Leading with Empathy and Bold Change with Minou Clark of RealSelf
This week on Above the Fold, I sat down with Minou Clark, CEO of RealSelf, for a conversation about leadership, culture, and what it takes to transform a brand without losing its soul. Minou’s career path has been anything but linear. From theater major to running growth at places like BuzzFeed, PopSugar, People, and Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, before stepping into the CEO role at RealSelf. Her story is proof that creativity and emotional intelligence can be real superpowers in business.
From Theater to Digital Growth
Minou started out as a theater kid who loved connecting with audiences. That passion carried into her early career in media, where she helped brands grow digital audiences before “growth” was even a buzzword. She talked about how running Maury Povich’s socials gave her a crash course in the power of the internet and set her on a path into audience development and strategy.
Leadership Rooted in Empathy
One thing that stood out in our conversation was Minou’s leadership philosophy. She doesn’t believe in hierarchy for the sake of hierarchy. Her interns, CFO, and board members all get the same version of her: curse words, humor, and radical transparency included. She wants her team to feel like they can bring their full selves to work, and she models that by being human first, CEO second.
Rebranding RealSelf
Taking over a company and rebranding it is no small task, but Minou made it clear this wasn’t about vanity. RealSelf was outdated, confusing, and hard to use. She and her team rebuilt it to feel more like a destination than a utility. The rebrand was rooted in data and consumer insights, and early results show users are spending more time on the site and engaging more deeply.
Embracing Change as a Muscle
Minou had a clear message: companies that fear change get left behind. She believes leaders need to be willing to “fuck around and find out” when the data shows it’s time to evolve. That means testing, monitoring, and iterating, even when it’s uncomfortable. For her, embracing change is not optional, it’s a survival skill.
Digital Strategy and Consumer Behavior
We also talked about consumer trends, especially around AI. While executives are quick to get excited about AI’s efficiency, consumers are skeptical of content that feels inauthentic. Minou’s take is that AI can be a useful tool, but it cannot replace human empathy and creativity. She sees a gap between corporate enthusiasm and consumer trust that brands will need to navigate carefully.
The Bigger Picture
Looking ahead, Minou sees RealSelf expanding beyond aesthetics to include wellness, nutrition, mental health, and fitness, all part of a holistic definition of “your best self.” She also spoke about legacy and what matters most to her: empowering women, destigmatizing beauty choices, and creating opportunities for people to bring their full selves into the work.
