Christina forayed into the beauty and fashion industry because she wanted to witness all the fun, excitement and glamour that comes with it, while overcoming her own challenges and struggles. Christina Flach is the President and CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup — her celebratory shout-out to all the girls to make them feel beautiful.
With more than 20 years of experience in the business, Christina uses her knowledge to create stylish and trendy lip, eye, and face products. She is passionate to deliver one-of-a-kind high-end beauty products that are mixed and matched with natural ingredients, and other essential oils.
Besides creating luxurious beauty experiences, Christina dons’ multiple hats gracefully. She is a Sepsis Awareness Advocate, grief expert and shares her experience across various platforms like magazines, podcasts, blogs. She also successfully runs her own blog — Love, Life, Laugh and Lipgloss and is thrilled to start a new skincare and makeup line with her partner, Jordan.
In this Exclusive Interview, Christina Flach shares about her journey, her beliefs, and Pretty Girl Makeup.
What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?
I think a transformational leader selects a team of experts that can come together and work as a highly functioning team. I try to integrate that thought process into my leadership, by having open dialogue with my team, respect for what they do, and most importantly letting them have the creative freedom to excel in their specific area of expertise.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?
My childhood was interrupted by my mother being diagnosed with brain cancer when I was eight years old. As the oldest child, I had to step up, to help around my home with cooking and cleaning. Not having a mom that was physically and emotionally available because of her disease, was challenging as I was going through my teenage years and wanted a mothers’ guidance.
I think that as the oldest child of a terminally ill parent, it forced me to take charge to support my dad and my sister and my mother as best I could, which I think helped me later in my life. I have not let these tragedies make my life tragic, rather it made me stronger and resilient when faced with bumps in life’s road.
What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the beauty and fashion industry?
I have always had a love of fashion and beauty products. Looking forward to the latest magazines to see what the latest trend was. Watching celebrities on television and looking at all the beautiful faces at the award shows definitely trained my eye for beauty.
I’m a very visual person so I think I wanted a life that was full of beauty, not just with clothes and makeup, but also my home being decorated, clean, organized but at the same time cozy and inviting for my family and friends.
What led to the formation of Pretty Girl Makeup? What was the idea behind its name?
As a mother of 5 that was constantly in a battle of drinking water and putting lip gloss on while I drove my kids to school and all their activities. I could not find a lip gloss that lasted long enough that was not matte or drying out my lips. I decided to contact a beauty chemist to formulate my own lip gloss that was long lasting, hydrating, and good for my skin.
The name Pretty Girl came about when I was in Hawaii with my family and friends sitting by the pool. My kids had finally gotten to an age where I didn’t need to be in the pool with them, my friend Claudia made the funniest comment,” Honey, we’re just sitting here looking at magazines, lying in the sun acting like Pretty Girls!”
That made me laugh so hard, but I also thought every mother that is working and trying to get everything done in her day, is a Pretty Girl and deserves to be made to feel like one. I thought that was the perfect name for my company and being inspired by the creators of Benefit cosmetics. They had fabulous packaging and very whimsical names. I remember making lists and lists of funny names like Private Jet, Let’s Go Shopping, Soulmates, Love of my Life, Day at the Spa, that I wanted to name my products.
Being the CEO and Founder, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?
The first thing I do when I wake up is check in with my amazing assistant Mayah, who keeps my calendar organized with meetings, documents to look over, interviews I may have. Next comes checking in with my partner Jordan, followed by checking in with the marketing team and sales. I want everyone on my team to feel like they have access to me when they need it. But I also want them to have the freedom to do their job. I know what’s going on with everyone and get final approval, but I always think it’s best to let the experts on my team do what they do best.
What is the approach followed by you and your team in order to ensure optimal client satisfaction?
We are constantly watching industry trends and listening to our clients via email and social media. My agents still book me on photo shoots, which helps to keep me in a creative mode and not just being a CEO. I love having my artistic outlet, working on these shoots and being able to work with my team at Pretty Girl to run at the highest level possible, being profitable and we are very proud of the products that we sent out into the world.
What has the journey been like for Christina Flach over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?
My journey over the years has definitely had its ups and downs. My son Beau passing away on Christmas day when he was 4 1/2 months old 15 years ago definitely affected my career professionally but also personally. I went through a divorce and learning to grieve my child while still being a mother and trying to run my business was really tough. Then my husband Ken Flach passing away in 2018 from Sepsis, and dealing with the pandemic, have been more obstacles that I have learned to ride the waves of. If I look back on what I would do differently, I would be a lot gentler on myself.
Looking back, I know I did the best I could with the situations I was dealt with. I beat myself up emotionally, not feeling I did enough each day and feeling like a failure when in reality I was still just going through emotional turmoil and grief.
What would be your advice for emerging women leaders in the beauty space?
The best advice that I could give anyone in the beauty industry or in any other space is that if you love what you’re doing so much, you won’t mind working the long hours, seven days a week and not earning a ton of money at the beginning. But if you love what you’re doing and are passionate about your goals, I know that hard work pays off and you will be successful. Loving what you’re doing is contagious and people can feel your positive energy.
What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your biggest learning?
I think the biggest roadblock I’ve had was not getting a business plan sooner and getting investors to expand. I have learned that being uncomfortable is actually part of the process, will only make you stronger and more confident in the end.
Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?
My future is looking very exciting, my partner Jordan and I are going to be partnering with two other investors to create a new line skincare and make up line. I am open and excited about all new adventures in my business and personal life. Having balance in my life is key for me being successful in my professional life. My heart is full, and I am very happy!
