It’s OK to Disappoint Your Parents

And other things I learned from our Director of Social Impact

Judith Martinez has one of the coolest jobs around. As our Director of Social Impact and Inclusion, she works on the Rare Impact team to help young people around the world find the mental health resources they need.

Last Thursday, we both skipped meetings to chat over coffee. I kept my Voice Notes on the whole time so you could join us.

As Director of Social Impact and Inclusion, what exactly do you do at Rare Beauty?

I help bring the brand’s mission to life. That means planning events and initiatives, like our annual Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit and Rare Impact College Ambassador program, but it also means managing the Rare Impact Fund's relationship with our mental health partners.

As someone who came from the nonprofit space, it’s really interesting being on the other side and making sure we’re walking the talk. We’re not just writing a check and saying, “Thanks! That was fun, see ya never.” We’re really tapping into our mental health partners’ needs and how we can support them as the nonprofit landscape evolves.

Judith with Selena and the Rare Impact Team

You said you have experience on the nonprofit side. How did you get into this role?

I was supposed to be a lawyer, but I blew up my life—

Wait, you were going to be a lawyer?

I was accepted to Georgetown for law school. As a dutiful first-generation Asian American daughter, you don’t say no to that. So I did what any normal, healthy person would do and lied to my parents [laughing]. I told them I was deferring for a year but had already said no...

Do they still think you’re going to be a lawyer?

Haha, yes—it’s just a 12-year deferment. My dad is definitely still hoping that’s the case, but I’m happy where I am.

I say I blew up my life, but it actually opened up a lot of doors on my own mental health journey and forced some real conversations with my family. I’d never done that. I had to be honest about who I really am and what I really wanted.

What did you do once you declined your acceptance?

In the moment, I was just buying myself time. I already had a fellowship lined up after working with [nonprofit] Ashoka Changemakers in Washington, DC. Ironically, I didn’t go to law school in Georgetown, but I ended up living in Georgetown and throwing myself into social impact. That’s when I realized you can be in business and actually do good. The whole thing just felt really natural to me, so I started a non-profit called In Her Shoes, which eventually lead to my current role.

Do you ever regret not going into law?

No, but I regret how I made myself feel about not going into it. Like, “Did I make a mistake? Who turns down that kind of opportunity?” There was a lot of embarrassment and shame. But you’re 22, 23 years old and expected to make decisions that impact the rest of your life. Saying no was the first decision I ever really made, and I’m proud of it today.

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What’s a typical day like at work?

Meetings. Lot of meetings. I constantly keep up with our partners, the projects we’re funding, and how we can help get those projects over the finish line. I’ve also been working on our accessibility efforts since Rare Beauty launched the Made Accessible Initiative. And I work really closely with our creative and marketing teams, which I love. Together, we see how we can leverage our platforms and resources as a brand to amplify our partners’ messages. A good example is posting free mental health resources on our Instagram account. We’re super lucky that we’re able to meet our community where they are, so they don’t have to go searching for mental health information.

Let’s shift gears a bit. What’s the one Rare Beauty product you can’t live without

Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Hope because it’s user-friendly. I never really wore makeup when I was young. It wasn't until I had a roommate who rocked the heavy, heavy emo liner, and I attempted to copy it. It was... let’s just say I don’t recommend that approach for something as personal as makeup.

What do you love most about yourself?

My energy.

Do you have any hobbies I don’t know about?

As a first-generation Filipino American, you need three solid karaoke songs in your back pocket. Mine are “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and “Dancing Queen,” both by ABBA, and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

What would we see you snacking on in the Rare Beauty kitchen?

If I'm having a stressful day, I'm eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. People know if they see Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, don’t ask me questions, don’t send me Teams messages. Just give me and my Flamin’ Hot Cheetos some space.

One last question: What's something people would never guess about you?

I come across as confident and optimistic, but I can be just as scared and lonely and sad as everyone else. I’m only human.

Have a question for Judith? Drop it in the comments and I’ll pass it along to her!

To see more about what we do all day, check out “What Do We Do Around Here?”.

See you next week!