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Believe It: How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable by Jamie Kern Lima
Genre: Non-Fiction Memoir
My Review Rating: ♥♥♥♥
288 Pages | Published: February 23, 2021 by Gallery Books
Book Jacket Synopsis
In Believe IT, Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, shares the wild but true story of how a once struggling waitress turned her against-the-grain idea into an international bestselling sensation, eventually selling the company for over a billion dollars and becoming the first female CEO of a brand in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. Faced with self-doubt, body-doubt, God-doubt, down to her last few dollars and told: “No one is going to buy makeup from someone who has your body,” Jamie reveals for the first time what really went down, how she almost didn’t make it, and the deeply personal and powerful business lessons you can use to go from underestimated to unstoppable. With radical vulnerability and honesty, Jamie also shares deeply personal stories of heartbreak and resilience—including accidentally finding out that she was adopted when she was in her twenties, and the reverberations this has had on all aspects of her life. Spellbinding, riveting, with raw vulnerability, and down-to-earth warmth, Believe IT shakes your soul and shows you that you, too, have what it takes to achieve the impossible.
Book Links: Amazon
Favorite Quotes
- Being vulnerable is hard, but I’ve learned that sharing our true, flawed, and authentic selves is the only way real connection and love can happen. It’s the only way to step into our full power and purpose in our lives.
- Energy is contagious, and even though you can’t control how other people show up, you can control who you let impact yours.
- A company can sell something once, that’s just a sale. But when customers love something so much they buy it a second time, that’s a brand.
- I’ve come to believe that not only is balance a lie, it can be a form of self-sabotage that so many girls and women fall victim to. Instead, believe in the power of choosing your focus and being intentional with your energy. And being present in the moment! Because no matter what, something’s got to give.
- This practice, of turning up the volume on the positive things that empower us, is like creating a playlist of positivity that we can keep in our toolbox for the days we need it.
- We all have a light inside of us, not just to light the way for ourselves, but also to illuminate the beauty in others.
- When we see that something is possible, it’s so much easier to imagine it for ourselves.
Review & Thoughts
Themes, Elements & Review Notes:
Jamie has been through so much in her life. I appreciated the way she talks about her faith and her experiences in life. Jamie is an amazing example of resilience and strength. She’s been through so many things in her life and thrived through it all where others might have had a harder time overcoming; finding out she was adopted, having a few miscarriages to name a few and then pair that with consistently hearing the word “no” in the first years of owning her own business.
Authenticity is a big theme throughout the book. Truly caring about her customers and knowing that her products were changing people’s lives is what continued to drive her to success. Believing in herself and her products and their overall mission and purpose played a huge role in her success. Themes include believing in yourself, lifting others up and paying it forward and the importance of having drive and determination to help you achieve your goals. This book also addresses the stigma surrounding mental health and the importance of making it something to not be embarrassed about.
Overall this book was enjoyable and inspiring. It doesn’t have clear guidance or steps to take the route that many self-help books take, but rather you find inspiration in her stories throughout. One great takeaway was Jamie’s idea of her ‘toolbox’. I especially loved the story about meeting Oprah and Jamie’s thing about the squirrel photo. No spoilers, you just have to read it!
Reading tip: The audiobook is narrated by the author so I’d highly recommend you tune in for the audio version!
In a Nutshell: Enjoyable and filled with so many inspiring soundbites. Doesn’t offer clear steps but offers a plethora of inspirational stories.
Book Format & Source: Purchased a e-book copy on Amazon
About Jamie Kern Lima
From Amazon Author Profile:
Jamie Kern Lima is an American entrepreneur, billion dollar business success story, champion of women, philanthropist, culture-shifter and highly sought-after keynote speaker. She Co-Founded IT Cosmetics from her living room, grew it into a top-selling makeup and skincare brand, then sold it to L’Oréal for $1.2 Billion, in their largest US acquisition to date, making Jamie the first female CEO of a brand in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history.
Jamie is passionate about inspiring and mentoring entrepreneurs, building businesses, making a difference in the lives of women and girls and giving back in a big way. As a passionate speaker, Jamie loves sharing her stories of inspiration, underestimation, overcoming self-doubt, rejection and never giving up.
Jamie is energized by an unremitting passion to inspire and empower girls, women and entrepreneurs and has been featured on Good Morning America, Today, CBS This Morning, CNBC, Nightline and Joel Osteen and in The New York Times, O Oprah Magazine, PEOPLE, Marie Claire, Shape, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and more.
Jamie currently owns part or all of more than 15 companies. She also works passionately with many philanthropic causes including Look Good Feel Better®, where IT Cosmetics has donated $40 million in product to date to help women face the effects of cancer with more confidence. Jamie lives in Los Angeles with her husband Paulo, daughter Wonder, son Wilder and two French Bulldogs Rainbow and Sunshine.
Learn more at https://www.believeit.com/ – https://jamiekernlima.com/
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