Best Day Ever: A conversation with eCommerce Queen Aisha Khan
Episode 15: Mutual Admiration Society. The one where we fix each other's crowns.
Aisha Khan is the US Amazon commercial development lead for L’Oreal. She’s been impressing me since the moment we met, so having the chance to sit down and talk was a treat. We explored her current role and the transformative influence of data and AI. She also shared a hot take on the plight of Amazon aggregators, painting a picture of hope for their future. Aisha has so much knowledge to drop—I’m actively trying to enroll in her undergrad class at Rutgers. 👩🎓 Check out my fave moments from our talk:
A Day in the Life. “I get to touch a huge business, which means I’m still learning something new every day. Which is something that I always try to do when I take new roles—I’m either learning or I’m earning, [which is] good advice that I’ve gotten from mentors.”
Content, Queen. “Amazon themselves are releasing tools on their platform, available to all, to do AI generated content. And what I think is gonna be really neat is that SMBs are gonna adopt this very early and very quickly to do as much as they can. But even for enterprises, I think the future will be very much human-led: creative direction, creative development, building a brand story that is gonna resonate with the consumer on an annual basis. But at the pace of content needs today, you’re gonna need AI to supplement and augment.”
On Amazon aggregators. “I actually think that there was a lot of goodness in the intention, the business model. I really think the financial landscape wasn’t the right foundation. And I think you’ve done a great job in your podcast, especially for earlier to mid-stage companies, [explaining that] your funding model will make or break you as a founder and as a business, personally and professionally.”
True love. “Founders that are consumer-first and obsess about responding to every comment and reading every review, that’s what it takes to win these days. It’s like true love.”
Back to the top. “[It’s time to] go back to investing in social, influencers, TV—we need that upper funnel.”
Prof. Khan: “What I love about Tableau, is that it’s a little bit of art and science, which is why I teach it. It’s very much my left brain and right brain.”
Turn Up! “Don’t tone yourself down, business is really all about relationships. And when you’re yourself, people resonate with that and you tend to find your tribe.”
Latest and greatest: “I love taking demos of cool new tech and tools. And so if anyone out there has recommendations for anything cool or interesting that they’ve seen as related to eCommerce, particularly for Amazon, please do reach out, shoot me a message and I’ll take a demo.”
Deeply grateful to Aisha for her invaluable insights on navigating today’s eCommerce landscape. And her perspective on being authentic definitely struck a chord within me. I hope we all take her words to heart and inject a little more authenticity into our lives. Dive into the full conversation right here! 👑 ⬇
[Producer’s note: These are Aisha's personal reflections and are not meant to represent L'Oreal as a company.]
Best Day Ever aims to inspire entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, and design enthusiasts by showcasing the real stories of those who have navigated the complexities of product-based landscapes. Whether you’re curious about the latest trends, seeking practical advice, or craving inspiration, this interview series offers a deep dive into the minds shaping the future of consumer brands. Learn more about us at Mvnifest.