Jamie Kern Lima

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.

And I wiped my makeup off on live television, showed my bright red bumpy skin, and literally everything was on the line. And right as I was standing there in the QVC studios about to go live, I learned you are not even guaranteed the 10 minutes. They know by the second what's selling and who's ordering online and what's, you could be a minute or two in and think like, oh, I got eight minutes left.

And I wiped my makeup off on live television, showed my bright red bumpy skin, and literally everything was on the line. And right as I was standing there in the QVC studios about to go live, I learned you are not even guaranteed the 10 minutes. They know by the second what's selling and who's ordering online and what's, you could be a minute or two in and think like, oh, I got eight minutes left.

If you're not hitting goals, boom, your clock jumps down to one minute, you're done. So I learned that, like no pressure, right? And I remember the moment that bright red on-air light came on and I saw the clock and it was like 9.59 a.m. 9.58.

If you're not hitting goals, boom, your clock jumps down to one minute, you're done. So I learned that, like no pressure, right? And I remember the moment that bright red on-air light came on and I saw the clock and it was like 9.59 a.m. 9.58.

I remember walking over to models, every age and shape and size and skin tone and skin challenge, calling them beautiful and like viscerally meaning it in every ounce of my being. We were a few minutes in, and I didn't know how we were doing, but I knew I wasn't cut yet. I was like, okay. And then at the nine minute mark, I hear the host say, the deep shade's almost gone.

I remember walking over to models, every age and shape and size and skin tone and skin challenge, calling them beautiful and like viscerally meaning it in every ounce of my being. We were a few minutes in, and I didn't know how we were doing, but I knew I wasn't cut yet. I was like, okay. And then at the nine minute mark, I hear the host say, the deep shade's almost gone.

The tan shade's almost sold out. And at the 10 minute mark, this giant sold out sign came up across the screen. It was wild. Yeah, it was crazy. I start crying. I start crying on national television. They cut from me and went to like Dyson Vacuum or something. And then my husband, Paulo, who's right over there, my husband, Paulo, comes rushing through the double doors of the studio.

The tan shade's almost sold out. And at the 10 minute mark, this giant sold out sign came up across the screen. It was wild. Yeah, it was crazy. I start crying. I start crying on national television. They cut from me and went to like Dyson Vacuum or something. And then my husband, Paulo, who's right over there, my husband, Paulo, comes rushing through the double doors of the studio.

I'm crying and I'm like, real women have spoken. And he comes over to me. I thought he was going to give me a hug. He just, like, comes over to me, puts his fist in the air, and he's like, we're not going bankrupt. And I was like, ah. And that one airing turned into more than 250 shows a year. We grew to more than 1,000 employees and became the largest beauty brand in QVC's history. What?

I'm crying and I'm like, real women have spoken. And he comes over to me. I thought he was going to give me a hug. He just, like, comes over to me, puts his fist in the air, and he's like, we're not going bankrupt. And I was like, ah. And that one airing turned into more than 250 shows a year. We grew to more than 1,000 employees and became the largest beauty brand in QVC's history. What?

with so many experts, they said it would never work, eventually changed an industry. And I don't know who needs to hear this today, but someone else's no is no indication that your idea or your art or your business or your vision isn't gonna work. And even though we got enough no's and rejections to wallpaper this entire campus, we kept getting back up.

with so many experts, they said it would never work, eventually changed an industry. And I don't know who needs to hear this today, but someone else's no is no indication that your idea or your art or your business or your vision isn't gonna work. And even though we got enough no's and rejections to wallpaper this entire campus, we kept getting back up.