Jamie Kern Lima

In fact, one potential investor from a really well-known private equity firm, we were both hoping this would be our saving grace. He loved our product. And we did meeting after meeting after meeting, went to the diligence phase, you guys. The very end of it, the final meeting, he says, congratulations. You should be so proud of this product. But it's a no.

In fact, one potential investor from a really well-known private equity firm, we were both hoping this would be our saving grace. He loved our product. And we did meeting after meeting after meeting, went to the diligence phase, you guys. The very end of it, the final meeting, he says, congratulations. You should be so proud of this product. But it's a no.

We're going to pass on investing in IT Cosmetics. And when I asked him why, I remember he got really quiet and he says, you want me to be really honest with you? And he said, I just don't think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight. That one, I cried in bed for three days after.

We're going to pass on investing in IT Cosmetics. And when I asked him why, I remember he got really quiet and he says, you want me to be really honest with you? And he said, I just don't think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight. That one, I cried in bed for three days after.

But here's the thing and here's the key is every time that we would meditate or pray and get really, really still, like I get this feeling inside that said you're supposed to keep going. You're supposed to keep going." And I trusted that voice and trusted the power inside of me.

But here's the thing and here's the key is every time that we would meditate or pray and get really, really still, like I get this feeling inside that said you're supposed to keep going. You're supposed to keep going." And I trusted that voice and trusted the power inside of me.

And I'm sharing this because my hope and prayer today is that you do that too, every single step of the way outside of this room, and to trust it over all the no's that might be happening all around you like they were for us. So after years of countless rejections and no's, it finally happened. We got one single yes that had the power to change everything. QVC finally gave us a yes.

And I'm sharing this because my hope and prayer today is that you do that too, every single step of the way outside of this room, and to trust it over all the no's that might be happening all around you like they were for us. So after years of countless rejections and no's, it finally happened. We got one single yes that had the power to change everything. QVC finally gave us a yes.

Then I learned we would get one shot, one shot to go live on QVC to present our product in this ten minute window and either hit their sales goal or not come back. I learned we'd have to sell over 6,000 units of product. in a 10-minute window, live on air. Y'all, we were doing one to two orders a day on our website. Like, that's what we were doing. And we had to sell over 6,000 units.

Then I learned we would get one shot, one shot to go live on QVC to present our product in this ten minute window and either hit their sales goal or not come back. I learned we'd have to sell over 6,000 units of product. in a 10-minute window, live on air. Y'all, we were doing one to two orders a day on our website. Like, that's what we were doing. And we had to sell over 6,000 units.

And then I learned it's a consignment offer. What that meant is we would somehow have to figure out how to pay for, manufacture, ship in, pass regulatory compliance, pass QC, all of the inventory. Then I go live on air in 10 minutes, and if it doesn't sell, we take it all back and we're not paid. So you should never say yes to that, ever, right?

And then I learned it's a consignment offer. What that meant is we would somehow have to figure out how to pay for, manufacture, ship in, pass regulatory compliance, pass QC, all of the inventory. Then I go live on air in 10 minutes, and if it doesn't sell, we take it all back and we're not paid. So you should never say yes to that, ever, right?

But we were so desperate, and we decided to say yes and go all in. The only problem was we were out of money. So we applied. We went to try and get an SBA loan. 22 banks said no, and they should have. And the 23rd bank, California Bank and Trust, gave us an SBA loan to cover that purchase order and a little bit more.

But we were so desperate, and we decided to say yes and go all in. The only problem was we were out of money. So we applied. We went to try and get an SBA loan. 22 banks said no, and they should have. And the 23rd bank, California Bank and Trust, gave us an SBA loan to cover that purchase order and a little bit more.

We hired third party consultants who are amazing at helping so many people sell their products. But they all said the same thing. They said, you need to use what they considered beautiful models to sell the products. And here's the thing, like, you know, I have skin issues. They wanted us to use everyone that had no skin issues, that were the same, you know, skin tone.

We hired third party consultants who are amazing at helping so many people sell their products. But they all said the same thing. They said, you need to use what they considered beautiful models to sell the products. And here's the thing, like, you know, I have skin issues. They wanted us to use everyone that had no skin issues, that were the same, you know, skin tone.

They all looked like they were barely 18. But I knew that doing that, doing what everyone else was doing, isn't what I was created for. And it's not what you're created for either. And I knew I'd rather play my heart out fully and try to change the beauty industry. Even if we sold nothing, I'd rather stand for something than sell a whole ton of product but stand for nothing.

They all looked like they were barely 18. But I knew that doing that, doing what everyone else was doing, isn't what I was created for. And it's not what you're created for either. And I knew I'd rather play my heart out fully and try to change the beauty industry. Even if we sold nothing, I'd rather stand for something than sell a whole ton of product but stand for nothing.

So my one big shot came, and it literally took everything inside of me to dare to believe and to go for it. And in my one big shot, we were teetering on bankruptcy at the time. After years of hearing no's, we cast models of every age, one in her 70s who had hyperpigmentation, one in her 20s who was dealing with acne, models of every skin tone and skin challenge like me.

So my one big shot came, and it literally took everything inside of me to dare to believe and to go for it. And in my one big shot, we were teetering on bankruptcy at the time. After years of hearing no's, we cast models of every age, one in her 70s who had hyperpigmentation, one in her 20s who was dealing with acne, models of every skin tone and skin challenge like me.