#314b: From Rejection to a 1.2 Billion Dollar Entrepreneur with Jamie Kern Lima

A lot of people look at a billion-dollar company with starstruck eyes and forget that, in most cases, it took someone a lot of persistence, resilience, and tenacity to get there. And, yes, I have a specific company in mind. I’m referring to IT Cosmetics, a billion-dollar makeup company. In this episode, I sit down and talk to the founder, Jamie Kern Lima. I am so honored to have my friend join me and bring inspiration and tangible guidance on how to build a successful company from the ground up. Jamie has a motivating story and she is an example of hard work, determination, and persistence. On top of that, she has a heart of gold. Jamie shares her journey of being a successful entrepreneur and how she handled hearing “no” over and over again. She talked about following your intuition, showing up authentically, and some of her top needle movers when she was building a billion-dollar business. Here's a peek at the episode... [05:15] Jamie shares about her struggles with her skin, which a television anchor, made her feel self-conscious. After struggling to find a makeup that actually stuck, she was inspired to create her own. [07:53] And that’s exactly what she did! On the flight back from her honeymoon, she and husband wrote up a business plan for a skincare line that catered to women who didn’t have perfect skin. [11:41] “When you're doing something really new and really novel, all of the experts may not get it.” When no one would pick up her product, she went back to the drawing board and decided to sell it online. [13:42] Although they were struggling to get traction, Jamie persisted because she knew in her gut that she was supposed to do this. [17:07] In true Jamie fashion, she kept hustling -- even after a heartwrenching “no” from Sephora. [20:59] Jamie shares how she was turned down by QVC seven years ago, and today they are the largest selling brand on QVC. [27:01] “Don't dilute your own authenticity. Nobody can be you, and it doesn't serve you to be anybody else.” [39:11] When she finally landed a spot on QVC, she sold out! Tune in to hear her story. [42:55] Jamie shares one of her biggest mistakes of growing a billion-dollar company. [50:08] She also shares some of her best needle movers while building such a successful brand. I know you’re going to fall in love with Jamie and find so much value in her expert advice and guidance. Side note: If you reach out to Jamie on Instagram, be sure to tag her handle in the first few words of your post’s comments. Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts ‘I love Amy and Online Marketing Made Easy.’