Women Pharmacists in the Beauty Space Series Part 1 of 3, Interview with Dimple Gandhi, PharmD
Today, I\u2019m kicking off a 3-part series featuring interviews with Women Pharmacists who have businesses in the beauty space. Today\u2019s episode is an interview with Dr. Dimple Gandhi.\xa0 Dr. Danielle Perrodin, and Dr. Leslie Hodge will be on the podcast the next two Fridays (July 15 and July 22, 2022).\xa0 Thank you Dimple for inspiring me to create this series!
Thank you for listening to episode 160 of The Pharmacist\u2019s Voice \xae Podcast!
To read the full show notes, visit https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com.\xa0 Click on the podcast tab, and search for episode 160. \xa0
Bio
Dr. Dimple Gandhi is a PharmD graduate of MCPHS University in Boston.\xa0 She was born and raised in Massachusetts as a first generation American. Dimple is a self-taught makeup artist and in 2011, decided to start her own freelance makeup artist business called Look Your Absolute Best, with the aim of making all people feel and look their best. During pharmacy school, she had several jobs and internships during which she found her passion for a career as a pharmacist within the biopharmaceutical industry, where she currently holds a position in medical affairs. She is furthering her education by completing classes for her MBA degree.\xa0She uses her voice to advocate for pharmacists in non-traditional clinical roles and to advocate for women, especially 1st generation women, in leadership roles. During her free time, Dimple enjoys hiking, exploring new places, spending time with friends and family, and reading.\xa0
Links from this episode
Instagram: (@ LookYourAbsoluteBest) https://www.instagram.com/look_your_absolute_best/\xa0
Dimple\u2019s Linkedin Profile: linkedin.com/in/dimple-gandhi-95ba07108
Dimple\u2019s email: dimplegandhi2@gmail.com
Dr. Danielle Perrodin https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-danielle-perrodin-4a8377138/\xa0
Dr. Leslie Hodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-hodge/\xa0
Skinfix website:\xa0 https://skinfix.com//\xa0
Makeup by Jen on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/MakeupByJen\xa0
Makeup by Jen on Instagram @makeupbyjenxiixii https://www.instagram.com/makeupbyjenxiixii/\xa0
Angie di Battista on YouTube\xa0
Angie di Battista on Instagram @angiedib https://www.instagram.com/angiedib/\xa0
Detox me app https://silentspring.org/detox-me-app-tips-healthier-living\xa0
Think dirty app https://thinkdirtyapp.com
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA
MCPHS University in Boston\xa0
\U0001f5a5Check out Kim\u2019s websites, and connect with her on social media!
\u2705Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com
\u2705The Pharmacist\u2019s Voice \xae Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast
\u2705Pronounce Drug Names Like a Pro \xa9 Online Course https://www.kimnewlove.com\xa0 \xa0
\u2705LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove
\u2705Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96
\u2705Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO
\u2705Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/
\u2705YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ
\u2705ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z
Highlights from our interview
Dimple is a pharmacist and a makeup artist. She provides makeup services for prom, brides/weddings, and other occasions.\xa0 She offers make-up trials before major events, touch-up kits, and follow-up appointments for education on recreating looks.\xa0 She also teaches women how to apply make-up, eyebrow shaping, and more.
She is inspired by the creativity and art that is makeup and fascinated by how make-up can change someone's self-confidence and their face. It\u2019s fun, and she loves working with people and making them feel good.\xa0 She is warm and friendly, and her clients feel comfortable with her.
Dimple has been collecting make-up for years.\xa0 She has a \u201chuge kit\u201d full of versatile products that can be used on different skin types and with a range of different skin tones. She has a separate kit for herself.\xa0 She believes in technique versus buying the most expensive products on the market.
Dimple explained that it\u2019s never too late to start wearing make-up.\xa0 You can do what works for you.\xa0 You don\u2019t have to do what you see online/social media.
When it comes to makeup, trial and error is frustrating, and seeing all the different makeup lines, products, tools, and colors in a drug store can be overwhelming.\xa0 Dimple recommends tried and trusted brands to her clients. She also recommends clients learn what kind of skin they have (oily, dry, or combination).\xa0 Skin type affects how someone applies their make-up. Finding products that suit someone\u2019s skin tone is important too. Finding colors that complement the eyes and other facial features is a science.\xa0 A lot goes into picking the right products.
Dimple was a tomboy.\xa0 As a young teenager, Dimple was bullied for the way she looked.\xa0 That experience led her to self-improvement via makeup.\xa0 She felt more confident with makeup.\xa0 She also fell in love with the creative process of makeup, and it sparked her interest. She became skilled over time and became a really good self-taught makeup artist.
Dimple is a first-generation American.\xa0 Her parents are immigrants from India.\xa0 She was born and raised in Massachusetts, and she has been on the East Coast her entire life.
How did Dimple get into business? \xa0
After flawlessly applying makeup throughout high school and college, friends and family asked her if she could do their makeup for parties and events.\xa0 She decided to create a freelance makeup business called Look Your Absolute Best.\xa0 She bought business cards, made contracts, learned how to get clients, and learned how to sell her services.\xa0 She worked as a make-up artist during pharmacy school.
What\u2019s Dimple\u2019s favorite thing about being a make-up artist? \xa0
Happy clients who are excited about how they look!\xa0
Clients find Dimple on Instagram (@LookYourAbsoluteBest) and via word-of-mouth.\xa0 They can contact her on IG and via email.
What are Dimple\u2019s best practices for posting pictures on Instagram? \xa0
Whether you\u2019re posting a professional headshot or a picture from a swim meet, post whatever you're comfortable with.\xa0 We have many faces to our personality and sharing the variety is best.\xa0 Be yourself online.\xa0 Don\u2019t assume others will judge you.\xa0
We discussed makeup best practices for professional headshots.\xa0 The amount of make-up needed for a professional headshot with flash photography is different from what is used for daily wear.\xa0 Even men should wear powder during professional headshots!
When Dimple started out, she built her portfolio by working with professional photographers.\xa0 For example, she worked with clients on their senior pictures.\xa0 For my international friends, senior pictures are taken in the US before grade 12, ~ age 17-18 years old.\xa0 It\u2019s a right of passage in many US High Schools.\xa0 Working with photographers helped Dimple gain experience and build relationships.\xa0 She was very helpful to photographers and her makeup clients during photography sessions.\xa0 Currently, Dimple\u2019s clients are in the greater Boston, MA area.\xa0
During weeks when Dimple is working as both a pharmacist and a make-up artist, she spends 60-70% of her work week as a pharmacist.\xa0 30-40% of her time is spent as a make-up artist.\xa0 Dimple is taking MBA classes part-time too!\xa0
For consumers interested in finding skincare for certain challenges, such as acne, dermatitis, or eczema, Dimple recommends the Skinfix skincare brand. (She is not affiliated with them.)\xa0
For someone who is interested in the business of being a makeup artist and how to build a makeup kit, gain expertise, and get clients, Dimple recommends Makeup by Jen on YouTube and Angie di Battista on YouTube.\xa0
If you're a consumer who is curious about the ingredients your makeup or skincare, check out these two apps:
- Detox me app https://silentspring.org/detox-me-app-tips-healthier-living\xa0
- Think dirty app https://thinkdirtyapp.com\xa0
These two apps allow you to scan QR codes of your products and learn if they are \u201csafe\u201d according to the app\u2019s database.
Because Dimple is a pharmacist, she pays attention to expiration dates, best practices to avoid bacteria growth, allergens, and side effects.\xa0 Tea Tree Oil is a common allergen in face creams and serums. Dimple also cares about sun safety.\xa0 As a pharmacy student, Dimple worked in the Sun Safety Department at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.\xa0 She worked with a dermatologist who offered skin cancer screenings on the beach. Raising awareness of skin cancer risk is one of Dimple\u2019s passions.\xa0 She recommends using facial moisturizers with SPF 30.
For busy pharmacist moms, Dimple recommends finding a five-minute routine that works.\xa0 Try new looks when you have time, but find a routine that you can rely on.\xa0 Hire a make-up artist like Dimple if you want a shortcut to buying the right products and a routine for your specific needs.\xa0 Makeup artists can also help you understand what order to apply products and how to use makeup tools.
As a pharmacist, Dimple works for a pharmaceutical company in Boston. She loves her medical communications job.\xa0 She\u2019s in oncology at this time. Medical communications professionals generate, develop and disseminate the complex scientific information on drugs and the diseases that they treat.\xa0
As a pharmacy student, Dimple fell in love with oncology and picked that as a therapeutic area to focus on. Through trial and error, working various jobs, and having conversations with many people, she stumbled upon the pharmaceutical industry, which she fell in love with. She\u2019s passionate about her pharmaceutical industry role, and she would recommend her job to anyone.\xa0
Dimple is also Adjunct Faculty at MCPHS University in Boston, within the pharmacy department. She tells students about her job so they know that pharma is a career option. \xa0
According to Dimple, if you are interested in a career in pharma, the first step is identifying which area within the industry you have some interest in.\xa0 Once you know what you're looking for, find out how your strengths and your interests can best help you in that position and why you think you'd be good at it.\xa0 Once you arrive at that point, do a job search. Search by therapeutic area, location, and department. Find a company that checks all three of those major boxes. \xa0 There are many ways to go about getting a pharma job, including completing a fellowship. \xa0
Work-life balance is a hot topic for pharmacists right now (summer 2022).\xa0 Even though Dimple has a full-time pharma job, is a part-time MBA student, and is a part-time makeup artist, she still makes time for friends, family, and other interests.\xa0 She likes to plan, and that helps with work-life balance.\xa0 She has a lot of passion for her current pursuits, and she is open to combining all three (pharma, MBA, and makeup) for her \u201cdream job\u201d in the future.\xa0 Best wishes for continued success, Dimple!\xa0 I\u2019m so glad we met!
If you would like to connect with Dr. Dimple Gandhi, please reach out through LinkedIn.\xa0
Thank you for listening to The Pharmacist\u2019s Voice \xae Podcast Episode 160!\xa0 Please subscribe/follow on your favorite podcast player and YouTube for all future episodes.\xa0 Join me next week for my interview with Dr. Danielle Perrodin. \xa0