Podcast Summary: BigDeal Episode #99

"Advice I Wish Someone Gave Me When I Was Broke" ft. Kendra Scott

Host: Codie Sanchez
Guest: Kendra Scott (Designer, CEO, Founder of Kendra Scott Jewelry)
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this inspiring and tactical episode, Codie Sanchez sits down with Kendra Scott, the iconic entrepreneur who built a billion-dollar jewelry brand from just $500. Together, they dismantle the myths around business, success, and what it means to make a difference—especially when you start with nothing. The conversation is packed with actionable advice, hard-won wisdom, and behind-the-scenes stories that bring Kendra’s remarkable entrepreneurial journey to life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Building from Nothing: The Power of Grit and Reinvestment

• Starting with $500:
  • Kendra began by purchasing materials and tools, making her first samples, and hustling store to store with her baby in tow.

    “I put it in a tea box, a wooden tea box, and literally took my baby son store to store, boutique to boutique in Austin, Texas and showed my collection.” (Kendra, 02:24)

  • Early sales were reinvested immediately to fulfill new orders.
• Bootstrapping & Scrappy Mindset:
  • For a decade, Kendra bootstrapped, reinvesting every dollar and relying on credit card debt and lines of credit, as no one would invest in her.

    "For 10 years, I bootstrapped this business. And as I run a billion dollar business today, I still have that scrappy startup mindset." (Kendra, 03:02)

Resilience in the Face of Failure and Doubt

• Mindset of Competition and Persistence:
  • Kendra thrives on being underestimated, using rejection as fuel.

    “Every time someone says, oh, you don't have a college degree, you can't probably do that job, or there's a million jewelry designers out there, what's going to make you special? It's like, oh, let me show you.” (Kendra, 00:27 & 06:39)

  • Early experience of being bullied gave her a drive to create change and prove doubters wrong (06:12).
• Practical Advice for When You Want to Give Up:
  • When in the “pain cave,” step back, look at what’s working, and don’t be afraid to let go of what isn’t.

    “To get yourself to almost have this like bird's eye view, like just lift yourself out of that moment and really think about what's working, what's not working.” (Kendra, 52:00)

Tactical Advice for Entrepreneurs

• Find the Intersection of Passion and Pain:
  • Start with what brings you joy and what breaks your heart. The intersection is likely your "why."

    "What are something that brings you incredible joy, and what is something that breaks your heart?... The intersection of those two things may be your why.” (Kendra, 11:05)

• Connection Over Transaction:
  • Building authentic customer relationships trumps sales tactics; Kendra’s retail staff are trained to make every customer feel valued, not just to transact.

    “The goal for the people that you hire in your retail stores is not for them to sell. It is for them to connect.” (Kendra, 18:27)

• Embrace Disruption and Creativity—Not Just Money:
  • You don’t need a big check to succeed; creativity and fearlessness are key, even if it looks "cringe."

    "If you're doing what everybody else is doing, you've already failed." (Kendra, 27:56)

Unconventional Tactics and Brand-Building “On the Ground”

• Direct Engagement:
  • Kendra personally gifted jewelry to hosts and stylists at trendy Austin restaurants and salons—leveraging word-of-mouth marketing.

    “I would go to every hot restaurant and make sure that all the servers and the hostess, I'd gift them Kendra Scott. And I'd give them cards, business cards, and be like, here, there's discount cards to give to customers if they ask.” (Kendra, 26:44)

• Pop-Up Events & Community Outreach:
  • Over 25,000 local brand activations/events in a single year to “physically touch” customers and reinforce brand loyalty. (Kendra, 25:00)

Sales Philosophy and Team Building

• Authenticity Sells:
  • “When you're authentic, you will be a great salesperson.” (Kendra, 14:49)
• Learn From the "No":
  • Use rejection as a chance for research—ask questions to turn future "No's" into "Yes's".

    “If they're saying no... that's the greatest opportunity for information. To me, the conversation has just got it started.” (Kendra, 16:16)

• Hiring for Attitude:
  • Kendra looks for warmth, optimism, and connection—not just retail experience.

    “I hire people who just are brimming with optimism, who are brimming with positivity, who are brimming with warmth.” (Kendra, 23:25)

Failure, Evolution, and Reimagining the Business

• 2008 Recession as a Turning Point:
  • Kendra’s line of credit was called in, forcing her to shift from wholesale to retail and e-commerce, which ultimately made her business resilient.

    “That 2008 recession was the greatest gift Kendra Scott ever had because it forced me to look at my business differently.” (Kendra, 46:48)

• Listening to the Customer:
  • Testing, learning, and not being afraid to “kill your zombies” (let go of non-performing ideas).

    “Where are you seeing some traction? It may not be the original idea ... but somewhere in there, there’s something that is sparkling...” (Kendra, 52:00)

Leadership, Family, and Purpose

• Integrating Work and Family:
  • Built her business to accommodate motherhood—pack-and-play in the office, travel with kids, and structured priorities.

    “I created a workplace that allowed not just myself, but others to be there first for their families… you lead by example.” (Kendra, 43:37)

• On Relationships as a Female Founder:
  • Open discussion about partnership dynamics with men, balancing strength and vulnerability, and finding alignment over ego in relationships (33:46; 37:21).

    “There are some men ... who absolutely just want to lift me up and do anything they can to support and love and cheer me on and vice versa.” (Kendra, 33:46)

Brand Expansion and New Ventures

• Yellow Rose & Western Wear:
  • Launching a modern Western-inspired brand (Yellow Rose), centered on women's needs, authenticity, and Texas pride.

    “Yellow Rose... is my love letter to Texas... Every other western brand was cowboy first... I wanted a brand that put the cowgirl front and center.” (Kendra, 54:45)

  • Boot Launch:
    • Announcement of a new cowboy boot line—crafted with the same attention to authenticity found in her jewelry (70:34).
• Working With Icons:
  • Collaboration with Dolly Parton—who wrote the foreword to Kendra’s upcoming book and inspired her with unapologetic authenticity.

    “She offered to write the foreword of my book… as we started to take… I can’t explain it to you, Cody, but I just love her… And so we decided to do a collab in jewelry.” (Kendra, 59:47)

• Shark Tank:
  • Kendra is deeply involved on this season, investing in numerous deals that favor family businesses and passion-driven founders.

    "The best season I've ever been on. Why? The entrepreneurs are unbelievable. I mean, I invested in a lot of deals this season..." (Kendra, 72:27)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “We don’t play for second. We’re in it to win it. We have a very ... extremely competitive [mindset] ... Never complacent.”
  — Kendra Scott (04:49)

• “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”
  — Cody Sanchez (04:19)

• “You create your own utopia. What does your dream life look like? Once you know the destination, you can build your roadmap to get there.”
  — Kendra Scott (43:37)

• “When you have that shift of: are you going to allow that person or that thing that happened to you to control your future… or are you going to take it as fuel?”
  — Kendra Scott (09:13)

• “If you’re doing what everybody else is doing, you’ve already failed. You have to do it with your own fingerprint, your own voice, and you have to do it in a disruptive way.”
  — Kendra Scott (27:56)

Memorable & Uplifting Moments

• The Power of Small Beginnings:
  Kendra recounts starting at the card table in her apartment, sewing jewelry samples while her mom helped out, culminating in her first boutique sale—enough to keep the dream alive. (02:02–02:56)
• The “Night Before” Analogy:
  Kendra’s friend reminds her: “This is the night before. You're gonna want to remember this. Cause your business is about to blow up, and you're gonna want to remember what this was like.” (66:45)
• Authenticity and Human Connection:
  Codie shares a story contrasting the warmth of Kendra Scott’s team with other retailers, illustrating the real impact of company culture on customer experience. (21:04–21:59)
• Kendra’s Best Friend in Heart Costume for Valentine’s Activation:
  Even post-billionaire status, Kendra brings creative, joyful stunts to her brand.
• On Role Models:
  “If I can inspire one girl to look at me and go, okay, it doesn't matter where you come from... then it’s worth doing it.” (64:50)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [02:02] – How Kendra spent her first $500; shoestring beginnings.
• [03:02] – Decade of bootstrapping; lessons in frugality and value.
• [06:12] – Childhood bullying and how adversity fuels resilience.
• [11:05] – Framework for finding your "why" in business.
• [18:27] – Connection over transaction as a retail philosophy.
• [24:39] – Community events/activations and touching the customer.
• [26:44] – Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing.
• [46:48] – 2008 recession; shifting from wholesale.
• [52:00] – How to get unstuck in business (“the bird's eye view”).
• [54:45] – The birth and testing of Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott.
• [59:47] – Working with Dolly Parton and her influence.
• [70:34] – Launching a new cowboy boot line.
• [72:27] – Experiences and favorite moments on Shark Tank.

Final Reflection

Kendra Scott’s journey is an authentic masterclass in scrappy entrepreneurship, resilience, and the magic that comes from relentless human connection and doing business your own way. She balances tactical advice with uplifting stories, proving that “making a dent on the world” is possible no matter where you start.

Key Takeaway:
You don’t need money or legacy to build something great. Start with grit, creativity, and the courage to be undeniably yourself.

If you’re building a business, keep this episode handy for inspiration, tactics, or just a dose of “You CAN”—straight from someone who did.