April 23, 2024
Trailblazer in Silver Hair Representation - Redifining Beauty with Age
Ever caught a glimpse of silver hair in an ad and felt a surge of pride? You're not alone, and today's conversation with Stephanie O'Dell of Celebrate the Gray, along with model Angela Bellias, elevates that feeling. Their stories shatter stereotypes and construct a new narrative where women over 50 are not just seen but celebrated. From Stephanie's insights on shifting brand perceptions to Angela's inspiring modeling journey, we're peeling back the curtain on the untapped potential of the 50+ demographic in advertising. Their tales showcase the richness of experiences and the critical importance of authenticity in media.
Who says new passions have a shelf life? Angela's roller-skating renaissance is a testament to the notion that life's opportunities don't come with an expiration date. Our chat is more than just about breaking into modeling later in life; it's an homage to the empowerment that comes from embracing the adventures that years bring. We dig into the power networks, both online and off, that embolden us to stand up against ageism and craft our own definitions of positive aging. Our stories, ranging from Angela's foray into skincare panels to the collective push for fair compensation in the industry, are bound to ignite a spark of defiance and inspiration.
Navigating the digital world can be daunting at any age, but for the savvy post-40 crowd, it's become a new frontier post-COVID-19. We explore how technology has become more than a tool—it's a gateway to business, connection, and representation. The chapter wraps with Angela and me, rejecting the 'anti-aging' term and proposing a toast to the silver strands and laugh lines that map our lives. The Vibe Living podcast is where these conversations aren't just happenstance—they're a call to action for living with gusto and authenticity, at any age.
We hope you have enjoyed this episode. Please like, comment, subscribe and share the podcast.
To find out more about Lynnis and what is going on in the V.I.B.E. Living World please go to https://linktr.ee/Lynnis
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If you would like to be a guest on the V.IB.E. Living Podcast please email me lynnis@vibewellnesswoman.com.
To find out more about Lynnis go to linktr.ee/Lynnis
Chapters
00:00 - Changing Perceptions of Aging in Advertising
08:44 - Building Success in the Modeling Industry
12:24 - Empowerment and Positive Aging for Women
18:51 - Women and Technology in Business
33:01 - Celebrating Authentic Aging With Vibe
Transcript
WEBVTT
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And of that.
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Well, yeah, we'll include an older woman, but we're not going to really pay her, or we may not.
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We may, you know, pair her with someone that looks like her grandfather.
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So it's, there are those successes, but we still have a long way to go for brands to understand who we are and what age really looks like and get the perception and reality of age to match, because it doesn't currently.
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Hi, I'm Linus Woods Mullins and I love to help women to vibe, to be more vibrant, intuitive, beautiful and empowered in their life.
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So come on, let's vibe.
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There's been so much discussion lately about this whole aging process.
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I really I'm always getting people sending me articles and reels and all kinds of things about the aging thing.
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It's not just like my generation all of a sudden started getting old.
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I think it has to do with the numbers.
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There are so many more people like me than there has ever been before.
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In time, the baby boomers have taken over and the interesting thing is that we're not going away.
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But unfortunately, that particular part of communication while I'm getting all the information and I know my guests are getting information it doesn't seem to be happening as much when it comes to the marketing and advertising arm of the advertisers and the people who make the decisions in terms of who hawks their products.
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Basically, well, I am so excited because I have with me today a woman who is in many ways, single-handedly trying to change that.
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Stephanie O'Dell, who is the founder of Celebrate the Gray is an agency for women over 50, and she represents about 100 of the real models, influencers and content creators.
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It's a collective of women who are passionate about changing the visuals and the narratives that women can be served at any age, that we are still vibrant, still involved, still engaged, believe it or not, after 50.
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And she represents a wonderful demographic of women who are living lives that are all about what I talk about all the time vibrant lives after 50, after 60, after 65.
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And then we have with us Angela she, angela Belias I hope I'm saying that correctly, okay.
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And she's a wife and a mom of an autistic teenager and she is also a recent gray haired model.
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And I invited her on because she is kind of in her encore career and has had some demonstrated success in working as a gray haired model.
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And let's just get into it.
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What's going on, stephanie?
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Why do you think all of a sudden people have awakened and say, oh, you're old and maybe that's not so bad?
00:03:13.304 --> 00:03:13.584
well.
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Thank you, first and foremost, for having us both here today and um, we actually are close to 300 models and influencers and content creators nationwide.
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So, and growing, I have, you know, five to 10 women a week reach out and say I want to be part of what you're doing.
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So I would say, for us it hasn't been all of a sudden.
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It's been a five year plus journey of getting our name out there, growing, organically growing and really building credibility in the space, the age inclusion space, and really listening to the brands that are working with us to find out what works for them.
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You know what is the resource they need.
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Do they need models?
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Do they need influencers?
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Do they need ambassadors?
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Do they need content?
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Because I think brands want to represent us more authentically, but it's very hard to find those visuals, it's hard to find us.
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It's, you know, that's one thing I hear from brands is where is she?
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How do I reach her?
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You know they think we're on TikTok, they think we're on Instagram and the data still shows that the 50 plus woman is mostly on Facebook.
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So there's a lot of misconception and misinformation.
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So there's a lot of education that we, as the consumer, need to do for brands to really understand who we are.
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You know it's interesting because you're right, the majority of us are on Facebook, but just recently the last two months literally I've been on TikTok and I've been surprised.
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I'm getting thousands of views and people and I'm slowly getting the followers.
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I think I'm like just under a thousand or something like that, but there seems to be an audience for what it is that I'm talking about.
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Of course, I talk all about wellness for women over 40.
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But the interesting thing that I found out is that the men who seem to be interested in finding out more about what it means to age gracefully in this particular time of our lives and I was just wondering had you ever considered, do you have any male gray haired models as well?
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male gray haired models as well.
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Nope, nope, I've had men reach out, but I focused on women.
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You know it's a space.
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I understand it's a personal journey for myself.
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You know, having a 92 year old mother and a 23 year old daughter, I see the the journey at both sides of the journey.
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So I always think, you know, whatever journey you're on, the more personal you can make it, the more authentic and the more it resonates with people.
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So you know, maybe someday, but not yeah, which is exactly why I don't work with men in terms of wellness?
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I'm not.
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I don't do men.
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I'm married to one, that's it.
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I've got four daughters, you know, two sisters.
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You know we're a matriarchal family for the most part, so I'm not into that part, but I could see where, because, in my opinion, the men who are older are not being represented.
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I mean, I was looking at something the other day with an actor and I was like Jesus, he looks like he's one foot in the grave.
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Other day with an actor and I was like Jesus, he looks like he's one foot in the grave.
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But they had him as an active male adult who was married, whose wife still seemed to be attracted to him and everything else, and he looked like Methuselah.
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I'm not going to say his name, but it was like whoa.
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Okay.
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First initial T, last initial J, middle initial L Okay.
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Okay.
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Well, I'm going gonna have to work on that one.
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You have the same kind of experience on the Amazon prime ad that you did.
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I even wrote you and I'm like who's the guy they paired you with.
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Yeah, I got a lot of people responding to that too going.
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I can't believe that was your husband on the show.
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I'm like, yeah, well, I'm not part of the casting, I can't make that decision, I just show up.
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I thought that was interesting too, but it's interesting.
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I know you have a lot of experiences now, Angela, since you've entered into the second career.
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But what made you decide to enter into the second career?
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It was a brave decision on my part, because I never thought of myself ever being a model and I got more and more people coming up to me on the street going I love your hair, how do you get it like that?
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Or, you know, I got a lot of compliments on my look and I thought, you know, maybe?
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And then I started seeing, like, is there modeling opportunities for the 50 plus demographic?
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And so I just kind of did a search and I found Celebrate the Gray online.
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And then I reached out on the bottom of the website there's a way you can enter your information to get a callback or, you know, an email back from Stephanie.
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And I'm so glad I made that first little like decision after I talked to my husband and he's like I don't know, that market might be flooded with people.
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You might not be able to make any money.
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You might not be able to make any money.
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So I said, well, I never know until I try.
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So I'm like, let me try.
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This was, you know, like a year and a half ago I guess, and it's a decision I'm so thankful I made out of a leap of faith.
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So thank you, stephanie, absolutely.
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Because, angela, we had our call and literally within the next week I had a request for a hair shoot in LA and I was reached out to Angela and she did it and it just kind of has been successful.
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You've been successful since then and you know, the thing I say about Angela is she is open, she's a yes, she says yes and she does these.
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Know, the thing I say about Angela is she is open, she's a yes, she says yes and she does these things to build her resume.
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And it may not be a ton of money, but it's experience and it's really good exposure for her.
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I mean, she's built her resume on casting networks and has much more credibility because of that.
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It's like anything right when you start a new job, you kind of do all that you can to learn, and so I really applaud Angela for learning and continuing to take jobs to get more exposure for herself.
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Stephanie, in all of this that you've been doing and working with women and building your agency, celebrate the Gray.
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What have been some of the biggest challenges?
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Well, as you mentioned, getting brands to actually step up and spend money to represent us.
00:09:46.351 --> 00:09:48.484
I mean, I get a lot of reach out.
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Oh yeah, we're not really paying anything, but almost to the effect, or almost to the idea, that we're doing you a favor by using somebody in your agency and I'm like, no, that's a favor, like we're an important consumer that you should be valuing.
00:10:04.211 --> 00:10:05.514
I'm one of the gals.
00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:14.746
Grace just did a job in New York and they reached out with initial fee and I was like that's her hourly fee, so I don't think we could do this job.
00:10:14.746 --> 00:10:18.241
And they ended up paying her what she was worth and what she should be paid.
00:10:18.241 --> 00:10:20.666
But you know, it's kind of that.
00:10:20.666 --> 00:10:26.883
Um well, yeah, we'll include an older woman, but we're not going to really pay her, or we may not.
00:10:26.883 --> 00:10:31.592
We may, you know, pair her with someone that looks like her grandfather.
00:10:31.592 --> 00:10:45.561
So it's, there are those successes, but we still have a long way to go for brands to understand who we are and what age really looks like and get the perception and reality of age to match, because it doesn't currently.
00:10:46.042 --> 00:10:48.067
Yeah, well, let's talk a little bit about those brands.
00:10:48.067 --> 00:10:51.421
Angela, what brands have you worked for so?
00:10:51.461 --> 00:10:54.005
far Well.
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I've done the Amazon Prime Black Friday football commercial, which was a really big one, pravana.
00:11:01.625 --> 00:11:04.192
As Stephanie mentioned, that was my first job.
00:11:04.192 --> 00:11:15.140
I've worked with Amanda Gorman for a milk campaign for a first ever women's marathon coming up that I think Stephanie is going to be running in.
00:11:15.721 --> 00:11:23.788
Oh, not that one, not that one Okay, I'm not ready yet New York, new York.
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And then I did a Bad Bunny video.
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I've done a couple little pop-up ads that are showing up on Facebook and Instagram for Superbeat, heart Shoes and MeUndies.
00:11:39.063 --> 00:11:42.927
So I have another one coming up.
00:11:42.927 --> 00:12:06.793
That is a Q&A kind of panel, where it's from a new company that's launching and that coming up in March or April, and I'm on a panel of people being asked questions about cosmetic skincare routine and what we do.
00:12:06.793 --> 00:12:09.527
Wow, that's fabulous.
00:12:09.567 --> 00:12:11.341
That's fabulous, stephanie.
00:12:11.341 --> 00:12:12.868
Why do you think you mentioned that?
00:12:12.868 --> 00:12:18.231
It's because you know she's willing to take anything and get not anything but take a lot of work and get the experience.
00:12:18.251 --> 00:12:18.993
Yeah, not anything.
00:12:20.322 --> 00:12:23.907
Get the experience, but what else goes into being successful?
00:12:23.907 --> 00:12:29.111
Once you decide you want to do something like this, what do you look for when it comes to signing someone to the agency?
00:12:29.980 --> 00:12:35.354
Well, I, you know, believe that I'm not defining what beautiful is.
00:12:35.354 --> 00:13:01.373
I feel like if a woman comes to me and is over 50, in the beginning it was over 50, going gray or gray and had not had cosmetic plastic surgery facial cosmetic surgery, um, but we've pivoted and and now have the influencer and ambassador side, so it's really a woman over 50 that um are really passionate about positive aging.
00:13:02.260 --> 00:13:36.509
So that is the reason I speak to everybody, because I do have women that come to me and say I want to make this a full-time career and we're just not there, and I really believe that each woman that's part of the collective is an advocate for change, and so her voice and opinion matters, and so she has to be willing to put herself out there, talk about how old she is, what she's doing to give other women that are sitting around living in a box society has put them in an example or a role model to say, oh, she looks like me, she sounds like me, maybe I can do that.
00:13:36.548 --> 00:13:39.787
Like Angela's story, we've done an Instagram live together.
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She talked all about casting networks, which is a platform, and I'm an agent on and and use and use and encourage women to use it, because it does feed all kinds of opportunities and it's kind of getting out of your own way, right.
00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:06.833
It's like hearing Angela was frightened to do these things or it was scary to go drive to the studio lot and find the parking lot and find the right wardrobe and all those things that we all experience.
00:14:06.833 --> 00:14:13.703
But she did it and you know, so the next time it's easier and it's just having those examples.
00:14:13.703 --> 00:14:17.250
So we also have the private Facebook group collective.
00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:29.572
So if women don't really fall into the modeling side or the influencer side, there's a space for everybody that's over 50 that wants to really understand how they can take control back of their aging.
00:14:30.254 --> 00:14:47.905
You know, it's really an empowering opportunity for many women because, like, as Angela was saying, she hadn't done anything like this before, but somewhere in the back of their mind of something that she, you know, kind of maybe always wanted to do but just didn't actually do it, and it seems to me that by doing it you begin to feel more empowered.
00:14:47.905 --> 00:14:54.703
What are other ways, in both of your opinions, that women can begin to feel more empowered as they age?
00:14:54.703 --> 00:14:56.486
What should they be doing to feel more empowered?
00:14:56.486 --> 00:14:57.948
Angela, we'll start with you.
00:14:59.630 --> 00:15:03.275
Well I'm going to say say yes to more opportunities that come your way.
00:15:03.275 --> 00:15:13.289
Don't feel like, just because of your age or your silver hair or the wrinkles on your face, that you can't do something necessarily.
00:15:13.289 --> 00:15:26.865
I say if an opportunity arises, please give it a try and don't let your own preconceived ideas or stereotypes about aging hold you back.
00:15:26.865 --> 00:15:34.470
So, for instance, I, over the pandemic, wanted to find my happy again and I started roller skating.
00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:54.182
I haven't roller skated since I was a teenager and in my 20s, but after 30 years of not lacing up, I decided to try it and it immediately all came back to me like riding a bike and I fell in love with it and it is my new passion and my favorite way to exercise, honestly.
00:15:54.182 --> 00:16:03.945
So it's one of those things that don't let, just because you're at an age bracket, say no to something that you may really love.
00:16:05.171 --> 00:16:07.378
You know it's interesting because you bring up an important point.
00:16:07.378 --> 00:16:15.414
Many times, the whole ageism thing that you hear everybody talking about sometimes really starts with us in terms of how we perceive ourselves.
00:16:15.414 --> 00:16:20.054
I hear so many women say, oh no, I can't do that, I'm too old, or no, why would I do that?
00:16:20.054 --> 00:16:21.899
Or that doesn't look right because she's too old.
00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:27.907
And you know, sometimes I feel like we have to change our narrative, change our mindset in terms of how we view ourselves.
00:16:27.907 --> 00:16:30.639
Sometimes you know how they say that you can sometimes be your own worst critic.
00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.235
Well, take that a step further.
00:16:32.235 --> 00:16:45.172
Sometimes women in this age bracket can be their own worst critic because of expectations or limitations that we set on ourselves, based upon, of course, indoctrination and the things we've heard over the years.
00:16:45.172 --> 00:16:49.039
But even though we are our mother's child, we are not our mother.
00:16:49.301 --> 00:17:00.375
There's a big, big difference between our parents, who might have been raised in the 30s and 40s, and us that were raised in the 60s and 70s.
00:17:00.375 --> 00:17:10.201
The technology age began to come in, diversity began to come in, just a whole range of things that our parents just weren't experiencing.
00:17:10.201 --> 00:17:19.138
In fact, I would venture to say there is more of a differentiation between the baby boomers and their parents than there is in the Generation Xers and their parents, you know.
00:17:19.138 --> 00:17:22.932
So we didn't get a whole lot of you know feminism talk.
00:17:22.932 --> 00:17:27.895
You know we got that when we were in high school from our peers and listening to things we're not necessarily from our parents.
00:17:27.895 --> 00:17:32.877
So we have to kind of change and be advocates for ourselves.
00:17:32.877 --> 00:17:35.262
You know, advocate, looking at things a little differently.
00:17:35.262 --> 00:17:36.444
What about you, stephanie?
00:17:36.444 --> 00:17:41.241
What kinds of things do you think women should be thinking about when it comes to getting more empowered as we age?
00:17:44.970 --> 00:18:06.731
Well, I, you know, agree 100% with Angela about getting out of your own way, but I think also, friends and family can have such a huge impact on our decisions that we sometimes stop ourselves because we're afraid of what our friends, how they will respond, our family, what our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, whatever, may say to us.
00:18:06.731 --> 00:18:23.737
So, if you can't get the support that you need to take that first step or next step in your journey, find a community that does see you in the light that you see yourself, especially with social media.
00:18:23.737 --> 00:18:39.999
There are and this is why I'm so passionate about women sharing their stories Because there is somebody out there that will be an inspiration to you and give you the strength to think about what's next for you and not settle into what you've done and feel like, well, that's as good as it gets.
00:18:39.999 --> 00:18:41.061
It's like.
00:18:41.061 --> 00:18:47.318
If you really believe or feel like you want to do more, find that community that can support that more for you.
00:18:48.992 --> 00:18:50.298
Yeah, I absolutely agree.
00:18:50.298 --> 00:19:03.961
You know, it's interesting because I've been in business now for over 16 years and when I first got started which my age group, our age group women for me, my demographic is 40 and and above we were not online like that.
00:19:03.961 --> 00:19:19.234
Back in 2008 and 2009, we might have been looking at ebay maybe you know cnncom or you know something like that but we weren't necessarily shopping online and the idea of getting our health services online or a coach or any of that was just not there.
00:19:19.234 --> 00:19:27.574
But I knew that over time we would be, and so I started those building blocks quite a long time ago.
00:19:27.614 --> 00:19:46.239
So I have really seen how things have progressed and in some ways, one of the good things that came out of COVID even the most resistant over 50 women who didn't want to get on the internet, doesn't want to bother with computers and everything else began to figure out how to get on Zoom, get on Zoom.
00:19:46.239 --> 00:19:59.570
And it's so funny because when I first started my whole thing I'm virtual, so I would have to first I had this long description thing, instructions on how to get on Zoom and all of the kind of stuff, because it was also new, new, new.
00:19:59.570 --> 00:20:08.625
So I'm looking at this now and I'm like, wow, I'm so glad that we're catching up, and I want to talk a little bit about women and technology and how that plays into your business.
00:20:08.625 --> 00:20:16.518
Do you find that you use a lot of technology in your business?
00:20:16.518 --> 00:20:17.140
And then how are women?
00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:18.423
responding to that, since that might be a part of your business.
00:20:18.423 --> 00:20:21.772
Yeah, technology, and especially Angela can talk about this.
00:20:21.772 --> 00:20:31.299
The whole casting, the way things are cast, is completely different because of COVID and technology, so it's much easier.
00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:32.634
I mean, you don't have to drive.
00:20:32.634 --> 00:20:34.515
There's a lot of virtual opportunities.
00:20:34.515 --> 00:20:36.559
You know it's interesting.
00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:38.731
I will get women, I'm trying to think.
00:20:38.731 --> 00:20:43.823
The oldest woman is probably in her late 80s that has joined Celebrate the Gray.
00:20:43.823 --> 00:20:47.213
Oldest woman is probably in her late 80s that has joined Celebrate the Gray.
00:20:47.213 --> 00:20:57.020
So yeah, there's definitely some technical issues that I may have to walk her through, but what I always find is those older women want to learn and they're not afraid to ask questions.
00:20:57.020 --> 00:21:02.361
And I think that goes back to your question before is don't be afraid to say I don't know how to do this.
00:21:02.361 --> 00:21:03.852
Can you help me Right?
00:21:03.852 --> 00:21:11.535
Because I think as we age, we really want to support and lift each other up and help, and we know we've gone through something similar.
00:21:11.535 --> 00:21:30.381
So to be able to guide somebody else through and help and this is Angela's done this quite a bit for the Celebrate the Great Collective has shared her experiences and that is you know what's so golden about it that you know if you can share your wisdom, share your wisdom with an older person.
00:21:31.223 --> 00:21:53.199
You know they may be lonely and not connected because and I think COVID helped a lot of older people but there are those opportunities for us to help our aunts, our mothers or sisters, whatever it may be, to understand technology and I think, also to really talk about our knowledge of technology, because that is a reality perception deficit.
00:21:53.199 --> 00:21:58.240
Right now too, brands think that we're not tech savvy and we don't want to be tech savvy.
00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:06.884
But then it also comes back to are you talking to that end user and making sure that the system works for her?
00:22:06.884 --> 00:22:11.801
I mean, I look at some of these bottles I get or products I get and I'm like, ok, well, I can't read this.
00:22:11.801 --> 00:22:15.036
So are you even thinking about me as a 50, 60 year old?
00:22:15.036 --> 00:22:19.084
Or you know technology, all this user generated?
00:22:20.191 --> 00:22:34.154
There's a lot of energy goes into that, but I don't know if it goes into it as much for the older consumer that's a very good point, because what about that medication that is like almost fort knocks to get into and you know it's not for children, and children aren't even around anymore like that.
00:22:34.154 --> 00:22:39.512
For most of us, they're with our kids because they're our grandchildren living with us and getting into it?
00:22:39.512 --> 00:22:47.025
You have arthritis, or if your dexterity isn't as way as it used to be, it's like what got to take a sledgehammer and try to get inside of it and everything?
00:22:47.025 --> 00:22:48.335
You know it's crazy.
00:22:48.335 --> 00:22:58.765
So you're right, there's still some things that need to be looked at in terms of enhancing the consumer experience if they want to do business for us.
00:22:58.765 --> 00:23:04.643
But I guess the first step is just to get them aware that we're even out here and want to be included.
00:23:04.643 --> 00:23:09.721
And why are visuals and narratives important when it comes to our aging journey?
00:23:09.721 --> 00:23:10.103
Stephanie?
00:23:11.849 --> 00:23:20.005
Well, it's hard to be inspired by a 20 year old that's a size two when you're not a size two and you're, you know, going in your 50s.
00:23:20.005 --> 00:23:36.076
I did a lot of fashion shows for Athletic in the beginning of growing the brand and I had a woman reach out to me after we had to do a virtual one during COVID and I had a woman reach out to me and say thank you so much for showing the fashion on a woman, an older woman that was a size 12.
00:23:36.076 --> 00:23:39.488
You gave me permission to go into that store.
00:23:39.488 --> 00:23:45.967
I always felt so uncomfortable to go into that store, but then that, you know, plays into.
00:23:45.967 --> 00:23:48.813
You walk in the store and then what are the mannequins look like?
00:23:48.813 --> 00:23:50.644
What are the salespeople look like?
00:23:50.644 --> 00:23:52.089
What are the visuals look like?
00:23:52.089 --> 00:24:11.344
So there's, so it's so important that your visuals and narratives as a brand are represented authentically in social media, in your brick and mortar, you know, in your newsletters, in your emails, yeah, and that you actually your product works for us I definitely know about that.
00:24:11.444 --> 00:24:17.462
As an older woman and an african-american woman, I can tell you what you know it would.
00:24:17.462 --> 00:24:27.763
It would be like over the years um, either you just go ahead and patronize these people, because otherwise you'd be walking around naked, because they just weren't they just weren't showing images like us.
00:24:27.784 --> 00:24:30.531
There was no one looking like me for years and years and years.
00:24:30.531 --> 00:24:35.460
But the tradeoff for that is a strong sense of empowerment.
00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:46.056
I mean if you're able to survive and thrive in an environment like that, where people aren't recognizing you or not thinking that you're relevant enough or important enough to have folks that look like you.
00:24:46.056 --> 00:24:52.489
I had an experience the other day and you know I'm becoming more and more of an advocate on this thing because I have a.
00:24:52.489 --> 00:25:00.560
I run with a group of women who are really advocating the aging gracefully from a woman of color point of view, and there was this.
00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:07.583
They were, it was a promo and they were advertising, I think a second act type of gathering.
00:25:07.583 --> 00:25:09.208
It's called the Gathering or something like that.
00:25:09.208 --> 00:25:17.009
It was a wonderful promo and all the women that they were showing, talking about their experience and everything else, they were all women that were not of color.
00:25:17.721 --> 00:25:20.048
So I just put a comment in the YouTube.
00:25:20.048 --> 00:25:21.727
I said, ok, well, where's the diversity?
00:25:21.727 --> 00:25:25.285
And then she said, oh, thank you so much for responding.
00:25:25.285 --> 00:25:28.130
She said, you know, further emails are coming out and they'll have the diversity.
00:25:28.130 --> 00:25:33.692
And I said, well, that's basically that's all fine and good, but you know that first impression is what's most important.
00:25:33.692 --> 00:25:39.045
If I'm not seeing it, I'm not going to click around and give you my email address to see if you do it later.
00:25:39.546 --> 00:25:48.118
So I think that in taking that story and applying it to the aging thing, we want to try to get those folks who are trying to get our business.
00:25:48.118 --> 00:25:54.461
They need to lead with some of this stuff instead of waiting for us to not buy their products or talk about them bad or whatever.
00:25:54.461 --> 00:25:58.770
It should be part of the DNA of what they include.
00:25:58.770 --> 00:26:06.521
And I have to say, stephanie, I'm beginning to see some improvement and I think that you have really helped raise the awareness.
00:26:06.521 --> 00:26:15.769
I know it's been a lot of hard work getting their awareness raised but you know, if you don't put it in front of folks, many times it's not their initial impetus to go out after it.
00:26:15.769 --> 00:26:17.340
It doesn't even have to do with their bias.
00:26:17.340 --> 00:26:20.189
It just has to do with what they're used to and what they know.
00:26:20.189 --> 00:26:26.289
And if you take a look at who runs these advertising agencies, they're young, they're young, they're millennials, yeah.
00:26:26.329 --> 00:26:27.011
Yeah, and they're.
00:26:27.011 --> 00:26:48.532
You know, that's the thing I always say look, it is not, it is out of lack of information that it is the way it is, but lack of information and also acceptance on our part that we continue to buy product that represents us inaccurately, and so then it just reinforces the messaging oh, this is what they want.
00:26:48.532 --> 00:26:49.641
This is you know.
00:26:49.641 --> 00:26:56.965
They want anti aging products, they want anti wrinkle products, they want to dye their hair, they want to be skinnier.
00:26:56.965 --> 00:27:00.843
Because we continue to buy, because we think there's not options.
00:27:00.843 --> 00:27:26.811
But if we're more careful with our dollars and we take the time to educate decision makers and and Angela can speak to this, and Linus, you're part of Celebrate the Gray and you've been on shoots the power that, that interaction when you're on set, what happens for those decision makers when they actually engage with somebody that's not their mother or their aunt or their grandmother that's older?
00:27:27.700 --> 00:27:33.063
Yeah, it's interesting because when I went on my shoot they were pleasantly surprised because I had some.
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