The Beauty Manifest

Kendra Kolb Butler: Building a Brand & Betting on Yourself

The Beauty Manifest host, Melinda, former Sephora Beauty Director, mental health advocate, and professional speaker, has a conversation with Kendra Kolb Butler, founder and formulator of Alpyn Beauty. They discuss Kendra’s impressive career in NYC, how she left to build her own brand, and what it means to bet on yourself.  A move to Jackson Hole, WY, to open a beauty apothecary uprooted everything Kendra Kolb Butler knew from her 20-year career in clinical skincare. Even the most high performance formulas packed with clinically-proven ingredients were no match for her clients' high-altitude skin concerns, most notably extreme dryness. Kendra was determined to find a solution. It turns out, the solution was growing right in her backyard: Wyoming mountain plants with amazing survival instincts that have thrived for thousands of years despite the relentless climate. These mountain plants intuitively know how to bank moisture, concentrate nutrients and optimize life force. Their survivalist lifestyle inspired Kendra to infuse them into skincare formulas. Alpyn is the first skincare brand to sustainably hand-harvest mountain plants at their peak potency and punctuate their power with proven clinical actives. This wild-meets-clinical combination amplifies results and solves skin challenges at the deepest level. Subscribe now, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation as we redefine beauty together. **This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health condition. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-patient relationship. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional. The information provided in this podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, and you use it at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the information provided. Edited by Nicolas Spearman: https://bit.ly/4eXMGqL

Dahvi Shira: Unexpected Career Pivots, ADHD, & Trichotillomania

The Beauty Manifest host, Melinda, Sephora Beauty Director, mental health advocate, and professional speaker, has a conversation with Dahvi Shira, Los Angeles-based writer and journalist. They discuss Dahvi’s unexpected career pivots as well as her experiences with ADHD and Trichotillomania.  Dahvi Shira is a Los Angeles–based writer and journalist covering beauty, wellness, and more. Her work has appeared in leading publications including Forbes, Glossy, and Mane Addicts, where she brings a thoughtful, trend-aware perspective to topics at the intersection of lifestyle and industry. Known for her clear voice and sharp insights, she explores everything from emerging brands to broader shifts shaping modern beauty and culture. Subscribe now, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation as we redefine beauty together. **This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health condition. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-patient relationship. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional. The information provided in this podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, and you use it at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the information provided.Edited by Nicolas Spearman: https://bit.ly/4eXMGqL

Tisha Thompson: Purpose Driven Work & the Importance of Representation for Imposter Syndrome

The Beauty Manifest host, Melinda, Sephora Beauty Director, mental health advocate, and professional speaker, has a conversation with Tisha Thompson, founder of LYS Beauty. They discuss the purpose driven work and the importance of representation and how it relates to imposter syndrome. Tisha Thompson, founder and CEO of LYS Beauty, is a beauty industry veteran with over 20 years of experience developing and marketing clean beauty products. As a trained makeup artist and seasoned executive, her career is marked by uncovering today’s beauty consumers’ needs, from skin concerns to financial priorities. In 2021, Tisha launched LYS Beauty to redefine clean beauty with inclusive, high-performing products for all skin tones, types, and budgets. Her expertise in complexion has driven viral, cult-favorite products, solidifying her as a leading voice in the beauty industry. Subscribe now, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation as we redefine beauty together. **This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health condition. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-patient relationship. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional. The information provided in this podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, and you use it at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the information provided.

Josie Maran: The Power of the Matriarchy & Manifestation

The Beauty Manifest host, Melinda Solares, Sephora Beauty Director, mental health advocate, and professional speaker, has a conversation with Josie Maran, founder of Josie Maran Beauty. They discuss the power of the matriarchy and manifestation through Josie’s vulnerability, sharing her own life experiences and the journey that brought her to where she is today.  Josie Maran is a model, entrepreneur, and longtime advocate for conscious beauty who built her brand on one simple truth, feeling good is the truest form of beauty. After discovering the power of pure Argan Oil during her travels, she was inspired to bring this nutrient-rich ingredient to the center of modern skincare.   In 2007, she founded JOSIE MARAN®, creating high-performance products powered by sustainably sourced Argan Oil and rooted in transparency. What began with a single bottle of 100% Pure Organic Argan Oil has grown into a full collection of skin, body, and hair essentials designed to deliver visible results while honoring people and planet.   As the leader of a B Corp certified beauty house, Josie has championed traceable sourcing, refillable packaging, and partnerships with women-led Argan cooperatives in Morocco. Her approach blends efficacy with responsibility, proving that luxury and sustainability can live in the same jar.   Today, Josie continues to shape a brand where glow is earned through care, impact is measured through action, and beauty feels joyful, inclusive, and real. Subscribe now, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation as we redefine beauty together. **This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health condition. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-patient relationship. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional. The information provided in this podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, and you use it at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the information provided.Edited by Nicolas Spearman: https://bit.ly/4eXMGqL

Vanessa Santos Leon: Re-Building for You, Discovering Your Authentic Self, & the Accompanying Emotional Pain

The Beauty Manifest host, Melinda, Sephora Beauty Director, mental health advocate, and professional speaker, has a conversation with Vanessa Santos Leon, Forbes Most Powerful Women of Latin America honoree, a Kennedy Center inaugural entrepreneur award recipient, and extraordinary business builder. They discuss what it is like re-building personally and professionally, discovering your authentic self through the process, and the emotional pain that comes with great growth.  Vanessa spent twenty years building companies that made other people wealthy. She was great at it, scaling platforms to 120+ countries at Gilt.com, winning a CES Innovation Award at Mastercard, co-leading a digital platform that reached 12 million students across Latin America. As CEO of #WeAllGrow Latina, she co-scaled the company to multi-millions in revenue, and helped inject $20M+ back into the Latina economy. Corporate wanted her in lanes. She doesn't do lanes. She poured everything in: co-scaling, building, leading, but as women of color often do, she sacrificed well beyond her means. So after seeing the acquisition of #WeAllGrow Latina through in 2025, she chose to exit. Gave herself space to recover. Got real with herself. Free of identities. Free of expectations. What emerged was Build The Dream Holdings, a media and lifestyle company for women who are done breaking themselves apart to succeed. A newsletter reaching 10K+ subscribers. A podcast. A growing community. An advisory practice for founders who want strategy without the burnout. And a product line on the way. (Want in? Join the list [https://vsantos.co/newsletter].) Vanessa is a Forbes Most Powerful Women of Latin America honoree, a Kennedy Center inaugural entrepreneur award recipient, and an investor in brands like Bloomi, Nopalera, Lil' Libros, Agua Bonita, and Earth Rides, backing diverse founders and women building what they didn't see growing up. Every room she's been in, every company she's built, every lesson she's learned, it all led here. She's proof that you don't have to fit in a lane to build something extraordinary. Washington Heights. The Bronx. Daughter of immigrants. A first-generation Latina founder who didn't inherit a path, she built one. In an industry where every major voice is white, she's creating at a level most people only talk about. Wealthy. Whole. And just getting started. Build The Dream. Honor The Human.™ Subscribe now, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation as we redefine beauty together. **This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health condition. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-patient relationship. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional. The information provided in this podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, and you use it at your own risk. We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the information provided. Edited by Nicolas Spearman: https://bit.ly/4eXMGqL