The 'face' of BFYW:
This is an impolite subject, but I decided to bring it up to see what you other people think. When I first saw the face of the CEO Ian James in a picture (see www.bfyw.com), I was struck by how unattractive he is. I can see four moles on his face down around his nose and mouth, which make his face look rather disgusting (to me). And I tend to imagine that almost anyone who saw his face would have about the same reaction. So I sure wish it was his partner Stephen Letourneau who was the CEO, rather than Ian James, because his partner's face looks handsome and healthy. And the faces of all the other people on the Board of Directors look normal and healthy.
If BFYW were a company devoted to manufacturing sewer pipes or whatever, I don't think it should matter at all what the CEO's face looks like. But since this new company is supposed to be devoted to "wellness" (which I think implies health and beauty), I think it's important that the 'face' of this new company should look healthy and attractive. Much like Gwyneth Paltrow is the attractive 'face' of her company called Goop.
Now most of the people who will be buying 'wellness' products associated with BFYW will probably never see the face of Ian James, unless they go to the BFYW website and see his face there. But if he does magazine or TV or Web interviews, potential customers of BFYW will see his face, and have a chance to be attracted or repelled. I think any potential customer who knows that this is the face associated with a 'wellness' product that they were thinking of buying, will likely decide not to buy it.
So I wrote an email to Ian James, explaining my thoughts. And told him that if he wants his BFYW company to succeed, I think it would be good if he would just go to a dermatologist, and get those moles removed. And after the wounds heal, post a new photograph of his face at his website. While getting those moles removed would not transform him into a really handsome guy, at least people would not be immediately repelled by the sight of the moles on his face.
Ian James was polite enough to give me extended replies in a back and forth conversation. But he seemed to have no interest at all in getting rid of the moles on his face. I understand that moles are not an actual health problem, and he's learned to live with them. My point is simply that they look ugly when there is a cluster of them on his face, and this could be a turn-off to customers of his products, and other people he might like to do business with.
Another solution would be for Ian James to swap roles with his partner Stephen Letourneau, making the other guy the CEO and handsome 'face' of BFYW. I realize that this is extremely unlikely. But as a BFYW stock holder, I sure would be much happier if Letourneau were the 'face' of BFYW.
So what do you think? Am I crazy for writing to Ian James about this topic? Or is he the one who is demonstrating a stubborn blindness to a real problem for BFYW which he could easily solve by going to a dermatologist and getting his moles removed?
