Aspire with Emma Grede

Episode: How Barbara Sturm Built a Billion Dollar Beauty Brand with Zero Training

Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Emma Grede
Guest: Dr. Barbara Sturm

Episode Overview

In this candid and inspiring conversation, Emma Grede sits down with Dr. Barbara Sturm, the founder of a leading global skincare brand, to discuss how she created a billion-dollar business without traditional industry training. Dr. Sturm shares her unconventional path from orthopedic medicine to skincare innovator, the power of trusting her instincts, navigating setbacks, her anti-inflammatory philosophy, and building a family-like business culture. Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at the sacrifices, values, and strategies that drive her continued success—and concrete advice for would-be founders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unconventional Beginnings and Scientific Foundation

• From Orthopedics to Aesthetics:
  • Dr. Sturm's career started in orthopedic science, focusing on anti-inflammatory treatments for joints (03:33).
  • She innovated by translating orthopedic insights about cellular aging and inflammation into skin care.
  • "I'm an anti-inflammatory doctor." (03:43, Dr. Sturm)
• The “Vampire Facial” Origin:
  • Developed her signature blood facial (popularly known as the "vampire facial") in 2002—a decade before it became a sensation (04:37–05:04).
  • Early on, she was protective, preferring to treat patients herself rather than sharing her method with other doctors (05:07).

2. Solving Personal Problems and Launching Products

• Personal Skin Struggles Spur Innovation:
  • Unimpressed with existing products for her dry skin, Dr. Sturm leaned on family expertise (her grandmother was a pharmacist) to create new formulations (05:54–06:51).
  • "I went to my grandma… mixing creams… what are the biggest and best hydrators in the world? …I added the proteins of my blood." (06:23, Dr. Sturm)
• From Bespoke to Brand:
  • Initial products were bespoke, addressing specific client needs, not mass-market ambitions (08:31–09:23).
  • Financed her first run with a €350,000 bank loan—no business plan, just belief and drive (09:54–10:14).

3. Word-of-Mouth, Hollywood & Going Global

• Celebrity & Patient Endorsements:
  • Hollywood patients, word-of-mouth, and personal results spread the brand’s reputation (07:39–08:13).
• Breakthrough Distribution:
  • Struggled with traditional retail, realizing she wasn’t "a salesperson" (16:08–17:07).
  • Landmark moment: Gained placement on Net-a-Porter after impressing buyers with bespoke blood creams (17:28–19:15).
  • "I went home, took a shower and started sobbing. I was like, oh my God, this is huge." (18:56, Dr. Sturm)
• Signature Approach:
  • Focused on products that “do everything”—hydrating, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging—before considering the business’s global ambitions (20:09–20:27).

4. Building the Team & Company Culture

• People Over Industry Credentials:
  • Early hires were friends, assistants and those who shared her ethos, not necessarily beauty industry experts (11:19–12:01).
  • "We went in the car… sat with the person… told them what we want… he said, 'why don’t you just put your name on this batch?'—No, no, no…" (12:01, Dr. Sturm)
• Intuitive Leadership:
  • Strong emphasis on gut feeling and chemistry in selecting business partners and vendors (13:01–13:41).
  • "Every time I don’t listen to [my gut], it’s always catastrophic." (13:01, Dr. Sturm)
• Learning from Mistakes:
  • "You cannot teach someone… you have to make your experiences." (13:53, Dr. Sturm)
  • Being pushed out of her orthopedic clinic—considered her “best thing ever”—forced her to open her own practice (14:12–14:47).

5. Financing & Investors

• Raising Capital at the Right Time:
  • First raised outside capital at $15M in sales, choosing investors she trusted and liked (21:01–22:18).
  • Notable early investors included Stella McCartney and Oprah Winfrey—who were “hands on” supporters (23:09–23:44).
• Advice for Founders:
  • “Do your business yourself as long as you can without investors… there’s always a lot of greed behind.” (28:36, Dr. Sturm)
  • "If you have a belief that something works… do it yourself… if you don’t 100% believe, then don’t do it." (29:18, Dr. Sturm)
  • Early days meant real risk: "With my 350 I was right in the minus." (29:52, Dr. Sturm)

6. Challenges & Personal Resilience

• Facing Industry Doubts & Bias:
  • Overcame skepticism as a non-dermatologist woman in a male-dominated field (30:18–30:53).
  • Faced jealousy, copycats, and regulatory complaints from competitors.
• Discipline & Work Ethic:
  • "I have a big self-discipline. I’m a workaholic, too. I love working. I’m obsessed with creating..." (31:44, Dr. Sturm)
  • No weekends; finds joy in working, but also takes time to ski or recharge (31:55–32:01).

7. Family, Legacy, and Values

• “A Big Family” Business:
  • Daughter Charlie works in the business, bringing new generation ideas (34:44).
  • "I trust Charlie to everything. I trust her opinion, her taste..." (34:35, Dr. Sturm)
• Teaching Values:
  • Emphasizes kindness, humility, and supporting children’s dreams (35:40–36:20).
  • Credits her own mother (a biochemist/lab doctor) for resilience and managerial skills (36:36–37:20).

8. Product Philosophy & the Science of Skin

• Minimalism vs. Marketing:
  • Contrarian to over-complicated routines: “We need to be fast. We have shit to do.” (50:19, Dr. Sturm)
  • Core essentials: foam cleanser, hyaluronic serum, face cream, and occasional gentle exfoliation (50:36–51:03).
• Skepticism About Retinol and Scrubs:
  • Critiques harsh skincare ingredients; advocates anti-inflammatory, barrier-support approach (43:00–44:49).
  • “Would you put an acid peel or retinol on your heart or your liver? …We need to respect the organ skin the same.” (42:53, Dr. Sturm)
• Diversity, Science & Inclusivity:
  • Created specialized products for melanin-rich skin after Angela Bassett’s request (45:09–45:36).
• Hydration and Longevity:
  • Key to anti-aging is hydration and anti-inflammatory routines (51:56–52:23).
  • “Compare grapes with raisins. The grapes are the hydrated skin cells, the raisins, the dehydrated ones.” (51:56, Dr. Sturm)

9. Lifestyle and Longevity Routine

• 360-degree Approach:
  • Skincare, nutrition, exercise, mental health, and sleep are all critical.
  • "Whatever you put on your skin with endocrine disruptors… has an impact on our entire hormone situation." (53:17, Dr. Sturm)
• Longevity Hacks:
  • Shares specific routines: lemon water, breathing techniques, peptides after knee surgery, weight training, red light, yoga/Pilates, and more (61:14–66:00).
  • "All [longevity] treatments come down to one thing: reducing inflammation." (66:00, Dr. Sturm)

10. Business Transitions & the Future

• Sale to Puig and Scaling Up:
  • Post-acquisition, enjoys creative freedom while Puig handles expansion (57:13–58:06).
  • “All the things I didn’t like doing in the business is on them.” (57:43, Dr. Sturm)
  • Staunchly controls product development: “There’s nothing that will change… these products are my babies.” (58:25)
• Vision of World Domination:
  • Aspires for global, but rooted, impact: "The message has never changed. The philosophy was always the philosophy." (59:45, Dr. Sturm)
• Consistency is Key:
  • "Don’t change with trends. Stay to your belief and stay really, really consistent." (59:45)

11. Advice & Reflections

• For Aspiring Founders:
  • "Do what you love. Follow your dreams. You can fulfill your dreams… you can do anything." (67:17, Dr. Sturm)
• On Success and Staying True:
  • “I want to not have changed in my personality… I still have the same values… great food, great people, friendship, happiness, health.” (72:00–72:31)
• Rapid Fire Questions:
  • First and last thing each day: “I cuddle my kid.” (68:33–68:49)
  • Current aspiration: “Having the best people around me… I want to scale and scale and scale.” (69:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Gut Instincts & Teams:

“First of all, I think we need to listen a lot to our gut feeling… Every time I don’t listen to it, it’s always catastrophic.” (13:01, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

On Early Risk:

“With my 350 I was right in the minus.” (29:52, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

On Being an Outlier:

“I brought the science to skincare and went away from all this marketing… nobody really looked into efficacy.” (26:46, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

On Living Your Brand:

“Whatever I do, I need to be… so convinced about what my life is, how I create the products, how I believe in my brand. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, how do you talk to your patients, your clients?” (55:05, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

On Parenting and Legacy:

“I trust Charlie to everything. I trust her opinion, her taste, her style, everything.” (34:35, Dr. Barbara Sturm)
“These kids need to grow up with so much love… The relationship of the trust of the kid in you is unbreakable. And it’s so important.” (68:49, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

On Trends and Consistency:

“Don’t change with trends. Stay to your belief and stay really, really consistent.” (59:45, Dr. Barbara Sturm)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Barbara’s Unlikely Path to Skincare: 03:33–05:04
• Launching Her First Products: 05:54–07:39
• From Word of Mouth to Net-a-Porter: 08:13–19:15
• Forming Her Team & Gut-Driven Leadership: 11:19–13:41
• Big Break and Going Global: 17:28–20:27
• On Taking Investment and Growth: 21:01–23:44
• Challenges, Resilience & Industry Bias: 30:18–31:44
• Building a Family Business/Legacy: 34:35–36:20
• Product Philosophy & Routine: 43:00–52:23
• Longevity & Lifestyle: 61:14–66:00
• After Selling to Puig / The Future: 57:13–59:08
• Advice for New Entrepreneurs: 67:17–68:26
• Rapid Fire & Reflections: 68:33–72:38

Practical Takeaways

• Follow Your Instincts: Trust your gut in business and hiring.
• Believe in What You Build: Passion for your products and consistency in philosophy matter more than trends.
• Start Small, Dream Big: Fund your business yourself if you can; only take on investors when necessary and when you find values-aligned partners.
• Keep It Simple: Skincare and business don’t need to be overcomplicated; essentials often outperform excess.
• Balance Risks with Optimism: Take calculated risks and maintain optimism, even in adversity.
• Prioritize Relationships: Whether investors, team, or customers—people and word-of-mouth drive success.
• Be Disciplined, Be You: Work hard, stick to your values, and remain authentic as you grow.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about building an authentic global brand, disrupting an industry, or living—and working—with purpose.