What advice would you give your younger self who is just starting out in the industry? 
Approach everything without preconceived notions. It’s hard, but if you can keep an open mind, you can surprise yourself with where you end up.

What is the favorite part of your job?

What I find interesting in this field is the artistry and individuality that comes with problem solving. You can give three formulators the same marketing brief: develop a new shampoo. But, each person will approach it differently, based on their experiences, their interaction with vendors, the research they do. So, at the end, you can have three very different formulas. At Living Proof, we have a small (but mighty) team of chemists. We all have different backgrounds, so we all have different thought processes. I love just talking through ideas with all of them, seeing how different their thought processes are than mine, using that to morph what I’m doing into something even better than what I initially envisioned. The same is true with my colleagues in the industry. I often pick up a phone, call a vendor to request a sample. And, over the course of our conversation, they suggest a different approach that I may not have thought of. That evolution of product development is what I love.

How has membership in the SCC been of value to you?

I think in today’s society, we have so much access to information in a short period of time. It’s easy to stay in your office/lab and look up research articles on the computer. But, talking to people can sometimes unearth a knowledge not captured or not published (yet). Membership in the SCC, especially attending meetings, has given me a network of resources – and friends – I wouldn’t have otherwise.

What is a fun fact about yourself, outside of the SCC and your professional life?

I joke that, as a working mom, I sometimes try and overcompensate with the hope my kids will remember the things I do more than the field trips or class parties that I miss. One of the most notable ways I do this is by making elaborate Halloween costumes (see attached photo). Each year, my kids (and now my nephew) come up with costume ideas that can’t be purchased in stores (or, can but they tell me “you can do it better”) to challenge me. I’m often drafting patterns and sewing from August to October trying to get all the costumes done in my (limited) free time. But, I love seeing them running around proudly when complete.