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There are places that are not so eager, historically, to accept women. Business school and car sales companies are those kinds of places. And our guest today defied both. She is Laura Lee Botsacos, founder of Apollo & Artemis Beauty by Equality, a skincare company that preaches beauty is in all of us, and skincare should not be limited by gender bias. But before that, Laura changed her life completely and went into business school.

Highlights:

• From actress to a businesswoman: Laura talks about her journey, she loved to be on stage, but after 9/11, she had to start again, and decided to go to business school.
• The showroom is your stage. When Laura Lee Botsacos started to work in car sales, she found out that her skills as an actress could help her. For her, being  a salesperson, manager, or even the owner of the company, is about creating a performance.  Especially if you are a woman.
• Laura endured a lot of rejection and prejudice when she started. People didn’t take her seriously when she started business school, when she started to work, or when she decided to start her own business of beauty products. It’s very common to feel out of place, she knows that and shares a few tips to deal with that situation and gain confidence in yourself.
• Don’t be afraid to ask! Laura discovered a major difference between men and women when she was a salesperson: men asked, demanded, what they wanted. They would ask what they should do to close a sale, they would ask for a raise. And she, and other women, didn’t, even if they have all the reasons to do so. She decided to change her way of making things and started to ask, instead of accept or stay silent. 
• Do you want to buy a car? Although she is not working in that field, Laura knows how challenging it can be to buy a car for women. Having been on the other side, she shares some recommendations with our listeners.
• Who were Apollo & Artemis? As an homage to her Greek ancestry, Laura Lee Botsacos named her beauty company after two greek mythology figures. She explains the concept behind their products: skincare products for everyone. Apollo & Artemis support inclusion and their products are also vegan and cruelty-free.
• How to start your beauty line products? Laura did a lot of research. But she also thought a lot about the values of the company, the ethos. And she looked for someone that shared the same values to be her partner and chemist.

If you want to know more about Laura, follow her on Instagram. You can also check her products on Apollo & Artemis by Equality website.