For author and the Estée Lauder Cos.’ global changemaker Amanda Gorman, the intersection of beauty and literacy has at all times been clear.

“Certainly one of the primary things I said to [Estée Lauder] after we first began talking was that I’m not here to be a reasonably face or a reasonably smile — I’m here to be a thought partner in what we’re doing,” said Gorman on the Beauty CEO Summit in conversation with Cori Murray.

At 23, Gorman became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, fascinating the nation along with her original poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at president-elect Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration. Seven months later, she penned a contract with Estée Lauder because the brand’s first global changemaker.

“With the ability to step into the sweetness industry as a dark-skinned African American woman descended from slaves — I might have loved to see something like that growing up,” said Gorman.

Now 25 years old and nearly two years into her role with Lauder, Gorman has been a face of the brand and helped spearhead its Writing Change initiative, which pledges $3 million to supporting grassroots organizations dedicated to advancing literacy.

“I would like to concentrate on using my platform to provide resources and a focus to organizations which are using literacy as a passageway to equity,” said Gorman, adding that it was a full-circle moment for her to provide back to the Los Angeles-based writing program and her alma matter, WriteGirl, through the grant.

“I believe I used to be 8 after I wrote [my first] poem about feeling weird in school because I used to be like, the one Black girl besides my sister, that also hung out reading books on the playground while other kids played ball. I felt very alienated at a young age,” she said.

She got here to the conclusion early on, though, that self-esteem “isn’t something we possess — it’s something we practice.” That understanding has since allowed her to indicate up as her full self even in spaces where doing in order a Black woman is inherently an act of radical self-love.

“Certainly one of the primary steps to protecting your sense of self is knowing yourself in the primary place — it’s very difficult to guard that which you don’t understand you wish,” said Gorman, adding that sometimes it’s the little things, like reciting affirming mantras in front of a mirror, that allow her to “stretch her self-love muscle.”

Other times, it’s unapologetically wearing her hair in braids to pay respect to her heritage on a national stage.

Said Gorman of her attire on the 2021 presidential inauguration: “I used to be like, ‘yeah, I’m going to wear vivid yellow — who cares? Yeah I’m going to wear my hair natural, and it’s going to be three feet tall on my head, and yeah, I’m going to wear this headband that’s not going to be tilted exactly right — because I would like that crown.”

To that very same end, it was Estée Lauder’s deep commitment to fostering inclusivity that drew her to the corporate.

“I like to have a look at all levels of the organizational structure of the brand — what number of women are being employed? How vital is diversity and representation to the DNA of that brand? And that was something that actually got here to the forefront with Estée Lauder,” she said.

This level of authenticity, she believes, is essential for brands in search of to resonate with young, value-driven consumers.

“Certainly one of the hallmarks of Gen Z — which is each powerful and terrifying at the identical time — is we will smell B.S. from a mile away,” said Gorman, adding that brands should be willing to involve Gen Z voices of their development processes so as to successfully reach that consumer.

“I believe so often after we see ‘canceled’ ads, the primary query that pops up is, ‘who was within the room?’ and I can let you know it’s nobody who was my age and nobody who looks like me, typically. So, let’s get them within the room and see what happens,” said Gorman, suggesting focus groups or appointed youth councils as ways firms can diversify their brand direction.

Uniting the young poet’s recent efforts is an ultimate goal to — literally and metaphorically — pass the mic to rising artists and changemakers.

“My hope is that we’re helping to create networks and systems in these organizations, not so we see more Amanda Gormans, but so we see so many other young poets who should be named, and have their very own titles and fame in their very own right,” said Gorman.

And he or she is decided to see this mission through at the very best level possible.

“In 10 years, I see myself running for president,” she declared.

“Once I was growing up, it was less about dreaming of being the primary at something and more about dreaming of not being the last at it. A dream that just incorporates yourself is an empty one; a dream that incorporates others is just not only full, but possible” said Gorman.