Get All Access for $5/mo

Beauty Entrepreneur Bobbi Brown Explains the 'Secret Sauce' to Building a Brand Loved By Everyone In our 'Tough Love Tuesday' series, Brown talks about the importance of listening to your inner voice, being confident and how she handles the word 'no.'

By Andrea Huspeni

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Editor's Note: In Tough Love Tuesday, we're connecting side-hustling entrepreneurs with support, resources and advice from amazing experts. Sign up for our email newsletter to be notified about our Tuesday Facebook Lives and check back to our side hustle topic page for more helpful tips.

Having a huge following of devoted brand ambassadors -- people who not only rave about your product to their friends, family and colleagues, but also tell complete strangers about it -- is something every entrepreneur wants. But this doesn't just happen. You, as the founder of a company, need to work at it and create an amazing product.

Related: Beauty Entrepreneur Bobbi Brown Shares Her Secrets to Building a Brand With a Cult-Like Following

And few have done that better than Bobbi Brown. Brown launched her namesake brand Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in the early '90s. She focused on a natural, fresh look when other brands were into bright, extreme looks. It was her "secret sauce."

"My whole philosophy about make up was so much about me," Brown told us in our recent episode of Tough Love Tuesday, Entrepreneur.com's Facebook Live series connecting side-hustling entrepreneurs with advice and resources. The company's motto is "be who you are."

But it wasn't just about having a brand she loved. Brown had to figure out exactly what customers wanted, create a positive experience and get the word out organically. She kept every step simple, and it worked. Estee Lauder bought the brand in 1995, with Brown continuing to be at the helm of the cosmetic line until leaving last year.

Related: How I Defined My Brand Language Using This Secret Tool

Now, with lifestyle website JustBobbi in the works, along with a supplement line, Brown is starting from square one again. This time around, it will be a lot less stressful and more fun, she says.

To see what she has to say about her entrepreneurial experience -- from hearing no's from everyone, suffering a huge launch disaster and learning to listen to her inner voice -- along with advice she offers entrepreneurs, check out the video above.

Andrea Huspeni

Founder of This Dog's Life

Andrea Huspeni is the former special projects director at Entrepreneur.com and the founder of This Dog's Life.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

These Are the Top Tech Skills Employers Want the Most, According to a New Examination of 24,000 Job Listings

Some tech skills are more in demand than others. Here are the top 10 that employers are looking for right now.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle She Worked on in a Local Starbucks 'Went From Nothing to $1 Million.' Now It Will Make Over $30 Million This Year.

Melinda Spigel transformed a simple jewelry-making hobby into a lucrative full-time business with multimillion-dollar annual sales.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Business News

Your Old Apple AirPods Might Be Able to Replace Expensive Hearing Aids — Here's How

Apple is introducing new software to its existing AirPods Pro 2 — for free.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Starting a Business

From Kyrgyzstan to the U.S. — 6 Ways I Turned My Vision into a Thriving Business Overseas

From a small tech startup overseas to a growing U.S. job board software leader, here's how I turned my vision into a successful reality, one step at a time.