Hardware Podcasts

Tarte Cosmetics: Maureen Kelly

How I Built This · 23 Jan 2023 · 1h 21m

What this episode covers

Maureen Kelly, founder and CEO of Tarte Cosmetics, explains how she launched a billion-dollar beauty brand in 1999 with no industry experience, funding, or connections. She details her journey from a PhD student to bootstrapping the company by maxing out credit cards, hand-packing products in her apartment, and leveraging unique fabric packaging and a paraben-free formula to gain traction with luxury retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Sephora. Kelly also discusses the pivotal role of QVC in scaling sales, the near-collapse of the business when her primary manufacturer went bankrupt, and her eventual acquisition by Kose while retaining control as CEO.

Most relevant to

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

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Tarte Cosmetics, Bergdorf Goodman, Sephora, QVC, Kose, Encore Consumer Capital, Lauder, L'Oreal, Ulta, Keith Ratton Woods, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Products
Cheek Stain, Lips Camera Lashes, Romeo and Juliet Lip Gloss, Oprah's Favorite Things

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