Coworking with Yana Shekhter

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Yana Shekhter is senior director of brand marketing at A-Frame Brands, which works with retailers like Target and Walmart to create private label and exclusive brands in categories like beauty and personal care.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I help brands figure out why consumers will want them before we even start building. Then, I build them so they actually deliver on that promise. At A-Frame Brands, I work across a portfolio of consumer brands in beauty and personal care, which means on any given day I could be writing copy for a celebrity-founded skin care line, developing a fragrance naming system for a heritage fashion house, or putting together a pitch deck for a major retail buyer. It’s part strategist, part storyteller, part cultural translator, and I love that no two days look the same.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? A huge part of my job is selling before I’m selling. First, I have to convince a retail partner that there’s a real business case for expanding into beauty or personal care—that their brand has cultural permission, consumer demand, and a white space worth owning. Then, once we’re aligned, I build the brand that actually delivers on that for the end consumer. And threading both of those needles comes down to words. Not just taglines, but the specific word that makes a product feel expensive vs. approachable. In a market this saturated, clear language is clear positioning.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? There’s a project I can’t fully name-drop yet, but we’re building out the product roadmap for a brand with serious nostalgic equity, and it’s been genuinely one of the most exciting things I’ve worked on. I grew up obsessed with this brand (got my first credit card with them), so getting to think about how to bring it into its next chapter—leaning into trends, connecting with a new generation of customers while honoring the legacy—hits different when it’s a brand you’ve personally loved. It reminded me why I got into this industry.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? The blurring of brand and culture. The brands that are winning right now aren’t just selling products; they’re selling a brand world, a community, a vibe. And what’s exciting is that retail is finally catching up to how consumers actually discover things: through creators, through TikTok Shop, through a comment section, not just a shelf. I spend a lot of time thinking about how brands show up in those spaces in ways that feel earned and not cringe, and that challenge is genuinely fun.

What’s your go-to coffee order? I’m actually a black tea person! Every single morning, no exceptions. But if I’m at a coffee shop, I’ll pivot to an iced matcha latte with oat milk (Can you tell I live in LA?)

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? Early in my career, someone told me to always keep my work email on my phone and be reachable nights and weekends. And I did it—because I was new, I wanted to prove myself, and honestly I didn’t know better yet. Here’s what I’ve learned since: Yes, sometimes the job calls for a late night or a Sunday. That’s real, and I’m not precious about it when it matters. But there’s a big difference between rising to a moment and living in a low-grade panic that you should always be on. Protecting your downtime isn’t about caring less; it’s about showing up fully when it counts. When you genuinely love what you do, you know when and where to give it everything.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Black pencil eyeliner, applied aggressively and smudged with my finger. I was also deep in the Wet Seal era: layering tank tops, low-rise jeans, the whole thing. It was a look. Now? I’ve evolved to a really juicy lip oil and a precision brow pencil— but my current obsession is the Loved01 Face & Body Oil. Self-care is such an important part of my morning routine, and using it during my gua sha is the perfect way to start the day with intention. The eyeliner is still in rotation though. Some things are forever.