Employee Spotlight: Amy, Chief of Staff
Why did you choose Curology?
I first learned about Curology as a patient. I was struggling with bad acne after moving to San Francisco, and I’d tried a bunch of other products but nothing worked. I appreciated how easy Curology made it to get advice from a medical professional, and — most importantly — it cleared up my skin!
A year and a half later, when I saw a job posting for a business operations role at Curology, I applied because I believed in the products and the mission. As I went through the interview process, every person I met struck me as extremely smart and genuinely nice. I also liked the fast-paced and collaborative startup environment, where I felt like I could make an impact. It was the perfect combination of a great product, great people, and fulfilling work. Joining Curology was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
How would you describe working at Curology in 3 words?
I’ll use three emojis instead!
💜 The people are caring and kind, and we lift each other up as a team.
💪 The culture is incredibly empowering. Everyone at the company is super receptive to ideas, and you’re given a lot of trust and ownership to take on stretch projects.
🧠 The work is challenging! Curology sits at the intersection of skincare, healthcare, and tech. Our business model is unique and there are always interesting business problems to tackle.
How has your role evolved since you’ve started?
I joined Curology three years ago as the first hire on the bizops team. My background is in finance, and my first project was helping build our financial model. From there, I wore many different hats, including helping develop our first non-prescription skincare products, designing and analyzing A/B tests, negotiating with supply chain and logistics vendors, and partnering with our medical team on new initiatives. I didn’t have prior experience in many of these areas, and one of the most valuable skills I learned from my manager was how to be resourceful and logic my way through problems.
Recently, I started a new role as Chief of Staff to the CEO, which encapsulates my favorite parts of my previous role — working cross-functionally and helping manage a broad range of projects — while allowing me to get more experience in areas like communications and shaping our big picture company strategy. I love my job and appreciate the opportunity to grow with the company.
What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t working?
I like to explore my creative side! Before covid, I was two and a half semesters into a sculpture class at City College SF, where we were learning things like woodworking, stone carving, and welding. It was really nice to spend time working with my hands. We can’t go into the classroom now, so I’ve been doing arts and crafts projects at home. Outside of that, I love eating, finding new TV shows, and taking care of my plant babies.
What’s been your proudest moment at Curology?
The launch of our cleanser and moisturizer. We worked on the project for over a year, and it was amazing to see the tangible results of that work. I’m a huge skincare enthusiast, and these are products that I love and use every day. It’s very cool to know that many other people are using products that I helped create.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve been able to learn by working at Curology?
I learned that you grow the most when you jump outside of your comfort zone. At Curology, I’ve gotten many opportunities to do this, and even though it can be intimidating, those have been the most valuable learning experiences. Now, I try to say yes to things even (and especially!) if they scare me a little. 🙂
