Pros
It was once a vibrant community with high morale and an exiting place to work within the aesthetics industry.
Cons
Recent changes in leadership have completely overshadowed my (once positive) experience. Leadership and CEO Ego: While she is energetic and fun, her ego clearly takes precedence over the company’s values. She frequently name-drops and boasts, but simply put, she lacks the communication and executive presence needed to effectively lead a company. She came in and very quickly made the environment a have versus have nots. Openly plays favoritism, she is not open to feedback or ideas (although she pretends to be) and is very clearly out to make herself the hero. Unprofessional Layoffs: The recent layoffs were handled with a complete lack of professionalism. It was comical. I understand that a shift in a business strategy often results in layoffs. Business is business. But the entire process was inconsiderate and disrespectful, especially to those who had been at the company since it was founded. Worth noting that Minou didn't have the courage to do it herself or even show face to those impacted. Lack of Diversity and Inclusive Vision: One of the most concerning issues developing is the company’s lack of diversity in its new leadership and vision. All the 'consultants' who are contributing to the new direction of the company are white women (and besties with the new CEO), and the company itself is overwhelmingly made up of white women—I'd say at least 95%. RealSelf’s new vision completely disregards the diversity of its consumer base and seems to be trending towards a more ethnically homogenous target audience. This is a huge step back for a company that once prided itself on being inclusive and representative of everyone. Overall, RealSelf’s shift in leadership, although super exciting at first, quickly turned into a major disappointment. The focus is no longer on what made the company unique. It’s disheartening to see the values that once made it a great place to work and a reliable service for providers and consumers being replaced by personal egos and profit-driven motives.