Chan Kim
INSEAD Professor of Strategy | Co-Director, INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute | Co-Author of Blue Ocean Strategy & Beyond Disruption | #1 Thinkers50 Management Thinker
Jamie Kern Lima
Founder of IT Cosmetics | Two-Time NY Times Bestselling Author | Guest Shark on ABC's Shark Tank | Host of The Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast
Speaker Jamie Kern Lima built IT Cosmetics from her living room into America's largest luxury makeup brand, selling it to L'Oréal in a billion-dollar deal and becoming the company's first female CEO in 100+ years. A two-time NY Times bestselling author and top-ranked podcast host, she turns her story into keynotes on self-belief, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership for senior audiences.
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Jamie Kern Lima biography
Speaker Jamie Kern Lima is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, podcast host, and one of the most in-demand voices on self-worth, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership. She is the founder of IT Cosmetics, the company she built from her living room into the largest luxury makeup brand in the United States before selling it to L’Oréal in a roughly billion-dollar deal, becoming the first female CEO of a brand in the company’s 100+ year history.
Her path was anything but linear. Adopted at birth and starting her career as a Denny’s waitress and TV news anchor, she faced rejection after rejection while building her business, often told that no investor would back a cosmetics line founded by a woman who looked like a real customer. That refusal to quit, paired with an unshakable belief in serving women authentically, earned her a place on Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list and made her brand category-defining.
A Mission Beyond Business
Today, Jamie hosts The Jamie Kern Lima Show, a top-ranked podcast featuring guests such as Oprah Winfrey, Monica Lewinsky, Maria Shriver, and Norah O’Donnell in deep conversations about resilience, identity, and self-belief. She is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Believe IT and WORTHY: How to Believe You Are and Transform Your Life, donating 100% of her author proceeds to organizations supporting women and girls.
Her philanthropy has funded leadership training in more than 100 prisons and shelters across the United States, and she has contributed over $40 million in products and funds to help women facing cancer. She has also served as a guest teacher in Oprah Winfrey’s Life You Want class and as a guest Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.
As a speaker, Jamie Kern Lima turns that hard-won experience into keynotes that move audiences to act. Explore her work on her official website, or discover more motivational speakers at Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Jamie Kern Lima Speaking Videos
“Life-Changing” Commencement Speech
Jamie Kern Lima - THIS Will Change Your Life
Jamie Kern Lima Keynote Topics
Jamie shares the unfiltered story behind building IT Cosmetics into the largest luxury makeup company in the United States. Beyond the headline numbers, she walks through the operating decisions, customer-first strategies, and mindset shifts that allowed her team to scale through rejection, near-misses, and category disruption. Founders, executives, and high-growth teams leave with a practical playbook for building category leaders.
Drawing on her bestselling book Believe IT, Jamie explores why self-belief is the most underrated lever in senior leadership and how it shows up in negotiations, hiring, fundraising, and bold strategic bets. She offers concrete tools that leaders and managers can use to back themselves and their teams through doubt, ambiguity, and high-stakes decisions.
Based on her New York Times bestseller WORTHY, this keynote unpacks how leaders can dismantle the cultural and personal narratives that block performance and engagement. Jamie shows how authenticity, served well, becomes a measurable business asset, sharpening brand trust, customer loyalty, and team retention.
Jamie shows how mission, values, and giving back became core to IT Cosmetics' growth, not a side project. She offers a clear lens for leaders who want to embed purpose into their P&L without descending into performative messaging, and explains why the next generation of customers and talent demand it.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Jamie Kern Lima
Why Jamie Kern Lima?
Few keynote speakers combine the credibility of a roughly billion-dollar exit, two New York Times bestsellers, and one of the top-ranked personal development podcasts in the world with a message that genuinely moves a room. Jamie Kern Lima built IT Cosmetics into a category leader from her living room, sold it to L'Oréal in a historic deal, and has spent the years since helping leaders and audiences understand that self-belief is the most underused asset in business. Her sessions blend hard business case studies with deeply human storytelling, and she adapts seamlessly from founder communities to Fortune 500 boards. Book Jamie Kern Lima through Aurum Speakers Bureau to deliver a keynote that lands as both a strategic case study and a transformative personal experience for your audience.
How did Jamie Kern Lima start IT Cosmetics?
Jamie founded IT Cosmetics in 2008 with her husband Paulo, using their savings to launch the brand from their living room after she struggled to find makeup that worked for her own rosacea and skin concerns. After years of rejection from retailers and investors, QVC eventually gave her a brief on-air slot and the line sold out. Over the next several years she grew IT Cosmetics into the largest luxury makeup brand in the United States, and in 2016 L'Oréal acquired the company in a deal valued at roughly $1.2 billion, making Jamie the first female CEO of a brand in L'Oréal's century-plus history.
What books has Jamie Kern Lima written?
Jamie is the author of two New York Times bestsellers. Believe IT: How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable, published in 2021, draws on her journey building IT Cosmetics to make the case for self-belief as a hard skill. WORTHY: How to Believe You Are and Transform Your Life, published in 2024, is a deeper exploration of identity, self-worth, and how leaders and individuals can dismantle the stories holding them back. She donates 100% of her author proceeds from both books to organizations supporting women and girls.
What kind of events is Jamie Kern Lima best suited for?
Jamie is a strong match for leadership summits, women's conferences, founder and entrepreneur events, sales kickoffs, customer galas, and corporate culture days where audiences want both inspiration and practical insight. She is equally effective with executive boards, founder communities, and large general audiences in person or virtually. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Jamie Kern Lima to your stage and design a keynote tailored to your strategic priorities.
How to book Jamie Kern Lima as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Jamie Kern Lima as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Jamie Kern Lima's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Jamie Kern Lima or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Jamie Kern Lima speaking fee?
Jamie Kern Lima speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Jamie Kern Lima to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Jamie Kern Lima.
How can I contact Jamie Kern Lima?
We only work with Jamie Kern Lima on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Jamie Kern Lima and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Jamie Kern Lima speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Jamie Kern Lima for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Jamie Kern Lima for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Jamie Kern Lima is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Jamie Kern Lima for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
