Leah Garcia on Connecting the Gaps on Your Resumé

From Ranch Roots to Founder: An Unconventional Path To Launching A Beauty Brand

Leah Garcia’s story moves from a Northern California ranch to rodeo scholarships, pro mountain biking, and two decades on television—then to founding New Lastin, a performance-driven beauty company built around elastin replenishment. Her journey shows how diverse experiences and curiosity can converge into a focused business built on science and lived need.

How Personal Needs Spark Product Innovation With Elastin Replenishment

What began as Leah’s search for products that extended her on-camera longevity evolved into discovering published research on elastin. She partnered with a microbiologist, tested formulas herself, and launched a line that addressed visible gaps in hair and skin performance—starting with brow and scalp serums. The product-first mentality emphasizes testing, evidence, and repeatable results.

Bootstrapping A Beauty Company Without Traditional Funding

New Lastin started with self-funding and zero investors. Leah’s approach involved learning pitch mechanics, attending investor forums, and pitching repeatedly—often with theatrical presentation skills honed in TV. Even without outside capital, she focused on customer retention through ethical product claims, careful formulation, and building word-of-mouth momentum.

Leadership Lessons: Hiring, Trust, And Building A Team

Early growth taught Leah that hiring hungry generalists isn’t always enough. She calls the early years “whack-a-mole” and later corrected course by recruiting experienced hires and a trusted number-one leader. Strong delegation, hiring people with deeper expertise, and creating processes were pivotal for scale and eventual exit-readiness.

Managing Pressure, Health, And Founder Vulnerability

Leah candidly shares how pressure manifested physically—Bell’s palsy and later essential tremors—pushing her to reassess priorities. She models vulnerability by asking questions, admitting gaps in knowledge, and prioritizing movement and small breaks to manage stress. Her emphasis on honesty and self-observation is a recurring leadership theme.

Practical Takeaways For Aspiring Founders And Career Changers

• Test products against published science before scaling formulations.
• Use storytelling and media skills to craft compelling investor and customer pitches.
• Hire experienced specialists early to minimize operational rework.
• Watch for physical burnout signals and build sustainable relief routines.

Leah’s narrative demonstrates that nontraditional backgrounds—rodeo, international travel, competitive athletics, and television—can become strengths when combined with curiosity, ethical standards, and relentless iteration. Her company grew by solving a visible, meaningful problem with demonstrable science and by learning to build a team that could translate that vision into repeatable business systems.