On Thursday night I listened to Bobbi Brown in conversation with Lesley Thomas of The Times – an hour and a half that doubled as a masterclass in building brands with soul.

Bobbi’s story isn’t just about makeup, it’s about how to stay radically yourself while scaling ideas others said wouldn’t work. Below are the takeaways I’m bookmarking – for founders, CMOs, and anyone shaping products people actually love.

Bobbi didn’t invent makeup, she reframed what “beautiful” looked like. Skin that looks like skin, colours that echo your natural lip and cheek. It wasn’t on-trend when she started, it was hers. Distinctive brands aren’t built by chasing the zeitgeist – they create it by returning, relentlessly, to a clear creative North Star.

What is your brand’s one sentence that defines its essence for the next decade?

A 25-year non-compete would have flattened most entrepreneurs. Bobbi used it to broaden her craft (teaching, wellness, masterclasses), then launched Jones Road the day the clause expired – clear, pent-up narrative energy. Scarcity creates story. Deadlines create momentum.

What constraint are you working with right now, and how can it spark a new opportunity?

The first lipsticks? Born from hating the smell/grease of what existed and mixing pencils to get the right undertone. Shade range? She literally tested with mums in the park to map real lip colours. Research doesn’t have to be expensive to be incisive.

What problems are you personally solving with your product that others might overlook?

When Jerry Hall “touched up” a full face Bobbi had just finished, Bobbi didn’t bristle – she watched. That humility became a practice: always hand the mirror over. Co-creation before it was a buzzword.

How can you bring customers closer to your creative process to learn from them in real-time?

Early in her career, Bobbi stopped forcing looks that weren’t her craft and sought photographers and editors who wanted her eye. Creative friction is productive; creative misfit is exhausting.

Who are the people you’re working with, and do they appreciate your unique value?

Before it was fashionable, Bobbi refused to discontinue deep shades that sold in low volumes, because the brand had to work for everyone. That’s not virtue signalling; that’s product truth.

What non-negotiables should be embedded in your product specs that ensure inclusivity?

Bobbi talked about being “comfortable” as a creative north star – from how makeup sits on skin to how she works and dresses. Comfort reduces cognitive load; confidence rises.

Where in your customer experience could comfort be the highest priority?

The Jones Road name came off a road sign on a family drive; Miracle Balm came from a lab “miss” that looked great on real faces. These aren’t glossy origin myths. They’re human, specific, and memorable.

What is the human, specific story behind your product or brand that you haven’t fully told yet?

A “guru” told her to hire a TikTok agency. Instead, Bobbi opened the app and said, “Hi, I’m new here.” Women of a certain age flooded the comments with real questions. No theatrics, just service.

How can you show up authentically in the channels that matter most for your audience?

The personal moments – family complexity, business misses, leadership hires that didn’t work – were shared without drama or denial. On bad days her toolbox is basic: walk, move, call a friend, sleep, recalibrate. Then get back to it.

How do you navigate setbacks and ensure you bounce back stronger each time?

Bobbi’s superpower isn’t just undertones; it’s how she de-glamorises the room so people can do their best work – whether it’s a supermodel, a young marketer, or a customer on Zoom. Psychological safety is a performance accelerant.

How do you create an environment where your team feels safe to do their best work?

Her single piece of advice at the end: “Move your body.” Creativity and courage are physical states as much as mental ones. Energy is a brand asset.

How can you incorporate more movement and energy into your daily routine to fuel creativity and innovation?

Bobbi’s career proves a simple, difficult truth: differentiation lives in the things you refuse to compromise. Trends loop back (hello, ’90s lip), channels change (hello, TikTok), organisations swell and shrink. But a clear eye, a kind room, and products built to make real people feel like themselves – that endures.

If you’re building in beauty (or any crowded category), ask yourself this week – what’s the one thing we will do, without apology, even when it’s unfashionable or inefficient? Then organise your roadmap, hiring, and storytelling around that answer.

– A branding nerd, taking notes.