One Burn, One Breakthrough, and a Commitment to Helping Others Feel Confident in Their Skin
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Show Notes:
In this episode of Mission Matters, host Adam Torres interviews Marina Lang, Assistant Director of Development at Protecta-skincare, Inc., about her personal journey with the brand’s skincare line. Once a skeptic, Marina shares how a severe burn led to a discovery that changed her skin and her career path. Recorded live at the Newport Beach Investor Conference.
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Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to mission matters.com and click on Be Our Guest to Apply. I. Alright, today I am in Newport Beach, California at the Newport Beach Investor Conference.
And let me tell you, lots of fun listening to businesses and listening to founders pitch their ideas, raise capital, lots of investors in the room and in the audience. And my next guest is Marina. Marina. Welcome to the show. Hi. Alright, so what brings you to the conference today? I came in today with Robert, the founder of Protecta Skincare.
And. I’m very excited to talk about his product because I’m kind of the face of the product. Mm-hmm. I’ve been using it for the last three and a half years and that’s kind of what’s bringing me out today. That’s amazing. So, so I love to hear how people meet each other. How, how did you and Robert initially meet the founder?
It’s a long story, but I basically used to work for a different startup. Mm-hmm. Five years ago I was working for a tour and events company. Mm-hmm. And I was also kind of running that. Business. Yeah. And Robert was one of our guests at the. Tour and events company. Yeah. Oh, no way. So he was a guest and then, and then from there, you guys kind of, did you, did he tell you about the product back then and you started using, or when the product come into play?
It came in the first time we met, he actually handed one to each of the guests. It was like, mm-hmm. The tours were pretty About what year was this? I’m curious. Roughly. Just roughly 2021 I would say. Oh, so this is early on? Yeah. So this is kind of like the prototype years almost like that was, I think that’s when he started roughly.
Yeah. 21 or 22. Yeah. Okay. So he was maybe a year or two and something like that. Wow. Yeah. And so what did you think initially when you had the product? Like what was your initial thoughts? Well, I was just saying this to somebody in the conference earlier today. Mm-hmm. I’m very skeptical about any type of skincare because I have very sensitive skin, which tends to go towards the drier side.
Okay. And especially at that point, I was suffering with from like acne and rashes and dry skin. So I. My initial statement to him was, I am not gonna use it. I’m good. Like, no, thank you. No, thank you. So, and I’m somebody who’s pretty stubborn, so to change my mind on something like that is tough. Yeah. But Robert was very persistent.
He attended several of our tours and events, and he kept on finding you and he’s like, did you use the product? Did you use the product or how did that discussion go? Well, he, he kept, he asked quite a few times and I, I was like, I don’t think this is going to happen. Yeah, but, and I was pretty persistent.
But then what happened one day was. And this is such a chance thing. I actually burned my stomach. Mm-hmm. Like pretty badly because I was cooking spaghetti or something. Oh. And then it left a, I’ve never had a scar like that Yeah. In my entire life. Yeah. And I was very paranoid because I am like a media figure.
I, I work as an actress and singer too, so I was like, if I go to shoots and I have to wear like a crop top or something. Yeah. Do I want this scar? Scar? You’re, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And even makeup can only do so much. Mm-hmm. I basically was like, my only chance is to either use Bernal or use Robert’s cream and then, and then comes in Robert like, oh, oh, I got you now.
Yeah. So I started using the cream stop. Yeah. And walks Robert. Yeah. And walks off stage left. Exactly. That’s while he didn’t walk in, but I had the cream and I was looking it You had it? Yeah. Okay. So then you start, let, so let’s go to the early days. So now we’re, you’re using this cream and what happens?
Like, talk to me. Yeah. So I start using it for two months and I, I, I was very sad because for somebody who works in entertainment to have a mark like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s very dramatic. Like and it was a big one, so. I was using it, I was watching the progress of it. I was kind of documenting and I’m sending, like, I was sending him updates too, because he was like, is it healing?
Yeah. Like what’s the situation? And within two months, like after applying it four to five times a day, it was like clearing up slowly. Now it’s been like two years. It’s almost gone. You can barely see it. Wow. So it. That’s what convinced me mm-hmm. To continue using the cream. So I was like, if it can do that for my scar, then like, what else?
I wonder what it can do for my face or like cyst. And the next thing I had was cyst on my eye and I was like, dang, you were just like a disaster. Disaster. I didn’t say it. No. So I was like, it was, that was the craziest ’cause I applied it before I went to sleep and I woke up in the morning. I didn’t have a cyst anymore.
Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So then you’re like, all right, Robert, what’s what is that? Is that about the time or was it before when you started kind of working with him and just thinking about That’s about the time I started, started. You were a convert at that point. Yeah. You’re, oh my gosh, this is good. Yeah. It was convert.
Yeah. And then I started using it every day. I saw how my skin changed, how my look in general, like my skin was fresher. Everything was more moisturized. Yeah. Like. It, it had both the pharmaceutical and the beauty impact. So I was like, I really, and I, I worked with a lot of startups previously, like the tour and events company.
I did Ghost Kitchens. I, I was like, I do entertainment, so why am I not focusing on a beauty product for sure. Or something that’s external for sure. So that’s kind of how Robert and I clicked and like we made a good pairing after that. Oh, that’s awesome. And so now where, what, tell me about the company today and like where it stands like and, and what you’re seeing happen.
Yeah. So Robert, right now, at this point, like he’s developed several products mm-hmm. In different capacities, obviously there’s the skincare. Mm-hmm. He has probiotics, which I’ve tried to, and they’re incredible. Mm-hmm. He also has the chemical that’s in the cream, which is supposed to like work on healing several different factors internally.
Yeah, yeah. Like health wise and also like mental health. Hmm. So. He’s at the point where he has several products, they’re all very good. Mm-hmm. But he’s not been discovered yet. I feel like the second people have those conversions like I did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He will blow up, but I think he just needs to like.
Level up in the sense like he has to, he, he’s bootstrapped his own business. Yeah. And brought it this far, but he needs extra support now in terms of like financing, marketing to take him really to that like for sure. Commercial level. Well, yeah. Especially when everybody’s like, if, if you’re having results like this, I’m sure other people are having some good results too.
Definitely. So if you have all those combined, it’s like get it to more people. Right. Exactly. It’s. So far, like his business has been thriving on word of mouth, but yeah. Wow. That’s hard in that, in the beauty space. That’s hard. That’s really hard. Like that doesn’t, that’s hard. Go very far. Normally yeah, because like beauty space, it’s like, oh, I see a celebrity endorse something.
Yeah. But do you ever buy a second? And he, he mentioned because I interviewed him prior. Yeah. He mentioned something about like the reorder rates or the repeat customers, something insane. Like it is phenomenal. 60 or something crazy percent where I’m like, yeah. You know, they can use, sometimes with good marketing, you can get somebody on the first time to buy something.
Exactly. But are they gonna use the product all up, number one? Mm-hmm. And then buy another again. Again. Probably not. They’re probably gonna use some of it and then they’re gonna go buy something else that they feel like buying and forget that they had that one. Or, oh wait, am I just, am I just describing myself?
No, you’re describing yourself. You’re describing me. I have bought so many products in my life for the first time and never reused them. Yeah. Good marketing. Yeah. And never gonna maybe finish that one. And that’s why marketing is obviously the most important thing when it comes to a product. But the product actually being good is what sustains it and keeps it on shelves for years to come.
Yeah. So like. His product has that capacity. I keep buying it. Mm-hmm. I like, I, and I work with him and I was, I need that, like I, I had a friend literally text me yesterday. She’s like, I’m going to a conference today, anime conference. And she’s like, can you, can you order some yells for me? Like I need a before my flight.
And she’s like panicking without it. I need to yell, connect. Oh my gosh. That’s amazing. So yeah, people like, once they’ve tried it, they can’t let go. And it’s obvious why? Because its so good. Alright. Last thing I want you to do, marina. I want you to look into the camera if people wanna order some, if they wanna connect, if they wanna follow you on social media.
Otherwise, how do they do that? So I highly recommend ordering this product. You can get [email protected], P-R-O-T-T-E-C-T-A dash S-K-I-N-C-A-R e.com. And if you wanna follow me on Instagram. I’m I, marina Lang, I-M-A-R-I-N-A-L-A-N-G. Fantastic. And everybody watching, just so you know.
We’ll definitely put those links in the show notes and you can definitely click on those links and head right on over, pick up some skincare and definitely follow Marina. And speaking of the audience, if this is your. First time with Mission Matters and you haven’t done it yet, hit that subscribe or follow button.
This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re bringing you new content, new ideas, and hopefully new inspiration to help you along the way on your journey as well. So again, hit that subscribe or follow button. And Maria, thanks you for coming on the show. Same here. Thank you so much.
