In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, we sit down with Carolyn Aronson, the CEO and founder of It’s A 10 Haircare, to uncover how she built one of the most successful independent beauty brands in the world. Carolyn shares the strategies behind It’s A 10’s explosive growth, including how giving away millions of free samples turned her brand into a multi-million-dollar powerhouse. She also breaks down how she grew her company by 1,000% through branding and social media marketing, expanded into 125 countries, and kept It’s A 10 relevant in the beauty industry for nearly 20 years. We also discuss the challenges of buying out a business partner, the importance of financial literacy for entrepreneurs, and how her first haircare business failed in 18 months—only for her to come back stronger and build a $500M empire. Carolyn emphasizes why a slow and steady approach is key, how to trademark a beauty brand, and the biggest challenges she faced as a CEO. This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, beauty industry professionals, and anyone looking to build a global brand from the ground up! #EarnYourLeisure #ItsA10Haircare #CarolynAronson #Entrepreneurship #BeautyIndustry #BrandBuilding #Marketing #SocialMediaMarketing #BusinessGrowth #FinancialLiteracy #CEO #Haircare - [00:00:00] - Rashad Bilal welcomes back the audience and introduces the guest, Carolyn Aronson. - [00:00:21] - Mention of Kelsey, Travis Kelsey, and Tyson Beckford. - [00:00:42] - Discussion about It's a 10 Enterprises operating in numerous countries and its sales. - [00:01:03] - Carolyn Aronson is honored to be named on Forbes 50 over 50. - [00:01:49] - Carolyn describes the Rewind it 10 product and its qualities. - [00:02:30] - Discussion about Carolyn's journey from a hairdresser to starting her company. - [00:03:22] - Introduction of It's a 10 haircare and the miracle leave-in product. - [00:04:06] - Troy asks about the initial product and marketing strategies. - [00:06:05] - The concept behind the name, It's a 10, is discussed. - [00:07:18] - Rashad asks about the initial marketing efforts. - [00:09:09] - Carolyn discusses the failure of her first company. - [00:11:41] - Carolyn talks about learning from initial failures about business efficiencies. - [00:14:14] - Carolyn describes the early challenges and a breakthrough in California. - [00:15:05] - Carolyn discusses what contributed to the company's success. - [00:16:53] - Discussion about financial literacy and managing growth. - [00:19:00] - The importance of adapting to social media and e-commerce strategies. - [00:22:07] - Building a team and the importance of fitting within a company culture. - [00:23:09] - Carolyn talks about product inclusivity and her background. - [00:27:26] - The launch and strategy behind Rewind it 10. - [00:32:20] - Carolyn discusses the acquisition focused on hair growth. - [00:37:20] - Discussion on being a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry. - [00:39:23] - Rashad mentions Target's diversity cutbacks and product inclusion challenges. - [00:41:12] - Protecting brand and product formulas legally. - [00:44:23] - Discussion on various business ventures like real estate and chartering. - [00:46:22] - Carolyn shares thoughts on her company's legacy. - [00:47:49] - Discussion about expanding into different regions, particularly targeting Japan. - [00:49:33] - Carolyn's final message and encouragement to women entrepreneurs.