From Denny’s Waitress to Billion-Dollar CEO with Jamie Kern Lima

Summary

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The Jefferson Fisher Podcast

Episode: From Denny’s Waitress to Billion-Dollar CEO with Jamie Kern Lima
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Jefferson Fisher (Civility Media)
Guest: Jamie Kern Lima (Founder, IT Cosmetics, Author of Worthy)

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Episode Overview

This episode features Jamie Kern Lima, the trailblazing founder of IT Cosmetics and author of Worthy. Jamie shares her inspiring journey from working as a waitress at Denny’s to becoming the first female CEO in L'Oréal's 100-year history. The central theme is how self-communication shapes our trajectory, with actionable strategies for redefining rejection, building self-worth, and communicating effectively with ourselves and others—crucial tools for breaking through doubt and achieving meaningful conversations in life and leadership.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jamie’s Early Story: The Power of Whispers & Self-Communication

[01:48 - 06:48]

• Jamie discusses her humble beginnings, recounting her various jobs (from bagging groceries to waitressing at Denny’s) and the persistent “whispers” she felt as a child—big dreams of impacting others, sparked by watching Oprah.
• Self-doubt was a constant shadow:

  “Most of my life the way I communicated to myself was very much around am I enough? Am I worthy of these things? So much of my life was filled with a lot of self doubt.” — Jamie Kern Lima [01:48]

• She identifies that how we communicate with ourselves—especially about our own worth—creates much of our internal ceiling:

  “When we fundamentally believe we’re not enough or unworthy, it’s a lie... It becomes our ceiling in so many areas of our life.” — Jamie Kern Lima [03:00]

2. Facing Rejection and the Self-Talk Behind It

[08:18 - 20:36]

• Jamie explains how handling rejection (whether from investors, retailers, or internal self-talk) starts with redefining its meaning.
• She shares that 80% of women and 73% of men report feeling “not enough”—and reframing rejection is key.
• Jamie’s pivotal tool: Consciously rewriting the definition of rejection:

  “Every time I get another rejection... I’m going to assign this meaning to rejection. I’m going to believe it’s going to be a yes one day. But right now, you know, I believe rejection is God’s protection.” — Jamie Kern Lima [18:42]

• Her practical technique:
  • Write out the first thought you have about rejection and consciously rewrite it (e.g., “Rejection is God’s protection”, “Rejection is redirection”, “I’m one step closer to yes”).

3. Setbacks, Self-Doubt & the Birth of IT Cosmetics

[10:22 - 16:08]

• Jamie recounts the triggering moment: her hereditary rosacea causing issues during live news broadcasts.
• A moment of pain led to the realization that the industry’s standard of perfection contributed to her self-doubt—and inspired her to create authentic, inclusive products.
• The “big why” behind IT Cosmetics:

  “What if there’s something I could do that’s way bigger than myself, way bigger than a product—where I could try to help shift the definition of beauty in the entire beauty industry?” — Jamie Kern Lima [14:48]

• She quit her dream job, wrote a business plan on her honeymoon, poured every penny into her idea—and faced “hundreds and hundreds” of no’s before ever making a sale.

4. Practical Strategies for Redefining Rejection

[16:08 - 21:49]

• Jamie shares her fail-proof tool:
  • Get specific with new, empowering definitions and actually believe them.
  • Example definitions: “Rejection is God’s protection,” “Rejection is redirection,” “Rejection is proof I’m brave enough to try.”
• Application in her own story—QVC and retailer rejection:

  “They said no for years... it was that ability to communicate with myself that made the difference.” — Jamie Kern Lima [18:40]

• Jefferson summarizes:

  “You, you are editing your dictionary to... have a totally different definition that does not see [rejection] as a setback, but ... a stepping stone.” — Jefferson Fisher [21:49]

5. The Transformative Power of Self-Belief — A Key Rejection Story

[27:36 - 32:39]

• Jamie shares her most painful rejection:
  • A potential investor (2007-2010) not only declined but doubted her appearance:

    “I just don’t think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight.” [28:43]

  • Her gut response:

    “He’s wrong. He’s wrong. And I felt it.” — Jamie Kern Lima [28:50]

• She rewound his words for years but turned down their volume with her inner knowing.
• Six years later, after the $1.2 billion acquisition by L'Oréal, the investor called to admit, “I was wrong.”

  “I can give you 1.2 billion reasons why it was a huge mistake. But I didn’t, I kept it classy.” — Jamie Kern Lima [31:33]

6. Communicating with Confidence as a Woman — Tools & Advice

[35:35 - 42:14]

• Jamie tackles the question: “How do I speak assertively as a woman without being perceived as ‘too much’?”
• Key: Commit to your own worthiness and value your voice.

  “So many of us were raised to dim our light... we’re not comfortable sharing our wins and being extremely confident without telling ourselves a story that it’s arrogant.” — Jamie Kern Lima [35:35]

• Tools:
  • Do a personal audit: Are you shrinking or dimming your light?
  • Make your action about more than yourself—set an example for others.
  • Organizational perspective: Have a clear mission and communicate it relentlessly; link everyone’s job to purpose.

7. Creating an Empowering Circle: Insights from CEO Circles

[43:25 - 49:38]

• Successful people still experience self-doubt—no one is immune.
• What sets top leaders apart:
  • They curate their inner circle for high, positive energy—“energy is contagious.”
  • Avoid a “cage” of negative people.
  • Test for “emotional residue”:

    “When you’re around people and you leave a room, they’ll leave an emotional residue on you, and you can feel it... does it taste like freedom, or is it the opposite?” — Jamie Kern Lima [48:45]

  • Consider moving people to your “outer circle” as needed.

8. Jefferson’s Top Three Takeaways

[49:38 - 50:59]

• Redefine rejection: Write your own definition—one that empowers, not limits.
• Find Your North Star: In conversations, center yourself on your core purpose, not just saying the “right thing.”
• Curate Positive Circles: You are shaped by the voices around you.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “So many of us doubt ourselves out of our own destiny.” — Jamie Kern Lima [08:18]
• “You need to reassign, relabel, redefine what the word rejection means to you.” — Jefferson Fisher [49:38]
• “Rejection is God’s protection.” — Jamie Kern Lima [18:42]
• “Our self worth can be our ceiling in almost every area of life.” — Jamie Kern Lima [23:28]
• “Energy is contagious.” — Jamie Kern Lima [46:35]
• “We talk so much about cancel culture. The single greatest cause ... is us canceling ourselves before we even try.” — Jamie Kern Lima [19:23]
• “Are the people around you more like a close circle or are they more like a cage?” — Jamie Kern Lima [47:10]

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Key Segment Timestamps

• [01:48] Jamie’s backstory: From Denny’s waitress to CEO—“the whispers”
• [08:18] Rejection and new definitions: practical self-talk
• [10:22] TV anchor setback: Rosacea, vulnerability, and big “why”
• [14:48] Vision: Changing the beauty industry standard
• [16:08] Redefining failure and rejection—toolbox method
• [27:36] Crushing rejection: The body/weight investor story
• [31:33] Full-circle: Investor admits, “I was wrong” post-acquisition
• [35:35] Tools for confident communication—especially for women
• [43:25] Pattern recognition from CEO circles—self-doubt & empowering circles
• [49:38] Jefferson’s “One, Two, Threes” Wrap Up

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Final Notes and Where to Find Jamie

• Jamie’s book Worthy—praised for its practical strategies and inspiration.
• Listen to The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast.
• Jamie reminds listeners:

  “You can curate your circle digitally if you don’t have one physically—tune in to podcasts and shows that lift you up.” [52:45]

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Overall Tone:
Inspirational, practical, warm, empowering—Jamie shares with candor, humor, and passion, while Jefferson weaves in summary points and actionable advice.

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For Listeners:
If you’re facing self-doubt, rejection, or struggling to find your voice, this conversation is packed with both the mindset resets and specific techniques you need to change your self-talk—and, in turn, your life.

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Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Jefferson Fisher]

I have a very special guest here on the podcast. Her name is Jamie Kern Lima. You probably have heard of her name. She is the founder of IT Cosmetics, which later sold to l'.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Oreal.

[Jefferson Fisher]

And she is somebody that you're going to get so many wonderful nuggets from. She's written two times, I think twice. Jamie now New York best selling books. The latest one is worthy. It's amazing book. I have it here on my shelf. And she's just an overall amazing person, business leader, also guest on Shark Tank. She's incredible. Jamie, thank you so much for coming on the show today.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Jefferson, honored to be here with you and congratulations on everything. As a friend, it's been really fun to cheer you on.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Thank you. You've been, you've, Jamie's been a wonderful friend throughout my whole experience here. For somebody who's very new to writing books, Jamie, Jamie's not. So she was great at checking in on when I needed it, when I needed it most. I would love for you to tell the listeners here kind of your short story of you went from as a waitress at Denny's to now CEO billion dollar company. I mean that's with a B. You know, how, how did you get there and where are you at now?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, well, I think it's a story that so many people listening and watching us right now can I sure relate to in many ways. And, and it's also part of why I think the work you're doing. Jeffin is so powerful because you know, when it comes to communication and especially how we communicate with ourselves about ourselves can change everything. And it's funny, a lot of people, if they google my story, they'll see sort of the outcome or, or maybe the highlight reel. But the real journey was, I mean, most of my life the way I communicated to myself was very much around am I enough? Am I worthy of these things? And so much of my life was filled with a lot of self doubt. And so I think that, you know, when people look at the outcome now and maybe, maybe they've read the book, you know, some of my books or they've Heard the story of, you know, starting the company in my living room, selling it to l' Oreal for over a billion dollars cash. Like just things that just seem wild. Like I must just be so confident and have so much sel. And I've gotten to that point where I'm able to talk to myself, communicate with myself and of course, others from a place of, you know, okay, I'm worthy of my goals and dreams. But for anyone listening who's maybe in that place where they still have that self doubt, which is kind of wild because, Jefferson, as you and I are talking right now, 80% of women don't believe they're enough. 73% of men feel inadequate and not enough. And a lot of times we hide it and we think it's just us, or, you know, there's something wrong with us or maybe we aren't enough. And you know, what I've learned to believe is when we fundamentally believe we're not enough or unworthy, it's a lie. And it's a lie we keep telling ourselves over and over. That becomes our ceiling in so many areas of our life. And the beautiful thing is through work like yours, like mine, like so many things out there, like, you know, we're able to unlearn those lies and really believe we're enough. So for my story, you know, I was, I was raised in a suburb of Washington state, and I used to, I used to sit. My parents worked a lot and I would watch Oprah every day in my living room. And I used to have. I used to have this kind of whisper when I was a little kid. And I'm sharing this in case anyone listening has had a similar experience. But I'd have this whisper, like, one day I'm going to host a show and like, like she does and share other people's stories with the world and help so many people. And. And I also had this kind of whisper. I would meet her one day and, you know, as this kid in the middle of a suburb of Washington state who didn't know nobody, who knew nobody, it was sort of just this big kind of wild thing. But I had that whisper. And, you know, growing up, I did all these jobs trying to eventually, you know, make my dream happen. So I pushed grocery carts in the Safeway parking lot and bagged groceries and sold popcorn at the swap meet and was a receptionist to coach gymnastics. And, you know, I worked a lot of jobs trying to pay my way through school. Waitressed at Denny's, and I remember the days waitressing at Denny's, Jefferson. I would have moments where I would look around the restaurant because our kitchen had operational challenges and the pancakes would always take like an hour to get out. Customers would leave. It was a mess. And I used to have these thoughts like, I can run this restaurant one day and I'd have these big ideas. But my self doubt at the time was so loud. The way I communicated with myself was like, oh, but you're not qualified. You don't know anyone who runs that kind of thing. So I would sort of doubt myself out of things during that season in my life. And fast forward to where we are today. It's been a wild, crazy journey. Building it cosmetics from my living room all the way to selling it for a billion dollars. The story is really a story of learning how. How do you turn down the volume on your own self out and like sort of turn up the volume on your knowing that you are enough, that you're worthy, that your dreams are possible for someone like you. And I had to learn how to do that. And I would say the journey of learning how to communicate with myself and then others because I started going live on QVC to sell our products. The journey of learning how to communicate. Without that, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have believed I was worthy of my dreams. I wouldn't have believed I was worthy of. Of being called CEO, of having a team of over a thousand employees, of going from Denny's waitress to selling a company to l' Oreal that I started in my living room for over $1 billion. It was really. My whole story is really a journey of learning not just how to communicate with customers and, and through product and on television, but also just in my own head.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Yeah. And I. What I love so much about your story, Jamie, is that it is like you said, the whispers, like these little things that we tell ourselves, it really can be achievable. You obviously have something special of where you are now is incredible for anybody just now listening. Jamie is the first female CEO in L' Oreal's 100 year history. That's incredible. Like, that is such a ceiling breaker moment. And I know through our relationship you have been told, you know, no. Many times, you face rejection many times. And for people that, as you know, and here the listeners really care about how they communicate, how can we improve our conversations just bit by bit, time by time, conversation by conversation. So I want to have a discussion with you first. I want to take it on whenever you got told no. And when you're building IT cosmetics in your living room. You're going on qvc, you're doing all these things. You have to continue to run into this doubt, continually run into, am I just the crazy person? Am I out of my mind? Am I thinking I'm bigger than what I am? Just so many crevices for doubt to creep in. So what was the conversation like? How did Jamie talk to herself from the beginning to how she talks to herself now?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

This might be one of my favorite questions I've ever been asked, because I think that so many of us doubt ourselves out of our own destiny and, like, doubt ourselves out of our own potential and think that somebody else's. No. Is somehow an indication that our idea is not going to work or our business isn't going to work or we don't have what it takes. And that's not the case at all. And I think when you can learn how to change your relationship, relationship with rejection and nos, you can change your entire life. And the foundation of doing that is how you communicate with yourself about rejection and nos. And so, you know, for anyone right now who's listening, who feels like they're stuck or they're in a season of setback, or their idea isn't getting traction, or they put their art out there and nobody's liking it yet, or they, or they keep their book idea and getting a rejection from publisher after publisher, or their business just isn't getting traction. I am absolutely a billion percent sure, Jefferson, that other people's nos or rejections is no indication of the potential that it's going to work. And so for me, you know, I, you know, I was, I thought I was in my dream job, right. So my whole journey to building it cosmetics actually started with a season of setback, and I was anchoring the news. I'd finally, you know, made my way to my dream job. And I was like, one day I'm going to host, you know, my own show, and one day, you know, I'll have Oprah on it. I just thought those things, and I was working.

[Jefferson Fisher]

And you did.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, and you did, by the way. Right. With my podcast. I've been so blessed with the Jamie Kernley Michelle podcast to have Oprah as the very first guest and have Jefferson Fisher on. What?

[Jefferson Fisher]

Yeah, yeah, but let's, let's be clear. You had Oprah on as your first guest, so you, you totally, as a kid, whispered to yourself, that would be my thing, and now you've done it. I mean, I, I, it's such an incredible realization that, yes, how you treat rejection is everything. It's everything is everything.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And here's the thing is, like, I want to say really quick, just anyone who has a whisper, and maybe they feel like it hasn't happened yet, sometimes it takes 40 years to happen. But those whispers you have are worth trusting, whether they're ones you've had as a little kid or you're having as an adult right now that you're supposed to, you know, make a change in your career or just speak up for the first time or raise your hand at work or share your ideas. And you know what? Sometimes it comes with rejection. But I'd finally gotten hired in television news and was anchoring the news, and I thought, Jefferson, like, I'm in my dream job. This is it. This is it. And what I didn't realize was I was about to enter a huge season of setback and self doubt. And, you know, I have a hereditary skin condition on my face called rosacea, and it gets really bumpy, really red. Sometimes it feels like sandpaper. And I'd been to tons of dermatologists about it, and there's no cure. And, you know, I tried all the things. So anyways, it was no big deal. I was always able to cover it with makeup. And one day I was live on the air, anchoring the news, and I hear in my earpiece from the producer, there's something on your face. You need to wipe it off. You need to wipe it off. And I glanced down during the commercial break, and I saw it was the makeup was breaking up. Almost like the way you imagine desert clay cracking and the red coming through. So I reached down, went to cover it, but it wouldn't cover. And then I'm back live on the air in front of millions of people, and I hear in my earpiece, as I'm talking, you know, you're live on the air, so you can't talk back, But I hear on my earpiece, it's still there. It's still there. And that moment started this whole detour in my life, and not only a season of what felt like a lot of setback and self doubt, because I would try every makeup product out there. Nothing would work right. And listen, I had no idea I would one day start a makeup company. I'm just there in this career that I think, this is what I'm called to do. And every time then I would go live on the air, I would still hear like, okay, it's still there, Jamie, it's still there. And I started having a lot of Self doubt, I'd be live on the air thinking thoughts like, am I going to get fired? Like, am I costing the station ratings right now? And I'll never forget. And by the way, what I know for sure, Jefferson, no matter if someone has faith or no faith, I believe this in my whole heart. It's a universal thing. I really believe that the setbacks that happen in our life so often, our setbacks are actually God's setups for what we're called to do next and the step we're supposed to take next and the season we're supposed to go through next. We just don't often know it at the time. It just doesn't. It's not so fun. But I remember the moment I had this, this whisper again. Like, well, if you can't find anything that works for you, nothing will cover your skin. And you're having all kinds of problems at work. Like, what if you figure out how to create something? You know, if you can figure out how to create something that works for you, it's probably going to help a whole lot of other people. So I had that kind of knowing and that, that I felt like came from my gut, but my head was really quick to talk me out of it. It was like, oh, but you've got no money. You don't know anyone in the beauty industry. You have no connections. And I sat in that place between having that whisper or that gut feeling or that knowing that, you know, what if I do this? What if I totally take a detour and launch a business and try to figure out how to solve a problem that I can't find a product to solve? And I one day just had this overwhelming feeling that if I could do it, that my whole life I had seen makeup ads on television and in magazines, and they always use sort of like photoshopped images of models with flawless skin. I had never seen anybody with bright red, bumpy rosacea saying, buy this product. And I kind of realized that even though I love this, those ads, they always deep down inside made me feel like I wasn't enough. And one day, Jefferson, on the news desk, I got this, like, big aha moment, this big feeling where I was like, if I can figure out how to find great chemists and figure out how to make a great product and it actually works. What if I also put real people as models? Like, every age, shape, size, skin tone, skin challenge, like me, call them beautiful and mean it. What if there's something I could do that's way bigger than myself, way bigger than a product where I could try to help shift the definition of beauty in the entire beauty industry. For every little girl out there who's about to see those ads and start doubting herself, too, and every grown woman who still does. So that kind of big why came to me. That's when I made the decision to quit my job on my honeymoon flight with my husband on our honeymoon. We wrote the business plan to it, cosmetics, got back, quit our jobs, poured every penny we had into this thing. And. And. Which wasn't a lot of pennies, by the way. We poured everything we had into this. And Jefferson, just for anyone who needs to hear this, like, what I didn't realize is, from the day we launched that business and went all in, it would be over three years until we could even pay ourselves a penny. But hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of no's. So every single expert or beauty retailer that I loved, like Sephora or Ulta or qvc, they all said no after, no, no, you're not the right fit. You need to use, you know, unattainable, aspirational models. They would say, women won't buy makeup from images that look like what you're showing, like my rosacea or real people, because at the time, it wasn't being done and I entered the season.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Well, you certainly proved them wrong. Yeah.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I mean, yeah, yeah. And I think it's. To your point. It was about learning how to communicate with myself about rejection. And, you know, for the longest time, like right now, if everyone in your audience, you could do this tool together right now, if every single person listening right now, if you imagine yourself getting rejected or you imagine, you know, failing at something right now, and without thinking about it, you just think of the first thought that comes to your head when that happens. If you imagine yourself getting rejected or failing. For me, it was always, oh, I'm not enough. There's proof I'm not enough. And when I've asked this question, you know, in. In rooms before and have people shout out their first thought, a lot of people shout out things like, oh, I shouldn't have even tried. I'm stupid. I. You know, what was I even thinking going for it? A lot of people with the I'm not enough thing, and whatever your first thought is about rejection or failure is your current definition of rejection or failure. And this is really important because as human beings, you know, we're wired to avoid pain at all costs. And so if we, you know, give a meaning to rejection or failure, that's negative, that's painful. We're more likely to be stuck and not go for things. And you know, what I did on my journey, that was life changing. In case someone needs to hear this, today is one day. I just sat down and I was like, I'm getting so much rejection. Everybody is saying no. And every time this is happening, I'm telling myself it means I'm not enough. And I'm so close to giving up. But when I get still or pray about it, like, I know I'm supposed to keep going. And so I wrote out one day, okay, my current definition of rejection is I'm not enough. But let me see what's actually true about rejection. Like, what's a better definition? That every time it happens to me, I can replace it with that empowering definition of rejection so that I'm able to keep going, so that I can communicate to myself with this tool that empowers me every time I get knocked down instead of making me want to quit. And so one day I just sat there and I wrote out new definitions. And the key is you have to believe they're true. So for me, you know, I wrote out, you know, rejection is God's protection. And I believe that. Like, I believe in my soul that God will block your value from people who aren't assigned to your destiny. I believe that.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Oh, I like that. I like how you put that.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, like, that's one definition, another one. You know, rejections, redirection or rejection is a victory because it means I'm one of the brave ones willing to go for it. Like, most people just sit on the sidelines and don't go for it. But every rejection, I'm going to celebrate it because it means I'm one of the brave ones. And so I started sort of creating this toolbox of definitions that I literally would believe. So I have a lot of issues in my life, Jefferson. I know as my friend, you probably know some of them, but one of them is not fear of rejection. I am virtually. I virtually became fearless of rejection and failure. And it was so key. Being able to communicate that way with myself was so key because every time I get another rejection from qvc who said, you're not the right fit to present your products. Right? And by the way, we eventually became the biggest beauty brand in QVC's history. But what a lot of people don't know is they said no for years. And it was that ability to communicate with myself and just make a decision. I'm going to assign this meaning to rejection. I'm going to believe it's going to be a yes one day. But right now, you know, I believe rejection is God's protection, which means the timing's not right yet. You know, you just assign the meanings. Another great definition is, oh, I'm putting in the reps. I'm one step closer to yes and putting in the reps. And I think that, you know, we talk so much about cancel culture. I think that the single greatest cause of cancel culture that nobody talks about is us canceling ourselves before we even try. And when you learn to communicate with yourself around rejection or failure and just go for it, it can literally single handedly change the course of your life. Your dreams, your career, your job, who you end up in a partnership with. It can change every part of your life.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Life.

[Jefferson Fisher]

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You know, if you listen to my podcast, I love Cozy Earth. Why? Because they make quality products. They make premium products from their bed sheets to their towels to their clothes that they have on. I wear them all throughout the week because there's stuff that actually works. And if you're somebody who likes Cozy Earth, I'm going to ask you to go to cozyearth.com Jefferson use the code Jefferson. Get up to 40% off. That's cozy. Herb earth.com Jefferson use the code Jefferson for 40% off. If you are like me and you like cozy, comfortable things, especially with fall not coming on, you need to go try out Cozy Earth.

[Jefferson Fisher]

That's so good. I feel like we should say thank you for listening. Wonderful episode.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I'm so passionate about it. Jefferson.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Well, there's so many things to unpack in that and so where I want to or I want to take it it real quick is we my audience really likes very practical things, you know, practical strategies. What I'm picking up from you is what you found to work for you is reassigning redefining new definitions of what rejection is.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yes.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Instead of seeing rejection as a no, you just you, you are editing your dictionary to what if you had to look it up, Find the page, find the r, go down re and find the word rejection. You're going to within your own life have a totally different definition that does not see it as a setback, but something that is only part of your stepping stone, your journey. So redefining exactly what it means. I am curious on when was the time that you really felt like you had gotten the product going and you made your first ask and you got your first nos. What year was that?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So we launched in 2007. Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

And then.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And then it was in 2010, so it was about three years of hundreds and hundreds of no's. And they ranged from retailers saying no to. You know, I had a potential investor who I really thought was going to be our saving grace because we were so close to bankruptcy for years, which a lot of people don't know that we were just like. Like barely alive. Like barely alive.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Yeah, yeah. Right. Which is. Which is what most entrepreneurs are. I mean, it's the passion that pushes them forward. So back in 2007, 2003, I'm curious if we could go back in time and talk to that. Jamie, when you got the nose right, then what did you say to yourself?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Because we're going to compare it later.

[Jefferson Fisher]

So the conversation you would have with yourself of, was it, okay, I need to be better, or oh, my gosh, am I doing the right thing? Now I have to imagine, like, what are the words of doubt that you had then?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah. So, I mean, in the very beginning, most of my life, anytime I had rejection or failure, but also in the beginning of building this business, it was almost always a version of, yep, there's proof again, I'm not enough. Great things like this don't happen to people like me, right? Like, you know, maybe my past mistakes and, you know, not doing X, Y or Z is now showing up. And great things like this don't happen to people like me and my family. I mean, there's so many things. They're all aversion for me of, you know, oh, there's proof again, I'm not enough. And the rejections were so much. I mean, and, you know, a lot of times we'll quit after one no or 20 no's and we'll think, oh, maybe I was wrong. Maybe my gut or my intuition was wrong. You know, there's people that meditate and get a strong feeling, and they think maybe that is wrong. People that will pray and they'll be like, did I hear God? Wrong. Right? Because nothing around me seems to be going right. And so, you know, one big moment that really stands out to me is, you know, and I knew, Jefferson, I knew, if I'm going to have a shot, I'm either gonna give up and quit or I'm gonna have to really change the way I communicate with myself. And if I'm gonna keep going, I'm gonna have to believe. I'm gonna have to figure out how to believe this is gonna happen, even when there's no proof around me that it's happening. Even when nobody seems to agree with me. And I'm gonna have to believe it's gonna happen. And the second part of it was I'm gonna have to believe I'm worthy of it happening. Because you know, our self worth can be our ceiling in almost every area of life. And it's why I'm so obsessed with building self worth. It's why I'm so obsessed with, you know, us learning to believe that we're enough and believe we're worthy of our goals and dreams. You know, we all know someone who on the outside you're like, oh, that person's so great and they're amazing and you know, she's is so smart and beautiful and talented. Why is she with that person that treats her horrible? And it's like, yeah, we can be confident in a lot of areas, but if underneath all of it we don't believe we're worthy of the thing, right? We, we can only our self worth becomes our ceiling. And, and so for me it was sort of two parts. It was learning to communicate with myself about all the no's, but also learning to believe, to make the decision to believe that what I'm building and the outcome I'm hoping for is possible for me and also to believe that I'm worthy of it. And it was a big journey because I would have big steps forward where I would just absolutely focus on, okay, I'm going to change the definition of beauty in the whole beauty industry. And that felt bigger than myself. That felt bigger than myself. And so on all the days I would get knocked down, I would remember that and then I would decide to really intentionally decide a new meaning for rejection. So one time, for example, we were so close to bankruptcy and we had gotten a call from a potential investor who was really well known at private equity firm and they'd gotten a hold of our product and loved it. And I was like, this is going to be huge. Right? Because all the retailers kept saying no, all of them. And I had this vision, we're going to be on QVC one day. But they kept telling me no and that I wasn't the right fit. And, and this potential investor, I was like, this is our saving grace. Very well known private equity firm. They've, they've taken a lot of pre revenue companies and you know, and turn them into companies we all buy in the grocery store and big box retailers. And I was like, if they invest a, we're not going to go bankrupt and B, you know what if I can use their power Their leverage to get us into all these stores that keep telling me no. So I was so excited. And we did meeting after meeting after meeting, and we flew up for the final meeting. We entered the diligence phase, by the way, which is, you know, where you're going to do a deal, you're going to do an event.

[Jefferson Fisher]

You're very close.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah, you're very close. And we presented our whole product pipeline at the very end of the meeting. And I'm sharing this story for anyone who's ever had anybody tell them they're not enough or give them a painful no. You know, I really was holding this investor on a pedestal at the time. And the very end of the meeting, his whole team was there. They're amazing. And he says to me, congratulations. You should be so proud. This is a really, really great product. But it's a no. We're going to pass on investing in it. Cosmetics. And I said, okay. Can you tell me why? Because feedback's usually a gift. And I'd heard no so many times. And he got really still and he says, do you want me to be really honest with you? And I was like, yes, please. And he said to me, he said, I just don't think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight. And Jefferson, I remember in the moment, I never actually felt any anger toward him, but I felt like this lifetime of self doubt and body doubt, like, fled through my body.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Yeah.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So it kind of felt like I was staring my own fear straight in the eye. But when he said those words to me, I'll never forget this because on the topic of how do we communicate with ourselves. Right. And how it can change our lives, when he said those words to me, I just don't think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight. I got this feeling in my gut, like deep down inside that was so. I can feel it right now that I'm thinking about it in my gut. That said, he's wrong. He's wrong. And I felt it. And I'll never forget Jefferson in the next. I didn't hear from him again for six years. But in that six year window, there would be times where all of a sudden his words would replay in my mind. And two things that I would do just to be really practical. I would literally imagine myself with a giant, like, radio dial, like a volume dial, turning down the volume on his words and turning up the volume on that, knowing I felt in my gut that said, he's wrong. And then the second thing I would do is I would just remind myself, you know, and I have several definitions of rejection that I usually apply. But in that case I would just tell myself, okay, rejection is God's protection. He's blocking my value from that investor because for some reason he's not assigned to my destiny. I'm going to choose to believe that instead of feeling like I'm not enough, it's never going to happen. I'm going to be like, like, thank you. Because something better is coming. And just to tell you one quick thing for everyone listening, because sometimes we don't see the upside of things till way later.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Sure.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Six years later, right. We had gotten a shot on QVC and we had grown and grown and grown and built to over a thousand employees and had gotten into all these retail stores that were saying no. And so much had happened. And the day that l' Oreal bought our company and y', all, we were so close to bankrupt for years, right? All of a sudden, fast forward, you know, it was about an eight year window all in of doing like 100 hour weeks and working so hard. But it was really applying these tools that made such a big difference. Eight years later, l' Oreal's buying our company. And the night before the deal, I learned that there they have to disclose the purchase price. And my family did not know. I mean, they knew we were okay, maybe at that point, but like nobody knew how big the company had grown. And so, so the day that they bought the company, it was everywhere. It was on the homepage of the Wall Street Journal. It was everywhere. L' Oreal buys IT Cosmetics for $1.2 billion cash. And there's all these articles. Denny's waitress becomes Billion Dollar Entrepreneur first email CEO. That was the first time I heard from that investor in six years. And he called and said, congratulations on the l' Oreal deal. I was wrong. And I'll never.

[Jefferson Fisher]

In a big way.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

And it's so funny, I'll never forget that moment because the first thing I thought was like, oh my gosh, like, rejection is God's protection for one. Had he believed in me back then, I'd probably be on some diet. I probably would. Who knows if I could have built this company that was inclusive of everyone. But also, I remember when he said that. I remember the. Do you remember the movie Pretty Woman where, where she goes in the store and they won't help her and then she goes back like a few days later. So what I wanted to say to him was big mistake. Huge. I can give you 1.2 billion reasons why it's a huge mistake. But I didn't, I kept it classy because I, I wouldn't have wanted to be, but it's just like another tool. I think these experiences we all have, maybe even we look back on a relationship and we're like, thank goodness that didn't work out. Even though we really wanted it to work out. And we just look back and we start shifting our belief around what is, what rejection really is and then leaning on that. And I feel like it can really be a tool, you know, for every part of our life.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Before we keep going, I want to.

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[Jefferson Fisher]

Most of the time when you hear.

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[Jefferson Fisher]

We're busy. All right?

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[Jefferson Fisher]

I want to ask as somebody who, and you know, this is a rare chance, truly for our listeners to hear from somebody who has, you know, first female CEO with l'. Oreal. You've had thousands of employees. You, you've been responsible for a lot of people and yeah, a lot of everything with a company that size. And you've grown very, very quickly and you've put in a lot, a lot of time when it comes to communicating as a woman. And I'm asking this carefully with the full acknowledgment. I am not one, right. So I get a lot of questions of how, as a woman, how do I communicate something without sounding aggressive, without sounding, you know, like I am a certain way where I am being too much, I'm being dramatic, I am trying to take up space and barging in. How do you find for the woman who's listening right now or driving or walking or working out, that is saying, how do I speak with confidence and speak assertively and not worry about what everybody else is thinking? In your experience, how do you handle those situations? Being a female CEO, the most important.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Thing is to make the decision that you're going to commit to learning you're worthy of using your voice, of saying what you mean, of saying how you feel. You know, so many of us, myself included, but a lot of women were really raised to dim our light and to, you know, if you think about it, and this is very now traditional in the past, but still this way, very much so, is that women will bond over problems and be very self deprecating, like, oh, my pants don't fit or this happened to me or this. But we're not trained, you know, we're not comfortable sharing our wins and being extremely confident without somehow telling ourselves a story that it's arrogant or that we'll be excluded if we shine. And I think number one is realizing how much that doesn't serve us or our daughters or our granddaughters and making the decision to really almost do a quick audit of, you know, gosh, do I share my beliefs? Do I say what I really mean? Or do I kind of dim my light to make everyone else feel good? You know, am I comfortable celebrating my victories? And what I'll say, Jefferson, that's a great kind of tool to go from never wanting to celebrate your own wins, which a lot of women aren't comfortable with that to actually getting to a place where you believe you're worthy of that or you're Worthy of being a CEO or of leading a team, or of speaking your truth, or of sharing your opinion, or of tomorrow hopping on the team zoom and raising your hand and sharing your idea. So many of us hold back, right? And a big sort of tool to get unstuck, especially as a woman, is to realize that by doing it. Because we almost have to get outside of ourselves, because we are so trained to dim our own light and to shrink into place small. Because a lot of us get rewarded for that our whole life, right? And to get out of that, I think the greatest single tool is to say, okay, I'm going to share my idea. I'm going to cast a vision for our whole team. I'm going to say what I really mean. I'm going to speak up. I'm going to celebrate my win. Because by doing that, it's actually setting an example and giving permission to other women to do it, right? Whether it's our daughters, our granddaughters, our nieces, our grandmothers, right? So often we have to see examples of things to be able to do it. And I think one of the greatest tools to start doing it, to start communicating more confidently and believing you're worthy of leading, is to. Is to make it bigger than yourself as well and be able to do that. And that's one thing. And then, you know, the second thing that I will say for every person, man or woman, part of how we grew this business in our living room and it got bigger and passed almost every single beauty company in the country in terms of size and sales and all that was, you know, having a mission that was. Was so clear that customers really felt the brand was for them. But then in terms of as a boss and a leader and a CEO, really having a clear vision and purpose where every single person in our company knew why they were there and what our mission was and how every single part of the job they're doing is purposeful toward that mission. We would have signs on every single person's desk where we had our customer in the middle, but we had our pillars of why we're doing what we're doing and the impact we were having and trying to shift the definition around inclusivity in the whole beauty industry and around how to, you know, we truly believe every person's beautiful. So our, you know, our brand wasn't about, oh, change who you are. It was about who you are is enough. And if you love having fun, whether it's with your clothes or fashion or throwing on makeup or whatever, like, let's celebrate who you truly are. And so we had our mission really, really clear. And what's interesting, Jefferson, for anybody out there running a business or a team or leading one of our secret weapons, I was able to hire so many people away from other companies that brought incredible knowledge, and often they would take a pay cut. And the reason why was they didn't feel like they had any idea of what their real purpose and meaning was, where they were at. They didn't feel like there was a North Star. They didn't feel like what they were doing mattered or was seen or valued. It didn't feel like they were fulfilled. And so I think one thing we did really well in terms of communication that was really a big secret weapon inside the company was, I mean, we were unremitting about making sure everyone knew, like, this is why we're here. This is our mission. This is our North Star as a company. And every single thing you're doing to contribute to that is so valuable. And so we created this culture. The company is called IT Cosmetics, and people started talking in IT language. It could be the accountant or our guy who is heading operations or someone in customer service. It didn't matter. They would write emails like, make it a great day. And it was always capitalized, and everything became it Everything. And, you know, people, our customers, took on this whole new language of I'm an IT girl, I'm an IT guy, I'm an IT mom, I'm an IT survivor. So we've donated tens of millions of dollars to women facing the effects of cancer. But, you know, it just took on this whole thing all from how we communicated, not just with our customers, but also internally about what the vision was. And it seems so simple, but it's amazing to this day, even with the podcast, right when I get people applying to my podcast to work there, it's because they're just not sure what the purpose is in the one that they're working at now. They don't feel like a clear vision. And so I think the work that you do is so important right now because how someone communicates, whether it's with themselves or in this case, with their team, can literally change everything. It can be how you retain employees. It can be how you get employees from other even bigger, more successful companies to actually want to work for you because they feel alive again. Without communication about the North Star and the purpose, people lose hope, and they don't feel alive, and they don't feel the day when they're at work before.

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[Jefferson Fisher]

You've been in the room with a lot of big business CEOs, people who have a lot of influence, people who have a lot of wealth in these, you know, kind of the room where it happens type of scenarios. What have you picked up on, on how business leaders communicate? Some of these people who are extremely successful. What kind of communication habits have you, have you seen or some that you've picked up on yourself?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So two things come to mind that I see as patterns across and I feel so blessed, Jefferson. And I think you and I can connect on this. And also maybe so many people listening that you like some of the people, I mean, I was sitting in my living room, you know, and I was working so hard to waitress at Denny's, you know, so when I'm in rooms like that or when I have some of the most incredible people in the world on my show, including you, I really am aware of how blessed I am. But I also, I do look at patterns and pattern recognition. And I would say two things that I think are really big. The first, the first, and this might surprise people. I don't care who it is. And I've met a lot of people at this point. Every single one of them still actually struggles with self doubt. Every single one of them. And I think that's really important to call out because for the person who's watching and listening to us right now, who might think that because they have self doubt, they're disqualifying themselves from their dreams or they're thinking stuff's not possible for them or they couldn't one day run the company they're working for or they couldn't one day have healthy relationships in their family or whatever it might be. The thing that I've learned is I used to think I was alone in self doubt or that something, you know, and I used to try to hide it. And I think the thing that I know now beyond a shadow of a doubt, interview after interview on my show, it doesn't matter who it is, every single person has talked about their own feelings of self doubt or feelings of being unworthy. And I think that, you know, learning how to navigate through those by things that you teach, you know, and I hope I teach in the book Worthy and on the podcast is like the way you communicate with yourself and the tools that you can use. So I think this is really big because, you know, I could say, oh, all these people have something that we don't have. But really I think the most important thing is, is to say, oh, wow, they all have self doubt too. And that means that, you know, the things I hope for in my own life are possible for me too. The second thing that comes to mind in a big way in terms of pattern recognition is that with this idea that energy is contagious. The thing I've seen is that some of the most successful people in the world, whether it's in business or thought leadership or in a public role of some sort, they're really good about, about making sure they have a circle around them that is, I don't know how to say it other than vibrating at a really high positive level versus a circle where there's negativity or, you know, gossip or things that are that, that, that pull you down and they're very protective about it. And you know, I think that when all of us think about the people we have around us and like some of, you know, some of the people, we're not going to be like, oh, my mom is really negative. Peace out mom. Like, you know, but like, you know, some people, we just need to learn, okay? Because we can either have a close circle around us or are the people around us more like a cage? And I think asking ourselves, okay, let me see. How does it feel in my body when I think about the people that are around me, my closest people, who I share what happened in my day, who I share when I'm feeling down, who I share when I Have a great big idea or a big win? And when we think about those people we share those things with, how do they feel in our body? Do they empower us? Do they tell us the truth, even when it's hard? But do they believe in us? Do they truly want the best for us? You know, does being around them, do we leave the room and we feel like. Like, I feel like I'm, you know, energized, or do we feel like. Like depleted, you know, like. Like down, like, oh, I went into that conversation believing this idea, and now I feel like maybe I don't have what it takes or, you know, and really paying attention to that feeling, because a lot of us, instead of having a great circle around us, we. We have more of a cage. And you can change that. Like, even as an adult, you can, you know, love people, but maybe from a new distance, maybe they're in your outer circle, and you really think about making a few new friends as an adult or bringing mentors, even mentors online. You may never meet, like, Jefferson Fisher or your favorite people, bringing them into your inner circle and being like, who? How do I want to spend my time? In a way that really elevates me. And, you know, there's a thing called emotional residue, Jefferson. It's. And this is important. This is a great tool, actually. Super practical for anyone listening. If you think about when you eat a Cheeto, how it leaves orange on your fingers, or you drink, like, a blue Slurpee and your tongue is blue, Some Cheeto puffs.

[Jefferson Fisher]

A bag of Cheeto puffs. Hate to see me come in.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

I'll tell you, I'll destroy one. Well, that's residue we can see. But when you're around people and then you leave a room, they'll leave an emotional residue on you, and you can feel it. And so start paying attention to that and saying, how does that feel? And does in my body, does that feel like joy? Does it taste like freedom, you know, or is it the opposite? And, you know, when you ask about some of the most incredible people, I feel so blessed to be in rooms with, as are you, by the way. That's the big thing I notice is they do a really good job of curating the people around them. Not having, yes, people around them, nothing like that. But. But people in their inner circle, even in their personal life, that they can really trust but that really want the best for them, that really want to see them do so well and that tell them the truth. And I think that's really, really important.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Jamie I love that. What a. This has been so nice. What a wonderful reset. I always like to. Of course, as you know, I do my one, two, threes with conversations. And this is what I've, I've picked up up on for, for us is number one, when it comes to the conversations you have with yourself, especially when you run into rejection, you run into no's. You need to reassign, relabel, redefine what the word rejection means to you. Jamie has an awesome tip for that, and that is to actually write it down.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I don't.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Maybe you need to find a dictionary near you and mark it up and redefine exactly what rejection is. I love what Jamie has about that. Sometimes just God blocks people from senior value. They're not meant to be, they're not meant to be in your destiny. They're not going where you're going is what I like to say. I absolutely love that. Two, find your North Star. When you're in difficult conversations with people and you're afraid you're going to say something wrong, that's not the right question. The right question is, am I following my North Star? That's always going to point you in the right direction. And three, what you say is often a determination of the words that you hear. That means you need to increase your circle in a positive way. Surround yourself with people who give you positive energy, positive influence. How do we do, Jamie? Is that good? How do we feel on that one?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

So good. So good.

[Jefferson Fisher]

So much of what you teach is. I know exactly where my book is, so my wife's been reading. It's right above her, her laptop in the bathroom. We have this little build out where.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

She has a little thing.

[Jefferson Fisher]

She has it opened right now. I thought I was about to get it, but yeah, I left it.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Love it right there.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Yeah, it's. It's a wonderful, wonderful book. So let me listen for everybody right now. I want you to go get the book worthy. It's got the shiniest, coolest cover you've ever seen. So everybody's going to be asking, what, what is that, Jamie? Where else can everybody find you again? The Jimmy Kern Lima Podcast. Fantastic. I love it. I've been on it and it was just, it's probably one. One of my favorite podcast experiences that.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I've had to date.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Where else can we find you?

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Well, our conversation is incredible. And when you're on my show, just like when you do anything, the emails that flood in the dms, the messages, you are truly blessing so many people. And I told you this on my show. I said, I know you're anointed to do this, and. And I am just so honored as your friend. And I think everyone listening and watching will join me in doing this, in celebrating you and the gift that you are and the tools that you share. And I meet people everywhere that talk about things that they've picked up from you that have really impacted their life. And so I just want to celebrate you for a minute and also say, I'm so grateful you've come on my show and we have another. Another part of our. Another episode coming out soon with you. So. So. And I left our conversation just, like, floating. I was like. It was. It's so good because I know everyone.

[Jefferson Fisher]

It was the longest podcast I've been on, and it was also the shortest. I felt like it was like our conversation felt like it was just a few minutes.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Yeah. So I would say that's the best spot. The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast. And, you know, I think when we talk about people creating their circles, when one thing that is beautiful about technology now is you can, you know, listen to Jefferson show or the Jamie Karen Lima show for free and have this energy around you, because a lot of us maybe don't have that in our family or in the group or around at work or whatever. And so it's just a beautiful way. And. And I'm just honored to be here and pour into everyone who gets to be blessed by you and just be part of it and celebrate you. Jefferson And I loved our episode, so I'm excited for that to come out, too, on my show and. And grateful to be here today with you, and congrats on everything, your new book and just all of it.

[Jefferson Fisher]

Thank you, Jamie. Thank you so much. Jamie Kern Lima. I can't be more grateful to know you as a friend and to have you as a guest on the Jefferson Fisher Podcast. Thank you for coming.

[Jamie Kern Lima]

Thank you.