Agnes Chapski, the new president of SANDOW’s NewBeauty and Beauty Engine is helping to transform the brand for the digital era and strengthen revenue streams. It’s a goal she is familiar with from her time as publisher and chief revenue officer at Allure and, before that, as the associate publisher of Vanity Fair and Lucky. NewBeauty, the beauty-focused publication launched by Adam Sandow in 2005, is relaunching it’s editorial publication this week and website early next year, but Chapski has been putting the plan in action since she started at SANDOW in September 2017.
“I joined SANDOW to help the company develop the NewBeauty brand into a full omnichannel offering for consumers and marketing partners that are interested in appealing to beauty-committed women in their 30’s and older,” she told me, “We are developing Beauty Engine as a full-service beauty solutions company that will help brands large and small gain access to our key consumers and expertise through our multitude of marketing and media assets.” I spoke with Chapski about how to grow a media brand into a diversified business and what she has learned throughout her career path.
You were previously the publisher and chief revenue officer at Allure and associate publisher of Vanity Fair and Lucky. How have the skills you learned in your previous roles been beneficial for your new role?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work at and lead strong brands. At the foundation, developing brands is what’s exciting about this business and, at the time, Condé Nast understood, appreciated and supported that. As an organization, they allowed their leaders to run and be accountable for their business. I learned brand lead marketing, client-centric selling and how to take the power of the brand and extend it to monetize in other areas such as with Lucky Shops, Allure’s“Best Of Beauty” seal and Allure’s Beauty Box.
How is NewBeauty building new innovative solutions for partners?
Our founder, Adam, has never considered himself a traditional publisher. He’s always lead with business ideas first and then created vehicles to engage and capture consumers. NewBeauty essentially launched to provide women with credible beauty information and to speak to them about the latest innovative solutions and cosmetic enhancement procedures. Adam simultaneously launched NewBeauty’s TestTube subscription sampling business (long before any beauty sampling businesses existed) to help consumers discover the best products to solve their problems. Our approach has always been consumer-first.
How do you forsee NewBeauty evolving? Please tell me about the editorial relaunch.
The editorial relaunch of the magazine is in response to the shift of our consumer. In the past, women were very compartmentalized about their beauty. There was a divide among women – those that were more interested in serious beauty and those who were more interested in traditional lifestyle beauty. Now they are the same woman – they are not compartmentalized. It is time to address all of their needs from a beauty perspective and take them on a journey each issue to discover their interests and solve their beauty concerns.
The new NewBeauty is elevated and visual while still maintaining it’s critical expertise. It takes our reader on a journey and helps her navigate a very complicated space. It is not only important to give her the best and most accurate information, but to inspire and engage with her – that is what the new NewBeauty is doing.
What are some of the ways you are continuing to build revenue streams for NewBeauty and Beauty Engine?
NewBeauty was already diversified in its revenue streams when I arrived. Our strategy is to take all of our incredible assets to the next level and to develop them even more to engage our consumers and support our marketing partners. Beauty Engine is the umbrella over all our assets whether it’s our media properties, brand extensions, sampling businesses, credentialing, marketing or experiential activations.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned at work, and how did you learn it?
Be strategic and forward-thinking but nimble enough to change course if needed. And be calm, firm and strong in your beliefs.
What is one thing that you wish you had known when you were starting out your career?
That things aren’t always fair – I was naïve.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I ever received was to pay attention to your personal life. At the end of the day, people will remember you for your friendships, family and personal connections, not just the job you did. And take time to reboot – always take your vacation.
What is your career advice for other young professional women?
Follow your interests and passions, find a job that will lead you there and work hard. And lastly, don’t be entitled – earn each step you take.
Photo credit: Agnes Chapski/Jason Lindberg
