Founder Diaries: Inside Gee Beauty With Alan Gee

Thoughts, lessons, and real-world wisdom from Gee Beauty’s Business & Marketing Director Alan Gee

Stepping Into a New Chapter

In some ways I’m the newbie at Gee Beauty.
Although I was involved at its inception and the creation of the brand 20 years ago, I was still very active in my own Advertising agency, which I established many years before.

Later, when I decided to merge my company with another agency, I set a time when I was going to depart from that world and enter the beauty world with Gee.

I then looked more deeply about growth. Growth in product development, growth in channel distribution and growth marketing the brand.

From Consultant to Creator

I soon realized that it’s one thing being a marketing consultant, and quite another thing entirely being a hands-on brand marketer and business leader for yourself.

In the ad-agency world, we always try to build a strategic framework and look for insights into the place where the consumer and brand meet. I was delighted to see that so much of the foundational work was so well handled by the Gee women, led by both Miriam’s intuitive vision and Celene’s creative and strategic talents. So my role was initially to expand on that and ensure that those fundamentals were the cornerstone and touchpoints of the brand.

The Uniqueness of Gee Beauty

What makes Gee Beauty so unique is that it is both a Brand in the classic sense – that there is this eponymous cosmetic brand – now available at illustrious stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom & Holt Renfrew, it’s also a retail studio concept offering various beauty services as well as selling some of the worlds most prestigious skincare lines, and a direct-to-consumer online channel offering global access to the Gee unique curation of products.

And now, after five years of being hand on, and seeing where all the strategy, hard work and vision has taken us, here’s my key learnings.

1. Change: Instantly in your head, longer in reality.

I’ve always been pretty quick at seeing an idea, vision or solution – that was my training in the ad world. But here in the beauty world, patience is my partner. Socialize your ideas in rough form and let them take root in your team or partner’s heads. It makes it far easier when all team members are on the same page – especially if you’re taking risks!

A Thought For You:

Big ideas feel instant internally, but teams need time. Sharing early — even imperfectly — builds alignment and momentum.

2. How to turn No into Yes.

I’ve found that most conversations about trying or doing something new start with a No. And it’s a natural response. Everyone has their own idea of what they want, so introducing something new is difficult. I always try to think of ways to turn it into a Yes. Sometimes it can start with a small agreement which can lead you to your goal. Sometimes it’s about re-framing the ‘ask’ which can lead to the Yes that you seek.

Try This Out:

When you hear “no,” look for the smaller “yes” inside it. Shift the angle, simplify the ask, or find shared ground.

3. Great ideas come alive when it’s everyone’s idea.

I always remember a cartoon I saw years ago; it was a boardroom setting with everyone in attendance. Each member of the board had a suggestion and finally it came to the board chair, who promptly repeated what everyone had said. And all in unison the board members said: “Great Idea!” I carry that thought with me always. It’s might not work all the time, but the more people that agree – especially when it’s a bold idea being discussed, the higher the chance of success.

Keep In Mind:

Collaboration isn’t about credit — it’s about adoption. A good idea becomes a great one when a team believes in it collectively.

4. Someone’s got to do the dirty work.

Long ago I realized in an entrepreneurial business such as ours with highly motivated and talented people that there are many wonderful and brilliant ideas being offered up. Whether it’s a new contract, a new lease or strategic business planning document we have to do our fair share, otherwise it never get’s done, or never gets done correctly.

Some Advice:

Execution is where dreams become real. The unglamorous work is often the most meaningful.

5. Delegate to grow.

Learn to let go. Learn to hire well and to train well. When you do, you will grow further than you ever expected.

Always Remember:

Delegation isn’t losing control — it’s gaining capacity. Growth happens when you trust others to rise.

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