Getting to the Bottom of Butt Care with Rob Cottner of Asset*

Welcome And First Co-Host

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Sugar Show, the podcast for beauty pros, ready to drop the wax stick, master body sugaring the smart way, and build a career that loves you back. Whether you're brand new or a seasoned sugar pro, there's something sweet for you in every episode. I'm the Sugar Mama. Let's get into it. Hey y'all, welcome back to this episode of the Sugar Show. I, this is the very first time that I've ever had a co-host. Oh. And this time I we have so much fun. I decided to bring him for this topic. Uh, this is Armando Gualtieri, as you all know, the Sugar Daddy NYC. Welcome as a co-host this time.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Hi, Shannon. Thank you for having me as a co-host. I, you know, I'm really enjoying the podcasting thing. I don't know if I need to add another thing onto my plate, but you never know. You never know with me.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Or we just keep doing it together, band. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Lord knows we could talk for hours about all the topics. Um, and this episode is so fun because it really came about at Mecca. We met Rob. Uh, Rob Cottner is the VP of retail for asset, and he is our guest today. Welcome, Rob. Uh, but Armando was raving about these guys, you gotta beat this asset company, you gotta see them, you gotta meet them. And oh boy, am I glad that I met you, Rob. So welcome to the show. I could not imagine not having you, Armando, as a as a co-host. Yeah, uh, let's get started talking about holes.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Well, I love I love buttholes. So, you know, I'm glad to be able to talk about them. And I'm really super excited that Rob is here because I really love this product. And it takes me a minute to get on board with the product. And when Asset approached me, I was like, yeah, yeah, but I have to live with it. I have to go through the details and then and then I am fully hooked and I'm loyal, dedicated. I love this product. So I'm excited to talk about it and to share it with the uh the professionals in our community uh and get them executed in the treatment room and selling outstanding.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

I can just tell you that I'm just super excited to be here and appreciate the invite, Shannon, and super excited to be doing this with you. And I'm super excited that we got to be part of this first co-host experience with Armando. And I'm excited to kind of share with ASAT, you know, what we what what's been accomplished and what the big points of difference are there and why this brand is really catching fire like it is.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Yeah. So let's just jump

Meeting Asset And Rob

SPEAKER_00 2:29

in there. Like, how did you guys start a product like this? What what how did this begin? Whose brain child was it?

SPEAKER_01 2:37

For sure. So I would say uh when it comes to like the actual product, you know, where did it start? Where did the idea come from? That all needs to go to Chad O'Connell is the founder and you know, founder, original founder. This is his idea, was asset. Uh and the best short story short would be Chad is an individual who had um, you know, you know, we'll say anal irritations and anal issues his entire life. And um, you know, you know, embarking upon that, he was not able to find you know natural non-steroid-based solutions that you know truly worked. And I would say in the first place that truly even existed. If you do a Google search, you know, prior to whole prior to asset, there's really nothing out there on the category besides preparation age. Um, and more importantly, you could use, you know, we would say a lot of people would say, well, just try using this, or maybe you can use this very gentle moisturizer on the area, et cetera. You know, those are all possible. You can do anything, but you can also walk to Dallas. That's not necessarily a great idea. I think Chad saw that white space and understood that, hey, I think if we built products specifically for perianal skin with a mission in mind, and I would say, you know, having the opportunity to work with this gentleman, you know, one of the things I've learned is that he's very uncompromising when it comes to product integrity and just how the vision just it needs to be complete, trialed, and tested. Um, he's stuck to that vision.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

And Rob, I'm gonna interrupt you for a second there because when you and I talked, that's a thing that we talked about together. And that's a thing that for me as a business owner means a lot because I feel that I can confidently carry this product in my um in my business uh and and sell it to clients, not because it's something to sell, but because I believe in it, because I understand how how much effort is behind it.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

I think it's I think it's wonderful. And just to put some like information out there, you know, like what does that mean when we say we put a lot of effort behind something? You know, uh Chad worked on this alongside four chemists over two years with over 80 different versions. And that was just for the first SKU alone. So I myself, you know, have happened to be fortunate enough to be in this industry since I was 17. So that means over 50% of my life has actually been dedicated to premium beauty. So I've seen it all done, it all worked for several companies, I know, helped make several products, been a part of several new product development teams. Chad really brought again a sense of uncompromising, like we're we are going to be the best at what we're going to do, not only because it hasn't been done before, but because I know from personal experience what's missing. I think that's a true what we would call hole in the market. And I think that's where asthma would born, you know, directly from that. And at the puns are never ending. The puns are never ending are never ending. I always think I've heard them all, and then I and then there's a new one. Um, but I would just say, like, that's a great way of understanding, you know, really where we got started. Now, Shannon, if you'd like to learn where we got started on that retail side, I'd be also more than happy to, you know, detail that as

The Origin Story And White Space

SPEAKER_01 5:37

well.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Yeah, I want to go back though to the whole topic.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

Well, we're talking about the whole thing today.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Yes, the whole thing. And let's talk about the names alone, because those are iconic and obviously fun to retail. But whole control, whole serum, I mean, the whole control cleanser, like this the marketing is brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

And also the asterisk, Shannon. The asterisk. I've never thought of the butt hole, the butthole that's there.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Oh my god, that's brilliant. Okay, so which is really funny for a sensitive area, right? And so how you know, how much of it is is science and just like just pure fun marketing, you know, like I think that's being brave enough to, you know, Armando and I talk about holes and cracks and sacks, and you know, it's normal for us to talk about, but the general public, if you start talking about assets and asterisks and holes, you know, like that that really makes people uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

It definitely does, and I would say it's making it softer. Well, well, luckily our team had some foresight. I think, and again, this comes across multiple studies and just so much time invested into building the best of the best. Um, these names come directly because we the the one of the company missions of Asset is to remove the taboo behind talking about the butt. It is one thing, you know, we don't talk about it. Two, it is a very normal thing to talk about once you understand wellness and you don't understand how just how connected that is to the inner wellness of your body. And so I think when you know, Chad, as well as another co-founder, um, our one of our designers, um, were making this product, you know, whole control and whole serum. They wanted to be directly to the point as to what exact, what exactly, you know, does this product do? Where is it for? Who is it for? And more importantly, I think it comes across slightly humorous. That's definitely intentional. Not that the name itself is funny, but the way that it's presented should be coming across, you know, very non-invasive, very, very conversation prone. Why is that? Again, we understand there's a taboo out there on these products. There's a taboo about talking about the butt and having butt health in general. We wanted to make that as easy as possible so that our aestheticians, our retail partners, as well as those even shopping at our dot com store, understood that, hey, this is for me. I don't have to take the name overly serious. I'm allowed to laugh at it, but that doesn't des that doesn't discredit the efficacy whatsoever. So um, I would just have to say, you know, one of my favorite parts, you know, behind the names, and you know, when people do that initial laugh, and I've gotten pretty used to it at this point, you know, if at first it's a laugh, at first people think it's a joke. And one of the things I always tell them is I really encourage you to go read non-biased reviews wherever you can. And I think what you're gonna find across the board is a lot of people saying, This helped, this was incredible, this helped sooner than I thought it was going to be. And you're also gonna find a lot of the people saying, you know, I this is a product I firmly intend on repurchasing. Again, I've had many years in this industry, and I would say the reaction that we've had to the brand, not only marketing-wise, product-wise, but even naming-wise, has been largely irregular versus what I would say that typical beauty brand is doing. One, again, there's a white space, a whole space. We went after that directly by naming the products aptly to that category, to that person. Um, and then we did style it with some sort of humor.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

So um I I want to answer this question because I I want to talk about this because as an aesthetician who is sugaring, you could be waxing, you couldn't just have a beauty location. It's really critical to understand how to position. It's funny, it's fun, right?

Naming, Taboo, And Smart Marketing

SPEAKER_00 9:18

But how to position this. So I'm gonna start because we're gonna skip to this part of the topic that we had kind of planned out, but I think it's really important to chat about this part, is how I retail it for women. Because originally it was like, oh, we're at Mecca, this is a men's thing, men are worried about that part. And it's like, oh no, women are equally, you know, interested in that area. So when you think about like the whole serum, you don't realize until I remind you, when I'm doing a Brazilian and and those that are do Brazilians right now, and I say, okay, legs up, we're gonna do your backside. I always get them say, Oh, not this week, not feeling so good down there. I won't, and I won't sugar them. You know, they're just like, oh, I got a hemorrhite, I'm not sure. And before I would say, okay, and we continue a service, and I didn't even address it at all. And so now I have an answer. And that's one of the biggest reasons why I love you, Rob, and your product. And I love that you give me a tool that I can provide for my clients now. Uh, because the the look of, oh, I got a hemorrhage or oh, I just had my baby and it is not looking cute down there. I have a tool for them and I love having that tool that I didn't realize I needed in my toolkit. What's been your experience, Armando, with within this?

SPEAKER_02 10:44

One of my the biggest services at when we're doing hair removal uh are what we call the crack and sack, right? So I've got buttholes in my face all day. Um, guys with their butts up in the air or on their backs with their legs in the air, and I'm looking at them all day. And so um, if I notice that somebody has irritation or redness, as a professional, I have to address it because it might be too irritated for me to sugar that day. Um, sometimes it's just moderate, you know what I mean? But it can range. There can be a range of issues happening there. And so I will bring it up. I'll say you're looking pretty red, red today, or you're looking sensitive today, and we'll talk about it. And um, assets right there in the room, assets in the um waiting room. And I usually people ask people if they've heard of it or seen it. And almost inevitably, um, because I'm operating in mostly a gay male space, a gay cis male space, even though we welcome all gender expression. So, yeah, so I'm in a space where on social media I'm seeing asset marketed toward me a lot. And um, other people, my clients have seen this as well. Um, and they've already got some familiarity with it. So if I bring it up in the room, now they have questions and I can talk about what it's going to do for them and why it works and why it's valuable. Um, and you know, Rob pointed to that earlier again, the word efficacy. Why is it efficacious? Why does it work? Um, and I can have that conversation with the client. Um so it's it's already a topic. If somebody comes in and they're showing some irritation. Um, and if they're not showing irritation, I can just talk about it in terms of my own experience with it, which has been so good because I've been using the product for like three months now and I effing love it. Well, there's a grave review, right? Like the wash, I use the the essential wash, which is has that lovely lavender color because of the um the the purple yam. And um I want to use it on my face. So that's a question for Rob, but I love using it.

unknown 12:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

But I think it's a great I definitely want to hit that too on the face. And and I'd love to just mention, like, you know, I think, you know, Shannon, the question was

Retailing For Women And Brazilians

SPEAKER_01 13:00

really, you know, when did we realize parenal skincare was a real category people were serving specifically in retail, right? Like, how did we get in on that? Like, how did we change the ballgame? Um, so I love this story because it's just so organic, so organic to the movement itself. You know, one sugaring is on the rise, both sugaring and waxing are on the rise. There's a statistic development that's showing, you know, hair removal in general is a category that's growing. Male hair removal happens to be an even faster growing category. That in itself is already great news. And total transparency, when you know, as the brand was being developed, we know that wax and sugar was not originally on the radar. Not that we didn't want to be, but you know, we were definitely testing and we're looking at, you know, where could this brand live, work at this beach we want it at retail, et cetera. And one of the things that was very important to me is that this is a very specific product, like, you know, as Armada said, specific product with specific needs, high efficacy. And so it was important to me that we're partnering with what I feel is called an expert-led audience. I think that an expert-led audience is going to be, I think it's been crucial for a long time, but I think it really sort of has uh like an aesthetician-led-led audience has only been growing larger, you know, since the pandemic enduring. I believe there's a study out there that shows, you know, customers actually trust their aesthetician or aesthetician more sometimes than their own family members, like in terms of sharing this information. So, and saying that, you know, as I was, you know, kickstarting a retail program, we wanted to test out several different channels with several different partners. And one of those channels that just kept popping up was the sugar and wax studios and professionals that just it kept repeatedly popping up. And and um we actually had one client in particular who had reached out like four times and had, you know, don't want to overshare his story, but he had reached out four different times and he said, This, I think that this would be uh just a real hit for me. So we decided to take a chance, and he was actually our very first retail location, you know, up in Seattle, Washington. And uh at that asset, we do things very intentionally. So once we released it to him, it became, hey, let's just measure sell through, let's measure impact, you know, is is this is this is this business owner happy? What are the results? And the results were so immediate that we actually expanded the test. Um, so with that being said, I can tell you the reason we chose this category is one, you know, sugar and waxing is expert led. You're gonna have time with your client. You have enough time that you can explain a product without having to rush through it, ramp through it. It's more likely a client that you've probably seen before and have already built a relationship with. And then, like as Ramondo said earlier, you know, a lot of them might say, Hey, uh, I I don't want you to, as you said, Shannon, you know, I don't want you to go back there today. Let's avoid it, let's not do this. Asset gives like a very natural way of saying, hey, I actually have something for that, and I want you to be relieved that it's going to work for you. So I would say between uh measuring like a time to success in the wax channel, which was immediate and very high ranking, and then just having success in terms of the actual application of the product, you know, to customers, it ended up being kind of a home run. And when I say testing application, I think it's really important to note that asset did not just dive into this category and hope for the best. We actually did try and trip, we tested, we ran studies, we ran internal studies, consumer perception. And then you can ask several of our first retailers, they had probably one too many interviews with me about like, you know, how is the product working? What are you thinking? What about this? How are you using it? And then last but not least, you know, I want everyone on this, I want the sugaring community to know that I actually went and got these, we wrote the protocols and I went and got these treatments done myself. And then we tested them on others. So it's been tried, it's been true, it's been working. And I really want to broadcast that message to the sugaring community that if you're not carrying asset, the one thing you're losing out on is just additional funds right now. Um, we cover a category that is just not currently covered in the space. If by carrying the brand, you are going to see a difference not only in your retail, but if you incorporate it to your back bar services, you're going to see an increase in your rebookings. We have we have data points that actually suggest that. Um, so I just highly recommend if you're having if you haven't tried ASSA, taking a look at it. You know, of course, watch the rest of this podcast. But I think that, you know, talk to your friends, talk to your spot partners. You might be shocked just how we're changing businesses. I don't want to pretend that we're here to triple your business overnight. But if you want to be one of those business owners that's wondering, how am I going to achieve 15% over LY to this last year? Introducing Asset is a great way to upgrade your services, a great way to upgrade your retail with specific offerings. And it's just been a very largely successful partnership. We're now at around 65 to 60 doors nationally. July of last year, we were in zero. So this kind of shows you that the monumentous growth we're having. And I would say the vast majority of this is going to be wax and shootering partners,

Why Wax Studios Became The Channel

SPEAKER_01 17:55

just happens to fit the lifestyle very well.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

So I want to go into the treatment room with you, Rob, because we're talking about um what we're talking about asset protocols. And the protocols that we do in my office, uh, we have back and butt treatments where we don't we don't work on the perianal area because the products that we use aren't designed for that. But now we have products that we can use there. And I talk very clearly to my clients about their uh about the products that we're using on them because they want to know what the products are doing for them. And so that brings me to asset. If we're using asset, I also want to talk to the client about specifically what is happening with the product, how the ingredients are helping them. And uh, for instance, we mentioned hemorrhoids, right? And mentioned um, you know, somebody being uncomfortable about the way they feel or look back there. And the whole control serum, for instance, and wash are designed for people with hemorrhoids or fissures or tendency toward micro tears. Um, and if we're using hemorrhoid creams at home, they have steroids at them. Steroids are long-term not good for the skin because they thin the skin. So I want to look at what's going on with whole control and where it fits into the the whole control specifically, where it fits into daily care.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

I think it's a great question. So let me dive into it by first kind of just making sure our audience understands the differentiation. So for everyone at home, just know that we have our original brand called whole the whole essential serum. This is gonna be in the white and black packaging. And then it's as uh Armando mentioned, we have our whole control lineup. The control is gonna be in a bluish packaging with a bluish tint. So the the main differences between the two is that the latter, whole control, is gonna be geared towards people who have hemorrhoid and fissure prone skin. I think that's gonna be super important. What are the differences between the two? I think is the best question, and like how do they apply to that situation? Whole control is going to be a non-steroid-based homeopathic formula. So for this formula, we're actually gonna have three key ingredients, and they're all gonna be at that 1% strength. We're gonna have uh calendula, horse chestnut, and stone root all found in whole control. Why would we choose those ingredients? You know, you're gonna have butcher's broom, which is gonna be reducing redness, reduce it's gonna be assisting in reducing redness and inflammation. Armando, I'm sure you're I'm sure both of you have noticed in the treatment room that if you use these products, you know, even immediately after waxing, the inflammation and the redness goes down immediately. We're gonna use stone root, but largely for the same reason. It's gonna be soothing as well as anti-irritation. And then last but not least, we're gonna have calendula, which is, you know, helps accelerate possible healing in the skin, delivering rich antioxidants as well as just overall soothing to the area. Super important to note that those are gonna be our three key ingredient, three ingredients that are at the 1% strength on the homeopathic scale for the whole control lineup. That applies to both the cleanser and the serum. And it is for people that are prone to hemorrhoids and fissures. That is exactly who it is for. Um, so I always tell people the best way to differentiate the two for your clients that are coming in today, when they look at the product, most likely they're gonna ask a question just based on the really fun marketing, the photography we have. And I would tell you that clients that have hemorrhoids and fissures, especially the ones that that whole control lineup is meant for, they will actually let you know that that is an issue that they suffer with. Just as Shannon brought up earlier, you know, some people bring up, you know, hey, I have this issue. A client will tell you, oh, no, no, no, I'm very sensitive back there. Oh, no, no, no. I have a I get you know something like this. I'd rather not go for it. You now have a way to say, hey, this product is actually created exactly for you. It has been pH balanced for you, and it has been trialed and tested to ensure that this is going to bring you some just essential air, you know, irritation. Relief. Something that I don't think most of us realize is that 92% of people have uh you know button and anal irritation, and we just don't know it because we've grown up with it. You know, that's a super important thing to note. So they can always be using our original lineup, but should they be having those hemorrhoids and fissures? The moment they the moment they bring that up, that is exactly who this whole control lineup was invented, created for, so that those people can have that that relief just like the rest of us.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Yeah. So tell me, Rob, about the difference then between the the essential and the whole control, right? We know sort of uh what they're what they talk about, but I think it's a little trickier to talk about the essential line. When I start talking about whole control, people get it right away. Tell me, if I were a customer, why why should why would I choose essentials and not whole control?

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Oh, that's a great question. So essentials is going to be the original product. The difference is that the difference is it's not gonna be at that homeopathic level strength. Doesn't mean it's not an excellent product, it just has slightly different, it's for the slightly different customer. So while the control is for hemorrhoids and fissures, essentials is for everyone else. The essentials is going to have, you know, similar ingredients, you know, horse chestnut, stone root, uh, you know, cantella asiatica, licorice root extract. So the whole essentials is gonna provide a little bit more of a, you know, like a natural brightening effect. Please note that we do not use hydrokinone or bleaching agents or anything like that. So the brightening effect is going to be very natural from that licorice root. It's gonna be providing a lot of soothing, it's gonna be helping with the mucous membrane layer. It's gonna be providing overall whole health as well as just balancing the pH level of that area. Um, I think that's a great way to like kind of look at it and present it. Um, I would say that I personally use it when you uh a great way to also describe it is that whole essentials is great for people who are just looking for overall health, um, overall wellness routine for the butt and the butthole area, suggesting this is gonna be a little bit more of a I have a targeted, you know, whole control is more targeted. I have an issue that I need to solve sooner than later. Whole whole whole essentials is gonna be, I can use this every day, twice a day, safely, no, no regents, no toxins, not that the other one is, and just this is for everyone else. I'm gonna enjoy using it. It's gonna feel good not only when I use it, it's gonna slowly change the texture of my actual perianal area over time, as well as it's gonna have unique for you ingredients. I know you mentioned earlier the purple yam ube. These are gonna be specific ingredients specifically meant to seal and and just uh to heal and soothe the hole, providing it's overall best, the overall best version of your hole. That is the mission of the whole essentials lineup.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

So the idea then, like I kind of catch those people that are like, oh, I got some sensitivity down there, is to go whole control, clear everything up, get everything soothed and back to healthy, and then maintain with the original with the

Ingredients And Who Each Line Fits

SPEAKER_00 24:57

with the white bottle.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

I would that is definitely what some people are choosing to do. Um, there are a lot of people that would say if you're if you have hemorrhoids and fissures, I personally recommend you just stick with the whole control because even when you get to an area that you're, you know, you're happy and content, it still requires that daily routine and maintenance just to keep the area balanced, healthy, to keep it soothed. Um, but that being said, yeah, I think you hit something on the head there. We we do go through um and like look at the data behind our clients, and what we've actually found is that several clients choose to carry both products. That's actually a very normal thing. They use one when they have that issue, and then they go back to using the other when the hemorrhoid and fissure is behind them. Um, personally, um, I would say like I personally just happen to love the whole essentials. That's what I started using years ago. I would tell you that my family members, you know, that was a moment that it really clicked for me that this product actually worked and was, you know, it's not just words, um, was when my own family members, you know, not just you know, they're they're gonna love that I'm telling this personal story on air. Um, but I come from a space that I would say, you know, having done this for you know 19 years out of a 36 life, a 36-year life, I've had the opportunity to receive hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of free products and give them to family members over the years. That is that is not a secret. Um, during that time, I do not ever get asked for refills. They did, you know, they tend to use what we send them, they like it, etc. This product right here was the very first time that I actually gave a product to my father and I said, Hey, you know, take a look at this. I you know it's kind of fun. I thought I would you know, I thought they would get a good laugh at it. They did. You know, my father is a 65-year-old ex-government agent. You know, I like to describe it as a soft, you know, water makes you weak kind of guy. Doesn't really use a whole bunch of skincare and stuff like that. This is the very first time in 19 years that within two weeks I had actually had my father calling me saying, Hey, you know, Rob, that stuff kind of changed everything for me. That really worked. I didn't know I had irritation like I thought it did, and I can't emphasize enough. He said, So I really would like to buy more. Can you show me how to do that? Um, you know, this wasn't a this wasn't a millennial teaching uh an adult how to read a PDF. This was a millennial saying, hey, dad, you know, I think you should try this product that didn't exist back in your time. And he fell in love with it and just used it.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yeah, my father could have used this 40 years ago because my father has gone through all several you know surgeries back there. Um and I have, you know, TMI. I have a very delicate butthole. And I uh also TMI, I enjoy, you know, being versatile. I enjoy butt play. And so like the whole control is good for me because it's keeping me healthy and it's you know, it's making me feel more okay about inviting people to engage in that kind of play. But I want to go back to something you said about um that we were talking about the treatment room, and I didn't get to a question I wanted to ask you, which is about like aftercare, like right after treatment, um, client is freshly exfoliated, freshly is a little vulnerable. Um, where does asset fit in there in terms of aftercare? Because it's my understanding that I can use it right after treatment.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

You are totally correct, Armando. And this is a really cool one. Um, so just note that this answer has already been tested. You know, we did these tests ourselves. Where does asset fit in? First of all, it fits in in the protocol itself. The moment you're done with the wax, you do not have to wait five seconds, one minute, etc. If you choose to, you're able to apply the original whole serum directly to the areas that were wax. You're gonna notice an immediate reduction, relief, redness, inflammation, et cetera. But we're talking about the 24 to 48 hours afterwards. So there's been two ways that I've seen sugar, that I've seen like sugar and wax professionals approach that problem. You know, one, they after their service, they just immediately mention these are the products that I use today. You know, should you be interested in purchasing them in that retail, I'm willing to offer them at X discount given that they were in your product, given that they were in your protocol today. Um, that being said, the most, I would say, uh successful program I've really seen in terms of like that first 24 to 48 hours, because yes, you are able to use assets after 24 to 48 hours. You can use it as soon as you're done. It is again built for perienal skin, pH balance for perenal skin, no sulfates, chemicals, dyes, phthalates, GMOs, DEH, Ryclosan, none of the above. Um, we have this large amount of R our cell clients actually choose to raise their waxing prices, you know, some as high as 200 plus. They've they've wasted, they've raised their prices to the point that um at the end of their service, the clients are actually going home with a full-size uh serum and a full-size cleanser, and that's part of their routine for the next three months. They should, if they're using the products as they should be, which is as simple as hey, I wash in the shower and then I take a little bit of the serum and I apply it onto my whole dry as soon as I hop out of the shower, which one day we'll talk about our butt towel, which is you know, the towel specifically meant to dry that part of the anus to prep it for this. You're gonna see that's gonna be how you can use it in the first 24 to 48 hours, but that's really how it should just be used moving forward. So the only thing I would mention is um, you know, having tested this myself multiple times, I've noticed a dramatic decrease in ingrown hairs only because we're gonna see a more cleaner, even surface when it comes to waxing, having used the acid products during the protocol. And then afterwards, this dream this dramatically reduces inflammation to the point that it doesn't require acids to actually reduce ingrown hairs. It's reducing inflammation and irritation so much that the butt itself is just calming, it's just soothing, and you just need to focus on your general practices, um, which is like this the same advice everyone gives you. But just please note you can use these products as soon as you're done. How do I personally use it? One of my favorite things is I like to take the cleanser itself, I like to apply it directly onto the hole dry, and then at that point, I let it sit there for about 30 seconds to a minute. I will then walk into the shower and let it naturally rinse off itself. That's just how I personally used to use it. As soon as I get out of shower, I dry myself off. I probably use about a half a pump once a day or once every two days. Um, but that's because I've been using this for several years now. But again, to answer your question, you're welcome to able to use this as soon as 24 hours, if not sooner. This is safe for that area. This is not going to be causing you additional irritation or problems. This is going to be causing you to have soothing and improving and actually sitting there and saying, this was a very painless wax. I love my results. I love how my butt is feeling. I love the texture of my perigenal skin. And I'm just noticing that I have, you know, I would say newbound confidence in terms of the way your butt appears, looks, and feels. Like that is a that is a real thing. I think that's very underrated and underestimated.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

It totally

Aftercare Timing And Protocol Tips

SPEAKER_00 31:36

is. That's the response I'm getting back. I mean, you know, it's not just men, it's pregnant women, it's fitness babes that are constantly in tight leggings, that are running around in the heat of the summer. It is um just people that are sitting all day, men and women, you know, and I'm finding that we all know that for those of us that work in the intimate area, a lot of times we're the only ones that they talk to about these things, like, hey, can you look at this for me? Hey, we're not doctors, we do not diagnose, but we can say, hey, this is something that will help the health of that area. And we haven't been able to say that before. You know, before it was like, I don't know, get some preparation. H, good luck, you know, and we just wouldn't, we just wouldn't touch urea, you know. And now we have an answer for people that sit all day, for pregnant women, for, you know, active men, uh, wink wink. Um, but the idea is now we have that answer, and they a lot of times won't talk to anybody but us about it. And we can, you know, again, not diagnose, we're not doctors, but they're uncomfortable, they know. And I have heard really, really great response from the folks that have that have I've kind of given it to that have said, uh, yeah, I would like a refill, which is great. So I'll be ordering again for you, Rah.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

And it's a great, I would say the best feeling in the world is when someone does a reorder. You know, your first order is always fun. It's great, it's a great feeling, it's a sale, et cetera. I think our reorder says, wow, like I got to give my product something that not only worked, but worked enough that the customer is ready on their own to repurchase it. That's again pretty infrequent when it comes to this I'd say advent of hundreds of cosmetic products being vented per month at this point. Assets are different just based on that approach. And I really want to re-emphasize something you said. You know, the people who are using this um is going to be everyone, but I would say we've had everyone from bike riders, you know, we are actually carried in one premium bicycle shop in the US just because there was such a demand for, hey, I ride a bike all day and this causes irritation. My parents are big-time runners, that's where their irritation came from. My mother-in-law happens to sit quite a bit. That's where that irritation came from. So if you're an office worker, guess what? This is for you. If you're a, you know, if you're a male that enjoys, you know, like myself, I have definitely used this before, you know, um, I would say, you know, private time. You know, I'd use this before, use this after as part of like delicate care. This is for you. This is for you.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

So, Rob, look, let me let me uh again interrupt you because obviously, you know, this is for everybody, right? Everybody can use this. Tell me why, if I'm a client who's a little skeptical, right? I see this coming. Why do I need something specially specially for my butthole? But also, why the wash and the serum? What do they do together?

SPEAKER_01 34:27

Why do they work together? Great. So just like we're gonna just like kind of skincare on the face or skincare for the body, you know, routines are best because they're they should operate differently. A serum, an emulsion-based product should not operate the same as a cleanser-based product, not phthalates, et cetera. So, what does that mean to you out there? The reason we have the cleanser is to be kind of uh gently cleansing the area because one of the biggest, what the one of the biggest white spaces is the fact that if you go take a shower right now and about 99.99% of American showers out there, you're most likely going to be using a bar of soap or a shower gel. You're gonna wash that area, and that area is not designed to be washed with those products. We don't know that because we've never been taught that. So that would be the very first thing is that just note that the products you're currently using on your butt area are not are they're not intended to be used specifically on perenal skin because they wouldn't be based on their pH level. They're meant for the rest of your body. So the very first thing I gotta go back to again is that this is specifically formulated and created pH balanced for the perienal skin. Why would I use it together? When I'm cleansing, I'm gonna be preparing the whole, both with the this customary nature of the product, but I'm gonna be preparing the whole to then once I'm complete with my shower, it's now gonna be ready to absorb the serum at an even deeper level. Does that mean that you have to use the control? Does that mean that you have to use the cleanser every day? Absolutely not. We have some clients that choose to use just whole serum and they're very happy, they're purchasing every three months, if not more. But I would tell you that for the absolute best results, that's the lineup that we built. Just like you wash your face first before you put on a serum, you want to have a clean canvas and an even texture that's ready to absorb what you're putting on next. The cleanser allows that. While the serum, you know, as a emulsion based uh serum-based product. So when you're when you're stepping out of the shower, putting it directly on, if you happen to use the cleanser beforehand, you're gonna notice that you're using even less serum, and then it's gonna be feeling like it's going directly into the skin at a faster rate. One of the best examples I'd love to use when talking about asset is you know how we've used lip products our entire life, such as lip balms, you know, uh chapsticks and more. Of course, two hours later you have to reapply. Why is that? You know, petrolatum is not naturally designed for your lip, it's not pH balanced for the area, it's not where it's supposed to go. It's just something we've grown accustomed to using, just like using a shower gel to wash the peryenal skin. Acet, the best metaphor, is like the very first time you use a lip, uh a lip serum dedicated just exclusively to your lips or your lip balm. There's a texture difference you notice immediately. You're gonna notice it actually truly nourishing the lip and feeling like it's actually doing something sinking into the skin. Acid is the very same thing, but just for lips on the different part of your body. It's quite literally just meant for that specific area. It's gonna meant to sink into the skin, it's meant to nourish, you know, uh assist in healing and hydrate. Um, but again, more importantly, specifically built for that area, which is the major point of difference that I want to drive home today, is that there's not products you currently, if you're a sugarist and waxer out there, the likelihood that you carry products that are like this is very low, only because nobody has done this before. That was the big hole in the market, that was the white space. So I hope that answers your question, Armando. Um, you know, looking forward to the next one. Yeah, definitely.

Skeptics, Cleanser Versus Serum

SPEAKER_02 37:49

Shannon, uh, is there anything else we want to talk about before we wrap things up?

SPEAKER_00 37:54

You know, we could talk for hours. And I think what people are probably most excited about is actually trying it for themselves. Which again, when I met you all at Mecca, or when I met him at Mecca, I was like, is this something I even need? And I can happily say that I tried it. And uh my guy at home was like, What's that new bottle in the in the shower? And it was this cool conversation that we had about he's like, I didn't know I needed that. And I can guarantee he probably used it because he was like, huh, okay, kind of did that, right? So I think really we could talk for hours about this. We're gonna talk about it at SugarCon. You're gonna see Rob at with a booth at SugarCon. Of course, Armando and I are teaching at SugarCon. Uh, and you'll see it more on socials, especially now that we've been talking about it. So it'll be in your algorithm. Uh, but I think really, Rob, it would be great if they could try it out. So is there a way that we can get them this product in their hands so that they could try it?

SPEAKER_01 38:54

Absolutely. So, one, thanks for asking that question. And I want to mention thanks for having me on today. I hope we get to do this more because there's definitely so much of the story to impact. Uh to impact. Uh, that being said, for anyone that's out there that's in the sugaring and waxing community that's listening to this podcast, which you know, I I love that we're doing that. Please feel free to feel free to reach out to me directly. You know, my email is rob.cottner at that asset.com. So rob.cot n e r at that asset.com. Mention you watch this podcast and let's have a whole conversation so we can get some samples out your way, get some excitement built up. And I really want to mention just one more time for anyone that's you know completely new to the brand, like how much that the I I hate to say this, um, but my experience has taught me. I do need to emphasize how much the brand will do a lot of the work for you. That's what I really want you to take home today. So when you're getting these samples and you're thinking, man, how am I gonna talk to this to my customers? Like, is this gonna be weird? Is this gonna work? Is what's gonna happen? I want to tell you that one of the biggest strengths of asset is our actual marketing. I hear consistently and confidently from our retail partners that, you know, assets photography packaging does about 90% of the work for them. They simply have to carry it on shelf. We have studies that even show we have several partners that actually sell out of their asset order before it even arrives just because they post online, hey, I'm carrying this. Why is it important? The odds that people that are listening to this podcast have already had advertisements of our product to them is high. It's gonna be even higher that your customers have done it as well. The moment that these customers are now seeing it, hey, my at my local aesthetician that I see carries this product is saying, hey, they believe in this, they test this. That's good enough for me. I'm gonna go ahead and take one. So only thing I can emphasize enough is yes, you're gonna get to try this. Let's have a conversation, reach out to me, just like I said over that email. But two, I want you to have a lot of confidence and knowing that this brand is gonna have the it's the highest sell-through retail rate I've had in 19 years ever. And it's not close. It is gonna have it sells product more than I've ever heard just because it does so much of the work for you. It simply needs to exist in your space, it needs to be in your retail section, it needs to clearly say asset, have one of our marketing materials adjoining it. Your customers are gonna naturally bring it up, one because of the name, two, once the more you talk about it, the more they might say, Well, I think I actually might have that issue. And according to our own studies, you know, 92% of people suffer from this.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

So there's a huge chance of you, you know. I'll tell you, Rob, regarding marketing. People are seeing it online, people are seeing it on Instagram. When they see it in the uh office, in my waiting room, in my in my retail area, and again in my treatment room, they ask questions because they've seen it, because the marketing and the the push that asset does to get the product in front of people is really strong. And the visual is very strong. The photography is great, all of that stuff, but it's the seeing it in multiple places because asset keeps pushing that. So it makes it easy to sell, like you said. I mean, I'm already on my third order.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

Um, I I love first of all, love hearing that. Um, and second, like the I just want the I just want the audience at home to know that if you, you know, first of all, when you do become a partner of asset, you do receive access. And I think Shannon and Armando can testify to this. We support our retail partners, you do receive assets to promote this on your online store. You do receive assets that you can that we created for you that are ready to go on Instagram. But just like Armando said, they do come in, they've already known the product. The second you know it, you don't really don't have to over talk it. And I I love a product that I feel you don't have to sell, you just get to talk about. And when you talk about it, the customer says, Oh, okay, this sounds like it's working, sounds like you've already tried and tested it, sounds like the company's done the research. What is the only thing that's left to do is for me to give it a shot. And I would tell you that, you know, so far, I am just hearing about happy, confident customers. I'm not hearing about returns. We're having an increase in our reorder rate. Our average wholesale customer is reordering now between every four to six weeks, which is pretty, pretty crazy for a any sort of any any brand out there, especially in our category. So can't emphasize it enough that I'm just excited to talk to anyone who just who watched this podcast today. Please, please, please reach out. Please mention you saw it here. Um, and then let's just have a great conversation and take it from there. Let's get you some samples.

SPEAKER_00 43:18

I love it. Let's do that.

Samples, SugarCon, And Closing CTA

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Let's do that. Armando, um, first of all, Rob, thank you for being here. Thank you for being next to us at Mecca. It was fun to spend time with you and your team because it is a lot of fun. And you can only imagine, you know, with the sugar daddy and the sugar mama standing next to a butthole booth, the kinds of fun we were talking about. Um, it's it's really it's really been fun to cross market with you. But in all seriousness, you know, it's it's really been fun to and thank you for and please thank Chad uh O'Connell, the founder, because I'm sorry that, you know, he's so anal, but uh it really has been a help for my business because I haven't had anything to give my clients and now I do. And so, Armando, I know that you are really benefiting from this, you know, financially as a business owner, but also as a care provider, if we can call ourselves that, of that area. Uh because now we think we have options.

SPEAKER_02 44:18

Yeah, personally and professionally, it's been helpful. And I just love being able to help my clients. And you know, clients come in and they're like, they want their buttholes to look pretty. And I'm like, if you want it to look pretty, also use this product.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

Yeah. And mine just want to not hurt anymore. They want to not have those irritations. And now we both have something that we can offer them. So, asset, we're gonna see you. We have been seeing you all over socials. We have been putting you in our lobbies, and you are going to be able to see Rob and the entire asset collection, which there's only what four products, which is so nice. We don't have to bring an entire giant line in. It's very simple to bring in, um, and it's a very powerful tool in your practice. So you will meet Rob in uh Cleveland at SugarCon, and we look forward to spending more time with you, Rob.

SPEAKER_01 45:07

Thank you so much for having me on today. And just I really appreciate the conversation. Hope this is one of many. For anyone coming to SugarCon, please come stop by the booth and please come see why we're probably one of these fastest growing brands out there on the planet right now in terms of this category and why we are the category leader. And I gotta leave it with this. A really cool fact about asset that I think drives the point home. Um, when this product came out, this original, we actually went up for an award. Um, Esquire gave us uh like a best and butt award. What's really cool about that is that Esquire actually had to go create the category because the category did not exist. So asset is the leaders and the wellness space in the whole wellness space. We're the unparalleled leaders in that category only because one chat created it. Two, asset has just completely dominated that arena. Three, we're working with an expert-led audience that's giving our clients the correct information. They're not going into a store with very little education, very little background behind it. They're talking to professionals, and those professionals are saying, hey, tried it, tribulated it, used it. I recommend it. It's been a slam dunk of a fit, and I am just looking forward to meeting more and seeing more of you out there.

SPEAKER_00 46:14

I love it. See you in Cleveland.

SPEAKER_01 46:16

See you in Cleveland.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

All right, everybody. Thank you so much for being a part of this episode of the Sugar Show. As always, we hope that you are inspired. You learned a little something, you can bring something back to the treatment room that will help your whole practice. And again, we look forward to seeing you at SugarCon and beyond. Take care. Be sweet. All right, Sugar Tribe. That's your sweet success takeaway for today. And if this episode helped you, do me a favor subscribe, leave a quick review, and send it to a Sugar Pro friend who needs a little extra confidence behind the table. We're getting Sugarcron ready. See you in Cleveland.