Voices 45 - “You Gotta Have Thick Skin” Beauty Founder Arthur Gardner Smith on Haircare, Entrepreneurship & Leaving the 9-to-5

Join our newsletter! Our community insights, global commerce perspectives, sent to your inbox every Weekend: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://evolvecommunity.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to join the #01 community of senior commerce leaders spanning 43 markets? Request your application today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:⁠//www.evolve-community.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this episode our host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edilsa Bueno⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, talks with Arthur Gardner Smith.Hair is in his blood. Growing up watching his mom and aunts care for their hair, Arthur Gardner Smith learned early on how hair shapes identity, confidence, and self-expression. From corporate life to founding [re]formation hair, he shares the challenges of leaving the 9-to-5, navigating the chaos of the first six months, and building a business driven by passion, purpose, and relationships. In this episode, Arthur opens up about making every decision—from brand colors to workflow—the people who supported him when the dream felt heavy, and how embracing your true self can start with something as simple as hair.Arthur Gardner Smith is the CEO & Founder of [re]formation hair, a beauty-biotech startup reinventing hair straighteners without harmful chemicals. A former Fortune 500 executive and Danaher leader, he has held senior roles across Operations, M&A, Sales & Marketing, and Product in beauty and life sciences. Arthur holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSc. in Economics from The Wharton School.For more on his founder journey, follow along on tiktok @ceo_reformationhair.👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!