Launched: 2020
Founder: Richard Christiansen
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: <$10M, according to industry estimates.
Offline points of distribution globally projected for 2024: 400
Primary Category: Bodycare
Other Categories:
Key Markets:
Retail Partnerships:
Primary Distribution Channel: DTC
Other Distribution Channels:
Funding Rounds: Seed
Flamingo Estate is inspired by my home and gardens, but also the hundreds of farmers and growers we have the privilege to work with. Through impeccable sourcing and traceable ingredients, we encourage a deeper connection to Mother Nature. To awaken the senses and turn everyday acts into rituals is radical in a world that profits on being disconnected from what we put on and in our bodies.
Insight shared by: Richard Christiansen, Founder
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
Refocusing on our core collections and expanding on their success and scaling those sustainably—in every sense of the word. Further develop our retail presence intentionally, where the sensory experience is at the forefront.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
I’ve had the opportunity to meet with and work with some of my heroes, but ultimately if we’ve made any difference in reframing the conversation around regenerative practices, we've accomplished something vital.
What has been the biggest surprise?
That palm oil is in everything. And that the world is addicted to synthetic fragrances. And most importantly, the people need to stop paying more for food and paying more for the things we use. Also, that if you take investment from anybody, it’s almost impossible to scale a business with deep impact in today’s environment.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
Using natural ingredients means inconsistent harvests, but we embrace the idea of radical inconsistency. Our products are so dependent upon variables like harvest times and weather conditions, our team is very nimble by necessity.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
I think we’ll see an acceleration toward truly clean products and sustainable packaging, not just the greenwashing that happens so often. It’s been slow for it to truly catch on in a big way, but I think more than ever, people are seeing the importance of making things the right way.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Jane Goodall told me that I should take everything I learned for 20 years working in advertising and use it for something that will leave the world a better place. She basically told me to stop selling people shit they didn’t need. And that Mother Nature is the last great luxury house.
What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
In my old life before Flamingo, I was so overworked, overweight, and out of alignment. I think the mistake I made was to spend too long in a job and a day-to-day world that didn’t make me happy. I spent too many years in New York and never touching nature. And I spent too many days inside never feeling the sun. Covid conveniently made all of that crumble. And I’ve now learned that there are some simple building tools that the garden needs. Sunlight, water, good food, and companionship. And it’s the same for us as it is for all plants and animals. It’s the simple things that I now prioritize.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Only make something you truly care about. Everything we make is something I want to use myself.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
Moving away from commodity ingredients when possible and supporting farms that are using regenerative practices.
