Masters of Scale From billion-dollar brand to blank slate: Bobbi Brown’s comeback
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Nov 6, 2025 Bobbi Brown, a renowned beauty entrepreneur and makeup artist, shares her incredible journey from founding Bobbi Brown Cosmetics to launching Jones Road Beauty. She discusses the challenges and lessons learned while transitioning from a billion-dollar brand to a new venture. Bobbi reveals insights on navigating corporate politics, her emotional recovery after parting ways with Estée Lauder, and the innovation behind her latest brand. She also emphasizes the importance of authenticity on social media and building a family-driven, lean team for success.
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From Kit Fixes To First Product
- Bobbi Brown met a chemist while doing a magazine shoot and co-created her first lipstick from mixes she used as a makeup artist.
- She and the chemist split $1,500 of initial sales and mailed orders from her house until demand grew.
Growth Before E‑Commerce
- Bobbi used PR and her makeup-artist network to sell lipsticks by taking orders via her home phone before retail distribution.
- A Glamour beauty editor wrote about her and orders started coming to her house.
Dinner That Led To A Sale
- Leonard Lauder courted Bobbi with warmth and offered to handle the operations she disliked.
- They negotiated for months and the deal included a 25‑year non‑compete she accepted.
