What was once a tiny and mighty beauty blog called Into The Gloss has become a bona fide NYC startup: Glossier, with a ragtag team of 35+ jogging up and down the stairwell of our Soho office building, spread out across three floors. Why are we here? We're creating a new kind of beauty company from the ground up—one that acknowledges the hopes, dreams, and desires of women today, and gives them the tools (both digitally and physically) to take ownership over their beauty routines. Who are we? Well, a lot of us began like you: as readers. And we'd like for you to get to know us a little better—what we each do, where we come from, and what we're excited about. Meet Emily Ferber:

'I started in June of 2014, and it’s funny, I remember interviewing with Emily and I really, really wanted the job. At the time, it was still just Into The Gloss, but she asked me 'How would you feel if we changed direction and we just started making products?' I was like, 'I’d think I’d be OK with that.' But I didn't know how serious she was. When I got in on my first day, I saw Glossier stuff floating around. I had to ask 'What is all this stuff?'

At that point, I saw myself as only a writer—I'd never thought about working with a brand or shaping a product line in any way. But you always have to say yes. Early in your career—if you want to be a writer especially—you don't have the luxury of saying no. Take every assignment, even the ones you don't want, and figure out how to make them assignments you do want. In a lot of ways I think our viewpoint at Glossier in regards to that is very simple. We have a wonderful community of readers who discuss our content in the comments section and it’s often very positive. If you put forth positive content, you get positive stuff back. You realize it’s not that hard—do things you like, write about things that you like.”

*Where are you from?

*Chicago, Illinois

*What do you do for Glossier?

*My title is super simple—Editor. So that means I develop all our editorial stories to help them become the best they can be, from pitch to writing to editing. It's really gratifying to work with writers (and people who are not writers but want to write) and make good ideas better together.

Ideal breakfast

Chocolate croissant from Balthazar

Favorite ITG stories you've worked on:

Getting a spray tan changed my world. Also seeing the Jeremy Scott show from test looks to runway was really, really interesting.

Give one beauty secret

You can get rid of a pimple yourself—you just have to know how...

Five products you can't live without

I could probably live without all of them if forced, but for the sake of the premise: Avène Cleansing Cream, Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil, Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon Beauty Balm

Best piece of professional advice you've ever received

Always take the meeting!

If you didn't live in NYC, where would you live?

Washington, DC

New York City + $20 + night out—go!

The $20 bottle of wine list at Café Minerva

How do you dance?

Mainly in front of my mirror

Any Dealbreakers?

If you don't drink coffee

Emily Ferber shot by Tom Newton.

For more about the team, read Emily Weiss' fifth anniversary letter to ITG.