Tower 28’s Amy Liu: From Stay-At-Home Mom to Best-Selling Sephora Powerhouse at 40 - How She Bet On Herself and Won

Amy Liu, founder and CEO of Tower 28 Beauty, is redefining what it means to bet on yourself, build quietly, and scale authentically in the beauty industry. From quitting her corporate job and taking a four-year hiatus to launching one of Sephora’s most successful clean beauty brands at 40, Amy’s story is one of resilience, vision, and choosing power on her own terms. She opens up about the money dynamics in her marriage, the shift when her husband became CFO of her company, and how she gained the freedom to take risks. She shares why she’s never relied on celebrity partners, the importance of building a brand that feels safe without being boring, and what it means to create products that empower people with sensitive skin to finally feel included in mainstream beauty. From leaving her corporate job and fighting against the naysayers, to the messy middle of running a fast-growing team, to the moments that nearly broke her, this is Amy Liu like you’ve never heard her before. What you’ll learn in this conversation: Why betting on yourself doesn’t have an age limit (Amy launched at 40) The truth about overnight success (23 years in the making) How money and power dynamics shift in marriage when women lead Why Tower 28 chose not to rely on celebrity endorsements The story behind Tower 28’s hero products and community-driven growth The role of eczema and authenticity in shaping Amy’s brand and mission How to build a company that’s both profitable and culturally relevant Why women can “have it all” — but not all at once This is the episode every entrepreneur, founder, and creative needs to hear. ⸻ This episode is sponsored by:⁠⁠ - Recharge - get 90 days free - https://getrecharge.com/lp3/hot-smart-rich/ Subscriptions aren’t just about repeat orders - they’re about building real relationships. And that’s where Recharge comes in. They’re the subscription platform behind the brands you know and love - think Chamberlain Coffee, quip, Blueland, Bird & Be - and over 100 million subscribers worldwide. Recharge takes the headache out of retention with seamless subscription experiences, powerful analytics, and tools that help brands go beyond the moment to keep customers coming back. ⁠⸻ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you like what you hear, rate, review, and subscribe to Hot Smart Rich, the podcast supporting women who own their worth — in business, wealth, and life. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⸻ 💌Own your worth — and build the life you want. Subscribe to the Hot Smart Rich newsletter, the no-BS guide to startup life, consumer brands, and becoming your hottest, smartest, richest self, written by Maggie Sellers. Join 250,000+ women building wealth, confidence, and community on their own terms. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⸻ Become an HSR Angel in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Global HSR WhatsApp⁠⁠⁠⁠ channel⁠! ⸻ Follow Maggie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices