Bobbi Brown's Journey to Building a Billion-Dollar Cosmetics Empire
TLDR Bobbi Brown built a billion-dollar cosmetics line by creating natural, healthy looks in an era of heavy makeup, starting from selling lipsticks to models and editors and eventually expanding to major retailers. After selling her company to Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown left in 2016 to start new ventures, including a health and wellness brand and a boutique hotel.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Bobbi Brown built a billion-dollar line of cosmetics by making women look like they weren't wearing any makeup.
05:30
Bobbi Brown was inspired by her glamorous mother and the movie Love Story to pursue makeup, leading her to study makeup at Emerson College and find herself among creative peers.
10:46
Bobbi Brown started her career as a makeup artist by reaching out to established professionals in New York City and building relationships with various clients in the industry.
15:55
Bobbi Brown stood out as a makeup artist by creating natural, healthy looks in an era of heavy, unnatural makeup, eventually gaining recognition through major magazine spreads and editorial work.
21:28
Bobbi Brown started her cosmetics line by creating a range of lipsticks in various natural shades, initially selling them to models and editors before gaining wider recognition through a feature in Glamour magazine.
26:30
Bobbi Brown met someone in an elevator who worked at a cosmetics lab, leading to the recreation of her lipsticks and further company growth.
32:07
Bobbi Brown expanded her cosmetics line from Bergdorf Goodman to Neiman Marcus, opening four stores and gaining recognition through personal appearances and media appearances, including becoming a beauty expert on the Today Show.
37:14
Estee Lauder bought Bobbi Brown Cosmetics after being impressed by the company's success, offering complete autonomy to Bobbi Brown and providing her with more cash than she had ever imagined.
42:24
Bobbi Brown left Estee Lauder in 2016 after feeling that the company had grown too big and she needed to regain control as the boss.
47:33
Bobbi Brown sold her name and started a new brand called Just Bobby, in addition to launching a health and wellness brand and running a boutique hotel.
52:53
Emma and Miles created a successful Kickstarter campaign for a collapsible stainless steel straw called Final Straw, but faced challenges with knockoff replicas entering the market.
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