Local entrepreneur Christine Cafiso Pulver launched theheard to help women find the beauty services they need through their online community
After moving to four different states across the U.S., Christine Cafiso Pulver found herself digging for her next dermatologist. “Your skin is glowing! I’m looking to get a facial myself, where do you go?” she’d ask a girl walking down New York streets, hoping to find a dermatologist just as trustworthy as her last one in California to help with her newly developed rosacea. She found herself constantly asking friends where they would get their facials and skincare beauty services done, often hitting roadblocks after hours of searching through online reviews, blogs, and websites. With thousands of women across the country dealing with sensitive skin – there had to be a better way for women to find the services they need, Cafiso Pulver remembers thinking to herself.
And now, there is.
As a LinkedIn technology marketer for seven years, she often found herself in rooms and events featuring inspirational startup entrepreneurs who would speak on the crazy ideas that turned into business realities for them. “I loved my job at LinkedIn, but that little voice in the back of my mind kept thinking of what I could do,” said Cafiso Pulver, pictured above. “A tool like theheard wasn’t on the market yet, and I knew that if I didn’t do this now, I would think about it for the rest of my life.”
So, she packed up her bags, quit her job at LinkedIn, and made her way to Miami to officially launch theheard – a social app that helps women find and share recommendations for beauty, health, and wellness providers. “Think of theheard as a highly curated Yelp that prioritizes recommendations, rather than reviews, for women that are just like you and me,” said Cafiso Pulver. “We’re building theheard to be this online community where women can connect, with confidence, on what makes us beautiful.”
theheard’s algorithm connects users with each other through their physical features, like hair texture and skin type. The algorithm also offers an extensive search functionality that connects users directly with service providers they’re looking for solely based on recommendations from other women like them.
“Women are not going on Yelp to find services that are most important to them when related to their appearance or health,” said Cafiso Pulver when asked how theheard is different than popular online review tools. “Typically, women want recommendations from people they trust.”
Cafiso Pulver’s main goal with theheard was to turn it into a positive tool where women can connect and feel comfortable about the health, wellness, and beauty services they need while building an online community. This is what reeled in Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder of Glamsquad, Gilt and now investment firm Clerisy, as an advisor.
“I met Alexandra at On Deck Miami – I went up to her, introduced myself and found out we both lived in the same area,” said Cafiso Pulver. “We decided to meet up, and that’s when I pitched theheard to her. Now, we meet every month and I’ve learned so much from her. She’s been a huge factor in my personal growth.”
For the future of theheard, Cafiso Pulver’s team is working on increasing its functionality, optimizing the product, and adding new features like an online marketplace. But their main priority is to build a functionality that allows users to book their appointments with service providers directly on the app.
“Women are constantly going through different stages in life – our goal is to make it as easy as possible so that women feel confident and comfortable walking into their next appointment.”
In case you haven’t heard about your next facialist or esthetician – now you have.
theheard is available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store. For the latest theheard news, make sure to bookmark their website here or follow them on Instagram here.
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