Epionce Turns 15

Q&A with Dr. Carl Thornfeldt

This week marked the 15th anniversary of Epionce! To celebrate this milestone, we sat down with Epionce Founder and CEO, Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, to talk about what this anniversary means to him.

This is the 15th anniversary of Epionce. What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you think about this occassion?

This is a very special anniversary for me as Epionce celebrates 15 years, and I feel a tremendous amount of pride and joy that we’ve been able to reach this milestone. There are many solid companies in the United States who don’t make it past 7 years, so we’ve already exceeded the average and continue to grow. Looking back over the last 15 years, I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to watch a dream come to reality.

What do you see is your greatest personal accomplishment with Epionce?

One of the things that gives me the greatest pleasure is to see the quality of product we turn out. Very few people get the opportunity to take an idea, get it to market and make products that people really enjoy, so that is extremely gratifying. For 15 years, we have produced high-quality, clinically proven products at our in-house manufacturing facility. Talking to people who use the product and hearing how Epionce has changed their lives every day gives me even more joy. The greatest accomplishment is being able to truly make the skin healthier for people and to maximize their beauty.

Additionally, as CEO of the company, my job is not only to forecast for the future and create new products, but also to create a team and culture. We would not be where we are today without the quality of people we have at Epionce, and I’ve been very fortunate over these last 15 years to surround myself with some outstanding individuals who see the vision that we can improve the health and skin of people.

What would you say is Epionce’s biggest accomplishment?

The last 15 years have brought their fair share of joys and challenges. Introducing a brand into the market and growing a company is both exhilarating and extremely challenging all at the same time. We’ve survived and flourished in a highly competitive marketplace, and we’ve continued to build our brand, even through times of economic turmoil. We’ve grown awareness of the brand from the ground up, with an excellent product that speaks for itself, word of mouth and dedicated employees who share the vision of Epionce.

What have been some challenges that as a company Epionce has had to overcome?

One challenge has been to help change the paradigm of exfoliation and teach people that you don’t need pain to get the gain. Because of the clinical proof behind our product, we’ve been able to make inroads and help people think differently about achieving results without irritating products. Even with this obstacle and others throughout these 15 years, no matter how hard things became, my vision did not waver. I knew in my heart that the Epionce products we developed changed the lives of many of my patients, and that I needed to persevere to continue to introduce skin care products that met my standards of quality in production, formulation and clinical studies.

How do you balance your time commitments with your dermatology practice and being CEO at Epionce?

Both are very time consuming, but I believe deeply in the work I do for my dermatology practice and Epionce. To balance it all, I make it a priority to take care of myself by working out regularly and eating a healthy diet. I also have a very supportive wife who has been an integral part of the journey of Epionce.

Also, as I’m working to solve problems in my medical practice, I’m asking myself “Are there products that we can introduce to Epionce that would help me be a better doctor?” Because at the end of the day, the whole reason I started Epionce was to help me be a better doctor. I founded Epionce because I felt with this groundbreaking technology, we could have a positive impact on so many more lives than if I saw patients 24/7.

What is your favorite part about your role as Epionce CEO?

There is a lot of excitement and sense of achievement after completing hours of research, development, and product formulating and finished products come together in a cosmetically elegant way and are proven to work. To see clinical studies that prove product efficacy on real patients makes it all worth the hours in testing. That is one of our pillars as a brand – to create a finished product that works as well as it claims to.

I also get great joy in seeing the team members grow and mature in their fields at the company and find their place. As an employee in a growing company, you have greater opportunities to see other divisions and other components so that you really get a taste of what it takes to put a company together, and what all the pieces are.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned as a doctor and businessman since founding Epionce 15 years ago?

I learned very early on in medicine that the most critical aspect is listening – listen to your patients, listen to your staff. In the same way, as I learned to listen to my patients, I have learned to listen to the team I hired around me to help complement my strengths and weaknesses so we can create the best products for the Epionce line.

What’s your personal favorite Epionce product?

My two favorite products are Intense Defense Serum and Intensive Nourishing Cream. I use them daily because I believe in their efficacy and they are great anti-aging products. I often receive comments that I do not look my age.

Where do you see Epionce in the future years to come?

We will continue to grow and build as a company, working to increase awareness of our innovative, effective, quality product. We are going to continue to strive to create the best products without compromise that is most effective for skin professionals and their patients. I’m looking forward to the future of Epionce and believe the best days are ahead for us as a brand and a company. We will continue to deliver the beauty of healthy skin.