Podcast Summary: The Jamie Kern Lima Show

Episode: Underdog to Billion Dollar Entrepreneur! How to Turn Your Dreams Into Destiny with Anastasia Soare (Pt 2)
Host: Jamie Kern Lima
Guest: Anastasia Soare, founder & CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills
Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This emotionally rich episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show features a conversation between Jamie and legendary beauty entrepreneur Anastasia Soare. Through candid storytelling and honest insights, they discuss building a global beauty empire, balancing motherhood and business, instilling self-belief, and defining true success. They explore intergenerational lessons, tough love parenting, resilience in the face of adversity, and the enduring value of family. Listeners are offered wisdom on leadership, self-worth, and actionable tools to overcome doubt and pursue their greatest dreams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Self-Belief and Grit

• Anastasia’s Journey: Fleeing communist Romania as a single mother, learning English by watching Oprah, and working multiple jobs, Anastasia’s story is a testament to perseverance and betting on oneself.
• "If Anastasia was able to do it, I could do it too." (Anastasia, 37:57)
• Both women reflect on moments of self-doubt and how consistent belief and action shaped their destinies.

2. Family as Foundation

• Mother-Daughter Dynamics: Anastasia and her daughter Claudia built the business side by side. Anastasia describes "tough love" approaches, including once firing Claudia to instill discipline and respect for rules.
• Anastasia speaks openly of her deep family values, her relationship with her own mother, and the multi-generational bond that fueled her journey.
• Emotional moments arise when discussing what truly matters, with both Jamie and Anastasia moved to tears.
  • “[Choking up]...family is everything. Sorry. I'm sorry. I don't want to be too emotional.” (Anastasia, 00:10; 29:07)

3. Leadership, Vision, and Business Lessons

• Defining Company Culture:
  • Importance of discipline: "You are never late again. I am your boss. I'm not your mother when you walk in. I'm going to be tougher with you than all the employees..." (Anastasia, 02:37)
• Employee Loyalty: Both Jamie and Anastasia criticize the trend of “job hopping” and champion long-term commitment as key to building something meaningful.
  • “Anyone that will look at your resume and see, ‘I was for one year at this company…’ No, you cannot build something anywhere if you are not there for a few years.” (Anastasia, 17:28)
  • “Build something.” (Jamie, 17:59)

4. Modern Entrepreneurship & Social Media

• Visionary Moves: Claudia’s early recognition of Instagram’s potential expanded their reach across the globe (e.g., sending a product to a woman in a small village in India)—a key inflection point in their business.
• Handling Negativity:
  • “Build an imaginary wall that you don't let anyone to bully you, to talk bad to you, to stay strong. And I promise you that this works.” (Anastasia, 32:30)
  • Advice for those fearing criticism: If your intentions are good and you’re striving to do your best, accept you’re “not for everyone.” (Anastasia, 36:21)

5. Redefining Success and Regret

• More Than Material Success:
  • Both reflect that, above all, purpose and relationships matter most. Anastasia’s regret? Not having more children:
    • “You should have more. Because at the end of the day, we build this incredible life and an incredible business, but I wish I had more kids to put them all to work for me, but… family is everything.” (Anastasia, 03:19, 26:34)
  • Looking back, Anastasia expresses gratitude for every hard moment, seeing them as necessary steps:
    • “Everything I've done got me where I am today. And I'm so happy and I'm so grateful and I love that I was able to work that hard.” (Anastasia, 19:47)

6. The Importance of Purpose

• Finding purpose in challenging circumstances is a central message.
  • “Having a purpose is probably the best thing I have ever done in my life… and I was able to bring my daughter to have a purpose to me. That's my biggest achievement.” (Anastasia, 25:11)

7. Borrowing Courage & Resilience

• Jamie encourages listeners to “borrow” Anastasia’s courage and conviction, specifically her ability to be authentically herself and stand strong amidst adversity.
  • “We're gonna borrow your courage. We're gonna borrow your strength... you do not care about what other people think. And I just think that all of us need to borrow that courage.” (Jamie, 31:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tough Love & Setting Boundaries
  • "The moment you walk in, number one, you are never late again. Number two, I am your boss. I'm not your mother when you walk in. And I'm going to be tougher with you than all the employees." — Anastasia (02:37)
• On Overcoming Adversity
  • “Everyone else has much more than what I had when I came…I didn't speak the language. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have money… and I still didn’t give up…I started and I did it.” — Anastasia (37:57)
• On Perspective and Gratitude
  • “Do you know, when I came in this country, do you know what was my biggest joy was, oh my God, you could have three jobs…that was amazing.” — Anastasia (03:53, 24:35)
• On Social Media and Handling Criticism
  • "You can't make everybody happy. And again, we have the best intention. We are here to do the best…If you don't like it, I understand... I’m not for you." — Anastasia (35:41, 36:21)
• On Family and Legacy
  • “Fifty years from now, when someone asks Claudia, ‘Tell me about your mother.’ What do you hope she says?” — Jamie (27:34)
  • “She will say, my mom work very hard, but she loved what she did…We are everything to each other.” — Anastasia (27:50, 28:07)
• On Building Self-Worth
  • "In life you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth you change your entire life." — Jamie (20:39)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:10 — Anastasia gets emotional talking about family
• 02:28 — The story of firing her daughter Claudia for discipline
• 07:51 — Building a business and a legacy with her daughter
• 11:59 — Early Instagram as a pivot point in business strategy
• 17:28 — The dangers of job-hopping and the virtue of loyalty
• 19:47 — No regrets: the value of hard work and embracing the past
• 24:35 — Joy in finding opportunities and having a purpose
• 26:34 — Regret for not having more children, centrality of family
• 27:50 — Hopes for what her daughter will say about her legacy
• 31:47 — Jamie on “borrowing courage” from Anastasia
• 32:30 — Building resilience: the imaginary wall technique
• 35:41 — Handling criticism and not being for everyone
• 37:57 — What readers will gain from “Raising Brows”
• 41:05 — Jamie’s reflection: “Do you believe little girls can fly?”
• 41:05 - end — Parting encouragement and invitation for self-belief

Episode Takeaways

• Believe in Yourself: Self-doubt is universal, but resilience and self-belief are vital.
• Embrace Tough Love: Setting standards, even with loved ones, builds respect and lasting success.
• True Wealth Is Connection: Material success is meaningful, but purpose, family, and relationships are paramount.
• Stay the Course: Loyalty and longevity in work allow you to create something meaningful.
• Start Before You’re Ready: Don’t wait for the perfect plan—take action and let momentum build.
• Handle Criticism with Grace: Protect your energy, maintain boundaries, and focus on your best intentions.

Resources

• Anastasia’s Book: "Raising Brows: My Story of Building a Billion Dollar Beauty Empire"
• Jamie’s Book: "Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life"

This episode is an uplifting masterclass on entrepreneurship, resilience, the power of belief, and the central importance of family. It delivers actionable life and leadership wisdom for listeners at every stage of their own journeys.