56 - Jeff Lee, DIBS Beauty

In Ep. 56 of Earned, we sit down with Jeff Lee, co-founder and CEO of DIBS (“Desert Island Beauty Status”), the beauty brand created in partnership with star influencer Courtney Shields. We start by unpacking Jeff’s many noteworthy accomplishments, including earning his MBA at Stanford and his law degree at Yale, coaching several successful Miss Universe pageant contestants, visiting every Equinox gym across the world, and serving as COO for former MLB shortstop Alex Rodriguez’s A-Rod Corp investment firm—all before launching DIBS Beauty. Jeff reveals how he manages and prioritizes his time to allow him to invest in his varied pursuits, before explaining why he decided to transition from attorney to brand operator. We dive into his time at A-Rod Corp, and hear how he got the job (despite not knowing who A-Rod was), as well as the team-building learnings he took away with him. Jeff then shares why he thinks following your passion is the “worst career advice,” and why you should instead pursue your “superpower.” Next, we discuss how DIBS Beauty came to be, and the key factors contributing to the brand’s rapid growth, before closing the show by learning Jeff’s guiding principles that help him navigate challenging times.