Our next mentor on our Mind of a Mentor podcast is Samantha Citro.
Samantha is a tri-state area native with a diverse background in sales, marketing & general management. After studying acting (and dabbling in web design) at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Samantha fell into a job in the beauty industry where she ultimately found her calling.
She started her journey in the beauty industry at indie skincare brand JUARA where in just three short years she went from in-store Brand Ambassador to U.S. Sales & Marketing Associate Manager. As a result of her swift ascent in the company, she gained valuable insight into various aspects of the industry. She gained a deep understanding of the customer experience both in store and online, focusing on what drives a person to pull out their wallet at checkout. She also played a major role in improving JUARA’s online presence by fully operating and overseeing JUARA’s digital division, adding multiple CRM platforms, creating effective email drip campaigns, instituting a social-heavy digital marketing strategy, and frame-working a new website. Additionally, she jointly oversaw product education and merchandising, inventory management, and field support management with the VP of Brand Strategy. As a result of Samantha’s ingenuity and hard work she was responsible for acquiring 70% of JUARA’s new accounts over a 2 year period.
Continuing to march the beat of her own drum Samantha went on to structure her own “intensive MBA” through a management program at Bridgewater Associates, a prestigious investment management firm. While at Bridgewater, Samantha served as Chief of Staff for the Research Analytics Department, incorporating the best parts of the unique Bridgewater management style of radical truth and transparency. In more of a generalist position, Samantha joined department leadership in an ongoing effort to improve efficiency and reduce waste through goal setting, project management, and effective delegation.
In January 2017 Samantha joined Lucas Brand Equity (LBE) to serve as Director of Marketing & Operations for portfolio company Immunocologie Skincare and to add operational insight to the LBE team. In August of that year, she was promoted to her current position as Vice President of Immunocologie. She’s thrilled to be back in a role where she wears many hats, such as overseeing sales, marketing, operations in a day to day management capacity, and assisting on LBE initiatives where her skill set is needed. Samantha’s story is a testament to the success of an untraditional career path and the fulfillment that comes with following your passion. She is a true boss woman and a mentor for everyone just starting out in their careers.
“Sales is acting. Marketing is understanding why people pull out their wallets. Operations is a constant effort to reduce waste. Excellent Management is understanding who your people are, what makes them tick, and how to push those buttons to drive them to succeed. My path may not have been traditional, but I don’t see the world in a traditional way. That’s what I bring to the table.”
– Samantha Citro
Titles she’s given herself (and rightly so!):
- President of Get Sh*t Done
- Non-Traditional Business Developer
- Beauty Focused Management Maven
Listen to her interview on Mind of a Mentor below!