Meet The Disruptors: Shay Paresh Of SHAYDE BEAUTY On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Failure always seemed unacceptable…. We grew up within an education system where failing held you back. After jumping into entrepreneurship, I quickly recognized that each wrong turn is an experiment, not the end. Learn how to fail so that failure turns into a beginning. Learn from the mistakes you identify and be better next time around.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shay Paresh.
Shay Paresh is the founder of SHAYDE BEAUTY, a science backed skincare line made with melanin in mind. Shay has worked to develop formulations that address the specific dermatological needs of skin of color by reducing inflammation, which can often result in dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve struggled with hyperpigmentation and acne scarring since my early teens. Often, the products I would use would make my hyperpigmentation worse or not help at all. They were dated, antiquated, and honestly not appealing.. I always wished there was a brand that offered products that were not only efficacious and simple to use, but also catered to my melanin skin.
During my time working in Creative Marketing at some of the worlds most established beauty brands, I saw first-hand how diversity was treated as an afterthought not just in marketing, but down to the product development process. That’s when SHAYDE BEAUTY was born. All of our products are vegan and cruelty-free, backed by science, contain clinically proven actives, and are sustainably made.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
At SHAYDE, we’re on a mission to change the personal care ecosystem for Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI. Less than 3% of brands in the industry cater to Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI. Meanwhile 40% of Americans are people with skin of color and this is estimated to grow beyond 50% by 2045. While globally 80% of all people are with skin of color, most of the clinical studies, research and products on the market are not geared towards those with skin of color.
(By definition : Fitzpatrick skin types (or phototypes) — FST (or FSP) — refer to a skin tone scale developed to classify skin coloring and response to ultraviolet (UV) radiation)
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My grandmother is one of the most impressive people I know. From the time I was little, I remember her unexplainable ability to command respect and attention in a room. I can recall following her around work everyday after school and witnessing her passion for helping others. She’s always able to connect with those around her in a meaningful way with open arms and she’s able to build a community around her everywhere we go. To this day, I use her strength to fuel my own.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
We are in an age where ‘disruption’ has almost lost its meaning. However, I find disruption in all things to be imperative to change and innovation. Without change, imagine where we would be right this moment.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
My strongest piece of advice that I have ever received is “organize or agonize”. That goes for my personal and professional life.
Another big one is that failure is ok!
Failure always seemed unacceptable…. We grew up within an education system where failing held you back. After jumping into entrepreneurship, I quickly recognized that each wrong turn is an experiment, not the end. Learn how to fail so that failure turns into a beginning. Learn from the mistakes you identify and be better next time around.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next? We’re really excited to launch globally in the near future and offer even more innovative products to those underserved by the beauty industry.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
One of my all time favorite books is Shoe Dog (A Memoir by the Creator of Nike) because I felt connected to his struggles. It was a good reminder to trust your intuition, never give up, and using the resources around you to level up.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Find a strong support network that inspires you to keep going. Science has shown that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. It’s vital to surround yourself with the right people, personally and professionally.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Set an intention and trust yourself. Don’t let others dim your light. Be able to adapt. Most importantly, just keep swimming.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.instagram.com/shayparesh
https://www.instagram.com/shaydebeauty/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Meet The Disruptors: Shay Paresh Of SHAYDE BEAUTY On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
