cover image Believe It: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable

Believe It: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable

Jamie Kern Lima. Gallery, $27 (288p) ISBN 978-1-9821-5780-7

Lima, founder and CEO of It Cosmetics, debuts with a cheery memoir charting her meteoric rise in the sometimes-ugly beauty industry and sharing her secrets for success. In the empowering tone of a supportive big sister, Lima shares how she went from being a broadcast journalist to an entrepreneur who developed a product that minimized her rosacea and upon which she built a cosmetics company that she later sold to L’Oreal for more than $1 billion. She organizes her advice into three sections—believe, risk, and empower—and highlights the skills that allowed her to flourish. She first counsels that listening to one’s inner intuition and believing in the power of authenticity are the building blocks to success. The second section covers responsible risk, why one should choose to be brave rather than to be liked, dealing with haters, and living out one’s values. The final step is to empower others and be able to ask for help. Lima’s empathy and cheer shine throughout: “We all have the power to ignite our light and to know we’re worthy and enough exactly as we are.” This will particularly resonate with entrepreneurs struggling with self-doubt. (Feb.)