Rachel Weiss is an award-winning digital professional and recognized thought-leader with vast experience in emerging technology and digital marketing practices. Currently, she is responsible for creating digital marketing and innovation strategy focusing on mobile, social, content and disruptive technologies across L'Oréal USA. She is also responsible for new digital business ventures and partnerships at the company. Weiss leads relationships with VC firms and entrepreneurs to identify first-to-market opportunities for the beauty industry.
Weiss is the founder of one of L’Oréal USA’s key initiatives – Women in Digital. This program supports women in the digital space by identifying and celebrating female entrepreneurs advocating digital and IT careers for women along with mentorship programs and testing opportunities.
Weiss is a featured speaker on msnbc, SXSW, and CES and has participated in many other conferences and events as both a speaker and panelist. She’s been named Ad Age’s Women to Watch, 40 Over 40, and Most Powerful Women in Mobile by Business Insider.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
My mother was a huge influence in my life and shaped me into the leader I am today. She raised my sister and I solo, and I have been financially on my own for a very long time, and value my emotional and financial independence. I’ve always worked tirelessly and put my career and earning potential first. I believe everyone has the opportunity to be happy and should work earnestly to achieve that via a passion, a career path, a hobby. Leadership and teamwork are built on believing that things can be better. While we cannot always control the situations we find ourselves in, we can control our own levels of happiness and commitment.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at L'Oreal?
In addition to having a solid professional resume in digital strategy, I dabbled in stand-up comedy in the 90s. Learning to bomb, presenting to diverse audiences and getting to the punchline are invaluable skills in any career, and I learned all of them by taking the stage and putting myself out there creatively.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at L'Oreal?
I started my career at L’Oreal USA a decade ago, where I first was getting our brands excited about the opportunities around social, basic search engine marketing, ecommerce, video and the promise of how smart phones could put brands in our pockets. It is rewarding to see how pushing these ideas over the past decade has driven real growth for L’Oreal.
An initiative I’m most proud of is the Women in Digital program. Since 2012, we’ve been inviting female tech founders to nominate themselves or someone they admire to be considered in our competitive awards program, The NEXT Generation Awards. The program provides recognition, exposure and pilot opportunities to help these talented entrepreneurs elevate their profiles and grow their businesses, while L’Oreal benefits from their fresh thinking and unique insights.
Through the years, we have watched amazing female entrepreneurs come through the program and become role models and leaders, such as Kathryn Minshew, CEO of the Muse, Vivian Rosenthal, CEO of Snaps, and Rachel Tipogragh, CEO of MikMak. We’re so proud of these women, paving the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Every year, we add more incredible women to our network and are exposed to the most impressive young talent rising up in the tech world. We look forward to it every year.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
Think before you react. Admittedly, I don’t always do this, but it’s always a better outcome when I do.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I’m lucky to work at a company that takes work-life balance seriously.
I started exercising a couple of years ago, and it made a big difference in my life. I swim laps, which disconnects me from the world and overall makes me feel happier.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
I have a great group of friends who put me in my place. I can be a dreamer, and sometimes I need a dose of reality to put my feet on the ground. I take these friendships very seriously and these friends are my mentors.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
I really admire all the women we meet every year through the Women in Digital program, who are so ambitious and confident to start their own companies. Many of these women have become friends and mentors. I admire any woman who faces adversity and keeps moving forward. Through the program, I know how hard it is to raise money as a female founder, and I really admire every woman that comes through our doors. Although it would be impossible to work with all of them, I seriously give props and attention to every name that comes our list.
What do you want the L'Oreal Women in Digital NEXT Generation Awards to accomplish in the next year?
I think we have an awesome community of smart and passionate women who make the world more beautiful. I would like continue to build this community so that they can inspire, help and grow together.