In a candid fireside chat at Klaviyo’s K:SYD, Zoë Foster Blake proved that kindness, creativity and a dash of irreverence are still winning ingredients in brand building — especially when paired with a customer-first philosophy.
The founder of Go-To Skincare, bestselling author, and digital native reflected on her brand’s meteoric rise, which began with nothing more than “a scrappy idea,” a loyal audience, and a deep belief that beauty didn’t need to be boring.
“I came up with the idea in 2012 after writing a book about beauty. Australian women were so confused. I’d been the conduit between brand and consumer for years and thought — what if I removed that middleman?” she said.
That directness extended to how she shaped her brand voice. “It felt organic and obvious to sell direct-to-consumer,” Zoë explained, citing her decade of blogging and online journalism.
Her audience trusted her — and they still do. “Our customer is very trusting. She’s curious, enthusiastic, and incredibly loyal,” she said. “We coach them to new products and never exploit that trust. It’s a huge responsibility.”
In an age where customers are increasingly time-poor, cost-conscious and vocal online, kindness in customer service isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a competitive edge.
Foster Blake shared how her team reframes difficult customer interactions: “A Karen is just a Cindy that needs love,” she quipped, to a mix of laughter and applause.
It’s was a cheeky line, but it encapsulates Go-To’s philosophy — that even a frustrated customer is ultimately someone who wants to be heard, respected, and helped. Foster Blake explained that customer service should be seen as a powerful opportunity — not just to fix a problem, but to genuinely surprise and delight.
“If someone has taken the time, energy, and money to invest in your brand, and then has a disappointing experience, you need to go above and beyond to make it right,” she said. “That’s when you double down on care.”
By responding with empathy and real, human connection, she believes brands can turn a moment of frustration into one of loyalty — and even advocacy. “When you treat people with unexpected kindness, they’re far more likely to stick around and tell others about their experience. It’s a form of stealth marketing — but only if it’s authentic.”
It’s a mindset that goes far beyond lip service. At Go-To, this philosophy is embedded into every layer of the business — from how customer service teams are trained to how product feedback is actioned across departments. Foster Blake revealed that her support team regularly shares insights with marketing and e-commerce, ensuring customer voices shape everything from formulation tweaks to sustainability decisions.
“Our customers are extremely respectful, and they have informed major changes in the business. They’ve informed product changes, sustainability practices — we take that very seriously.”
At Go-To, kindness isn’t a fluffy afterthought — it’s a deliberate, strategic pillar of the brand. In an era where consumers are bombarded with options and increasingly sceptical of slick marketing, it’s the brands that show up with empathy, humility and a little humour that stand out. Foster Blake has built a business not just on great products, but on how those products — and the people behind them — make customers feel.
By treating customer service as a core part of the brand experience, not just a post-purchase necessity, Go-To turns everyday interactions into moments of loyalty, trust, and even delight.
In an industry often obsessed with algorithms and optimisation, Go-To’s secret weapon might just be the most human one of all. Because in the end, a customer who feels seen, heard and valued is far more powerful than any paid campaign.
Kindness, it turns out, is not only good business — it’s the business.
