The Second Act Series: Dr. Lisa Butler Grain

Some women enter their encore era with the quiet confidence that their best work isn’t behind them—it’s just waiting for its next expression. Dr. Lisa Butler Grain is one of those women.

After a successful career as an orthodontist, Lisa retired from the practice of dentistry. But retirement didn’t mean slowing down. Instead, in her sixties, she leaned into a long-held passion rooted in her family’s beauty rituals and launched French Barrelettes, a luxury haircare company bringing back the art of timeless, glamorous hairstyling.

Inspired by her mother and grandmother, Lisa set out to reinvent the vintage beauty staple of hair rollers—making them modern, elegant, and designed to protect the health of hair while creating beautiful, heat-free styles. What began as a nod to heritage has become a brand that celebrates both tradition and innovation, proving that reinvention is not bound by age.

Lisa’s story is a reminder that our second acts are not about what we leave behind, but what we carry forward—wisdom, creativity, and the courage to do something new. At a stage when many women feel overlooked, she chose visibility. At a time when many step back, she stepped forward.

Her journey is proof that it’s never too late to launch, to dream, or to create. And in doing so, Dr. Lisa Butler Grain has given women everywhere more than beautiful hair—she’s given us a blueprint for bold new beginnings.