Welcome toSecond Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who’ve made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.
In the world of entrepreneurship, partnerships can often lead to groundbreaking innovations and remarkable success stories. Case in point: Allison Statter and Sherry Jhawar, the brilliant minds behind Blended Strategy Group and the game-changing Nez deodorant. These co-founders have not only carved a niche in celebrity and influencer marketing, but they have also ventured into the realm of personalized beauty products, leaving an indelible mark on multiple industries.
Blended Strategy Group, founded in 2015, originally started as a celebrity and influencer marketing agency. Over time, it has morphed into a multifaceted agency, offering services in integrated marketing, PR, social media, and more. The company’s prowess in brand-building shines through its collaboration with high-profile names like Gxve by Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Meyer Fragrance & Beauty, helping to cement its reputation as an industry leader.
The dynamic duo recently stepped out from behind the scenes to build their first owned and operated brand—Nez. Nez is an innovative brand of aluminum-free deodorants that goes beyond the conventional to deliver personalized solutions. The deodorants are tailored to specific occasions and sweat-inducing situations, including workout sessions, boardroom meetings, and date nights. Available in both vibrant and smoky scents, the deodorants are sold directly to consumers and in notable retailers like Urban Outfitters.
However, the journeys of Statter and Jhawar weren’t always intertwined. Jhawar, a Harvard Business School graduate, made her mark as a founding member and global marketing head at EOS, the revolutionary lip balm company.
Meanwhile, Statter was a powerhouse at Azoff Music Management, managing A-list artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Jewel, and Mariah Carey. Their paths came together when they joined forces to book celebrity talent for EOS, sparking a realization that their combined expertise could yield something extraordinary. This fateful collaboration led to the formation of Blended Strategy Group and, eventually, the birth of Nez. Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Statter and Jhawar came together to seamlessly blend their strengths, paving the way for innovative business ventures that thrive on creative energy and shared vision.
Keep scrolling to shop some of Nez’s best sellers.
Next: Padma Lakshmi on Her Multifaceted Journey From Supermodel to Culinary Sensation