In Conversation.
Meet Jennie, the force behind Copal Beauty, a clean beauty and spa cocoon located in Madison, Connecticut, that offers holistic facial treatments, natural brow restoration and makeup services. Jennie and I connected first and foremost through our love for Tulum in the Riviera Maya. Tulum being this magic place surrounded by good energy brought us together! We admire how Jennie connects with her community and is a light bringing the best advice when it comes to wellness! Here she shares her passion for all things related to beauty and more...
Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path and love for clean beauty?
Soon after launching my bridal beauty business in 2007, I started taking a closer look at the products I was personally using and recommending to clients. After some further research, I discovered many ingredients in these products are actually cancer-causing chemicals, reproductive toxins and unsafe synthetics. My mission to educate women on healthier cosmetic choices grew stronger. Eventually this led to me opening the doors to my brick and mortar store, Copal, (formerly Jennie Fresa Beauty) in Madison in 2012.
What does beauty means to you?
Beauty to me is having confidence. Plain and simple.
The three qualities I thought were important in business were:
Initially, like most businesses owners, I was all about learning how to scale and grow my business. At that time , I measured my success by hitting certain benchmarks.
The 3 qualities that I thought were important at that time were:
Tenacity
A Strong Vision
Consistent Processes
The three qualities I now know matter:
Work/Life Balance
A Strong Vision
People & Culture First
Now, I measure my success by my happiness, health and by living out a purposeful mission to help others.
What have you learned about being an entrepreneur:
Accept that failure is par for the course, but accepting and learning from your failures is paramount. Entrepreneurship is a lot of hard work— it’s also very rewarding if you understand it’s a journey of constant ups and downs. Being an Entrepreneur is not linear-it’s about taking risks and learning from each mistake.
The woman I admire most is:
There are so many. I don’t know that I can name only one, but I few women I admire are: Michelle Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow. I would also add my former boss, Trish McEvoy, as a strong female role model and someone I looked up to when I first started on my beauty career path.
On my bucket list is:
A trip to Bali
If I could wake up tomorrow in any hotel, it would be:
Be Tulum
Live/Work/Play: Sydney, Paris or New York?
Live: New York
Work: Paris
Play: Sydney
Favorite hour of the day?
I’m a MORNING person 100%
The beauty essential you have to pry out of my hands is:
Saint Tropez at 11am, obsessed!
What I am reading now:
The 4 Agreements
My first kiss was:
Sweet. In a park, with friends playing truth or dare.
The lips I remember the most are:
Kerry Washington
