Dia Foley has more than 20 years of solid communications and brand management experience in various categories of the cosmetic industry. Prior to joining Indeed Laboratories, she was VP, Marketing for Euoko Inc., General Manager for the North American division of Red Earth Cosmetics, a subsidiary of ESPIRIT. She also has held positions with L'Oreal, including as National Communications Manager, as well as varying positions with such respectable brands as Dior and Lancôme.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
Having been immersed in the world of cosmetics since childhood, my mom was an Avon manager for over 25 years, the desire to give a sense of empowerment to women in a realm that is normally saturated with "perfect faces" was a driving force in my career from the start.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Indeed Labs?
Even from my earliest days in the working world I faced - and learned to conquer - challenges and earned victories I thought impossible. In doing so, I learned that perseverance does pay off. You should always trust your instincts, and that sometimes to get to the next level you need to take a leap of faith.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Indeed Labs?
Working with a start-up is always an inspiring, and daunting, endeavour - nowhere else can you find that heady mix of unbridled creativity, insomnia and passion. This was perfectly embodied by the Indeed Labs' team, whose pursuit to challenge the status quo of beauty standards and bring authenticity to the realm of cosmetics gave life to game-changing, category creators like nanoblur™ and hydraluron™.
What advice can you offer to women who want to start their own business?
Look at the world around you for questions that have gone unanswered, for needs that are still unfulfilled; take these as your inspiration for starting your own game-changing initiative.
What is the most important lesson you've learned in your career to date?
That no matter what challenge you face, a desire to improve what lies before you is paramount to success.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Keeping a healthy work/life balance can seem like a true 'mission impossible' at times, but it can be done - I make sure that I do one thing for myself each day.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
Feminism is still evolving, growing as women's contributions & collective voice now reach a tipping point in our society. We need, as women, to continue to support each other and press for more modernity in industry standards and practices.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
Coming up in the cosmetics industry, I had many mentors but only realized their roles in retrospect; having an opportunity to support and nurture the talent of young women is possibly the best part of my job. Knowing that I have been able to in turn help shape the path of the next generation of women in industry is exhilarating and inspiring.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
I do not have a list of the people who inspire me. I get inspiration from each and every person I meet. There are always one or more qualities that an individual may possess, so I try to learn from them.
What do you want Indeed Labs to accomplish in the next year?
To continue to push the envelope, maintain the authenticity we are known for and the innovation that first brought us to the world stage.