How I Built Hailey Bieber’s Favourite Beauty Brand In My 30’s (They Thought I Was Just Pretty!)

Do you feel like people treat you differently as the founder of Genchi versus being a model when you introduce yourself? Yes, there has been so many lows. Mari Fonseca, you're 16. It's a small city in Brazil at the time. You're booking jobs modeling. I was like begging my parent, please take me to some power look. And then from there I just never came back home. A lot of my dreams as a model came true, but not all of them. A lot of jobs don't pay much. The magazines don't pay anything. I don't enjoy it. I really don't enjoy it anymore. What was the hardest part when you decided to transition from being a model to being an entrepreneur? When you take a meeting, sometimes guys would just like hit on me. It was really hard to come around that people with respect to. You're pretty already like be happy with that. I'm an immigrant. I have an accent. I don't have a business background. I think people could tell I don't know what I'm doing. I just have this dream to do a brand. I started a brand with. I was prepping for this interview. Holy this is Haley Reverse, favorite lymphatic drainage brand. I used to bring the packaging to different big retailers, so like a Sephora or Target. And just imagine that they were there manifesting pre and now seeing it for real. Wow, we did this. If there is one thing if people are looking to glow up, I always tell them. In case you missed it, you're allowed to be hot, smart and rich, so let's get into it. Marie Fonseca, are you ready to get a hot smart rich? Yes. Are you nervous if you're. I'm excited. You were one of the hardest people to plan to book with because you live a very busy life. You just got back from Paris doing some wedding dress trions. Can you tell us about that? My mom came from Brazil and we tried my wedding dress. It's almost ready and it's like a dream. I feel like you have to be a very, very secure woman to date a famous musician, especially Drill from the Chain Sokers. Like, have you always been secure or was that something you've learned over time? I think there's two things. I think it's a personality thing that I always felt secure, but I also think it's like us in Brazil. We don't compare ourselves a lot. Going back a little bit to growing up in Brazil, what did it look like in your family in terms of the relationship that your parents had? My parents got divorced when I was nine. Okay. But both loving parents, they're both in my life still and I love them so much and they didn't work out because they got married really young. And then my mom got remarried when I was 12. I actually was the flower girl at her wedding. I lived with my step-dad and my mom and my sister for two more years, three more years and then my mom got pregnant. She had my brother. I was 15 and then I started modeling. So I just left. Did you have any entrepreneurs in your family? Like, did your mom have any entrepreneurial people in her family or a dad or this was like the first person at 16 that was like, I'm leaving and I'm going to go do my own thing? I think I was the first one, but I also my mom started like studying really young and she moved away from her city, but it's like the city next to her. So I think I was the more like the one that just really wanted to like break out of like being in my city. I just felt like it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to do something else. I wanted to do more and I always dreamed of coming to the United States. I always like had this dream. I didn't know it was going to happen, but I needed to try because I just felt like I didn't have a future in my city that I would be happy. So I just had to go. You're 16. You're living, it's a small city in Brazil at the time. Are you leaving your city to go do that or they're kind of in your city, but they're small? They started in my city. Okay. Small. When I was 13, I was already like doing like kind of like little jobs here and there. My dad has like these friends. They own a store and they're like, oh, Marty should model for us. So like it started there. So I had like some pictures and some like little runway stuff. And I sent that to a modeling agency. That was like in the very beginning of also like having internet and being able to send like an email with photos and all of that. And then some agencies rolled back and they were like, we would like to meet you and everything. And I was like bagging my parents like, please take me to São Paulo because I'm from another state. Okay. And then they took me to São Paulo. We met some of the agencies and I was like so excited. And this agency that wasn't very good signed me. And I was like, please, please let me stay. So like we went back to my city. It took some convincing from like my dad and my mom and everything. And then they both were like, okay, let's go with her. Let's see, you know, how this is. And so we went back to São Paulo to see where I was going to live. And my mom was like, you need to continue going to school. So we found a school for me. And it was the same school that some of my roommates, model roommates had. Yeah, it was really interesting like how everything started because I never thought it would like I would be here today. But like I had to convince my parents and be like, please like let me go. And they wanted to make sure like I had a good place to stay. I had a school to go to. And then from there, I just like never came back home to live in my house. So you moved technically out at 16, which is a lot younger than most people. Yeah. Do you feel like there is a part of you that is relearning your childhood because you did become an adult so quickly? That's a great question. I think so. Honestly, like I'm doing pole dancing right now. I was hoping you wanted that, which is not at all what you do as a child. But like when I, obviously, but when I saw, I saw my mom now in Paris and she brought some videos from when we were kids because I want to, I want to like do a little collage for our wedding. Like drew as a child, me as a child and as growing up and meeting each other. Okay. So a lot of my life was like dancing. I did ballet for six years. And so sometimes I like miss that. And now that I have a little more time, I'm like, yes, I want to do this and this stuff that like hobbies that I used to do as a child. So yes. Which I feel like is so important. And it needs to be talked about more because the most successful people that I'm around have actual hobbies. Like they are spending time to carve out and think and do these things that like actually make them a better person. So when you were 16 and you had this big dream of leaving your small city and becoming a model, what did you expect it was going to be like? Honestly, I expect it was going to be more like the dream that you have. Like I used to watch like the Victoria Secret fashion show, for example, and see like Adriana Lima, Alessandro and Brozio, Giselle Binching, and they are like all Brazilians and they are all different from each other. And that was what I like, I hoped for, and imagined for me. Not necessarily like V.S., but more like I want to be like those girls. Like they're so gorgeous. They're so confident. And like, I want to have a successful career as well. But I went to Asia before I went anywhere else. So like, I stayed in Asia for almost two and a half years, like going from China to Singapore to Hong Kong Thailand to the Philippines. Like I lived everywhere in Asia first. And then I did the same thing in Europe and kind of lived everywhere because at the time to get a visa to come to the United States, it's always been hard. But at the time there was no like real like internet or like there were like magazines or actually printed magazines. So I had to like collect like work from those magazines, like printed magazines printed, you know, like campaigns and like signs from like photographers saying like she's a real model. Like I worked with her. You had to collect all that stuff, have an agency to, you know, sponsor your visa for you, which for me was elite. And you collect all of that, which takes like a really long time. You send it to them. Then they file for the visa with all of those magazines and stuff. And then you finally get approved. So like only that took me like a few years to start. I dream to come to the US like earlier, but it happened when I was 21. So like from 16 to 21, I was like around the world in other places and trying to build that portfolio. And then I moved here and you know, I was living in New York for seven years. It's not that like fairytale thing that people think, you know, like that glamour and that you just have like you're just making so much money with every job. Like a lot of jobs don't pay much. Even the jobs that you think are super glamorous like magazines, the magazines don't pay anything or like show. Sometimes they can pay really little because it's a lot about like you being in a magazine is good for you. It's a trade off that like the magazines know about. And so it's not that like you make this crazy amount of money and you know, it's a build-up to get to that place. And it's not that glamorous like there is a lot of like hard work that goes behind the scenes that people don't see necessarily, you know, like you're far from your family, you're in another country that maybe you don't speak that language. There is like a lot of different the seasons of the year. Like I'm from Brazil, we only have summer. And then I go to New York and it's like this winter that I've never I've never even seen snow. And then I'm like leaving it like I don't even have shoes or clothes that I don't know how to dress up for that. So like you're just like so much struggles that you know people don't realize and like you don't have a lot of money. I couldn't go back home because I didn't have a lot of money in the beginning. So I would never see my family. You know like there's a lot of like little things that you have to sacrifice really for for this career. A lot of the time you hear model and you kind of roll your eye. like, "Oh, pretty, but like must be nice," and it's not very hard. What do you think coming as a model is the hardest stereotype to shake now that you do so much more than just modeling? I mean, I think it's being smart. Like, people don't think that you can be beautiful and smart at the same time. Hot Smirage. You have to pick one, especially because we live in a society where women cannot be like bosses, or we cannot run a company or run the country. So there is this feeling always that you're not enough, or you're pretty already, be happy with that, and being pretty and smart and rich. It's just something that it's not very acceptable sometimes, and I think that is just being around whenever I try to raise money or talk about the company to anybody or even the beginning when I just had the idea, it was really hard to come around that people would respect you in a way, when you take a meeting, sometimes guys would just hit on me. And it's just like, I'm trying to talk about something serious and actually raise money, but people would just be thinking other things, or wouldn't understand what I'm trying to build, just because, I don't know, there is this stereotype of like, you can do it all, you know. You also, as a model, are always having to be in person, you're on a shoot. It's a very cash centric job. So there isn't something where you're building ownership and something, and something that I find really hard, even when I'm trying to tell my friends about the power of equity, to like invest in something with me, they're so apprehensive because I think when you're a model to, right, you're told you have a ceiling, like after 35 or 40, like you're going to be past your prime and there's going to be people younger than you, so you're trying to make as much money as possible because you're like, I need to do it now. How did you successfully transition your brain to go from like, cash to now putting everything you have into equity into your brand? I never really had a sense of money in the way I think in the United States, like people invest their money and there's their stock market and all that stuff. Like I didn't grow up like that. We grew up like from paycheck to paycheck in my house. Like we had maybe a little bit over, you know, because my parents were dentist, but still like we didn't grow up with like this sense of like you have to like invest your money and I didn't know about that until I moved to the US. So like a lot of the money that I made, I would spend it or I would save enough savings account. Like I wasn't smart with my money because I just didn't know how to be. I wasn't thought that I left Brazil really young. And so all my money from modeling now is invested. I actually feel like it's safer to, you know, make a bet in something that you really care about and because if you push, there's no like limits. There's no time limit for that. Like there is for my career as a model. So I feel like, yeah, I'm safer in that way if that makes sense. Totally. I think it's just an interesting question for people that value cash so much because a lot of the time when I'm trying to get a friend to invest into a company, they're like, but I could buy a bag with this. And it's such a hard thing to rationalize. Like even with a brand deal and that was a creator myself, right? I get offered a lot of cash deals. And sometimes with brands I really believe in, I'm like, I'll do it half for cash and half for equity. And the brands are always so shocked by that because they're like, most creators don't want to take equity for this because you never know. I mean, I have companies that have gone bankrupt. Some that will never do anything. I've lost way too much money at this point, but I think any successful person will tell you that. And so I love what you said about betting on yourself because it's so true. But I want to go back to something that you said because I think it's so important for people to hear this about aging. Do you think that being in the modeling industry for so long made you afraid to get older? In a way, yes. I am not afraid to get older. I think I enjoy getting older because when I before I turned 30 when I was 29, I had this like moment of freak out. I don't know if you had that. Same. Like I was like, oh my gosh, I'm not married. I didn't need to get on with life because I'm going to 30. And you know, I'm old. Exactly. And you just feel like, oh my gosh, from here, it's just going to go downhill. And then I woke up with 30 and I was like, okay, nothing changed. And then from now I'm 35. So like from 30 to 35, I'm actually feel more beautiful, more confident, more energetic. There is something about being on your 30s. And I don't know how it's going to be about my 40s, but I'm excited now because in my 20s, it felt like I didn't really know myself for like, now that when I look back, I'm like, I didn't have a full personality like formed. And now I'm like, I know what I want. I know what I like. I'm so confident. I just have this like extra spice as Alex would say. Yeah. It's spice and sauce because you're just older and you also like you just don't care. Yeah. You care less about like the little things or like what people think about you or how you look in this way or that way, like how you're going to say something like, I don't care. Yeah. I just am more confident. So like, I'm actually excited to be older, but I would say that anybody that's like struggling with that, it's not that big of a deal. The industry is so like developed for, you know, procedures you can do are like the wellness business is so big right now. So I feel like, why would we be afraid of, you know, be older? I think it's like nice. And I also think you changed a lot about your life, right? Like you went from being in an industry that scares you to that, to being in something that actually I would say prevents it. I really wanted to stop modeling when I started my brand. So what happened was I met somebody that kind of like encouraged me to to start a brand. And I was already kind of like thinking, what am I going to do after modeling? I don't really enjoy this job anymore. I'm a little bit like unfulfilled with it, you know, like I don't feel like I'm helping anyone. I don't feel like I'm doing anything that's like meaningful. And, you know, that dream to become this like huge model, like didn't really happen for me. So I was just like, what else is there? You know, and so I think like, you know, I believe a lot of like right place and right time. And I think a lot of the times that did not happen for me with modeling, but it happened for me with the brand, which I was at this dinner. This guy came over to say hi to other friends at the table and just sat down with us and started talking to me. And we were like, he's like, okay, you should, you should, you know, start this brand and connected me with center that we were talking about before, which helped me design the packaging and everything. And yeah, it just kind of happened. And when was this? This was 2020. Okay. It's during COVID. This is, yeah, right after COVID, it was the end of 2020, beginning of 2021. And were you dating Joe at the time? This is preacher. No, this is preacher, but I was about to meet him. I met him like 2021 in the beginning around that time, like maybe like in April of 2021. Okay. And this dinner was like in February. Okay. But yeah, it's like the transition was something that I wanted to happen. I was like looking forward to like, what else was going to be doing after modeling? So yeah, I'm very happy that this happened right place, right time, which is what I believe it was. And did you completely stop modeling once you started it or has there been a little bit of a transition where you were doing both for a bit? I was doing both for a while because, you know, modeling was still my main source of income and still is because I don't take any salary from Jane she's still. So you still do model? Not really. Okay. Not anymore. Not anymore because I don't enjoy it. Yeah. It just, it was 20 years of my life that it really was like a dream. And it set me up to do things that I'm doing now and to meet amazing people and all, you know, my whole life, I look back and I'm so happy with how it went and how, you know, it turned out. But right now, I just like don't like it. Yeah. Don't enjoy it. Do you feel like people treat you differently as the founder of Gen Chi versus being a model when you introduce yourself? Yes. Can you think of a situation where someone's like completely changed how they think about you? I think like people have a different like respect for me because in the beginning when I was talking about the brands, people just be like, okay, good luck. You're gonna do a brand cute, you know? And like, I think because I've pushed to this point now where like it's a real brand and I don't model anymore, I could take a salary if I want, but I don't want you. I want to invest in the brand. I think now that like we are, you know, profitable and it's like a real brand. A lot of my friends, like I can just see, it's not like something that they tell me, but I can just tell that like there is this different, like respect or admiration that like, yeah, some people also have mentioned to me like, wow, you talked about this brand and look how far you've come. And you know, it's really nice to like see that people can, you know, believe in you in a different way or see you in a different way that you're not just a model. Not that like modeling is just a career because it's been my career forever, but you can be putting that place where like it's kind of like a vain profession, you know, and like now I'm doing something that I don't really actually have a background on, but I'm making it happen. And I think people like admire that in any founders, I think. You mentioned this a little bit before, but I want to hear a specific situation because I think this needs to be talked about more, when you started fundraising for the brand, you had either venture capitalist head on you or just completely dismiss you being like, she's just a model with a product. Can you talk a little bit more about that? I think it's hard for anybody that's just selling an idea. So in the beginning, the products weren't here. I had this idea to do a lymphatic drainage product and a lot of the times I think now the perspective is a little different around lymphatic drainage and much more people know about it. But I think at the time I would go into these meetings with especially like males and they will be like what? Like what is the lymphatic system and lymphatic drainage? Like what are you talking about? So like a lot of the times I think people would pass because they wouldn't understand what the vision was and the body care industry became like really big in recent years but it wasn't that big when I started you know raising money like it was a lot like face and skin care on the face and makeup. Yeah it was really hard also like I'm an immigrant I have an accent I don't have a business background like I didn't have a team it's not like where I'm you know I have this whole team and we trying to build a brand and we know what we're doing. I think people could tell like I'm very green I don't know what I'm doing and I just have this like dream to do a brand and so that was hard in the beginning to get capital and then you start like we started with like angel investors and like friends and people that like would put a little bit of money here and there but like I started the brand with like $250,000 and we made like two products and they hold like campaign and and you know advertisement and release and all of that like the launch and everything with that budget so that was like difficult to do but then once the brand was like here and it's real you have like real products like then you get like more but raising money historically at least for me has been always really hard you know like you either like don't have the right numbers or you don't have the product yet or you know you are in a saturated market or there is always some reason why and I feel like only now I have a little bit of more confidence because you know the brand is three years old then we have proven you know that you know numbers and and product like efficacy and all of that stuff like we are in different retailers now so like that gives credibility you know like we are a revival we are at Nordstrom so like that gives credibility but until we got to that point it's just like I always tell Nicole my partner I'm like it's just a humiliation process you're just like humiliating yourself you're always like okay can you give me some money like this is my idea and you're just always in that process of like begging which honestly makes you stronger like there is a part of it that I appreciate I'm like in the beginning I used to be like so afraid to like go in and like now I speak with my confidence about the brand and like what we're doing and everything so like also that like helps it helped me in a way too yeah I feel like also as a model you get rejected a lot because you're constantly being put up for campaigns and you're being told no and it's based on solely what you look like which I feel like builds really strong skin because you're like I'm just being told no based on what I look like not even what I think or what I can do so I feel like in some weird way although you didn't come into this with like a crazy degree background or like experience you did come into it with a lot of rejection therapy which is I think half the battle of being a really successful entrepreneur you haven't notoriously did a lot of podcasts which I love because I just feel like people are going to know you but one of the things that you did say that when a little viral was big audiences don't equate to big sales what do you mean by that I don't know I think for our brands I obviously have a lot of friends in the industry because of my modeling career and I think that like sometimes even myself like when I post about the brands there is sometimes not that many sales as like a small influencer you know like I think we underestimate how much like smaller influencer or a person that have a very faithful following can do for your brands and I think that that's have been for us like a proven you know concept and over and over again like the little you know influencer in the middle of the US that makes a video that's so genuine that like that one's is the one that converts for us so I think that that it's been always our our memo now to just like not look for like let's not like go out and like pay celebrities or like the word of mouth it's so much more important it's so special and I think even though like we've been growing slowly that's what made us grow it's like the word of mouth is people like talking about the brand and like slowly you see your sales like going up it's not because like one person posts and it's like okay done yeah but I have to ask about her because I love her Hailey Bieber she posted last week I saw and I was prepping for this interview and I was like holy shit this is Hailey Bieber's favorite lymphatic drainage brand like I am influenced by Hailey Bieber and what she does me too or do you notice like they call it like the halo effect right like do you notice a halo effect of things that move in the business when someone like Hailey does post so obviously about your brand yes obviously like somebody like Hailey she's so huge and she has her own brand which is so successful so obviously it's she has a huge influence and people will follow what she posts and any other celebrity that has posted our brand also converted and you know there's articles that come out about it like this is their favorite products and and everything obviously that also builds credibility and it's like important and I really value like my friendship with Hailey too because she's always supported the brand like from the beginning and she loves lymphatic drainage because she her mom is Brazilian so Hailey's half Brazilian and so she always knew about lymphatic drainage and so we've been friends forever and when I started the brand she always supported so like I obviously appreciated so much but her or anybody that's like you know has the visibility that she has it really impacts and helps the brand but it's not just that you can't just like depends on that one person posting or famous people was like a brand is built on many different layers of like small influencers bigger influencers and all the work that you put in the ads that you do all the doors that you have to open like it's like little by little you get to a point where you know you're known and everything but it's not just solo like one person yeah impossible it's hard being in a category where it takes a long time to see the results how long does it take someone to be religiously using your products to see the results that they want I mean we say 30 days in the box like you have to be consistent because nothing is magic like when you go and do like a facial like you can see the results but if you are consistent with that facial then you will see like the difference yeah like so we made a product that's like a lymphatic drainage at home so you go get a treatment which you can actually see instantly like from a treatment that you know you can compare one leg to the other leg yeah obviously by yourself it's not that you know that same effect yeah it's exactly but with the product you can maintain it at home so that was the idea behind the branch maintain your lymphatic drainage that you get with a professional at home or if you don't have time if you're traveling like lymphatic drainage on the go because the ingredients of the product they are going to stimulate the lymphatic system even if you don't do the movements but obviously doing the movement yeah help even more I mean we say 30 days I think you can see it from like 10 days if you're doing it like every day and being committed to it obviously again like you need to have like a diet balanced and yes workout and do all this other stuff like yeah it's not like magic you know like I never want to deceive people and tell like our products like I gonna work for sure you know like they are gonna work if you do all the other stuff too that you know I'm in a wellness kind of like lifestyle because you can just like eat a bunch every day and then do lymphatic drainage and it's like it's not working you know like but we do have clinical trials on these products and they came out like 99% of women saw reduction of their cellulite or their water retention so it does work if you actually use it for 30 days yeah I can attest to that just in terms of like really focusing on your lymphatic system because when I turned 30 I started noticing like I was I guess skinny fat even though I felt like I was muscular but I was getting cellulite and I went to this amazing Brazilian lymphatic drainage girl I need to connect you with her her shop is called Beverly Hills Wellness Club I think okay and she was like Maggie just do lymphatic drainage on your legs at home for 30 days within 14 my cellulite was like half the amount and I was always so hard for me so I'm like I eat well like I'm not you know going and having a bunch of junk food after I go to the gym like why is this happening to me and I actually started using these types of products and not actually the right types of oil so I would do it in the shower and I was like okay that's actually working imagine what you could do if you have the right ingredients in a product but I think a lot of the time people are looking for these quick fixes right they don't want to actually put in the work yeah how have you guys built genshi to become a ritual for people something that people enjoy and something that doesn't feel like they're trying to get rid of something they hate but more trying to move towards the body that they love I think when we incorporated the other product so like we launch with the lymphatic drainage effects and the by-by cellulite the by-by cellulite has a really like spice to it it's like tingle yeah there's a warming sensation so when you apply I like to do it when I work out so like you apply and you start to feel like they're warming sensation and then you work out and you just feel like it's working and it does work it's like really crazy like your skin is just like so much smoother the next day it's like really nice and so we launch these two products which you know we have to do a lot of like teaching and letting people know like how do you use this what is the lymphatic system how do you you know get rid of water retention That sums it up. sometimes we think it's like fat, but it's actually just water weight. And so when we incorporated the shower gel, the body butter, the scrub, it became more like a ritual. Like you start in the shower, you start stimulating your skin with the scrub and then the shower gel, which is really refreshing. And then after that, you move on into your lymphatic drainage products and it became kind of like, this is your ritual that you're going to do from the shower to the lotion. Now we have the oil. So like there's different options also for people because some people don't love lotions. So now we made the oils. The oils can also be used in your face. So you can do lymphatic drainage on your face with the gouache and everything. Well, that's what I was going to say. So the craziest thing if you look at my face, like I have really nice to find cheekbones, right? Yes. But I have gouache at every single day really for five years. And if I, if you look at pictures, like my husband actually when he was coming to my family helps the first time, like all my pictures growing up, I have this like really round face and he's like, babe, you lost a lot of weight like since we started dating, and I'm like, no, it was literally using my gouache to try to like get away. That's amazing. So you're the perfect model, you know? Literally. Literally. They have like videos on TikTok and they're like, I've been doing this for forever. Look at my before and after. And I'm like, wow, this is incredible because I wasn't even doing gouache on my face because I, it wasn't a thing in Brazil is more like the body. And so I see this difference on TikTok posts and stuff and I'm like, wow, this is actually like amazing. No, it's like life changing. It's like my, that's amazing. If there is one thing, if people are looking to glow up, I always tell them to start gouache one because it is a little self virtual, right? And I think everyone in this world needs that. And two, I think it's the most inexpensive thing that you can do to actually change the shape of your face in a way that elevates you. Exactly. What does it feel like to have your brand on the shelves of Nordstrom when you walk in? And you're like, that's mine. Crazy. It's like a picture. And at first, I was like, I don't think this is real, like I have to go see it. And so we were in New York and we were actually doing an event with them to do the launch and everything. And so we arrived there and it was like filming me and I'm like, like, there is my reaction of like seeing it. And I'm like, I can't believe it. Like I really can't because when we started the brand also, I used to take the packaging and I used to bring the packaging to different big retailers. So like a Sephora or a Target and I would use to put them in the shelves and just imagine that they were there like manifest and pray that one day we will be like in a big retailer. And I actually have pictures of it of those like just packaging of our brands, besides brands that I love or just like that and we'll be dreaming about it. And now like seeing it for real, like besides so many other brands that I love, I always love Nordstrom. I always love shopping there. And it just feels like, I don't know, I didn't even dream about that, like, you know, way, like you dream about it, but you don't believe it's going to happen. And then when it happens, you're like, wow, like we did this, you know, it's really, it's really great. That's obviously a high, high of the business. Has there ever been a low where you were like, I cannot do this and I just want to go back to being a model or just become a state homewife? I mean, there has been so many lows, like really so many lows, like we ran out of money so many times. Like there is like many lows, I guess. And it's like this constant, you know, high and lows, I say, like for founders. But I think like one of like the biggest lows, I used to have all the products in my house because we started this brand. We didn't have like anything. So like I have the production, everything is in my house. Like I'm storing everything in my house. I'm making the boxes out of my house. The office is in my house, like everything is in my house. At this time, I'm not living with Drew yet. We don't really know each other yet. Like I'm living in my apartment. And there was this two years ago, this season in LA that was raining every day, like there was a lot of rain. I don't know if you remember this. The monsoon season. Literally. Yeah. But there was this one specific year, which I think it was 2022, that it or three, that it rained so much and my ceiling of my apartment fell on top of like all the products and all like our office. And like just really important stuff like got lost and like documents and stuff like got like flooded. Like my bed was like flooded. And you know, my mattress, I had to like throw it away. And at the time, like we didn't have much, you know, like we didn't make a huge production in the beginning. And so that was one of the times that I was like, what am I doing? You know, like maybe I should just give up and, you know, just, yeah, maybe just go be a housewife or something. I don't actually think like housewife. I don't think that was in my head. But definitely like giving up was sometimes the thought I had in some situations. Yes. That happened. At that time, everything was kind of blurred. And I think that's the reality for a lot of people listening to this. They start with the business. It's all in their house. Like even to the state, we're recording the podcast in my house with the business now. What are some of the boundaries that you have with like having it not be all encompassing in your life to be able to have the different hats that you wear? Being a fiance, being a great friend, like doing things other than just being the founder and CEO of Genji. A lot of the times we didn't have money to do the stuff that I wanted to do to create those boundaries. Like now that the brand is a little more established, like we have a 3PL. So we have somebody that's like do the boxes and the orders and everything for us. So like we don't do that anymore. So that saves a lot of like time. And like Nicole used to be always in my house like doing the boxes and everything. And like then she started doing the boxes in her house. And then we had like a little storage place that we rented. So like all of that stuff, like now it's like building a different way. Like the brand is like we have like different call times with different people that are like our ads company. It's this day. And then this like everything is like set up and like we have weekly meetings with different like people that collaborate and work with us. Our production in Brazil like and it's more organized in that way. So like I can't take time off to like go to Paris and be with my mom and not have to like constantly work worry about like what's going to happen if like I'm not here and I'm not doing all this stuff. So like now there is this like possibility to create those moments where like I can go and travel with Drew or I can like enjoy this time you know trying my wedding dress and not have to worry. But as today is a Monday and I woke up with a million things that I have to do. So it's a balance that creates but like the boundaries are like becoming more and more like real for us. And I know that like Nicole appreciate that a lot because she used to like Nicole really she does wear a lot of hats in the company. And I think as we grow and we have like different you know like people like involved in helping us in like hiring like this third parties things get easier and you know we're just like in that very like spot in the business where like things are like happening. Yeah exactly. And so it's nice to have like a bigger you know team in a way and it gets you to be able to be in feminine a little bit more and I feel like my whole life until I met my husband like I felt like I was forcing everything I was like running through walls and like trying to make things happen and my favorite saying for my husband is like life is a dance between making things happen and letting things happen. And I think for the first time in my life I've like allowed things to happen for me. But I don't think it can take away the decades of hard work to get you there. But it's so hard when you're in those moments because then when it's all starts happening for you you're like but I would never be here without putting in that grind right. For sure. It's so hard to be able to get to that point but when it's there it's like so happy. Yes I'm like sometimes when you think about like giving up and all of that but like fighting through it and like making it happen like now I'm like so grateful I'm like I'm actually like happy that even the hard parts happened because he gave me also like clarity and like ways that I saw things like in a different way like it just builds you up in a different way. Now that like things are like moving forward it feels like more fulfilling even because I was there for like the hard parts too. I wasn't just like you know just let's put my name on a brand and like all the people run it like I really ran this brand since day one. And so like knowing that like I touched every little thing that like involves the making of this brand is fulfilling to up to this point. I love that. Yeah. Okay I have to ask you some rapid fire because I talked to you forever. Sorry. Yes. What is the last thing you put on your credit card? I think it was my scupper early bag that I just bought in Paris. You didn't find one thing from the airport? No. I went to the airport. I dropped my mom off first because my mom doesn't speak English. So how does she communicate with Drew? They don't communicate. It's through me. They do communicate with eyes you know and also Drew and my dad. The first time that Drew met my dad I know you're in the rapid fire. I know I love it. You want it too. But we went to Brazil for a carnival because I was like you need to be a part of my culture. You need to see like where I come from and everything and he was so down. So like he came and he was in Brazil with me for like 10 days. And one of the days we went to my city to meet my dad because he hadn't met my dad yet. Only my mom. And so he came and my dad is like my dad is much older than my mom. He was 19 years older than her. So like he could be my grandfather. And so he's like 80 I think now. And they met like I remember exactly because it was so cute and I almost cried because like they just looked at each other and they couldn't really say anything and they just like hugged each other. You know like that really like hugged or like kind of like do this in the back. And then my dad said. Welcome to the family for him. He practiced in English. I think so. I'm like I didn't know that you know how to say this, but then we had a whole dinner and everything and I was like translating things back and forth and Like when we said goodbye it was like kind of like the same hug that they gave each other and like they just looked each other in the eye I was just I was just like this is so cute because sometimes you don't need words. No, but yeah So my mom I had to drop her off. She also doesn't speak English to like just help like in Paris Like the terminals are like not connected. So I had to drop her off in her terminal first even though my flight was first but Yeah, so I was I was in a rush, you know So like because then I went to my terminal and it's just like I got a board this plane, you know So I just got a bag in the meantime. Yeah, I got a bag right before yeah, I guess It's funny because I was actually about to ask you like I read that you made the first move Which was at a party and you saw him so you just went up to him because like what attracted you to him? No, we knew each other. Okay. We always knew each other in like passing and like he would like DM me sometimes and I just be like No, or like wouldn't answer because you know like there is this stereo type about DJs Which there is also about models like you know DJs there are womanizers and all this stuff And I'm just I'm like I'm not trying to get into this, you know like I was 32 when we met and I'm like looking for something more serious and I just Would say hi whatever at parties and yes at this party. We were at the Oscars party at Guy Osiris and he was at a bar My friends went to a bathroom and I was like, okay, I'm gonna get a drink and he was there so I just said hi and We just started talking like Meaningless stuff and then he got like deeper and he started asking me these really like interesting questions about life How did I see my life going in terms of like relationship and work and it just became like this really long conversation then we got another drink and He got my number and like we knew each other for like two years I've seen him at the same party the year before but nothing happened and then he got my number and Satatex to me and everything and then everything else happened really fast after that Were you always one of those girls that dreamt of your wedding? No, I didn't want to have a wedding at all and Drew was like really wanting to do like this huge wedding and We're now meeting the middle our wedding is really small and it's around like 60 people. I don't have that dream I would rather Not or like they're really really small like just immediate family and he's like no I have all my friends. I need to you know Invite all these people that I love and everything and like I have a problem about like being vulnerable in front of people that I don't know Like I don't like to share like the very very like deep things about my life With people that I don't know and I just feel like it's more special when you keep it You know to the close people with that are in your life. Yeah that was one of my main reasons But I also understand why he wants to share you know So like we kind of like met in the middle so I never really like dreamed of it But now that it's happening and I'm very involved if like organizing it. It's really is a dream. Okay. This one What is your third place? So you know how Starbucks tried to like become the third place for people There's like work and home. What is your third place? I feel like it's hanging out with my dog That's really cute. Yeah, I live a rot wiler. Yeah, that's what I really want. Oh my gosh It's the best dog ever but it's so dangerous Courtney wants like a little 15 pound little thing and I'm like babe I'm such like a German shepherd rot wiler table at all. I am like that - but was it your idea or juice idea? No, I already had this dog when we started. Okay, and it's now it's my dog like I'm sorry like it's my dog But I'm very possessive of him and he loves me so much and we are Yes, that's adorable. Okay. Pilates are weights Pilates brisley winter or euro summer Euro summer. Oh My god. Mari really. Yeah Okay, what is your favorite thing in your closet right now and it could be Drew's I don't know That's such a hard question. I just also got a ice caprioli shoes that maybe is my favorite thing right now. Okay Is it true that Haley V were designed during engagement ring? No, but she did help me with one tip. Yes. Okay. She told me to whatever shape I was gonna get to get an elongated one Because when I when she got her new ring, she was like it's not actually that much bigger than the other ring But she just got an elongated version and she was like whatever you're gonna get just tell Drew to get elongated So I was like I didn't even know about this. So yes, she's she helped. Yeah. Okay, I love that Okay, abs or a butt workout you can only do one for the rest of your life But Brazilian band of course always Would you rather go for a run or walk? Walk. Yeah, I'm like that too. You're like a low-impact girly. Yeah, I'm Drew loves running He's like into the running thing right now and I'm like great I don't know I can't skin care or glam skin care Mari what can people in the community help you with right now? Are you hiring rules like where can they go buy your products? I give the community what they can do to help you Well, you guys can buy the products yeah, um and our website or Nordstroms or And can we give a discount code? Yeah, let's do a discount code. Let's discount code. Yes, that's our 20 Yes, I think just I guess like educate yourself on lymphatic drainage like if you're curious about it Like we have a lot of videos on our website that you know explain how to do it I explain what's the lymphatic system and why is it good to take care of it and I guess I don't know stay hot Stay hot. It's my rich. Exactly. Thank you so much for coming on. Where can we find you? I'm my Instagram, Mari Fonseca, and Janice's Instagram is jange beauty um And our website jangebeauty.com and that is g-e-n-t-e Yes, and why GenCie like what does it mean? GenCie means people. So it's for everyone We wanted to make a brand that was for everybody and also GenCie is a word that I say a lot in Portuguese. It's like a expression It's like oh my god Like when you try to say something to somebody like GenCie, I have to tell you something GenCie, you don't know how that person did. It's like or somebody does something that's annoying like GenCie It's an expression, but it also means people So it's like two different things that I say all the time and that I have a tattoo that says GenCie And a lot of my American friends and like even Drew They just says like GenCie for everything now too instead of like oh my god, they're like Wow, or they just be like GenCie you have to tell you something so it's like an expression But it also means people so it's just the two I love that I knew I was gonna love you because Patrick Finnegan introduced us who actually introduced me to my husband Oh my god, I love that so anytime Patrick says to meet somebody and from our first phone conversation I knew you were gonna be so special I'm so excited to see where this brand goes and thank you so much for coming on and thanks for listening HSR Thank you for having me