Inclusive Beauty and Serene Sips

This chapter explores the speakers' encounters in the beauty industry, particularly their commitment to makeup inclusivity and the humorous intersection of their Jewish backgrounds with budgeting challenges. It also highlights the calming benefits of green tea during the pandemic, featuring Firebelly tea and an important meeting that opened doors for their brand.

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Harley Finkelstein and David Segal are back with Season 3 of Big Shot! Today, we chat with beauty industry icon Bobbi Brown. Known for her work as a makeup artist, Bobbi’s expertise has been showcased on the covers of leading magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Allure, Mademoiselle, and Teen. She’s the author of nine beauty books, with five achieving bestseller status.

In 1991, Bobbi founded Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, which Estée Lauder acquired for $74.5 million four years later. Bobbi had a 25-year non-compete with Estée Lauder, and as soon as that expired, she launched her latest company, a clean beauty brand called Jones Road.

In our conversation, we discuss the following:

How chutzpah and optimism landed Bobbi her first Vogue cover
How Bobbi developed her first lipstick and the original ten that became the brand’s foundation.
How organic networking was a big part of Bobbi’s success
The Estée Lauder acquisition of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi’s friendship with Leonard Lauder
How Bobbi prioritized motherhood over work
Life after the non-compete: Her new partnerships and Jones Road
And so much more