Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. and President of Keys Soulcare, on How to Keep the e.l.f. Up

Amanda Kahn
Amanda Kahn
May 14, 2024

In this week’s episode of Earned, we’re spotlighting a memorable moment from CreatorIQ Connect Europe. Conor introduced Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. Beauty and President of Keys Soulcare, to give a keynote session on how e.l.f. has continued to stay on the cutting edge of culture. 

To start, we dive into what e.l.f. achieved during 2023, and how the brand has managed to lock down the title of No. 1 stock on the NYSE out of over 1.6k companies. Kory shares how e.l.f. has climbed the ranks and caught up with long-tenured beauty brands. We then learn about the ‘e.l.f. Ethos’ of being bold disruptors with kind hearts, which is what guides the team from the C-suite outward. Kory discusses the art of attracting kindred spirits to work with e.l.f., and how these new team members enter the orbit of inspiration. Kory shares how to avoid the “logo slap” when it comes to working with other brands, as well as how to get your whole to be greater than the sum of each brand’s separate parts. To close the keynote, Kory discusses e.l.f.’s efforts to listen while people are speaking, bring diversity into the boardrooms, and equip its team to be agile enough to move at the speed of culture. 

We’ve included a couple of highlights from the episode below, but be sure to check out the full video above, or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!

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The following interview has been lightly edited for concision. 

“We've proven what it takes. A group of passionate owners who care with purpose, who can lead the way, change the world, and disrupt norms”: How e.l.f. Has Changed the Game in Under a Year

Kory Marchisotto: Everything you just saw in this keynote has happened in less than one year. And that's only half of it. I remind you that we only have 450 people who are passionate owners in this company. People say, ‘Oh, well you need this and you need this and you need this.’ No, you actually don't.

We've proven what it takes. A group of passionate owners who care with purpose, who can lead the way, change the world, and disrupt norms. But speed matters. So be agile, be nimble, operate in real time, move at the speed of culture, and the most important part of this formula, step five: enjoy the e.l.f.ing ride, everybody.

Keep up with new episodes of Earned by following the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, or by subscribing to our YouTube channel. To catch up on our previous episodes, featuring leaders from brands like Revolve, K18, Meta, Stanley, and Roblox, visit our Earned Podcast page.