Elana Drell Szyfer — the newly appointed president of CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) — joins Mike for a candid conversation about her unconventional path into beauty, the corporate culture lessons that shaped her leadership, and her bold vision for CEW’s future. From writing cold letters to land her first beauty role at Cosmère (L’Oréal) to navigating the vastly different cultures of Avon and Estée Lauder, Elana shares the humbling moments, panic attacks, and hard-won wisdom that come with building a career across the biggest names in the industry. She opens up about what it really feels like to go from a corner office at 767 Fifth Avenue to running small companies for private equity — and why coaching first-time CEOs is now one of her passions. The conversation also dives into the seismic shifts in beauty marketing — from press events and controlled brand messaging to the creator economy, AI-generated video, and the question of whether authentic brand loyalty can survive it all. On...