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Names: Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna
Job: Co-founders of Birchbox, a subscription service for beauty products.
The pair met at Harvard Business School, became best friends, then teamed up to re-imagine the crowded category of beauty retail. Subscribers fill out a beauty profile, then for $10 a month they get the latest samples from big brands like Kiehl’s, Stila, Nars, and Laura Mercier delivered to their door in a pink package.
Katia, 29, and Hayley, 28, have reaped tremendous attention since launching in 2010. Their venture, first headquartered out of Hayley’s dorm room, has rocketed up to 60 employees and $12 million in funding. Already in its fifth office, Birchbox now sits on Park Avenue South above Union Square, a neighborhood brimming with hot start-ups, including Gilt Groupe, Tumblr and Foursquare. “We’re all positioned near Shake Shack,” Katia smiles.
Office space: Their sun-filled loft is a vast sea of white and pink punctuated by columns wrapped in paper designed to look like birch bark with strips of pink peeking out. The space is distinctly girlie. A company that creates spherical stuffed animals sublets one corner, their fluffy product piled high.
The partners are distinctly different. With her honey-colored tresses, flowing dress and sparkly shoes, Katia, an El Paso, Texas native, looks more like a fairy-tale princess than a hard-charging Web entrepreneur. She’s responsible for all things external, such as building relationships with marquee brands and forging partnerships.
Hayley, in a black dress, rhinestone-studded black shoes and a green jade necklace, has the polished veneer of the management consultant she once was. Her role is more internal — operations, technology, customer service.
Décor: As at many tech start-ups, the floor plan is wide open. Workspaces are all alike — white, pink and clean. There are a couple conference rooms and a photo studio, but otherwise it’s a door-free zone.
Desks: Katia and Hayley mix with their teams, their desks indistinguishable from the others.
Katia’s space includes a yoga mat, a picture of her husband tacked to a cork board, glasses by Warby Parker (a brand founded by fellow entrepreneurs) and a giant hairbrush. A pair of custom-designed pink and white Birchbox sneakers is perched nearby — a gift from an investor.
Hayley’s desk serves as a landing pad for gifts from vendors and friends — barbeque sauce, an “Uglydoll,” and, of course, product, including a limited edition Birchbox-color Jouer lip gloss (hot pink, of course).
Routine: Both women are up early checking e-mail. “It starts and ends with the inbox,” Katia says.
They typically end the day by meeting together around 8 or 9 p.m., before going their separate ways for dinner dates.
Commute: Both live within walking distance, though Katia sometimes takes a cab. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but it makes the difference between being on time and being 10 minutes late.”
Coffee: Katia voices the unofficial company position on coffee: “We value it.” She notes their commitment to Stumptown coffee, in particular, yet she only has one a day herself.
Work style: High energy, always connected. Both women like the security of having their Mac laptops on hand at all times.