6 Questions | Head of Marketing at Youth To The People

Welcome back to our “6 questions” series where we ask someone 6 career-centric questions about themselves.

This week we’re chatting with Carrie Steinberg, Head of Marketing at Youth To The People.

Being head of marketing comes with a lot of different tasks and challenges. What is an average day in your role like?

Luckily every day is a little different. I work on brand marketing, product marketing, and retail marketing which gives me the opportunity to collaborate with many different teams within our organization on different projects. When I can, my favorite thing to do is prioritize working sessions—zoom working sessions that is. Working sessions give me an opportunity to meet with my co-workers either individually or in a larger group setting to ask questions in real time and have brainstorm sessions for something as large as a product launch or brand campaign, and as small as an email or product copy.

You’ve worked at several amazing beauty companies. How did you get your foot in the door in the industry and how have you continued to find opportunities in the same field?

Well, when I was in college I wasn’t really sure what industry I wanted to end up in so I did everything I could to intern every summer at brands and organizations that aligned with my interests and beliefs. I was a field intern for Hillary Clinton when she ran for NY Senate. The next summer I was an editorial intern for Wallpaper magazine in NYC, and the summer after that I clerked in a law office in LA. When I graduated college, I realized the common denominator for all of the internships was writing, so I kept that up and got my first job working in the SF offices for Architectural Digest and Vanity Fair and eventually applied for my first job in beauty at The Body Shop! I found the job post searching Hot Jobs (it was like Indeed in the old days) and applied using the resume I had built interning all those summers in college. To my surprise, they actually hired me, and the rest is history!

How has COVID shifted your job / industry, if at all?

Oh COVID. It’s shifted my job and the entire industry a lot! Events were an important component—from brand events, to retailer events, and even networking events. Everything and everyone has had to evolve and think differently. It’s been a hard but fun challenge at Youth To The People. Luckily, we are a digital-first brand, so we’ve been thinking that way from inception. We’ve reimagined everything from in store education to PR events. Back in mid-March we launched Skin Sessions, a personal 1:1 skincare consultation featuring our incredibly expert field team where you can learn everything from your skin type to what skincare routine is right for you based on your skin concerns. I would encourage everyone to try it!

Favorite campaign or recent project that has been exciting to work on?

Oh man, that’s a hard one! Ok, its somewhat of a two-parter. In January 2019 we launched a product called Superberry Dream Mask and created a campaign that really highlighted the concept of Dreams. The campaign had two sides, one side focused on the product benefit with our slogan: LESS HATE, HYDRATE, and the emotive side was our statement of belief: NO WALLS. JUST DREAMS. It was a powerful campaign that really started a conversation with our community. Just last month, in September 2020, we launched the sister product to Dream Mask called Dream Eye Cream and in the campaign we continue the conversation about Dreams by talking about what it means to Dream Beyond. It’s such a fun concept that has definitely made me think more deeply about what that means for me.

Most challenging part of your job? Most rewarding part of working for YTTP?

Well, in the here and now, it’s being and working remote. I have a three-year-old and I have had more than a few incidences where I have been delivering a presentation to a retailer and internally to colleagues where my son runs in the room and screams or interrupts me. It’s challenging but also humbling. We’re all at home with our own unique set of challenges and in many ways, in it together. It’s also one way to really get to know your co-workers. And the most rewarding part, working with those same co-workers. We have SUCH a talented team that I love learning from and growing with.

Advice for someone wanting to work in marketing, specifically in the beauty industry?

If it’s your passion, keep at it. There are so many ways these days to network digitally. I’ve been really inspired by a number of young women who have reached out to me personally on LinkedIn to share their passion and experience. Don’t be afraid to reach out. This type of networking didn’t exist when I started in the industry and girl, do I wish it did!