Jamie Kern Lima

I remember I'd once seen an Oprah show like 20 years earlier where she talks about how she wanted the color purple so bad, the movie, and she wasn't getting it. And so she like ran around a track and started singing, I Surrender All and asked God to take it from her because it felt too heavy, her obsession with wanting it. I was so stressed in the car.

I remember I'd once seen an Oprah show like 20 years earlier where she talks about how she wanted the color purple so bad, the movie, and she wasn't getting it. And so she like ran around a track and started singing, I Surrender All and asked God to take it from her because it felt too heavy, her obsession with wanting it. I was so stressed in the car.

I literally was like, I'm going to try that too. I started singing. I was like, God, this feels so heavy for me. And I was like trying to ask him to take it because here's the true confession. I was so tempted in that moment. to try it their way. Because I was like, what if I do it and it works and I make money and I don't go bankrupt, then I can try it my way. Like I had all those thoughts.

I literally was like, I'm going to try that too. I started singing. I was like, God, this feels so heavy for me. And I was like trying to ask him to take it because here's the true confession. I was so tempted in that moment. to try it their way. Because I was like, what if I do it and it works and I make money and I don't go bankrupt, then I can try it my way. Like I had all those thoughts.

And it was this moment in the car that these words, like they hit me that yes, you cannot fake authenticity. Customers are smart. And while authenticity alone does not automatically guarantee success, inauthenticity guarantees failure.

And it was this moment in the car that these words, like they hit me that yes, you cannot fake authenticity. Customers are smart. And while authenticity alone does not automatically guarantee success, inauthenticity guarantees failure.

Yes. Yes, that is it. That is it right there. Because I believe your intuition is more powerful than anyone else's advice, even your greatest mentor, right? And so that moment, so I'm sitting there in the rental car crying, trying... all the things, singing, singing, being tempted to try it their way.

Yes. Yes, that is it. That is it right there. Because I believe your intuition is more powerful than anyone else's advice, even your greatest mentor, right? And so that moment, so I'm sitting there in the rental car crying, trying... all the things, singing, singing, being tempted to try it their way.

And it was like, I remember it coming to me because I was imagining who is that one person on the other end. I don't know why, but I kept imagining like a single mom in Nebraska who was like folding laundry, way too busy to remember that she's so beautiful and that she matters. I would rather her look up and see me showing women that look like her and calling them beautiful and meaning it.

And it was like, I remember it coming to me because I was imagining who is that one person on the other end. I don't know why, but I kept imagining like a single mom in Nebraska who was like folding laundry, way too busy to remember that she's so beautiful and that she matters. I would rather her look up and see me showing women that look like her and calling them beautiful and meaning it.

Even if she buys nothing, I knew in that moment I'd rather stand for something than sell a whole ton of product and stand for nothing. I remember walking into the studio and there's all these cameras and it's you and the host. And then there's this giant clock on the ground and it was set at 10 minutes. And I was like, okay, then maybe...

Even if she buys nothing, I knew in that moment I'd rather stand for something than sell a whole ton of product and stand for nothing. I remember walking into the studio and there's all these cameras and it's you and the host. And then there's this giant clock on the ground and it was set at 10 minutes. And I was like, okay, then maybe...

Literally, right before I go out, I learn, after all this, I learn you're not even guaranteed your 10 minutes. Yep. Because they know by the second if you're hitting numbers. They know how many people are ordering on their phones, how many are ordering online, how many are calling in. So you might go live and you're a minute or two in. You think like, oh, I've got eight minutes left.

Literally, right before I go out, I learn, after all this, I learn you're not even guaranteed your 10 minutes. Yep. Because they know by the second if you're hitting numbers. They know how many people are ordering on their phones, how many are ordering online, how many are calling in. So you might go live and you're a minute or two in. You think like, oh, I've got eight minutes left.

If you're not hitting numbers, your clock jumps from eight down to one. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. And you know you're done.

If you're not hitting numbers, your clock jumps from eight down to one. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. And you know you're done.

So I learned that. And I remember the moment that the big red on-air light came on. So we were live. I had been practicing this demonstration on my wrist, okay? The big part in the back of our wrist that bends and gets all these creases. And I would put our product, our concealer, and then the top two best-selling ones from department stores. And I would bend my hand back and forth.

So I learned that. And I remember the moment that the big red on-air light came on. So we were live. I had been practicing this demonstration on my wrist, okay? The big part in the back of our wrist that bends and gets all these creases. And I would put our product, our concealer, and then the top two best-selling ones from department stores. And I would bend my hand back and forth.

And theirs would start creasing and cracking. And ours wouldn't, which is a big deal. Okay. I had perfected this in my bathroom mirror like a million times. So I'm live trying to do this demonstration in the first minute of the show. My hand is shaking so much because I'm so nervous. I couldn't even finish the demonstration.

And theirs would start creasing and cracking. And ours wouldn't, which is a big deal. Okay. I had perfected this in my bathroom mirror like a million times. So I'm live trying to do this demonstration in the first minute of the show. My hand is shaking so much because I'm so nervous. I couldn't even finish the demonstration.