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BigDeal by Codie Sanchez

Brainwash Yourself to Success | Kendra Scott

My new book, “Own Or Be Owned”, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. More profit, less pain. It's out NOW. Grab it here!

Kendra ScottguestCodie Sanchezhost

Oct 16, 20251h 15mWatch on YouTube

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CHAPTERS

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Chapter summaries

Bootstrapping a Brand From $500
Codie opens with the $500 start and the billion-dollar result. Kendra Scott describes spending that money on materials, selling her samples to fund more orders, and bootstrapping on credit for ten years, which left her scrappy about spending.
- •The first $500 went to materials, tools and stones for samples
- •She sold her samples to a boutique to buy materials for the orders she had written
- •No one would invest, so she used credit card debt and a line of credit for 10 years
- •She still asks her team to bid out projects and weigh the return
- •Her team hears "we don't play for second" and never gets complacent
Turning Doubters Into Fuel
Kendra traces her drive to being bullied in middle school and running for student council with the slogan "Kendra Can." She says she gets excited when people say she can't do something, and that we choose whether to let setbacks control us.
- •Hid in a bathroom stall at lunch, then ran for student council president and won
- •Her dad told her to kill them with kindness and use criticism as fuel
- •Comments about no college degree or too many jewelry designers motivate her
- •We are our own worst enemies through the power of what-ifs
- •After a setback you choose whether to give away your power or take control back
Finding Your Why and the Hat Box Failure
Asked what someone with $500 should start, Kendra suggests looking at what brings you joy and what breaks your heart. She explains how fashion, motherhood and her stepfather's brain cancer shaped her business, including her first failed business, The Hat Box.
- •The intersection of joy and heartbreak may be your why
- •Her aunt's fashion world taught her that fashion is about how it makes you feel
- •She wanted a business that let her be a present mom first
- •The Hat Box, headwear for chemo patients inspired by her stepfather, lost money and closed
- •The brand foundation became to make people feel good, look good and do good
Sales Through Authenticity and Persistence
Codie asks whether entrepreneurs need to be good at sales. Kendra says authentic passion matters most and describes going door to door with her baby and a tea box. She also shares her approach to hearing no, including the Neiman Marcus buyer and the cookies.
- •When you authentically love what you build, you don't have to be good at sales
- •People can smell a fake
- •Be clear and concise in the pitch, make eye contact, and ask questions
- •Treat a no as a chance to get feedback and set up the next visit
- •Cookies and handwritten notes eventually won over a Neiman Marcus buyer
Connection Over Transaction in Retail
Kendra explains her retail philosophy that store teams should connect with customers rather than sell. Codie shares her own experience with Kendra Scott staff, and Kendra describes empowering frontline employees and hiring for heart.
- •Kendra throws out data-driven retail metrics in favor of connection
- •Customers who feel loved become customers for life
- •Frontline staff are the most important people and should have power to decide without red tape
- •She hires for warmth and optimism and prefers people without rigid retail habits
- •Stones and settings can be taught, but how people make others feel cannot
Disruptive, Low-Budget Marketing
Codie asks about the unusual things Kendra has done to grow the brand. Kendra describes physically touching the customer, from campus tours to 25,000 events a year, early word-of-mouth gifting, and the Blue Man Group as an example of being disruptive.
- •Activity breeds activity, so go to the customer
- •The company hosted over 25,000 events last year
- •She started by gifting jewelry to servers and hair stylists because she had no ad budget
- •If you're doing what everybody else is doing, you've already failed
- •Codie says there's no shame needed when your bank account is empty
Solving a Problem and Being an Austin Outsider
Kendra says a business must solve a problem in a fresh way, using Tiff's Treats and warm cookies as the example. She then discusses being an outsider from Austin and how Texas entrepreneurs support each other.
- •Solve a problem, but you needn't reinvent the wheel
- •Creativity can be worth more than a big check
- •Buyers told her to move to the coast, but her Austin booth stood out
- •Texans support Texans, and entrepreneurs there share information and lift each other up
Love, Partnership and Being a Billion-Dollar CEO
Codie asks whether men are intimidated by successful women. Kendra talks about her engagement to Zach Brown, the support she lacked as a single mom, balancing masculine and feminine roles, and the daily habit of saying I love you.
- •Some men may be intimidated, but others like Zach want to lift her up
- •She was a single mom for much of the early business and had no one to hold her when it was hard
- •She wants room to be both the decision-maker and to let a partner decide at times
- •Failure or divorce shouldn't stop you from loving again
- •She and Zach start and end each day with "I love you" and try to be additive to each other
Raising Kids Inside the Business
Kendra says she built the business so family could be part of it, bringing her kids to the office and on trips. She advises building your own utopia, setting the destination before the roadmap, and being clear on priorities and sacrifices.
- •She brought her kids to work, from a Pack 'n Play in the office to travel with Cade
- •She couldn't afford a nanny early on and relied on friends
- •Entrepreneurship lets you create your own utopia
- •Know your destination before building the roadmap, and expect it to change every few years
- •Set boundaries, such as picking her kids up from school, and accept the sacrifices
The 2008 Recession and the First Retail Store
Asked about near-failure moments, Kendra recalls the 2008 recession, when her wholesale-only business was exposed and her line of credit was called. A local bank loan saved her, and the first store in 2010 led to patient, customer-led expansion.
- •She had head-in-hands moments, including on her kitchen floor in 2008
- •Being wholesale-only meant she had no direct connection to her customer
- •A female bank president who knew her and her jewelry took her loan
- •The 2010 South Congress store became a laboratory with lines around the block
- •She expanded one store at a time and went where customers were, such as Plano
Getting Out of the Pain Cave and Letting Go
Kendra advises struggling founders to get a bird's-eye view of what is working, using The Hat Box lesson where the jewelry was selling, not the hats. Codie adds the idea of killing your zombies, and Kendra talks about detaching from what isn't working.
- •It's hard to see clearly when you're in the weeds
- •Customers asked for earrings after The Hat Box closed, revealing what was working
- •Write down what's working and where you see traction
- •The thing that becomes the thing may not be the original idea
- •Letting go requires vulnerability
Launching Yellow Rose and Embracing Authenticity
Kendra explains how her love of Texas and ranch life led to Yellow Rose, a Western brand that puts the cowgirl first. She describes two years of testing and the yellow rose story from her stepfather, and says to build a business around your real story.
- •Yellow Rose grew from her Western-inspired designs and ranch life in Wimberley
- •She wanted a brand that put the woman first rather than shrinking men's cuts
- •She tested for two years with a tiny house, collabs and a Wrangler partnership
- •Her stepfather gave her yellow roses when she moved to Texas
- •Your unique story and struggles are worth building a business around
55:32 – 1:07:13
Working With Dolly Parton
Kendra describes how her love of Nine to Five led to meeting Dolly Parton, who wrote the foreword to her book and became a jewelry collaborator. She says Dolly taught her to own who she is, including after failing in boardrooms by changing how she dressed.
- •She wore out her VHS of Nine to Five and sees her headquarters as a modern Nine to Five
- •Dolly offered to write the foreword to her book after reading a chapter
- •They collaborated on jewelry with each collection based on a song
- •Kendra tried dressing like a man for investors, and it didn't work
- •She recommends Dolly's musical for its look at how hard the media was on her
Inspiring Others, Tractors and the New Boot Line
Kendra talks about wanting to inspire girls, the "night before" advice from a friend, and the 3,000-plus families her company supports. The conversation then turns to her John Deere tractors and her upcoming boot line.
- •If she inspires one girl, it's worth putting herself out there
- •A friend told her the early days were "the night before" the business blew up
- •Her 3,000-plus employees represent 3,000-plus families
- •She loves mowing on her John Deere tractors and hopes for a collaboration
- •She is launching a boot line, including men's boots, for Yellow Rose
Shark Tank, Her Book and Closing Thoughts
Kendra praises this Shark Tank season and discusses the Double Sole investment alongside Pete Davidson, plus debate with fellow sharks. She closes with why she wrote Born to Shine and a lighthearted note about Broadway and karaoke.
- •She calls this the best Shark Tank season, with passionate founders and family businesses
- •Double Sole founders let people try the product, and Pete Davidson wanted to invest after wearing the socks
- •She and Codie praise healthy debate with people like Mark Cuban
- •She wrote Born to Shine to share the failures and ugly parts so other founders feel less alone
- •She would love a Broadway walk-on, though she can't sing

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