She Sobbed Every Night Running a Billion Dollar Brand | Kendra Scott
episodePreviously titled “Why I Cried Myself to Sleep Running a Billion-Dollar Brand” — renamed by the publisher on Sep 1, 2026
Transcript
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. But how did you overcome all these obstacles in the last few years? And how long did that stress or pain last for?
Well, you know, you look at 2020 and obviously the whole world was suffering, you know, and you turn on the TV, you couldn't escape it. And you're stuck in your house just dealing with all this. But in the midst of all that, my father, who is my rock in my book, you'll just see he and I have this unbelievable bond. had suffered two major heart attacks. I had to go pick him up in Wisconsin on New Year's Eve of 2019, going into 2020. So New Year's Eve, welcoming in this new year, I was on a plane flying from Colorado to Kenosha, Wisconsin. because he wasn't getting the medical care he needed and brought him to Austin where I lived. Wow. Ambulances at the, you know, on the airport waiting to take him to the hospital and where he spent until March, almost March 12th from, you know, December 31st.
Wow. Ringing in that year was already starting out stressful. Going through a divorce, I had some of my own personal health issues happen. I ended up being in the same hospital that my dad was in during that time period. It was one of those years where, but on the outside, everyone thought Kendra Scott was fine. The Instagrams are great, she's smiling, things are good. And I just felt so, like this isn't real and I'm suffering. And why am I so afraid to say I'm suffering? So I started writing a journal and just keeping track of what was going on personally, emotionally, and wanting to share that the struggle is what makes us stronger. And now coming out on the other side of that, really scary year for my business, for my family, myself personally, is actually I had to go through that to get to this next most beautiful place I'm at in my life.
But when we're in the middle of it, sometimes it can feel hopeless and that you're alone and that you're the only one that is feeling like this. And so sharing it, and I think there's so much power in being vulnerable. And I realized that my journal notes I needed to make into a book simply because I wanted anyone out there who might be struggling in their own place in life to know this is part of their journey and to own it and to know this is their unique, amazing life. And they're going through this for a reason and something great is going to wait for them. It's waiting around the corner. Take a breath.
What personal challenges did Kendra Scott face during the pandemic?
This is only a moment in time and two shall pass.
Yeah, of course. You know, and I think people see you and they see everything you've accomplished in the last 20 years of your brand. 20 years with your brand?
Not an overnight success. I always love to be like, oh, this is an overnight success. I'm like, well, 20 years. Yeah, of course.
But when they see the success in 20 years, they see you on Shark Tank. They see you at the book. They see you as this inspiring leader in the business world as well.
Yeah.
What is the thing that most people don't see? What is the biggest insecurity, shame, or fear that you never share that people, if they knew you were working on overcoming, would see you differently?
You know, I think one of the things that's so important is that no one is superwoman. And yet we try so hard in our life to make people think that we're Superman or Superwoman, that we are these just, we've got it all together. And I think as a mom, I'm always struggling. People will be like, oh, how do you balance it all, Kendra? That is a myth. No, if anyone tells you they've got it figured out, they are lying, okay? That is a total myth. I work every day to be like, okay, how do I make sure that I'm there for my kids when they need me? Or if I forgot, is it a bake sale? Oh my gosh, I'm racing to the store, picking up cookies and trying to package them in a Tupperware so I don't feel like my kid doesn't think I actually baked the cookie.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:04–3:03
2
What personal challenges did Kendra Scott face during the pandemic?
3:03–5:52
3
How did Kendra's early failures shape her business philosophy?
5:52–7:12
4
What lessons did Kendra learn from her first failed business?
7:12–9:49
5
How did Kendra Scott redefine success and vulnerability?
9:49–13:39
6
What strategies helped Kendra pivot her business during economic downturns?
13:39–19:23
7
What role does community play in Kendra's business model?
19:23–23:36
8
How has Kendra Scott's approach to customer experience evolved?
23:36–1:22:33
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The School of Greatness
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Your Phone Is Stealing the Life You Actually Want | Cal Newport
Rebuild Your Identity in 3 Steps and Finally Make Habits Last | Dr. Kim Foster
You're Not Bad With Money, You Inherited Bad Beliefs | Lewis Howes
Your Pain Pushes You Until Your Vision Pulls You | Michael Beckwith