BCBusiness

SOCIAL CUES SALTYFACE BRINGS AN ENDLESS SUMMER TO YOUR FEED B.C.-based beauty brand Saltyface makes growing a 100k+-follower account look effortless By Rebekah Ho If there's one thing that Saltyface founder Bethany Menzel knows how to do, it's succeeding on social media. The Vancouver based influencerturnedentrepreneur, alongside her husband, David Menzel, has poured all her digital efforts into the beauty brand and created a social media feed that brings sunny days to a rainy city. softball, it's no surprise to hear her say that meditation and deep breathing don't work for her. "That's why this to me is a true outlet," she adds. In close to a decade of running her business, Freeborn says she's taken little time for herself. Her hard work has paid off, expanding her previously online-only clothing company into multiple retailers across the country (plus 333,000 and counting Instagram followers) and adding more looks beyond its signature cozy rompers. Smash + Tess has even released iconic celeb collab collections with Jillian Harris and Kaitlyn Bristowe. It's in this mental power and stamina that Freeborn sees parallels between her time at the office and the dojo. "If you're an entrepreneur, you're putting one foot in front of the other. You're living in action," she says, adding that the direct-to-consumer apparel business can be especially hard, with the pandemic, global logistics crisis and now tariffs, to name a few challenges. But her martial arts training has reminded her of what she is capable of (rather than not) and to focus positive energy there—a key lesson for entrepreneurs, she says. "I'm 42 and I just learned how to roundhouse. And I can kick pretty darn well," she laughs, noting that the skill-building is her favourite part about this quick-hit pastime. "It's about discipline. It's about physical but [also] mental endurance. And pushing myself in ways that I did not think possible," she says. "I remember my first class, being on the ground exhausted. But I remember thinking, 'I can't believe I just did that, and I had so much fun.'" Martial arts have done more than re-energize Freeborn or teach her to find balance; the practice has also been about setting an example her kids. "My girls, they did a belt test and I'm excited to do that with them," she says. "I'm excited to show them that mom can do that too, and I'm excited to show that to myself." At the end of April, Freeborn did her belt test and skipped the first level to receive an orange belt. Shining a light on the behind-the-scenes Capturing behindthescenes content during a photoshoot is a 2for1 deal. You get professional, highresolution photos for web and ecommerce while collecting candid shots for social media. It's a winwin. 22.4k views A modern take on before/after shots Gone are the days of cheesy beforeandafter photos. Saltyface lets its tanning product speak for itself by showing the results after time has passed on reallife models. 34.8k views Capturing the "at the beach" feeling Building a brand isn't just about talking about your products all the time. Social media users are often looking to be inspired and entertained, and Saltyface shares dreamy, aspirational content that has us chasing the sun. 15.9k Paid ads that look native to social media Search up Saltyface and you might find yourself suddenly targeted with endless ads from them. But, crazy enough, you likely won't even notice. The brand uses paid ad creative that looks and feels like organic social media content, so it blends seamlessly with your scrolling. 59 B C B U S I N E S S . C A J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 5

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