What does Alisa Metzger say about the past, present, and future states of the beauty industry?
Tune in to this week’s episode of Earned to hear about her inspiring path from working with beauty giants like L'Oreal and La Prairie to launching her own groundbreaking brand. We discuss the evolution of marketing in the beauty industry, the shift to creator-driven strategies, and the creation of INNBEAUTY Project, a brand born out of a desire to offer high-quality, affordable skincare.
Alisa shares how her passion for beauty and marketing fueled the creation of INNBEAUTY Project with co-founder Jen Shane, and how they’re redefining customer engagement in a rapidly evolving market. You’ll hear how INNBEAUTY Project emerged to fill a critical gap in skincare—blending scientific rigor with storytelling to create meaningful connections. Despite launching amid the global pandemic, Alisa’s focus on authenticity, innovation, and quality helped both brands thrive. She also breaks down the power of strategic partnerships, from collaborations with Sephora to working with creators who truly embody the brand’s values. Tune in to celebrate the women shaping the future of beauty. Alisa’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and purpose—a testament to how innovation and genuine storytelling can spark lasting impact across the industry.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
“We say it's not really about an age group, it's about your skin concern or your skin goal.”: Alisa Metzger on connecting to all ages of your community
Brit Starr: I'd love to hear how you think about creators and how you work with them as a brand?
Alisa Metzger: Where I’ve seen a lot of disconnect—especially in the last couple of years—is between the brand and the product you’re selling. Whether it’s on your online store or on retail shelves, it’s typically a product. But then there’s how you show up on social media. And when I compare the two, I often find that the social space is chasing virality and lifestyle. To me, that feels disconnected. What are you actually selling? What are you claiming? What problem are you solving for your customer?
For us, those things have to be completely connected and intertwined. We know that our brand—on our social channels, our organic channels, every place where we show up as ourselves—has to be all about education: skin education, ingredient education, and explaining what each product does. Why is it better? How is it going to solve your problem—your skin concern or your skin goal?
The way we use creators, for example, is with a product like Extreme Cream, which has been our runaway hit. I hate calling it “viral” because it wasn’t us chasing virality. It’s a powerhouse moisturizer with unbeatable value and incredible results across generations and skin types. So we make sure the creators we work with are talking about Extreme Cream with an educational lens.
They share: “Here’s my skin concern. Here’s how I use it in my routine. Here’s how it’s changed my life. Here’s how it gives me confidence. And here’s how it makes me feel.” Our creators span generations. I’ve never walked into a store and said, “Hi, I’m in my early 40s—what do you have for me?” Whether it's fashion, shoes, accessories, makeup, or skincare, I walk in and say, “I need a little black dress,” or “I need a moisturizer that does this,” or “a foundation that does that.” It’s never been about age.
So we always say: It’s not about the age group. It’s about skin concerns and skin goals. And we make sure our creators reflect those different concerns and goals. If we’re selling a firming, lifting moisturizer, we want to work with creators who actually have firming and lifting concerns—so they can speak to it authentically and naturally.
We have amazing partners like Carolina Bodino, who’s been so open about her age. She’s in her 50s and proud of it—this is her best era. She’s confident. And when she says she’s had to delay her Botox because her skin has never looked better—more firm, plump, and youthful—we believe her. Because she’s in the right life stage to make that claim authentically.
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