Secret Leaders with Dan Murray-Serter & Chris Donnelly

I built a $2bn Company By Paying Everybody The Same As Me - Nicola Kilner

Jan 14, 2025

Nicola Kilner, former CEO of The Ordinary, shares her inspiring journey in building a $2 billion beauty brand. She discusses the radical decision to equalize pay among executives, emphasizing leadership transparency. Nicola opens up about the emotional challenges of losing a co-founder and how it shaped her approach to leadership. She also addresses the unique struggles women face in remote work and the importance of supportive company culture. Her insights on work-life balance and fostering community are both poignant and practical.

01:04:23

Episode guests

Nicola Kilner

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Nicola Kilner transformed Deciem into a $2 billion company by embracing radical honesty and transparent pricing, challenging traditional industry norms.

She emphasized the importance of a family-like workplace culture that fosters belonging, diversity, and support among employees during personal and professional challenges.

Kilner advocates for innovative leadership roles and flexible work environments, particularly to address gender dynamics and improve work-life balance in today's workforce.

Deep dives

Simplifying International Transactions

Managing international finances can be complex, but Wise Business provides a seamless solution by allowing users to hold and convert money in different currencies at favorable rates. This prevents the need to rush into exchanges at unfavorable rates or incur excessive fees. The platform empowers teams by enabling them to handle payments independently, reducing the need for micromanagement from leaders. With support for over 40 currencies and integration with accounting software, Wise Business simplifies the payment process for global transactions.

Intro

4min

Navigating Loss in Leadership

6min

Navigating Leadership in Changing Work Environments

23min

The Highs and Lows of Viral Success in Consumer Brands

5min

Reimagining Work Dynamics

8min

Navigating Opportunities and Challenges in Your 20s and 30s

5min

Reflections on Leadership and Belonging

11min

Navigating Opportunities and Phone Use for Better Balance

3min

In this episode, we sit down with Nicola Kilner, former CEO of The Ordinary, to dive deep into the unique story behind her journey in building a $2 billion company. Nicola shares the highs and lows of her path to success, including the challenges she faced as a leader and the pivotal moments that shaped her career.

We discuss why her Co-CEO fired her and what that experience was like as well as revealing her leadership superpower and why she decided to pay everyone in C-suite the same salary as herself for a period of time.

Additionally, we explore her thoughts on why women suffer the most from working from home and the impact it has on their careers.

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https://wise.com/uk/business/?utm_source=secretleaders&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=Secret+Leaders_1H+2025&utm_content=Wise+Business

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