It was through Beauty Connect that I was able to meet my guest this week, Emily Perez. A wildly ambitious and knowledgable woman, Emily dons many titles: Director of Safety, Regulatory Claims, Micro Acquisition, and Integration at L’Oreal, Leader of the Women of Color Think Tank at L’Oreal and Creator of The Latinas and Beauty Mentorship Group! Whew, what a mouthful!
And her list of accomplishments span much further. Having been born in Brazil, Emily made the big move to the United States at just 10 years old. It was only once she enrolled in college when she realized what she wanted to do — become a vet! Her choice was inspired by a love for animals and a desire to make enough money to support herself and her family. Unfortunately, due to the often-upsetting practice of having to put down sick animals, Emily realized that the field was not for her.
And so, with her animal science degree in hand, she took her expertise into the job market and applied to a variety of positions — even ones she didn’t feel 100% qualified for. As she explained this process to me, she touched on the importance of having a support system around you, to push you when you doubt yourself. It was her then boyfriend, now husband, that encouraged her to apply to any and all jobs that she was interested in, regardless of qualifications. Spoiler: that decision paid off big time!
Present day, Emily works for L’Oreal in a number of different capacities, to which I asked her to break each of them down. The “safety” division ensures the safety of the products sold, the “regulatory” division works to appease the regulatory bodies that govern products (do they meet standards of regulation?), the “claims” department handles claims made through advertising and communication — are they truthful? Can they be backed up by studies? And finally, “micro-acquisition” refers to the stability and overall safety of the micro-components used in their products.
And it doesn’t end there. Emily also works as the Leader of the Women of Color Think Tank, which works toward supporting the women of color at L’Oreal. It was through her active involvement with women of color that led to her creation of Latinas and Beauty, where Emily aims to give Latinas an opportunity to experience community in an industry centered around white voices.
If you’re like me, you may be wondering — how does she make time for all of this? Her answer: Organization. Her weekends are spent putting together content for Latinas and Beauty, while her weekdays, 9-to-5, are scheduled for her work at L’Oreal. Her motivation is found through a passion for what she does — as described by Emily, passion is what drives you to do the work. Wise words!