Lissy Skincare's Secrets to Building Loyalty Through TikTok and Personalized Support With Founder & CEO Lissy Kotter

Mariah Parsons, Host of Retention Chronicles and Head of Marketing at Malomo is joined by Alyssa (Lissy) Kotter, the Founder and CEO of Lissy Skincare, a brand specializing in acne and fungal acne-safe skincare products. Lissy shares her background as an esthetician and her struggles with acne, which led her to create a line of products that cleared her skin. The brand's flagship product, the Mandelic serum, launched in 2022 and has been highly effective. Lissy discusses the challenges of developing fungal acne-safe products, the importance of customer experience, and the role of TikTok in driving sales and customer retention. She also hints at an upcoming moisturizer launch and plans for Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. Episode Timestamps 1:48 Lissy's Background and Skincare Brand Lissy introduces herself as the founder of Lissy Skincare, a brand focused on acne and fungal acne-safe skincare. Lissy explains the brand's mission to create products that are safe for acne-prone skin, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Mariah asks Lissy to explain the difference between typical acne and fungal acne. Lissy describes typical acne as lesions that come to a head and heal, while fungal acne is an overgrowth of yeast on the skin that looks like flesh-colored bumps and does not react to typical acne treatments. 21:55 Lissy's Journey to Founding Lissy Skincare Lissy shares her background as an esthetician and her struggles with acne since middle school. Lissy discusses her decision to attend esthetician school to learn how to clear up her own acne and help others. Despite her training and using various skincare products and treatments, Lissy's acne persisted, leading to a teacher's concern about her job prospects. Lissy's research into fungal acne triggers and her frustration with finding fungal acne-safe products inspired her to create her own skincare line. 22:11 Product Development and Launch Lissy describes the process of developing Lissy Skincare products, starting with the Mandelic serum. The Mandelic serum cleared Lissy's acne and fungal acne within days, leading to the brand's launch in 2022. Lissy explains the importance of ensuring all products are fungal acne-safe and safe for pregnancy. The brand has since added three more products: a Hydrating Serum, a Vitamin C serum, and a cleanser, all of which are fungal acne-safe. 22:27 Customer Experience and Retention Strategies Mariah and Lissy discuss the importance of customer experience and retention in e-commerce. Lissy acknowledges the need to improve customer experience and mentions her team's efforts to provide excellent customer service. Lissy highlights the role of TikTok in driving sales and the challenges of not having customer emails from TikTok shop. The brand uses email flows, social media, and a subscription model to retain customers and encourage repeat purchases. 22:46 TikTok Strategy and Paid Advertising Lissy shares the success of TikTok shop in driving viral videos and sales for Lissy Skincare. Despite the saturation of TikTok shop, Lissy continues to post videos and engage with customers on the platform. The brand has recently started experimenting with paid advertising on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to diversify its marketing efforts. Lissy emphasizes the importance of video content for selling products and sharing customer testimonials. 40:08 Future Plans and Final Thoughts Lissy teases the upcoming launch of a moisturizer on October 24, which has been in development for almost a year. The moisturizer is a significant product for the brand, as it is challenging to find fungal acne-safe moisturizers. Lissy mentions plans for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to attract more customers. Mariah wraps up the episode by congratulating Lissy on her upcoming launch and thanking her for sharing her journey and insights.