fabulous and did your makeup and you walked out feeling like a star. You become CEO and now we've introduced an entirely new business model. So can you kind of talk me through what your new business model is? What led you to really deciding that you were going to make this pivot towards something new and then what that is looking like?
Natasha Cornstein (26:01):
Currently, Blushington was fully focused on makeup applications and towards 2020 we made the realization after looking at an acquisition of an eight door blowout bar that this was a no brainer as a next step for evolving Blushington. Our customers were clamoring for blowouts and from a personnel standpoint, our licensed cosmetologist had the capability to do blowouts and makeup. So great business decision and utilization of personnel. Then the pandemic hit and we closed our doors. I'll never Forget it. On March 13, 2020 with a note to all our customers, were ordering disposable brush sets and hospital grade cleaning. I woke up on March 15th and realized that our business would never be the same, that were in crisis mode.
(27:00):
I quickly reached out to all of my competitors in the space and to others in adjacent industries like fitness, all brick and mortar and brought everyone together and said let's figure this out together. Brought in experts on crisis communications, real estate, how to access PPP funds. This is a conversation we could have for another day. But I will note to your listeners befriend competitors. There's room for more than one brand or one concept and you can learn from each other. But I fast forward from that moment where we all helped one another to say, I knew very quickly that we would not survive, just make up brick and mortar.
(27:47):
And how were we going to take this decade of building this extraordinary business, this award winning brand that was beloved and written up in the New York Times, Vogue allure, that had shepherded so many artists to build great careers? Where were we going next? And that is when I, I came upon franchising and I said, let's use this time during the pandemic to reorganize ourselves as a franchise concept. So we took the amazing foundation of Blushington and we evolved the business model to become a franchisor that's now offering these most in demand beauty services under one roof. So not only are we offering our signature makeup applications, we're also offering blowouts and skin care. And what I love about the way we offer our beauty services at Blushington is that there, it's beauty for all. And what do I mean by that?
(28:50):
You can walk into any Blushington location and whether you are young or have more mature skin, whether you have light skin or darker skin, whether you have straight hair or textured hair, we are focused on being a destination for all. That's through our training, that's through the inventory we carry, that is core to our mission at Blushington. And I think that's what sets us apart. So as we go out to build our franchise network, we're looking to open over 100 locations. We've just sold our first three locations, one in Boca Raton, two in Houston. Both of our franchisees are existing Blushington customers, which I think is amazing.
(29:39):
And just looking for owners and women out there that share our values of inclusivity and excellence, maybe have wanted to own their business, but haven't even considered franchising, which has been so male dominated since really the concept was created. So if you're a woman out there that wants to be their own boss, that's thinking about making a career change or a leap, I wouldn't have considered this before COVID And now we're an emergence, an emerging franchise brand. So just wanted toss that out there. Yeah.
Kendall Berg (30:17):
I think it's so awesome that there was so much power in this pivot that you chose to make. You touched on how you brought competitors in and you brought specialists in and crisis managers in. And for you to be so community focused in a time where so many people were the opposite. Right. For a myriad of reasons, you're so right that there's so much space for competition. Right. Some of my closest friends are Career coaches in different spaces because I've been lucky enough to make these relationships. And we can empathize with each other, we can understand what's happening, and we're able to consult on things we don't know. Right. The same way that CEOs go and network, no matter your role, you are not in competition with the people around you. You should be using that network to help think through this problem solving.
(31:02):
So I love that you touched on that. And then to pivot into this franchise model had to be scary, right? We're in the middle of the pandemic, and you're like, I have this great idea. Let's open a bunch more brick and mortar stores when we come out of this on the other side and empower female business owners and make sure that we've got this beauty for all, reaching more people. So as you're leading your leadership team, what did that feel like for you? The individual? Right. There's part of it that's the business aspect, but there's part of it that's Natasha walking into a room, and you're like, and I've got a plan. And it might sound crazy, but this is where we're going. What did that look like and feel like for you on that journey?
Natasha Cornstein (31:40):
You know, it was survival mode, Kendall. This was not. These were not normal circumstances. And so we had really a choice. And as the leader of this business, I had a choice. Do we give up or do we start over? And I chose start over. And when I looked out at the paths to start over, this was the path that made the most sense to us, to me, to our investors. And it took preparation. It wasn't like I woke up and said, okay, now we're going to become a franchisor. This was again, through research, through thinking through many sleepless nights of how can we salvage this incredible brand that we built? How can we create opportunity for these extraordinary licensed cosmetologists and build careers?
(32:34):
And I looked at the franchising model and I said, here's an opportunity to, in essence, recreate and accelerate the growth of Washington and meet all of these that we want to accomplish and realize that we have the building blocks in place. We have this beautiful brand. We have the training, we have all of the supplier relationships. We have the expertise and experience of building brick and mortar locations. We've made the mistakes, and some of them were expensive mistakes. But now here we have this opportunity to say, we have perfected this brand. And I felt confident that we have perfected Blushington to a Point where were in a position to go out and sell franchises and sell this opportunity to join the Blushington family as a franchisor. But, yes, it was an unknown. It was scary in the beginning.
(33:41):
We had to really find our way and find our people. I will tell you that every resource. We interviewed over a dozen people, our partner, to build our franchise model. We ultimately worked with a company called iFranchise. Best decision I've ever made, I would say. We went out to find the very best franchise attorney in the country. I found him Will woods at Baker McKenzie. Best decision I could have made on the marketing side had some trial and error. So I can say we're with an amazing group of professionals now. But also, don't be afraid. I would say that's where I talked about be bold and be introspective. We were very bold, but we learned were methodical, and when it didn't work, we made the changes. And now we're super prepared and excited to speak with candidates and to get open.
(34:42):
You know, we're getting open in Boca, Florida. We're getting open in Houston, Texas, and I can't wait to see what's next.
Kendall Berg (34:50):
I love it. Normally, at the end of an episode, I'll ask, what advice do you have for somebody who maybe wants to pivot or do something new? But I feel like you just said it. You're like, be bold, be introspective. If it doesn't work, pivot. I love it. I have to ask, though, since you are an avid reader, did you read the e. Myth during this transition into franchise?
Natasha Cornstein (35:09):
I did not, but I will write it down, and I actually will write it down right now and put the order in.
Kendall Berg (35:17):
And it's so funny, because when I was starting my business, one of my good friends who runs a similar business model was like, you have to read the e. Myth. And it's really a franchise book.
Natasha Cornstein (35:26):
Amazing.
Kendall Berg (35:27):
Talks about repeatable, scalable processes and, you know, uses McDonald's as kind of the original foundation of you can only make a burger, then it's gonna taste the same everywhere you go. And so I was curious, given that you're such an avid reader. I was like, maybe this needs to be on her book list.
Natasha Cornstein (35:42):
I missed a great one. So I'm happy that you put it on our list, and I will get it into our library. We've always had a lending library at Blushington. Not to get off topic, but we've had a lending library for our team, and this past week, we debuted our lending library at Blushington for customers and found an amazing partner, Zibby Owens, and made this plan that we will open a lending library in every Blushington that we open. That this is something that's scalable. It's not a burger, it's a book. Book. Well, we'll take it. It's a book to go with our beauty. But I appreciate that recommendation and when we get off, I'm ordering it.
Kendall Berg (36:25):
That's awesome. Well, if people are listening to this and Natasha, they were inspired by you. They want to learn more about Blushington either as a potential client or as potential franchise owner. Where should they go? Where should we send them?
Natasha Cornstein (36:38):
You can find me and Blushington very easily@blushington.com you can learn more about franchising. You can also see us on Instagram, Blushington. We have somebody that's looking at our direct messages, our DMS every day. And so that's a great way to get in touch with us. And you can also shoot me an email. My email is natashablushington.com and I really try to answer every single email I get. That's awesome.
Kendall Berg (37:09):
We will definitely link all of those in the show notes below. But Natasha, thank you so much for coming on the episode. It was so great hearing about your journey, your trial and error, the ways you invest in yourself and I so appreciate you taking the time.
Natasha Cornstein (37:22):
Kendall, thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity. You have amazing guests and incredible career yourself, so I really appreciate that you gave me the opportunity.
Kendall Berg (37:33):
Appreciate it. Well, if you like today's episode, make sure you leave us five stars. If you have any questions for Natasha or myself, put them in the comments below. Otherwise, we are signing off and we will see you guys next week for another great episode.
How did I become CEO from being a customer? By saying hello to someone the next day. So at the time I walked into Blushington Back in 2014, I walked in as a customer. My PR firm at the time said to me, listen, Natasha, you're 40 years old. We can't send iPhone pics. You have to have a headshot and some makeup. And I said, I've never really loved my makeup experience, and I think a lot of women can relate to that. Where you sit, you spend all that time, then you're forced to buy something that you don't even want and you don't like how you look. So I went with real skepticism.
(00:44):
So the next day, after my Blushington experience, I was having breakfast with a young woman raving about Blushington, and lo and behold, she did their pr And I said, would it be possible to meet the founders of Blushington? And that day, she put me on an email.
Kendall Berg (01:03):
Welcome back to this episode of Secrets of the Career Game. So many people are trying to navigate a corporate world that is laden with secrets, cleverly hidden and unspoken rules to a game that most employees don't even know that they're playing. On this podcast, we try to give you a peek behind the curtains and some tips and tricks to ultimately make you successful in your career and help you progress a little bit faster. Welcome back to the pod lovelies. Today we have a fabulous guest for you. We have Ms. Natasha Cornstein joining us. Natasha's journey with Blushington didn't really start just as an executive. She started as a customer. Now she is the CEO, which is a wild journey to have gone on.
(01:46):
Transformed it from brick and mortar into now this technology driven franchise powerhouse, all while being a mom, a spouse, having friends, living her best life as a woman, doing all of the things. And so we are so excited to have you on today's episode. Thanks for being here.
Natasha Cornstein (02:06):
Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. I love what you do and the forum you've created and excited to have a conversation with you.
Kendall Berg (02:18):
Well, Natasha, why don't you tell listeners a little bit about your background. Obviously, you've been on this wild journey as you've progressed to now CEO of a large company. What has that looked like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (02:29):
You know, my journey to becoming a CEO did not start out with any set idea in mind. I was born and raised in the Midwest, won a fellowship to come to New York City. I'll never forget calling my dad and saying, I'm so nervous. I just so nervous do you think you could meet me? And when I got off the airplane, he standing there waiting for me. And we drove into New York City in a yellow taxi, just like I had seen in the movies. And eyes big and looking out and said, I don't know if I can make it here. So for anybody that thinks that they can't make it in New York City, that song is so true. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. So don't be intimidated by big cities or big dreams.
(03:19):
I came with that, with the. With a dream of living in New York City. And one opportunity led to the next. And the reason it did is because I think I was always open to having conversations, always excited about getting to know people of all ages, all backgrounds. And I wasn't on this mission that I had to meet certain people or I had to follow a certain career path. It just was really about this building block and this layering of meeting people that maybe opened a door I would have never considered. So, yes, my career has been very non traditional, starting on the overnight assignment desk at Fox News, working what they call the graveyard shift. So I would get to work at 11pm I would leave long after the sun came up.
(04:12):
And then one thing sort of led to another that got me where I am today. And we can go into as much or as little detail. But I would say to anyone listening or part of our conversation today, my mantra in life and in my career has always been your next hello can be your future. So just be open to talking, to listening, not for the sake of it. You know, that word networking to me is so transactional. Be open to talking and meeting to people. You never know where it will take you. And that's what my career has been.
Kendall Berg (04:50):
I love that. And it's so true what you're touching on. You know, we talk about networking a lot on this podcast and one of the big pieces of advice I always give people is you need to be building relationships before you need them. If you wait until you need to know somebody to start talking to them, it's going to feel inauthentic. We're not going to build the same level of connection. We're not going to have that same clarity in what do they need, what's important to them, who are they as individuals. So I love that you're bringing in this soft skill piece because I think it's incredibly underrated when it comes to career progression.
Natasha Cornstein (05:24):
So.
Kendall Berg (05:24):
So how did you end up at Blushington and now in the CEO role? So you're building all these amazing relationships. You've moved from film and tv. Now we're over here in the beauty industry. What did that journey internally look like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (05:37):
Well, it was a wonderful journey. And before I touch on it, I just want to go back to what you said, because it is so crucial, your insights. I can't underscore enough to people how important it is to, again, whoever it is, wherever you're meeting with them, to stay in touch. Not to be annoying, but. Right. Because it can. You know, there is a fine line, but to stay in touch, wish a happy new year, find out how their launch of something went, congratulate them, follow them on LinkedIn, follow their journeys. And I admire my own husband so much, who's always run his own businesses, but he is amazing about staying in touch, and I think that's part of what makes him so respected in his industry. And he taught me that. Exactly the advice you gave.
(06:36):
So don't be in touch when you need something. Build the relationship. I love that advice, and it's informed both of our careers. How did I become CEO from being a customer? By saying hello to someone the next day. So at the time I walked into Blushington Back in 2014, I walked in as a customer, my PR firm at the time said to me, listen, Natasha, you're 40 years old. We can't send iPhone pics. You have to have a headshot and some makeup. And I said, I've never really loved my makeup experience. And I think a lot of women can relate to that. Where you sit, you spend all that time, then you're forced to buy something that you don't even want, and you don't like how you look. So I went with real skepticism.
(07:31):
And then I opened that door, Kendall, and it was love at first sight for me. I loved the environment. I loved the warm welcome that I received. And then I loved sitting in that makeup chair with an artist that said, what is this for? And what do you like or not like? And it was this incredible exchange and listening experience. And I always say when I stood up from that makeup chair at Blushington, I felt like a supermodel. So the next day, after my Blushington experience, I was having breakfast with a young woman raving about Blushington. And lo and behold, she did their pr. And I said, would it be possible to meet the founders of Blushington? And that day, she put me on an email.
(08:17):
And we spent months getting to know one another by email, by phone, before we met up in person in New York City. And was offered the job. So it was just an extraordinary, I think maybe not culmination, because the beginning of something new, but really this inflection point of that open mindset, that willingness to listen and get to know people, that opened the door of a lifetime for me.
Kendall Berg (08:47):
It's such a great story. And I don't know, Natasha, if you know this, but in addition to being that career coach and running this podcast, I also do pageantry. So I'm very familiar with the experience that you're describing of sitting down in a makeup chair. And by the time they're done, you're like, I hate this. But I can't say anything because I just paid a lot of money, and even though I don't like the way my face looks, I'm going to smile and say it's great, and I'm going to run like I stole something. And so I love this experience. I love this experience that you're describing, though, of, you know, asking the questions, feeling beautiful when you leave, getting that education for them of what are you looking for?
(09:24):
And then that education in return of what are they doing and how does that, you know, translate to what's happening on your face? And so I think the concept is so great. Right. As somebody who uses services like that a fair amount, in fact, I have an event later this evening that I'll have to get ready for. And so it's so great to hear that you started as a customer with this, like, warm, positive experience, and you just knew this is going to be it. So had you done any work at all in the beauty industry prior to this point, or you get brought in as this professional CEO, and then this is kind of a dual introduction into both the beauty industry for you at the same time that you're stepping into the CEO role?
Natasha Cornstein (10:06):
It was a duel for me. I had no. I had never worked in the beauty industry, and I had been the global head of communications, but I had not been in the CEO seat before. So, yes, this was a dual entree for me and the way that I prepare. And this is really for anything in my. Both my personal life and my business life. I'm an avid reader, and I have built tremendous relationships both personally and professionally over my career and throughout my life that I really count on peers and mentors.
(10:46):
And so the moment that I was offered the job, I dove into as many books as I could find about the history of the beauty industry, about the beauty industry today, about brand development, about becoming a licensed cosmetologist, and also read leadership books and spoke to leaders and had enough experiences at this stage in my life to understand qualities that I had loved about the leaders I had worked with and for and qualities that I maybe did not want to emulate. So I can tell you Kendall, that there was a learning curve for me, that I was a quick study.
(11:33):
I've made plenty of mistakes over the decade that I've been in this chair and feel really great about all that I've learned along the way to become the CEO I am today, which I would say is a I run a very horizontal organization. I consider myself a servant leader. I don't think I came into the seat that way. I had a very different sort of top down mentality when it is really a bottoms up and horizontal organization that thrives or at least in my leadership experience has been the greatest success has been that transition in leadership style. And I learned it and I imagine most people in this seat learn it through trial and error.
(12:23):
I think those of us that progress and I think that lead companies that are growing and thriving, you have to be willing to be introspect to acknowledge mistakes you've made or things that you could have done better or differently. I have no trouble apologizing, which is something for whatever reason I would encourage to anyone that's listening, saying I'm sorry costs nothing. And having that willingness to be, you know, to reflect on what part you've had or how you could have done something better or differently is really important and then do it better or differently. So I'll do a post mortem on a meeting, on events, on something that we've launched and I always ask the question what could I or we have done better or differently?
(13:21):
What should we consider doing the next time and be really open to that feedback and not in a performative way. Kendyl I think a lot of leaders say share your ideas and tell me what you think we can be doing or trying and then it sits in the suggestion box or the inbox or it falls on deaf ears. And I've learned that is the fastest way to disengage your team and the fastest way to build loyalty, create retention on your team is by truly listening and then executing. And sometimes that executing is just responding and explaining this. We're not going to do this right now. Here's why. And sometimes it's going to be amazing. Now come back to me with a plan and let's figure out how we're going to get this going.
Kendall Berg (14:15):
So many great nuggets that you just touched on. Natasha I'M like, we could do entire podcast episodes on just, like, the big three things you touched on. But I love that for you get this new role. And what I didn't hear you say was, I had massive imposter syndrome. I had terrible anxiety. I was felt like I was gonna fail, which I think so much. The commentary now is, yeah, we all have imposter syndrome. We're all struggling with this. And to an extent, that's true. There's plenty of roles I've stepped into where I was like, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm gonna wing it. But I love that your solution to that was great. What do I need to learn so that I can feel confident?
(14:57):
When I get in this seat, I'm going to read everything I need to know about the beauty industry, about cosmetology, about leadership. Then I'm going to look at myself as I'm doing this job and go, nope, that wasn't it. Pivot and learn something new. And so the three things you touched on of, like, reading and learning, doing your research, being introspective, and then listening to your team, I think that's almost a master class. And how do you be a great leader? How do you progress your career? Because so often we think, oh, well, I. But I haven't done that job yet, or, oh, well, I messed that up. So people must not think highly of me anymore. They must not want me to do this anymore. I'm never going to get promoted.
(15:38):
And the reality is that what you shared is so true of so many of us at so many different levels in our career. It's not just about the days where we're perfect and everything goes our way. In fact, I would argue I have very few of those. But it's the days where we have to say, hey, I'm sorry you brought this up. You were right. Let's go with your idea. How do we make a plan? How do we learn from this? Hey, I don't know how to introduce this new model. You just changed business models. I have no idea how to run this new business model. I got to research. I got to learn about it. I got to study it. I got to talk to people who've done it.
(16:16):
So many great things that you did in this journey that I feel almost get overshadowed with. But she's a CEO. Like, she was already there. And I love that what I'm hearing from you is like, nope, I was not there. But what I was willing to put in the work to do all the things I needed to do to be ready for this opportunity.
Natasha Cornstein (16:41):
That's absolutely right. And when I look around at CEOs that I admire, they generally you hear all the time I started in the call center or my husband has worked in sports for 20 years. You know, many of the GMs of today and the head coaches of today were in the video room, you know, 20 years ago. So there is no, you know, set path here. There's no magic formula. And sure, there were plenty of days that I was nervous or scared or days that I made mistakes. I make mistakes almost every day. And then it's, how do you recover from them? How do you pick up the pieces? And when you are sitting in my seat, you have to dust yourself off pretty quickly and move forward. And I would say again to anyone listening, you know, be bold and be introspective.
(17:42):
And sometimes those two don't always go hand in hand. And for me, that has been a really winning formula to be willing to take risks, to be willing to be bold, but also to be willing to acknowledge when things didn't go well and to understand when they did and how to double down on that. But I don't double down when I'm wrong. I don't double down when I've made a mistake. And to your point of, you know, I have no trouble saying you're right, I have no trouble with saying I'm sorry. And so, again, finding that combination that's right for you and that I had to find what's right for me, that's very different.
(18:32):
So when I do all that reading like I talked about, and I do will tell you, Kendall, and I will tell those that are with us today, every morning, my first hour of my day is about reading every day. And even if I have a packed schedule and I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in, I do take that time every day. I think it's crucial, and I think it's been a big building block to, you know, the success my team and I have had up until this point.
Kendall Berg (19:03):
Yeah. And I do something very similar in the mornings. Right. So people who have followed me for an extended period of time, we're always doing a book club. We read a book every single month.
Natasha Cornstein (19:12):
Amazing.
Kendall Berg (19:13):
Because I'm that same way. I feel like when I'm reading, I'm learning new things, I'm tapping into somebody else's perspective. I get to think about things in a different way. So I love that as a morning ceremony that listeners can Take away and start to implement in their own lives. I'd love to kind of flip the script on this just a little and say in the opposite way, when someone who works for you is in a new position, is making mistakes, is learning a new space as their leader, what do you look for? From where you would say, yes, you're learning a new area, yes, you're making some mistakes, but you're doing it in a way where I still feel confident in your abilities, I still feel like you're the right person for this position.
(19:57):
If we flip this script a little bit, how do you coach up your team? What do you look for from them? Where you would say, I love the way this person is leaning into this new space as opposed to feeling like this person's kind of missing the mark and I need them to correct. What does that positive engagement in a learning period look like for you?
Natasha Cornstein (20:18):
Well, I think it's. I think there are a couple components to this. I think I do ascribe to hire slowly, fire fast. So I will say that there are situations where I think that you can be coached up and I think that there is, you know, a time where I want to make that investment or I ask my business partners to make that investment. So you have to. I think the first decision that I look at is am I going to work with this person, coach this person? Person, Excuse me, am I going to coach this person? Was it the right choice for us in the right role? So I think that's probably the first thing I look at. And then when it comes to making that decision that I think it's the right fit for all of us and for the organization.
(21:09):
It's about very private coaching. So it's about scheduling time to sit down together and have it be a conversation and not have it be a lecture or a one sided conversation. I do find that most people maybe aren't as open to feedback. So there is a reflexive defensiveness when it comes to coaching. So I try very hard to lead by example and always be showing my team that I'm willing to say I was wrong, that I'm willing to say I need help, or can you explain that to me so that when it comes time to the coaching conversations, it can hopefully be a little more disarming. So that is typically my approach is to really talk about, you know, I've been in your shoes, which is a very real thing to say. You know, again, it didn't start in the CEO seat.
(22:12):
So I try to really make it relatable and then have the conversation. And sometimes it's the compliment sandwich of compliment, coach, compliment. Sometimes we get right to it. It depends. But the first thing that I work on in terms of coaching with anybody that is staying in the organization is working on having that open mindset, being in a place to be able to listen and act upon the feedback that's actionable, come to a consensus about seeing what it is that I might be seeing and saying. Because if you just lecture and sit down someone, they tend to be defensive and walk away saying, whatever. Or can you believe she said that? And we've all done that. Right. We've all been there where we're like, whatever, I can do it better. What is she talking about?
(23:11):
So I really try to bring a style where it's about consensus building in coaching and having it be productive. And again, this is. I got here, Kendall, after definitely having had a number of meetings early on, you know, when I took the seat of like, you know, this is how it's going to be and do it or, you know, it's not going to work. That's just a. That's a lose.
Kendall Berg (23:39):
Yeah. And there's two things that you said I want to echo back to you that I think are so great. One is higher, slow fire, fast. I think especially as women in leadership roles, we have a tendency to want to almost baby certain people in our organization. Right. I work with female leaders all the time. They're like, well, I have this one underperformer, but like, I just don't give them as much anymore. And I'm spending a lot of time with them. And I feel oftentimes we wait too long to really take decisive action. And Barbara Cochran did an interview, she got a lot of heat for it at the time where she said, like, I love firing people. I have firing Fridays because one bad apple in my group of apples is going to poison the lot. And she wasn't wrong.
(24:20):
Delivery could have been better, but her.
Natasha Cornstein (24:22):
But it wasn't wrong.
Kendall Berg (24:23):
As if you see that trend and someone's not open and receptive to feedback, someone's not the right culture fit to be consensus driven, to be coachable, then taking that action is really important. And the second is we need to be receptive to feedback. Right. I've received some pretty terrible feedback over the course of my career. I'm sure you have as well.
Natasha Cornstein (24:44):
Yeah.
Kendall Berg (24:45):
And sometimes receiving feedback is less about the words that are said and more about the spirit of what your boss is trying to communicate to you. Right. There will be times where you disagree, but if your boss comes to you and says, hey, you need to work on your communication, there's probably a kernel of truth in that we can take and work on and invest in and be open to, even if maybe the example they give is something that we don't necessarily agree with.
(25:10):
And so I think both of those pieces that you touched on are so critical for those who are listening, who want to build and grow their careers is you have to be coachable, you have to be open minded, and you have to be willing as you become a leader to realize when somebody isn't and kind of let them go find a different opportunity that might be a better fit while you grow your business. So I love both of those points. I want to put that back in context of your business a little bit. You guys have recently changed your business model.
Natasha Cornstein (25:37):
Yes.
Kendall Berg (25:38):
So you came in, you went into a brick and mortar in New York, you sat down in a chair, Susie was fabulous and did your makeup and you walked out feeling like a star. You become CEO and now we've introduced an entirely new business model. So can you kind of talk me through what your new business model is? What led you to really deciding that you were going to make this pivot towards something new and then what that is looking like?
Natasha Cornstein (26:01):
Currently, Blushington was fully focused on makeup applications and towards 2020 we made the realization after looking at an acquisition of an eight door blowout bar that this was a no brainer as a next step for evolving Blushington. Our customers were clamoring for blowouts and from a personnel standpoint, our licensed cosmetologist had the capability to do blowouts and makeup. So great business decision and utilization of personnel. Then the pandemic hit and we closed our doors. I'll never Forget it. On March 13, 2020 with a note to all our customers, were ordering disposable brush sets and hospital grade cleaning. I woke up on March 15th and realized that our business would never be the same, that were in crisis mode.
(27:00):
I quickly reached out to all of my competitors in the space and to others in adjacent industries like fitness, all brick and mortar and brought everyone together and said let's figure this out together. Brought in experts on crisis communications, real estate, how to access PPP funds. This is a conversation we could have for another day. But I will note to your listeners befriend competitors. There's room for more than one brand or one concept and you can learn from each other. But I fast forward from that moment where we all helped one another to say, I knew very quickly that we would not survive, just make up brick and mortar.
(27:47):
And how were we going to take this decade of building this extraordinary business, this award winning brand that was beloved and written up in the New York Times, Vogue allure, that had shepherded so many artists to build great careers? Where were we going next? And that is when I, I came upon franchising and I said, let's use this time during the pandemic to reorganize ourselves as a franchise concept. So we took the amazing foundation of Blushington and we evolved the business model to become a franchisor that's now offering these most in demand beauty services under one roof. So not only are we offering our signature makeup applications, we're also offering blowouts and skin care. And what I love about the way we offer our beauty services at Blushington is that there, it's beauty for all. And what do I mean by that?
(28:50):
You can walk into any Blushington location and whether you are young or have more mature skin, whether you have light skin or darker skin, whether you have straight hair or textured hair, we are focused on being a destination for all. That's through our training, that's through the inventory we carry, that is core to our mission at Blushington. And I think that's what sets us apart. So as we go out to build our franchise network, we're looking to open over 100 locations. We've just sold our first three locations, one in Boca Raton, two in Houston. Both of our franchisees are existing Blushington customers, which I think is amazing.
(29:39):
And just looking for owners and women out there that share our values of inclusivity and excellence, maybe have wanted to own their business, but haven't even considered franchising, which has been so male dominated since really the concept was created. So if you're a woman out there that wants to be their own boss, that's thinking about making a career change or a leap, I wouldn't have considered this before COVID And now we're an emergence, an emerging franchise brand. So just wanted toss that out there. Yeah.
Kendall Berg (30:17):
I think it's so awesome that there was so much power in this pivot that you chose to make. You touched on how you brought competitors in and you brought specialists in and crisis managers in. And for you to be so community focused in a time where so many people were the opposite. Right. For a myriad of reasons, you're so right that there's so much space for competition. Right. Some of my closest friends are Career coaches in different spaces because I've been lucky enough to make these relationships. And we can empathize with each other, we can understand what's happening, and we're able to consult on things we don't know. Right. The same way that CEOs go and network, no matter your role, you are not in competition with the people around you. You should be using that network to help think through this problem solving.
(31:02):
So I love that you touched on that. And then to pivot into this franchise model had to be scary, right? We're in the middle of the pandemic, and you're like, I have this great idea. Let's open a bunch more brick and mortar stores when we come out of this on the other side and empower female business owners and make sure that we've got this beauty for all, reaching more people. So as you're leading your leadership team, what did that feel like for you? The individual? Right. There's part of it that's the business aspect, but there's part of it that's Natasha walking into a room, and you're like, and I've got a plan. And it might sound crazy, but this is where we're going. What did that look like and feel like for you on that journey?
Natasha Cornstein (31:40):
You know, it was survival mode, Kendall. This was not. These were not normal circumstances. And so we had really a choice. And as the leader of this business, I had a choice. Do we give up or do we start over? And I chose start over. And when I looked out at the paths to start over, this was the path that made the most sense to us, to me, to our investors. And it took preparation. It wasn't like I woke up and said, okay, now we're going to become a franchisor. This was again, through research, through thinking through many sleepless nights of how can we salvage this incredible brand that we built? How can we create opportunity for these extraordinary licensed cosmetologists and build careers?
(32:34):
And I looked at the franchising model and I said, here's an opportunity to, in essence, recreate and accelerate the growth of Washington and meet all of these that we want to accomplish and realize that we have the building blocks in place. We have this beautiful brand. We have the training, we have all of the supplier relationships. We have the expertise and experience of building brick and mortar locations. We've made the mistakes, and some of them were expensive mistakes. But now here we have this opportunity to say, we have perfected this brand. And I felt confident that we have perfected Blushington to a Point where were in a position to go out and sell franchises and sell this opportunity to join the Blushington family as a franchisor. But, yes, it was an unknown. It was scary in the beginning.
(33:41):
We had to really find our way and find our people. I will tell you that every resource. We interviewed over a dozen people, our partner, to build our franchise model. We ultimately worked with a company called iFranchise. Best decision I've ever made, I would say. We went out to find the very best franchise attorney in the country. I found him Will woods at Baker McKenzie. Best decision I could have made on the marketing side had some trial and error. So I can say we're with an amazing group of professionals now. But also, don't be afraid. I would say that's where I talked about be bold and be introspective. We were very bold, but we learned were methodical, and when it didn't work, we made the changes. And now we're super prepared and excited to speak with candidates and to get open.
(34:42):
You know, we're getting open in Boca, Florida. We're getting open in Houston, Texas, and I can't wait to see what's next.
Kendall Berg (34:50):
I love it. Normally, at the end of an episode, I'll ask, what advice do you have for somebody who maybe wants to pivot or do something new? But I feel like you just said it. You're like, be bold, be introspective. If it doesn't work, pivot. I love it. I have to ask, though, since you are an avid reader, did you read the e. Myth during this transition into franchise?
Natasha Cornstein (35:09):
I did not, but I will write it down, and I actually will write it down right now and put the order in.
Kendall Berg (35:17):
And it's so funny, because when I was starting my business, one of my good friends who runs a similar business model was like, you have to read the e. Myth. And it's really a franchise book.
Natasha Cornstein (35:26):
Amazing.
Kendall Berg (35:27):
Talks about repeatable, scalable processes and, you know, uses McDonald's as kind of the original foundation of you can only make a burger, then it's gonna taste the same everywhere you go. And so I was curious, given that you're such an avid reader. I was like, maybe this needs to be on her book list.
Natasha Cornstein (35:42):
I missed a great one. So I'm happy that you put it on our list, and I will get it into our library. We've always had a lending library at Blushington. Not to get off topic, but we've had a lending library for our team, and this past week, we debuted our lending library at Blushington for customers and found an amazing partner, Zibby Owens, and made this plan that we will open a lending library in every Blushington that we open. That this is something that's scalable. It's not a burger, it's a book. Book. Well, we'll take it. It's a book to go with our beauty. But I appreciate that recommendation and when we get off, I'm ordering it.
Kendall Berg (36:25):
That's awesome. Well, if people are listening to this and Natasha, they were inspired by you. They want to learn more about Blushington either as a potential client or as potential franchise owner. Where should they go? Where should we send them?
Natasha Cornstein (36:38):
You can find me and Blushington very easily@blushington.com you can learn more about franchising. You can also see us on Instagram, Blushington. We have somebody that's looking at our direct messages, our DMS every day. And so that's a great way to get in touch with us. And you can also shoot me an email. My email is natashablushington.com and I really try to answer every single email I get. That's awesome.
Kendall Berg (37:09):
We will definitely link all of those in the show notes below. But Natasha, thank you so much for coming on the episode. It was so great hearing about your journey, your trial and error, the ways you invest in yourself and I so appreciate you taking the time.
Natasha Cornstein (37:22):
Kendall, thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity. You have amazing guests and incredible career yourself, so I really appreciate that you gave me the opportunity.
Kendall Berg (37:33):
Appreciate it. Well, if you like today's episode, make sure you leave us five stars. If you have any questions for Natasha or myself, put them in the comments below. Otherwise, we are signing off and we will see you guys next week for another great episode.
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