This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.   The mission at Naturally Serious is to provide skincare products that take the guesswork out of the equation - particularly for consumers who are always on the go.   Co-founders Sarah McNamara and Rochelle Jacobs say their partnership is the key to their success.   "We divide and conquer," Rochelle says. "Our skill sets have a lot of similar strengths."   Keeping its products easy to use, really effective, and not too expensive all help the brand as well, they say.   "We want to take the guesswork out of the product assortment and come up with a line that would work for women just like us on the go, whether they're a new mom or an overworked mom, whatever it was," Rochelle says. "The thing that was so beautiful about how this line came together is that it's not only good for people on the go like we are, but it's great for those entering the skincare market for the first time and just so overwhelmed by all the different choices."   The pair credit their relationship with Sephora for helping Naturally Serious stand out in a saturated market.   "Sephora is the largest beauty retailer in the world where we currently sell naturally serious, and they've been our partner all the way along," Sarah says. "They have so much rigor around the process of product selection. They look at every single item or product within their stores and demand incredible high level, efficacious products that perform."   Among their challenges are managing the price, developing the right marketing mix, and delivering clean, natural products.   "Rochelle and I are very passionate about the quality of the formula, what's in it, how it performs, it's packaging - all of those issues," Sarah says. Rochelle adds that some products took up to 20 iterations before they were approved.   Rochelle says that the COVID pandemic was an additional - and unexpected - challenge because it meant the brand's in-store presence became obsolete.   One big difference for Naturally Serious is that the brand owns and operates its manufacturing facility - an unusual asset for a newer brand. Rochelle says that the facility has been around since 1999, allowing the brand access to experienced chemists who could understand the company's vision.   "Getting the benefits for it has been phenomenal, and I think because the quality that we're fully in control of, the innovation that we're in control of can't be met by somebody new entering the market," Rochelle says. "We're not getting leftovers. We're innovating."   In Part 1, Sarah and Rochelle talk about:   * Gratitude for each other's support in their business and personal lives. * An overview of the brand and their parallel personal lives. * The importance of their relationship with Sephora. * The challenges of the "clean beauty" space. * The effect of the COVID pandemic on the brand. * The advantage to owning a manufacturing facility.   Join Ramon Vela, Sarah McNamara, and Rochelle Jacobs as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.   For more on Naturally Serious, visit: https://www.naturallyseriousskin.com/    Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.   *   This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.   Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.   Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.   Take 8 minutes, or less, to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.   Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription