January 30, 2017

Meet Chris Kolodziejski of Chella Brow Bar

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Kolodziejski.

Chris, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?

Having had the opportunities of playing Pro Football with the Pittsburgh Steelers, developing real estate in Malibu, CA, and a career in the Investment Banking world, launching a cosmetic company seemed like the natural thing to do. Really. I realized that the Millennials were always going to be focused on looking good and the Baby Boomers with looking younger and I had to be part of it. Chella Skin Care was founded in 2003 and after seeing where such a large focus and demand was – Brows! The Chella Brow Bar with the Chella Brow and Eye Collection was born in 2011. During the last decade brows have led the prestige cosmetic sector with over 20% growth in sales each year. We have grown from being a Southern California based company selling to boutiques and spas…to our products being sold in over 12 countries, hundreds of accounts around the world and selling over 3 million units – a huge accomplishment for our team. Discipline, execution, a clear strategic vision always remain, whatever world you are in.

Has it been a smooth road?

Is anything a smooth road? (laughs). No, not at all. But, that is what makes the business interesting and such a challenge. Growing a company at the rate of 100% a year, 7 years in a row, has brought many challenges. From product displacement based on new FDA guidelines, a large theft (because, yes our products are that good) and in the past not having the right key personnel that were a true fit for the company… are hurdles that make you stronger and force you to grow. These are things that have brought my invaluable team together as we are today, energized with all the possibilities and stronger than ever!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Chella Brow Bar story. Tell us more about the business.

Everything Brows! We make women more beautiful. We transform their eyes, their brows, their entire look. Nothing can complete a look more powerfully then a proper brow make-over. With over 100 locations nationwide and distribution in 12 countries, we have put together the definitive assortment of Brow products we call the Chella Brow and Eye Collection. We provide Brow services through the Chella Brow Bar locations. What a competitive world we are part of!

But, our carefully formulated products, with great price points in the prestige market, range from Eyebrow Pencils, Eyebrow Creams, Award winning Highlighters, Mascara, Eye liner pens, Tools of the Trade and are loved by Beauty Bloggers and Influencers worldwide not to mention millions of satisfied customers. Personally I am gratified to receive regular emails about how our products have the changed their lives, showing them something they did not regularly do in their beauty routine, thus making their look complete and more youthful. How we set ourselves apart, is the time and education we give our clients. This is with consultation and product knowledge to do this at home for every woman and every age! Empowering them for results they will love.

Our strategic partnerships with the popular glam bags IPSY and Birchbox, are hugely successful with over 1.2 million committed this year, and a recent expansion into the Australia market through our regular shows on the only Shopping Network there and New Zealand, TVSN!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?

The two biggest shifts in the market are happening right now at hyper speed.

The first is probably the biggest shift of all and that is in how Brands will interact with and relate to their customers. The traditional marketing model is broken… if you are not involved in social media and connecting to and with your customers via (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) then you will be devoured by those that are. The second is in how customers purchase. I think that in the millennial category over 70% of purchases are done via the phone… and only after your customer has gone on line, checked you and your competition, read some on line reviews and talked with their friends. It really is a new paradigm.

Pricing:

First, we would love to offer the readers of VoyageLA a 20% savings on their first purchase with an exclusive coupon code of Voyage20 redeemable at Chella.com. This will be good for 60 days after it goes on line.

Contact Info: