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(RealSelf homepage)
RealSelf, a Seattle-based cosmetic treatment review and resource platform, laid off part of its workforce last week.
The layoffs affected longtime employees and senior sales leaders, according to posts about the cuts on LinkedIn.
The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
The layoffs came as a surprise and were conducted over a short video call last week, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In an email sent to affected employees, obtained independently by GeekWire, the company wrote: “As discussed in our meeting this morning, in an effort to right-size and optimize RealSelf for the future, the company has made the difficult decision to restructure our team, effectively immediately.”
RealSelf has less than 100 employees, according to LinkedIn.
The company, founded in 2006, operates a Yelp-like marketplace that helps people learn more about cosmetic procedures including botox, facelift, liposuction and more. There are patient reviews and photos, treatment costs and ratings, and thousands of verified doctors on its platform.
RealSelf previously cut staff in 2022, 2020, and 2019.
The company named Minou Clark as its new CEO in July. Clark was previously a senior vice president at 11:11 Media, a media company founded by Paris Hilton, and held leadership roles at Yahoo, Dotdash Meredith, and Popsugar.
In a LinkedIn post announcing her new role, Clark referenced an “upcoming brand refresh” that “represents the best parts of our legacy and will carry us into this next chapter as we grow.”
“Think thumb-stopping social content, personalized newsletters, a dynamic website, doctor recommendations you can trust, honest af user reviews, booking on-site (I know, I know, this should already be a thing), transformation videos, brand activations, loyalty programs and more,” Clark wrote. “We have so many tricks up our sleeves.”
Clark recently posted about an open role at RealSelf. The company has four open positions.
RealSelf last month hired former Peachy exec Ende Li as its new chief financial officer. Clark and Li are based in New York City, according to LinkedIn.
The company’s former CFO, Jim Nida, served as interim CEO from December 2023 to July, according to LinkedIn.
RealSelf founder and former CEO Tom Seery remains executive chairman of the company. We reached out to Seery for comment.
In 2021, RealSelf acquired Tajmeeli.com and the YNS group. The company said it transitioned to remote-first in 2020.
