Entrepreneur Ruzwana Bashir on San Francisco Style & Her Travel Startup
Planning a weekend away or looking for fun activities to do at home? Enjoy a gift from Ruzwana: $20 towards a Peek adventure with code PEEKVENSETTE15, redeemable on Peek.com until August 3.
Sweltering summer days come with a healthy side of wanderlust. Our go-to cure? Browsing our favorite travel sites for colorful inspiration. Enter San Francisco-based entrepreneur Ruzwana Bashir, whose online marketplace for amazing adventures, Peek.com, has us longing for some extra time off. As Peek.com’s cofounder and CEO, Bashir curates must-try activities for chic international explorers— think paddle boarding trips in Maui, art tours in New York, and tea-tasting experiences in London. It’s no surprise she expertly balances startup life with occasional “staycations”; after all, this Oxford- and Harvard-educated Brit has already visited more than 40 countries around the globe. Just in time for your summer holiday, Vênsette visited Bashir at Peek.com’s headquarters, where we asked about her on-the-go beauty essentials, must-see destinations, and career tips. Get inspired by her stylish suggestions; then, make your next trip picture-perfect with Vênsette (available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Miami, and the Hamptons).
What’s your favorite summer travel destination?
I loved traveling to Istanbul. That trip inspired me to found Peek.com. The whole process of researching and then booking far-flung tours and activities ended up being lengthy and frustrating, so I found myself wishing that there was a one-stop shop to book amazing activities online- but it didn’t exist, so I figured it was time to build it! Some of my favorite experiences while in Istanbul were taking a tour of Topkapi Palace, visiting the Byzantine cisterns and going to a traditional hammam.
What’s your favorite travel destination of all time?
I have been to Brazil a few times and love the incredible diversity of landscapes and richness of the culture. I loved visiting the Pantanal, where I went horseback riding, fished for piranhas, and got far closer to hundreds of cayman than I might have liked. Fernando de Noronha was another stunning spot that definitely has the best beaches I’ve ever seen. I’m excited to go back and explore more soon!
How do you “staycation”?
When staying at home in the Bay Area, I look to experience new activities and incredible things to do. Experiences have been proven to make us happy and bring us joy. My favorite activity in San Francisco is a seaplane ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. I love taking a great food tour of the Mission district and getting out and about with a running tour of the city.
What are your beauty essentials?
Eve Lom cleanser and Jurlique Balancing Day Care Cream moisturizer.
What beauty products do you bring with you when you travel?
Josie Maran 100 Percent Pure Argan Oil. Travel can wreak havoc on your skin. I use this lightweight moisturizing oil, which is rich in vitamin E, to combat the inevitable dryness that accompanies long flights.
What beauty products do you always have at your desk for getting ready on the go?
What’s the best part of your job?
I love what I do because everyday I get to work with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met on problems that I really care about. It is important that what we do has a positive impact. I believe Peek.com is helping the world move from one of materialism to one of experiences. I’m also excited to be helping tour operators grow their small businesses with Peek Pro, an online booking software that provides tour operators with the tools to better run their businesses.
What’s the toughest part of your job?
Constantly making decisions. You can get a lot of decision fatigue as you try to ensure you’re making the right strategic choices. Chocolate helps :)
Did you always know you wanted to start your own business?
I always had a passion for starting a company. When I worked for Goldman Sachs and The Blackstone Group I refined my analytical skills. I was able to make judgment calls on big deals that were worth billions of dollars. Private equity is fantastic, but I was more interested in creating value from scratch rather than capturing value. Working at startups like Gilt Groupe and Artsy helped me gain on insights on how to build a new company, and prepared me to start working on Peek.com.
How has your sense of style evolved as you’ve moved from city to city?
I’ve lived in London, Boston, New York, and San Francisco, all of which have very different styles, so I’ve adapted ever so slightly to each. In London you can get away with being edgier. In Boston all you care about is shielding yourself against the cold. In New York there’s always an excuse to wear a bright party dress or a floor-length gown. And in San Francisco staying casual is best.
How do you maintain a sense of work-life balance?
I typically work 16 hours a day, 6 days a week, which doesn’t leave too much time to unwind. I try to take Saturdays off and do some experiences with friends. I often will escape the bustle of the city for a few hours with a hike, and catch up with friends over a great meal. I’ll also head out of the city every few weeks for a full weekend, visiting nearby spots like Big Sur and Napa.
What’s your advice for women who want to be entrepreneurs?
I would advise women who want to be entrepreneurs to take risks earlier in their careers. The roles that push you out of your comfort zones are the ones in which you learn a great deal and can accelerate your personal development; the bigger the risk, the bigger the potential reward. These leaps will prepare you best for the jump necessary to start a new company.
What’s the best piece of career advice you ever received?
To be persistent. Nothing that is worth doing is ever easy.
See more Beauty Stories by Vênsette:
“Beauty and Balance: ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia on a Gorgeous New Year”
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Peek.com cofounder & CEO Ruzwana Bashir in Vênsette hair and makeup at Peek.com’s San Francisco headquarters. Photos: Kim Lucian.
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Candy jars at Peek.com HQ keep the Peek.com team energized.
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Vênsette artist Samantha gives Ruzwana a classic Vênsette blowout in between meetings.
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Ruzwana's best piece of beauty advice? "Skip expensive mascaras for drugstore ones. They're almost identical."
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Bashir in front of Peek.com's calling booths, inspired by London's classic red telephone boxes.
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Where has the Peek.com team traveled? All over the globe. Here, the startup's travel inspiration board.
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Bashir in Vênsette hair and makeup, a Peter Pilotto dress, and Proenza Schouler shoes. "I love bright colors and prints, combined with classic shapes," she says.
