There are moments in time when someone walks into your life and changes you forever, and that is the case with Jamie Kern Lima. She is a true champion and cheerleader of women and she has made me rethink how I do everything and the why that I am starting with. Her story of starting her brand in her living room, and of turning no’s into yeses, is an inspiration to all of us.

Question Highlights:

• When did you become such a cheerleader for women?
• How do you navigate when the experts are telling you something won’t work when you know they are wrong?
• What would you have done differently?

Guest Bio:

Jamie Kern Lima is an American entrepreneur, billion-dollar business success story, champion of women, philanthropist, culture-shifter and highly sought-after keynote speaker. She Co-Founded IT Cosmetics from her living room, grew it into a top-selling makeup and skincare brand, then sold it to L’Oréal for $1.2 Billion, in their largest US acquisition to date, making Jamie the first female CEO in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. 

Jamie is passionate about inspiring and mentoring entrepreneurs, building businesses, making a difference in the lives of women and girls and giving back in a big way. As a passionate speaker, Jamie loves sharing her stories of inspiration, underestimation, overcoming self-doubt, rejection and never giving up.  

From working as a grocery bagger at Safeway grocery store to waitressing at Denny’s, Jamie’s always hustled to pay her way through school and make her dreams happen. Prior to launching IT Cosmetics, Jamie was an award-winning TV news anchor with beauty challenges including sparse brows and sensitive skin and she could never find products that truly worked. That’s when IT Cosmetics and Jamie’s mission to empower every woman to believe in her own beauty was born. Jamie’s now shared this vision of inclusivity and inspiration, doing more than 1000 live TV appearances herself on QVC, where she grew IT Cosmetics to be the largest beauty brand in QVC history. Through her work, Jamie has built an inspired community of millions of women across the country and globally who have shared their stories of overcoming struggle when it comes to confidence and self-worth. 

Jamie graduated Valedictorian from Washington State University and received her MBA from Columbia University. Jamie’s recently been named on the 2019 Forbes Richest Self-Made Women list, Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, WWD’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty, Porter Magazine’s Incredible Women list and is a member of the CBS Board of Overseers and Harvard Women’s Leadership Forum. She also received the 2019 Columbia University Medal of Excellence, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Award, Columbia Business School’s Distinguished Early Achievement Alumni of the Year Award, Fashion Group International Star Award, the CEW Achiever Award and is the recipient of the 2019 Look Good, Feel Better Dream Ball Award.

Jamie is energized by an unremitting passion to inspire and empower girls, women, and entrepreneurs and has been featured on Good Morning America, Today, CBS This Morning, CNBC, Nightline, and Joel Osteen and in The New York Times, O Oprah Magazine, PEOPLE, Marie Claire, Shape, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and more. 

Jamie currently owns part or all of more than 15 companies. She also works passionately with many philanthropic causes including Look Good Feel Better®, where IT Cosmetics has donated $40 million in product to date to help women face the effects of cancer with more confidence. Jamie lives in Los Angeles with her husband Paulo, daughter Wonder and two French Bulldogs Rainbow and Sunshine.