Clare Goodwin is the Founder and CEO behind communications and talent agency CGC. Since it's launch in 2018 Clare has worked with some of the world's largest beauty brands including Glossier, Westman Atelier, Summer Fridays and Diptyque. We sat down with Clare to discuss the realities of running a global agency, the advice she has for fellow founders, and what’s next for CGC.
Can you define your agency?
We are an integrated global communications and talent agency, representing the best in beauty, lifestyle and wellness. We build brands; inspiring audiences to engage with the products and services we believe in, through an elevated, experiential and expert approach.
What's your agency mantra?
Storytelling. When I set up CGC there was a huge shift from a traditional media landscape to modern communications:
"connecting the consumer emotionally with your brand."
It wasn’t as much about ‘media relations’ but how you can bring your brand to life across multiple platforms. Then there is my own personal mantra for the way I work, which I learnt from my sister, Sophie, ‘don’t let good get in the way of great.’ I am always telling myself that.
What sets your agency apart?
We offer a consistent and elevated aesthetic, through events, brand positioning, or the way we curate a community. I always push the team to think outside the box, find new ways and new ideas - we need to be innovative to stand apart. I don’t settle unless it feels special, and don't tend to take no for an answer. It’s relentless attention to detail at every step.
In terms of the team, I have worked hard on company culture, and am so proud to have a happy, engaged and diverse group who have an individual voice. I am also happy to take risks, and, most importantly, say no to things that don’t feel right. What you walk away from is as important as what you walk towards. I am very intuitive, and don’t make decisions based on a short term gain.
Finally, we look beyond beauty and at ways we can bring added value to our clients, one example of this is through a unique partnership, or tapping into an unexpected community. The boundaries between industries continue to blur, and it’s important to bring this into our tailored approach.
How do you manage your time between client vs stakeholders (influencer / press / VIP / creatives)? How do you ensure the right output vs retainer?
I am hands on, however the key is a trusted and effective team, so I don’t have to be in the weeds. You need your key senior team members to know their role and stay close to their clients' business. This way we become an extension of their organisation, we understand their personal values and brand needs. Positive output isn’t defined by hours worked, but we have an internal metric measuring resource vs retainer which ensures no client is under-serviced, whilst allowing us to remain profitable.
"I prioritise spending time with editors, people of influence, creatives and creators to maintain my relationships and also understand the market."
I go to every event we organise as I value seeing people and networking, which things in our industry moving so quickly it’s important to stay relevant. Of course, a lot of my focus is spent on my personal relationship with our brand founders and CEOs, then my senior team with the brand directors and so on. Peer to peer management is so important.
Why has your agency stood the test of time?
We are considered. I think about our CGC brand and what fits within our own story. Picking brands that align to CGC’s strengths and vision, all of which is very clear in my mind so I am confident in our decisions.
"We aren’t afraid to say no: success can be attributed as much to when we say no as to when we say yes. This is my rule personally and professionally."
One of things I am most proud of is that we have retained the first 5 brands we launched with in 2018: Hermès, Augustinus Bader, Summer Fridays, Bamford and Votary.
We remain close to our clients and we listen, providing consistency in execution, having an eye for detail and sweating the small stuff all ensures long term success and trusted partnerships. Our global offering also provides longevity of partnership; 70% of our brands we have in the UK and US which allows greater client retention.
You have to stay relevant, staying abreast of the evolving ever-changing media landscape, from press, paid influence, organic influence, affiliates, and social, to new long form platforms like Substack, and the more complex emergence and growth of AI. In terms of market trends the emergence of smaller founder and influencer led brands has supported our growth.
I also move quickly, if I see something or have an idea, we are fast to execute, then it's on to the next thing. I am obsessive about efficiency and communication, nothing makes me happier than when I am told my team are professional and speedy!
Talk to us about the decision to take CGC global
Brands are looking for a global viewpoint with a consistent strategy and community. The US was our first market, and our first three brands in the US were longstanding UK clients. Lauren Edelman, who at the time was CMO at Rose Inc ( and today continues to be a client and friend as CEO of VBB) was a big believer in our potential to become a global agency. So I had my first brand and we grew from there with Summer Fridays, Slip and Westman Alteiler quickly following. At this point my UK business was well established with strong infrastructure so I felt like I had the time to take on a new challenge.
Our next market being the Middle East was a no-brainer, as I had a trusted longstanding colleague based in Dubai who I worked with at Estee Lauder Companies on Jo Malone London. She was ready to take the leap from Dior - where she led perfume and beauty in the region - and approached me to go into partnership. It is emerging as a hotspot for beauty brands to amplify their global footprint, and our clients have been looking to us for trusted support as they grow within the ever-evolving region.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own agency?
Be clear on your vision and what sets you apart. Find your own niche and what differentiates you from others - there’s space for everyone, but you need to be offering something that doesn’t already exist.
Don’t underestimate the work that it takes to build a team. You need a strong team around you that you can trust, it's not just about winning clients, if you don't have people to service the clients then you have no business. In addition, balancing headcount and brands is critical to success.
You need to think about the areas that aren't your strong point,
"Just because you’re the CEO doesn't mean you are good at everything. Know your weakness and hire accordingly."
I have an amazing accountant, lawyer and HR support, don’t underestimate the operational side of the business, having experts in each corner is key.
I always say the best job in the world shouldn't feel like a job, so find something that you truly love, don't over commit, don't be afraid to say no, don't be driven solely by money. Do the right thing, stay true to your gut and finally, leave your ego at the door!
In an industry that changes so rapidly and constantly, how do you stay ahead and constantly pivot to stay fresh?
New beauty brands enter the space all the time. It's a competitive and exciting landscape, but there is room for everyone to own their own space. It's important to find new ideas to innovate and engage with our brands' audiences.
I also think it's important to create an environment where even the most junior team members feel like they have a voice, contribute and can thrive in an environment to make blame-free mistakes. Listening to my young, diverse and Gen Z team, and my Gen Alpha daughter to stay on top of trends is important. I'm not sure you need to "stay ahead" to stand out, you just need to execute better than the next person.
Working across so many brands, how do you creatively ensure they maintain their unique sense of identity and you are constantly rolling out fresh concepts to stay relevant?
Our approach has always been collaborative, we work as an extension of the brand team. We understand the bigger picture and are both strategic and creative in our approach.
As mentioned, selecting brands that feel aligned with CGC is so important to our DNA, I ensure they all have their own POV and market position which enables them to stand out and remain on top of an industry and world in constant flux.
We take a bespoke approach to each of our clients - there is no one size fits all. We listen to their needs and create a tailored strategy that feeds into their objectives. We curate individual communities for each of our clients. Each with its own demographic and target audience - it’s important we differentiate.
How do you choose which clients to work with? Do you have a partner selection process?
Intuition has played a big part in my CGC journey. I am led by my gut and how conversations feel. When a brand approaches me it's an immediate chemistry with the team - I ask myself will we enjoy working together? Does the brand excite me, is there an opportunity to elevate it? But also, will they give us the tools we need to do the job? Do they allow us the freedom to play to our strengths in creativity and harness our aesthetic and network? Does the brand have some level of budget to activate, and do they have an interesting story or POV?
"It’s noisy out there so we need to cut through."
The Founder piece is also big for me, I started my career working with two beauty legends Bobbi Brown and Jo Malone, and I truly understand the importance of the founder voice, and as the role of social media has developed the relationship between the brand founder and brand community is closer and more relevant than ever. I am naturally drawn to founder lead brands - as you can see from our roster. I also respect a brand like Diptyque who have successfully grown without active founders, through harnessing their rich heritage in the arts, music and interiors, and utilising interesting collaborations.
Quickfire Questions
Coffee Order
I am a tea drinker, earl grey or camomile. Caffeine tips me over the edge!
What’s inspiring you?
Change. I’m excited as much for what is next as what is facing me right now.
Your dream client?
They are all on my roster!
Groundbreaking brand you admire?
Augustinus Bader, they came to market and completely revolutionised the skincare industry, with a simple story and a brilliant product.
Campaign you wish you’d done?
Anya Hindmarch ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’. This was a genius and entirely novel way to bring attention to the over use of plastic at a global level. It was a complete sell-out and supermarkets went on to ban plastic bags as a result. Her ‘I Am a Plastic Bag’ totes continue to tell the story today. She is a pioneer and an incredible business woman, and someone I have a huge amount of admiration for.
