Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby (2019)

How I Built This · 23 Aug 2021 · 50m

What this episode covers

Roxanne Quimby, co-founder of Burt's Bees, recounts how she transformed a roadside honey stand in Maine into a major natural personal care brand. She details the pivot from candles to lip balm, the strategic decision to use Burt Shavitz's portrait on packaging to counter gender exploitation in beauty marketing, and the operational challenges of scaling production from a schoolhouse to a North Carolina factory. Quimby also discusses her eventual exit from the company, her partnership with Shavitz, and her subsequent philanthropy focused on land conservation.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Burt's Bees, U.S. Bank, Zona, Elizabeth Arden, Revlon, The Body Shop, Clorox, CVS, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods
Products
Pure Maine Honey, Lip Balm, Teddy Bear Candle, Boot Food

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