My City Series | Kate Cutler & Tal Winter
Best friends and co-founders, Tal Winter and Kate Cutler started bkr in 2011 with the belief that inner and outer beauty were connected. Their product was the clean, addictive, cult favourite bkr bottle and their concept was Beauty 101: drinking water is the foundation for soft, dewy, pretty skin–and wtf–hydrating shouldn’t be so hard.
Fast forward to a couple years later. Confident they had solved the hydrating-is-hard problem, they were annoyed that they still had dry lips–despite being two of the most hydrated people on earth who owned every lip product in existence. They decided to do the thing they were inspired to do: create the hydrating, holy grail, omg, cosmetic soulmate of lip balms themselves.
The critically lauded Paris Water Balm is that holy grail lip balm. The balm furthers bkr’s commitment to holistic hydration, clean beauty and wellness. With the introduction of Kiss Kits and their rapid rise to cult status, bkr is well on its way to establishing itself as your hydration everything and the ultimate destination for people who know to start inside for a pretty outside.
Born and Raised or Expat?
Kate was born and raised in San Francisco. Tal came to San Francisco a long time ago and considers San Francisco home.
What led you to choose your current profession? And, what steps did you take to get there?
We never chose to be entrepreneurs. We both studied to be lawyers and practiced law for 12 years before launching bkr. But bkr was a great idea. We were both ready to take a leap and do something creative with limitless potential alongside our best friend. It was an evolution and a steep learning curve but no one is born knowing everything and with plenty of research and mentors you figure it out.
On your Day-to-Day routine?
Kate: I spend the early morning with my two boys (age 9 and 7) – getting them to eat, get out the door and get to school on time. When I get in to the office, I usually have calls with our international distributors – whether it’s Stockholm, Paris, or Hong Kong, we catch up on how the brand is growing, the doors that are opening and what we can do to support them. I spend the rest of the day working with different members of the bkr team. Sometimes it’s focusing on marketing or I get involved in long-term sales strategies or looking at the new product ideas. Every day is different, busy and challenging: that’s what I love about it.
Tal: Because I’m the Founder and CEO, my days are very different depending on whether I’m primarily focused on leading, creating, inspiring, imagining, recruiting, directing, presenting or producing. Most mornings I meet with my team and figure out how much time I can get alone in my office to read, write, think, strategize and meet with Kate. I take at least one or two executive meetings a day, work through roadblocks and make decisions that drive the business forward. I work with creative on future campaigns, packaging, projects, products and collections. I always spend a little time every day trying to improve flow and ensure everyone at bkr is happy, focused and thriving.
What is your favourite brunch spot, and why?
Mission Beach Café – we order their egg sandwich on a homemade english muffin – but we also love Tartine which has the most amazing pastries – their morning bun is a must.
When you have guests, where in town do you like to take them for dinner?
We are spoiled in San Francisco because there are so many good spots. Some of our favourites are Zuni Café, Rich Table, Tosca and Locanda.
6. How has your city grown and changed since you’ve known it? Which changes did you like best? Why?
San Francisco is constantly evolving because it draws people from all over the world; some stay forever and some only for a while. We love that there are constantly new restaurants, bars and shops to explore. There is also art everywhere – sculptures in Hayes Valley, a light installation across the Bay Bridge, new murals in the Mission.
7. What cool festivals, if any, happen in your city?
One of the craziest events is the Bay to Breakers footrace. There are real runners who compete but then there are 100,000+ people in costumes, pushing kegs of beer and dancing on elaborate floats. It crosses most of the city and draws participants and spectators from all over the world. There is also Outside Lands a large music festival in Golden Gate Park. In the summer months, many neighborhoods shut down the streets and host festivals with local art and food.
8. Where do you go to escape,how does this space bring you peace?
We’re lucky to be a quick drive to some beautiful spots. We can escape to Lake Tahoe for skiing and hiking. It’s beautiful and things move slower. We also love the wine country -beautiful rolling green hills and some of the best food and wine in the world. And to do absolutely nothing, there is Sea Ranch with dramatic cliffs above the sea; the perfect place to unwind.
9. What’s a local brand in your area that we must know about?
We are surrounded by amazing brands in San Francisco. Cuyana is just down the street. They make beautiful leather totes and their monogrammed make up bags are our go-to gift.
10. Where and when is your next adventure?
Kate is headed to Israel and Italy – she can’t wait. Tal still has little ones at home (3 and 1 years old), so everything is an adventure.
11. Does Travel breed creativity?
Travel definitely breeds creativity – to see, hear, smell and taste new things awakens you and makes you think and feel differently.
12. As for connecting the mind, body and soul, what do you do to promote self-love?
It’s very easy to forget yourself – between the business, two kids and a husband you can lose yourself. We don’t get a lot of time to ourselves but self-love doesn’t have to be huge and time consuming – it can be a mug of mint tea at the end of the day when the kids are asleep, a walk on the weekend with a girlfriend and lately we’ve been trying yoga which makes us feel far more centered.
13. Who is one famous figure throughout history that has particularly brought you inspiration, and why?
There are many but Ruth Bader Ginsberg is an amazing living legend who has fought for gender equality and women’s rights. We love that when she was asked, “when will there be enough women on the Supreme Court?” she simply answered, “when there are nine.”
14. Are there any philanthropic programmes or projects that you’re passionate about or would like to shed some light on?
At bkr, we have teamed up with and support Water for People. They are promoting the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services, accessible to all, and sustained by strong communities, businesses, and governments. 2.1 billion people around the world don't have access to safe water and 4.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation. In low- and middle-income countries, the burden of collecting water falls heavily on women and girls. This is a cause that is very important to us at bkr.
15. Entrepreneurs, Tastemakers and Trailblazers, where do people like you hangout in your city?
We have a lot of cool social clubs like the Battery and The Wing but people in San Francisco also hang out at coffee shops like Blue Bottle and Ritual and in parks like Dolores Park and the square in Hayes Valley.
16. What is the importance of global connection to you?
We’ve always loved the Mark Twain quote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” It’s very true, the more connected we are and the more we meet other people and visit other places the more we see just how small our corner of the world is and how similar and connected we all are.
17. Give a shout-out to someone in your city that is doing groundbreaking things, and what is it that makes them a trailblazer?
Heidi Zak who started Thirdlove. She realized that the way bras were being sold was demeaning, embarrassing and didn’t resonate with real women. She took this idea and created a different kind of company that celebrates and lifts women up. We’re fans.
18. Advice for budding entrepreneurs?
Make sure you really love and believe in your idea and are prepared to stand behind it and fight for it no matter what. Put one foot in front of the other every day, and if you find that you don’t know what you’re doing, well, welcome to the club. If you’ve resolved to never give up then you can figure it out. You might not sleep for few years, but it will have been worth it.
19. We’re living in a world where our attention to new innovation doesn’t seem to have longevity, how do you find your inspiration to make new waves with long-term prosperity?
At bkr we’re perfectionists. We never just create to create, we want to innovate, make things that didn’t exist before and make them the very best. When we created the bkr, there were no glass water bottles and we took our time to create something unique that would feel like luxury. We aren’t focusing on bells and whistles but rather on edited and thoughtful design to stand the test of time.
20. Please share a playlist that embodies your work. What about this particular music brings you inspiration?
We listen to so many different types of music at work from 90s hip hop to Yacht Rock but here are some songs on replay lately – they all give you energy and positivity, but you can also work while they’re playing.