In this episode, Lauren and Stef sit down with Liz Whitman, founder of Exponent Beauty, former President and CMO of The Red Door by Elizabeth Arden, and investment partner at XFactor Ventures. Liz recounts the inception of Exponent Beauty, sparked by an epiphany about the superior efficacy of freshly mixed skincare ingredients by estheticians, leading her to question the effectiveness of pre-mixed retail products. Her exhaustive three-year investigation, including third-party testing, confirmed that skincare's active potency diminishes once opened. With a rich background in entrepreneurship and beauty, Liz details the inspiration, challenges, and strategic decisions behind founding Exponent Beauty—from securing funding and building a solid cap table to assembling the right team and identifying the target market.