Interview with Daniel Schlessinger
FixMySkin
Daniel Schlessinger
- Founder at 12 years old
Nebraska, USA
Daniel, once just a kid in middle school with an innovative idea, is now an inventor of a product helping numerous others with the same problem. This problem being that of dry skin, dry skin that few other products could address. Alongside his father and grandfather, both with their own technical expertise, he grew up iterating this product, FixMySkin, ensuring it was the best could be. Nowadays, Daniel is now moving into full-time dermatology and is looking to create a more extensive product line, having slowly but surely turned a passion to reality.
Excited by the prospects of this ever-evolving entrepreneur, Kebloom asked Daniel a few questions on his successes:
1) How would you best describe FixMySkin?
FixMySkin is a lip balm on steroids - actually! Containing 1% hydrocortisone, a mild topical steroid, it decreases inflammation and serves as a multi-purpose balm for many common skin conditions e.g. dry lips, eczema, psoriasis, bug bites, and poison ivy. It also comes in a larger size that is great for larger areas of the body and is currently sold on Amazon, Walmart and LovelySkin.com, along with over 200 dermatologists' offices across the world!
“Work on problems that are meaningful to you. Make sure you are working on a solution that drives you!”
2) How old were you when you founded FixMySkin?
I was 12 years old. I applied for the first of two patents when I was 16.
3) What passions inspired your business idea?
A passion for science and chemistry, and a love of tinkering to make things work better, was what inspired my business idea.
4) What problem were you solving in the creation of FixMySkin?
I grew up in Nebraska and suffered from dry lips and cracked fingertips during the wintertime. Lip balm was convenient to carry around but didn't work on my dry skin. Hydrocortisone cream worked on my dry skin but was messy and inconvenient. The natural solution was to put the two together! There were many questions, including whether it could be patented, but in the end we received two patents for it, carving out a safe space to sell it and compete with existing formulations of 1% hydrocortisone.
“Find a mentor who believes in you and will challenge you.”
5) Who supported you in creating/building your business?
FixMySkin was a multigenerational effort with my father, a dermatologist, and my grandfather, a retired physical chemist. We also tested each of the 54 different formulations on my entire family!
6) What advice would you give to aspiring young entrepreneurs?
1) Work on problems that are meaningful to you. Creating FixMySkin was a long and sometimes exhausting process that required constant energy - especially the patent application. Make sure you are working on a solution that drives you!
2) Find a mentor who believes in you and will challenge you.
3) As Seth Godin says: find your "tribe." Don’t try to make a product that appeals to everyone.
7) To what extent would a platform like Kebloom have helped you achieve your dreams?
Kebloom would have been very helpful had it existed when I invented FixMySkin! I love that Kebloom works to connect young entrepreneurs who struggle with the same problems. It's important for young creators to have a network so they can learn from and inspire each other.
8) What has been the best part about starting up a business?
The ability to work on problems that I am passionate about and getting to work with and learn from my dad and grandfather!
9) What skills did you bring to FixMySkin and feel you have developed?
Just as FixMySkin has matured over the years, I too, have grown up and gained new skills. When I began, I was in middle school and in with nothing more than a curiosity for chemistry and an idea. I'm graduating from medical school in May 2019 and starting dermatology residency shortly. As a teenager working on a patent application, I learned how to collaborate with people much older and more senior than I was. I now use these skills every day in medical school as I learn from senior doctors. In the future, I would love to use the knowledge I gain in dermatology residency to help expand the product line to treat a wider range of skin conditions.
About the Author:
Ellie McRae is the blogger, interviewer and content creator for Kebloom! When she’s not writing kick-ass articles, you’ll find her studying marketing and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Find out more about Ellie here.