Podcast Summary
Lessons from Waitressing and Bagging Groceries: Past experiences, no matter how insignificant, shape us into leaders by teaching work ethic, people skills, and overcoming self-doubt.
Our past experiences, no matter how seemingly insignificant, play a crucial role in shaping us into the leaders we become. Jamie Kern Lima, a successful entrepreneur who built IT Cosmetics into a $1.2 billion business, shares how her time as a waitress at Denny's and bagging groceries taught her valuable lessons about work ethic, understanding people, and overcoming self-doubt. These experiences prepared her for her calling and equipped her to handle the success she later achieved. We all have unique journeys, and it's essential to recognize that every step, no matter how small, contributes to our growth as leaders. Embrace your past, learn from it, and use it as a foundation for your future success.
Finding Opportunities in Setbacks: Setbacks can lead to unexpected opportunities and impact. Stay open to new possibilities and trust your instincts when pursuing your dreams.
Setbacks and challenges in life can sometimes lead to unexpected opportunities and impact. The speaker shares her experience of dealing with a skin condition while anchoring the news, which she initially saw as a setback. However, she realized that there was a lack of effective solutions for people with similar conditions in the market. This realization sparked her entrepreneurial spirit, and despite her initial doubts, she went on to create a business that addressed this need. This story highlights the importance of staying open to new possibilities, even during difficult times, and trusting your instincts when pursuing your dreams.
Discovering Your Purpose and Passion: Understanding your 'why' and holding onto dreams can lead to successful businesses. Take action, create a plan, and embrace every season for growth.
Having a clear understanding of your "why" and holding onto your dreams, even when faced with challenges or seemingly insignificant jobs, can be the driving force behind launching a successful business. Jamie Kern Lima, the founder of IT Cosmetics, shares her personal story of feeling unfulfilled in her dream job while working as a news anchor, but ultimately discovering her purpose and passion to revolutionize the beauty industry by promoting inclusivity and self-love. When you have an idea, it's essential to take action and drill down on your vision, create a plan, assemble the right team, and potentially start an LLC. However, it's also crucial to recognize that every season in life, whether it's a job you don't love or a business setback, can be an opportunity for growth and preparation for what's to come. Embrace the journey and trust that your steps are ordered.
Focusing on cash flow and substance over flash: Protect every penny, invest wisely in product, vision, and customer experience, and prioritize cash flow over appearances to increase chances of long-term business success.
Focusing on cash flow and prioritizing substance over flash are crucial elements for entrepreneurs and leaders looking to start a business or pursue a big idea. As shared by the guest, the early years of launching a business often involve personal sacrifices and financial discipline that aren't typically highlighted in public success stories. The guest emphasized the importance of protecting every penny and investing it wisely in the product, vision, and customer experience, rather than on appearances or ego-boosting expenses. This mindset can make a significant difference in the long-term success of a business. The guest's own experience of putting all their savings into their business, enduring rejection and hardship, and focusing on the bottom line, ultimately led to their company's success. By staying disciplined and prioritizing cash flow over flashy appearances, entrepreneurs can navigate the challenges of starting a business and increase their chances of long-term success.
Rejection and setbacks are a normal part of entrepreneurship: Despite facing rejection and setbacks, entrepreneurs can find success by focusing on personal and business growth
Rejection and setbacks are a normal part of the entrepreneurial journey, and it's essential to remember that they do not define your ability to succeed. Many entrepreneurs feel alone in their struggles, especially in today's world where social media presents an idealized version of success. However, it's crucial to remember that even those who have built successful companies have faced significant rejection and setbacks. The key is to focus on developing yourself and your business behind the scenes, even when things don't go as planned. The speaker shares her personal experience of facing numerous rejections in the early years of building a cosmetics company but eventually finding success by going direct to consumer. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed by rejection or setbacks, remember that you're not alone, and it's important to keep pushing forward.
Authenticity sets small businesses apart: Stay true to your brand and mission, authenticity builds trust with customers, better than legal battles against larger competitors.
Authenticity is crucial for small businesses, even when faced with competition. The speaker shared her personal experience of having a competitor steal their product formula, leaving them powerless to stop it due to lack of resources. Despite this setback, they continued to sell the product on QVC and other platforms, eventually gaining more success than their competitor. The speaker emphasized that authenticity is essential, especially for small businesses, as it sets them apart and builds trust with customers. It's better to focus on staying true to your brand and mission than trying to outmuscle larger competitors in legal battles.
Being true to yourself as a leader: Authenticity builds trust and connection with team and customers, essential for success. Don't fake it, be yourself.
Authenticity is a crucial aspect of great leadership. As Jamie shared, she learned the hard way that you cannot fake authenticity when it comes to your business or mission. Even with a great idea, product, and execution, if you lack authenticity, it can lead to obstacles and setbacks. Jamie's story highlights the importance of being true to yourself and your mission, even in the face of rejection and adversity. Authenticity builds trust and connection with your team and customers, making it an essential tool for success. So, be yourself as a leader, and people will follow you because they would rather follow someone who's real than someone who's right.
Seeing rejection as an opportunity: Rejection is a natural part of pursuing greatness. Instead of viewing it as a reflection of our worth, we should see it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and keep moving forward towards our goals.
Changing our perspective on rejection can significantly impact our lives and help us reach our full potential. As Jamie shared, she transformed her relationship with rejection from a sign of inadequacy to a reminder of her bravery and determination. This shift allowed her to overcome numerous rejections and eventually launch IT Cosmetics, becoming a successful businesswoman. It's essential to remember that rejection is a natural part of pursuing greatness and should not be seen as a reflection of one's worth. Instead, we should view rejection as an opportunity to learn, grow, and keep moving forward towards our goals.
Trusting intuition leads to success despite rejection: Believing in yourself and trusting your intuition can lead to great success, even after experiencing rejection.
Trusting your intuition and believing in yourself can lead to great success, even in the face of rejection. The speaker shared her experience of being rejected by a potential investor due to her appearance, but instead of giving up, she trusted her intuition that she was on the right path. Six years later, her company was acquired by L'Oreal for $1.2 billion, and the investor who rejected her reached out to congratulate her and admit he was wrong. It's important to remember that rejection is not the end, and that our inner knowing and intuition can guide us towards achieving our goals. Even in moments of doubt and despair, it's crucial to trust ourselves and keep pushing forward.
Trusting your inner voice: Effective leaders build intuition and discernment by trusting their inner voice, reflecting on past experiences, and learning to distinguish good advice from their instincts.
Building intuition and discernment is crucial for effective leadership. It's essential to listen to advice and feedback, but it's equally important to trust your inner voice and learn to distinguish between good advice and your own instincts. This skill can be developed over time through reflection on past experiences and learning to trust yourself, even when decisions don't turn out as planned. Intuition and discernment are valuable tools that can help leaders navigate complex situations and make informed decisions. However, society often undermines the importance of trusting our intuition, and it's essential to cultivate this ability throughout our lives. By reflecting on past experiences and learning to trust ourselves, we can strengthen our intuition and make more confident decisions. Remember, every time you trust yourself, even if it doesn't work out, it was still the right move on your unique journey.
Trusting intuition and authenticity in the face of adversity: Believing in yourself and staying true to your values can lead to unexpected success despite rejection or unconventional choices.
Trusting your intuition and staying true to your authenticity, even in the face of adversity, can lead to life-changing and industry-defining moments. The speaker shares two instances where this principle played a pivotal role in her personal and professional growth. The first was when she was rejected by a major industry figure but used the experience to build resilience and eventually succeeded in a groundbreaking way. The second was when she was offered a consignment deal on QVC, which required a significant financial investment and a departure from industry norms. Instead of following conventional advice, she chose to showcase the product's effectiveness on real people with various skin types and ages. True leaders, she notes, often have novel ideas, but it takes courage to act on them. By trusting her intuition and staying true to her authenticity, the speaker was able to defy expectations and make a lasting impact.
Staying true to your vision and values: Authenticity is essential for entrepreneurial success. It may not guarantee immediate wins, but inauthenticity ensures failure. Entrepreneurs should remember their why and stay true to their customer and values, even during high-pressure situations.
Authenticity is crucial for entrepreneurial success, even when facing rejection and pressure to compromise. The speaker shares her personal experience of being tempted to be inauthentic during a high-stakes opportunity on QVC, but ultimately chose to stay true to her vision and values. She emphasizes that while authenticity doesn't guarantee success, inauthenticity guarantees failure. The speaker encourages entrepreneurs to have discernment and remember their why, even in moments of fear and doubt. She also emphasizes the importance of staying true to your customer and your values, rather than sacrificing authenticity for short-term gains.
Embracing uncertainty and trusting oneself: Faith in oneself and embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected success. Building a strong team and scaling a business are essential, but avoid burnout and consider exit strategies.
Trusting in yourself and having faith, even under immense pressure and uncertainty, can lead to unexpected success. The speaker shares her experience of going live on QVC and the fear of not meeting sales targets, which caused her hand to shake and prevented her from demonstrating her product effectively. However, she was given a second chance, and when she embraced the moment and genuinely praised the diversity of the audience, sales skyrocketed, leading to the building of a successful beauty brand. Additionally, scaling a business and building a strong team are crucial aspects of growing a business, but it's important to avoid burnout and consider eventual exit strategies.
Authenticity and alignment crucial for team and business success: Authentic leaders prioritize alignment with mission, hire passionate team members, and avoid complacency to build successful teams and businesses
Authenticity and congruency with mission are essential for building a successful team and business. Authenticity may not guarantee success, but inauthenticity guarantees failure. Developing the muscle of intuition and acting on discernments is crucial for great leaders. When building a team, look for individuals who align with the mission, and consider hiring those who have a genuine passion for the product or service. A clear and shared vision or mission is vital for a team's unity and motivation. Lastly, for those who have achieved success, it's essential to continue growing and developing, focusing on what truly matters, and avoiding complacency or burnout.
Balancing Personal Growth and Enjoyment with Professional Success: Be intentional in balancing personal moments and relationships with professional achievements, embrace authenticity, and strive for success in all areas of life while being present and intentional.
It's essential to be intentional in balancing personal growth and enjoyment with professional success. The speaker, Jamie, emphasizes the importance of not neglecting personal moments and relationships in the pursuit of achievements. She shares her struggle with constantly striving for impact and impactful moments outside of her home, and encourages listeners to be present and intentional in their daily lives. Jamie believes that authenticity is a leader's superpower and that incongruency can hinder growth. She also mentions her recent habit of waking up early for still time in the morning, and her current favorite book, "The Way of Integrity," which emphasizes living congruently with one's truth. Overall, the message is to strive for success in all areas of life, but to be intentional and present in the process.
From waiting tables to inspiring millions, Jamie Kern Lima's journey shows the value of every experience: Every experience, no matter how small, can prepare us for future success. Jamie Kern Lima's journey from waiting tables to becoming the first female CEO of L'Oreal and a bestselling author, highlights the importance of staying the course and using every experience to grow.
Every experience, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can serve as preparation for future success. Jamie Kern Lima's journey from waiting tables to becoming the first female CEO of L'Oreal, and now an influential bestselling author, is a testament to this idea. Her message of encouragement and inspiring others to feel less alone and more enough, resonates deeply with many. Jamie's sacrifices, rejections, and obstacles were all part of her preparation for the influential role she plays today. Her story is filled with valuable lessons for leaders, and her impact is only growing. Jamie's website, jamiekernlima.com, and social media channels are great resources for those interested in her work. The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, released on the 1st Thursday of each month, is another valuable resource for leaders looking to invest in their growth. The podcast's leader guide, available at life.church/leadershippodcast, summarizes the content and quotes from each episode. Thank you, Jamie, for your investment in us and for inspiring us to keep growing as leaders. And a big thank you to our community for being a part of this journey and investing in your leadership.
