# Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE (2020)

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-08-22
- Length: 1h 16m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020

## Summary

Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Malone London and later Jo Loves, recounts her journey from a working-class childhood in London to building a global fragrance empire. She details the early days of making face creams in her Chelsea apartment with her husband Gary, the iconic minimalist packaging design by Isabel Attegui, and the strategic 'walk in the dogs' marketing campaign that launched the brand into luxury retail like Bergdorf Goodman. After selling to Estée Lauder and surviving a breast cancer diagnosis, she navigated a five-year non-compete period before launching Jo Loves, where she innovated with the fragrance paintbrush and the 'tapis bar' sensory experience.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=0) Introduction: Jo Malone's Early Life and Dyslexia
- [4:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=278) Childhood Influences: Madame Lubati and Family Dynamics
- [18:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=1111) Starting Jo Malone London: Apartment Operations and Debt
- [25:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=1510) Product Development: From Face Creams to Fragrance
- [32:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=1938) Brand Identity: Packaging Design and Store Launch
- [42:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=2535) Scaling and Retail: Bergdorf Goodman and Marketing Strategy
- [48:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=2912) Sale to Estée Lauder and Cancer Diagnosis
- [58:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=3537) The Wilderness Years: Non-Compete and Anxiety
- [1:02:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-08-22-jo-loves-jo-malone-cbe-2020#t=3738) Launching Jo Loves: Failure, Redemption, and Innovation

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Jo Malone London (product)
- Estée Lauder (company)
- Jo Loves (product)
- Bergdorf Goodman (company)
- Selfridges (company)
- Sloan Kettering (company)
- Justin de Blank (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Phonio (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Founder Feature: JoLynn Henke and Peter Clarkson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-05-24-founder-feature-jolynn-henke-and-peter-clarkson) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Jilleo Recio of RĒJINS](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-10-18-founder-feature-jilleo-recio-of-rejins) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [030: Launching a product with $500 and no industry knowledge, Josh Smith of Libertine Fragrance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-12-06-030-launching-a-product-with-500-and-no-industry-knowledge-josh-smith-of-liberti) (Product Startup)
- [205 - LIVE at Cosmoprof with 18.21 Manmade founder Aston Lafon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-07-21-205-live-at-cosmoprof-with-18-21-manmade-founder-aston-lafon) (People of Packaging)
- [Founder Feature: Zoe Levin of Bim Bam Boo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-03-21-founder-feature-zoe-levin-of-bim-bam-boo) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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