From perfume labs to Glamsquad’s CMO chair, Simona Gaudio shares how detours, setbacks, and self-belief built her nonlinear career. This week on Humans & Brands, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Simona Gaudio, CMO of Glamsquad, for an honest conversation about leadership, career detours, and staying kind in a business that often rewards the opposite. Simona shares how she went from working in a perfume lab to leading marketing at one of the most recognizable beauty brands, all while navigating the pandemic, a layoff, and a pregnancy at the same time. She opens up about what it means to rebuild from scratch, why every “no” isn’t the end, and how relationships (and not résumés) end up carrying you through the toughest seasons of your career. If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or unsure of your next move, this one’s a reminder that there’s no straight line to success.