Business
Beauty industry luminaries like Lesley Thornton prove that with a little extra care, beauty can offer something much greater than aesthetics—it can leave an imprint on someone's heart. From an early age, Lesley had a commitment to community building, and coupling this with her lifelong love of beauty, skincare, and artistry allowed her to connect with people from all walks of life. Professionally Lesley's work in the cosmetics industry is far-reaching, and her past roles have ranged from retired esthetician to makeup for The Estée Lauder Companies to on-air beauty and skincare expert for Discovery Networks. But most recently, Lesley has channeled her passion and expertise into building Klur—an eco-inclusive botanicals brand made in California. Industry insights aside, Lesley's journey in building Klur has been a slow and ever-evolving process. But despite the brand's ups and downs, Lesley's careful balance of science-led formulations and refined storytelling has created a business foundation for Klur to endure—and thrive. For Lesley, inclusivity, sustainability, and community all transcend Klur's mission statement, and her own story is living proof of the holistic impact that comes when we prioritize people over products. In this interview, Lesley shared more about the life experiences that have shaped her approach in building Klur, the importance of visual storytelling in her life—both online and offline—and what she's learned about the inextricable link between self-care and community care. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Stephanie Tam of Space of Time Studio. https://www.slowstoriespodcast.com/community/slow-stories-podcast-show-notes-lesley-thornton-klur.