This year, Beki Hoxha became Foreo’s general manager for North America. The beauty-tech and wellness company has grown from two employees in 2013 to more than 3,000 worldwide today. Hoxha, who was born in Albania, joined Foreo in 2014 as the third hire on the continent. He has seen the company develop “from a garage operation to a multimillion-dollar brand in more than 4,200 retail and professional spa locations.”
Do you have any news you’d like to share?
We have a new collection of UFO sheet masks made with natural ingredients launching soon and some exciting revolutionary devices in 2020. Like Area 51, our launches are super confidential.
How has Foreo evolved since its inception and where do you see the company in five years?
In 2014, expectations to build Foreo in North America were high. During this time, we straddled everything from packing and shipping to cold calling and booking meetings with buyers. Unfamiliar with the beauty industry, I relied heavily on research, basic sales strategies and cultivating meaningful relationships to break through to the gatekeepers and decision makers. In just three years, our team reached more than 4,000 retailers and we expanded our professional service business.
With a background in banking and finance, what drew you to the beauty industry?
Large financial institutions were not one of my favorite environments, as I have a very energetic and dynamic personality. Banking didn’t allow for that, so while it was a great start to my professional career, I was definitely ready for something different.
What drew me to the beauty industry was solely Foreo: its brand, people and culture.
How has technology affected the industry and what innovations are trending?
Design and technologies have empowered our consumers in many ways, but the most important impact comes when products are designed with the intention of helping people confront and improve their inner confidence. The trends we are seeing now are technologies focusing on anti-aging and hair. People are more connected and the demand helps create advancements in artificial intelligence and beauty.
What is your management style?
I always try to hire people who are better than me in things that I am not good at. These individuals are able to create an environment in which as a manager, I get pushed through a diverse thinking process. My style is to share and inspire others in pursuing their goals and really use their skills and talents. At the same time, I love being inspired and I learn as much as I can from my team members.
What’s the best business advice you’ve received?
Someone once told me it is imperative to embrace our “inner amateur” and clear our minds of preconceptions or rules. This will allow us to not fear failure and not to simply follow trends, but set them.
If you had a magic wand, what three things would you change about Southern Nevada?
Growing up in different parts of the world and traveling to so many places, I’d say developing the local community culture. I see downtown changing and would like to see more of that, as well as walkable neighborhoods. Second would be turning the desert heat just a notch lower, and having a beautiful beach — you said magic.
What is your dream job outside of your current field?
If I wasn’t in business, I’d be a pilot so I can experience the world as much as I can and help others to do the same.
Whom do you admire?
My mother and father because they truly embed the meaning of selflessness. They made unimaginable sacrifices to raise my sister and me and gave us both a future filled with opportunities. They taught me the importance of being a kind, humble, caring person, and to pass my positivity onto others.
If you could spend a day in anybody’s shoes, who would you choose and why?
Jack Ma, co-founder and CEO of Alibaba. He was born and raised in Communist China, rejected 10 times from Harvard, rejected from 30 jobs. Today, he is one of the most prominent and successful business figures in the world and a role model for all startup businesses. A true inspiration in dedication, persistence, and leadership, he is a person I’d love to learn from.
What is something that people might not know about you?
Skydiving is my favorite hobby; I am an adrenaline junkie. I have jumped 17 times. From a young age, I have loved archeology and Egyptology. One of the most amazing places I have been in my life is the Lost City of Petra in Jordan.