300 Investors Said No. Katrina Lake Said Yes to Herself and Changed Fashion Forever.
Three hundred investors. Almost all of them said no. Katrina Lake had a vision for a fashion company built around data and human stylists — a
All Stories
They Took Her Name. She Started Over at 62 and Won Anyway: The Bobbi Brown Story
Bobbi Brown built a billion-dollar cosmetics brand, had it taken by Estée Lauder, and at 62 launched Jones Road Beauty from scratch — proving your philosophy can't be acquired in any contract.
She Started With $1,500 and a Borrowed Fax Machine — Then Built a $1 Billion Company: The Janice Bryant Howroyd Story
In 1978, Janice Bryant Howroyd opened a staffing firm with $1,500 and a borrowed fax machine. Forty years later, she became the first Black woman to own a company that crossed $1 billion in revenue.
She Collapsed, Broke Her Cheekbone on Her Desk, and Woke Up Changed: The Arianna Huffington Story
In 2007, Arianna Huffington was running one of the world's most-read news sites when she collapsed from exhaustion and broke her cheekbone. The question she asked herself changed everything.
She Left Tinder After Being Harassed — Then Built Bumble and Went Public at 31, Pregnant: The Whitney Wolfe Herd Story
Whitney Wolfe Herd co-founded Tinder, was harassed out of her own company, then built Bumble — where women make the first move — and rang the Nasdaq bell while visibly pregnant at 31.
She Cut the Feet Off Her Pantyhose and Built a Billion-Dollar Empire: The Sara Blakely Story
Sara Blakely started Spanx with $5,000 in savings, no fashion experience, and the audacity to cold-call Neiman Marcus. What happened next changed the shapewear industry forever.
Her Husband Died on Vacation. Thirty Days Later, She Had to Lead Facebook.
Her husband died on a vacation. Thirty days later, she had to stand back up and lead one of the biggest companies on earth.
For 18 Years, Her Father Kept a Terrible Secret. She Turned Her Pain Into a Global Ministry.
For 18 years, her father kept a secret. She carried the wound for decades. Then she turned it into the most powerful ministry in the world.
She Wore Potato Sack Dresses. She Became the Most Powerful Woman on Earth.
She wore dresses made from potato sacks. She was abused as a child. She became the most powerful woman on earth. This is where Oprah actually started.
She Had a Baby, $500, and a Failed Business. Then She Built a Billion-Dollar Empire.
She had a three-month-old baby, a failed business, and $500. She started again anyway — from her spare bedroom, selling door-to-door.
She Hid in a Bathroom for 91 Days. What She Did Next Will Break Your Heart Open.
She hid in a bathroom the size of a closet while soldiers hunted for her outside. She emerged 91 days later — 26 pounds lighter, and with a decision that would change her life forever.
She picked up a pink pen. This is what happened.
Pink Pen started with a habit. A note. A color that felt like a choice.
The day three men told me to close. I drove to a mountain instead.
The banker, the CPA, and my attorney all said the same thing. I said goodbye, got in my car, and drove up Mount Bachelor alone.
I almost quit. Not the business. Everything.
It was a Tuesday. The numbers weren't catastrophic. They were just enough to make me wonder if I'd been wrong about all of it.
The banker said he didn't loan to women. I said thank you and left.
The first banker I approached told me plainly: 'We do not loan to women-owned businesses.' My private reaction was more complicated than anger.
He gave me permission before he left. It took years to use it.
Bill sat me down near the end and said something I didn't want to hear. I remembered it on a New Year's evening, years later, when someone asked me to dinner.
Most of the room stood up. I held my breath and counted.
A woman introducing me at a nonprofit event said she wasn't going to read my resume. She was going to ask the room a question instead.
For my 10th birthday, she gave me a golden ruler. I've never forgotten it.
Esther Hatch lived behind a gate with two ponds and a garden full of color. She gave me encyclopedias, research assignments, and the most unusual birthday gift I ever received.
She went to the hotel to surprise her husband. He brought twelve people.
Being parents of five, an evening alone was a special treat. I had the candles lit, the champagne on ice, and the bubble bath drawn. Then I heard voices.
She showed up to the ski lift in a business suit and heels. She still has the ticket.
The banker, the CPA, and the attorney all said the same thing: close. I thanked them, pushed in my chair, and drove west toward Mount Bachelor. I still have the lift ticket.
My daughter took up the pink pen. I didn't ask her to.
Stephanie worked beside me for 24 years. When I retired, she wrote me a note — in pink ink — and sent it to the whole company.
She started with a desk, a phone, a prayer, and a 'me.'
The morning of her licensing exam, her hair dryer died. What happened next — involving a pair of pantyhose and a parking lot — is the only way to begin this story.