Ep 60: Inside ILIA’s Growth: The Realities Of Building A Beauty Brand

When is the bravest move as a founder to step back instead of push harder? In this episode, ILIA cosmetics founder, Sasha Plavsic, shares how letting go of the CEO role became the key to truly scaling the brand and what that decision revealed about growth, control, and identity as a founder.

We go behind the scenes of ILIA’s journey from early experiments in “clean beauty” to becoming one of the most recognisable brands in the category. Sasha opens up about the unglamorous realities of building a beauty business, the emotional cost of growth, and what it actually looks like to hand over the reins to someone else.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Sasha’s formative years shaped the vision for ILIA
• The beginning of clean beauty and what it took to stand out in a new category
• The realities of scaling a beauty brand
• Raising money as a female founder
• Why Sasha decided to bring in a CEO, and how she knew it was time to step back
• Navigating balance as a woman in business, leadership, and life

If you’re a founder, entrepreneur or brand builder who’s ever wondered whether holding on is secretly holding you back, this conversation is for you.

We Are Ladies Who Launch!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Sasha Plasic and ILIA Beauty

05:17 School Years and Early Career Aspirations

11:24 The Birth of ILIA Beauty

19:14 Early Business Challenges and Breakthroughs

26:10 Scaling Challenges and Operational Growth

32:49 Balancing Personal Life and Business

35:24 Selling ILIA Beauty

37:03 Bringing In a CEO

44:16 Future Plans and Product Development

46:31 Rapid Fire Questions

56:11 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs

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