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Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Saturday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world’s most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself. 

Today, we’re covering Estée Lauder and her journey to building a global beauty empire through determination, innovation, and a keen understanding of women’s needs.

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What you’ll learn:

• How Estée Lauder overcame industry challenges to create a cosmetics powerhouse

• Lessons on customer interaction, persistence, and building a product

• Quotes on customer experience, product quality, and business instinct

Cheers,

Alex

P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. We want to be worthy of your time. I respond to every email.

Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder's story is one of determination and vision. Born Josephine Esther Mentzer in Corona, Queens, she grew up in a modest household, the daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Her early life was far from glamorous, but it laid the foundation for her future success.

As a young woman, Estée worked in her father's hardware store. This experience taught her the basics of business and customer service. But it was her uncle, a chemist who created skin creams, who sparked her interest in beauty products. She began selling his creams to her friends, learning the art of the sale through practice and persistence.

"I learned early that being a perfectionist and providing quality was the only way to do business," Estée once said. This philosophy would become the cornerstone of her empire.

The turning point came when Estée started demonstrating her products in beauty salons. She would apply creams and makeup to women sitting under hair dryers, a captive audience for her pitch. This hands-on approach allowed her to refine her products and sales techniques.

In 1946, Estée and her husband Joseph Lauder officially launched their company. Their first major break came a year later with an $800 order from Saks Fifth Avenue. But success didn't come easy. Estée faced skepticism from a male-dominated industry and struggled to balance her business ambitions with family life.

Undeterred, Estée pioneered innovative marketing strategies. She introduced the concept of the free gift with purchase, a tactic that revolutionized the cosmetics industry. "A free sample was the basis on which Estée Lauder was built," Leonard Lauder, her son, later recalled.

Estée's breakthrough product was Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a skin perfume. Launched in 1953, it transformed the way women bought and used fragrance. "I visited the sales personal in the dress department, the hat department, the shoe department, as well as other cosmetic departments," Estée wrote. "To each saleswoman, I brought a gift of my makeup or cream, exactly what I'd be giving away to customers as they claimed their free gifts they'd been promised in advertisements".

This strategy paid off. By the late 1950s, Estée Lauder was a household name. The company expanded rapidly, introducing new product lines and entering international markets. In 1995, Estée Lauder Companies went public, valued at $2.9 billion.

Estée's success wasn't just about business acumen. She had an innate understanding of what women wanted. "Never skimp on quality; put your heart and soul into producing the best-quality products to present to your public. Don't let anyone talk you out of it," she advised.

By the time Estée retired in 1995, her company was a global powerhouse. Today, Estée Lauder Companies is worth tens of billions of dollars, a far cry from its humble beginnings in Queens.

Estée Lauder's journey from a small-town girl to a cosmetics mogul is a quintessential American success story. It's a tale of perseverance, innovation, and the power of believing in oneself. As Estée herself put it, "I never dreamed about success. I worked for it".

Lessons

Lesson 1: Show, don’t tell. Estée Lauder pioneered the concept of giving away free product samples. She understood that letting customers experience the quality of her products firsthand was the best way to win them over. When she couldn't afford traditional advertising, she invested her entire budget into producing samples. This strategy not only helped her acquire new customers but also built brand loyalty. It's a reminder that sometimes the most effective marketing isn't about telling people how great your product is, but letting them discover it for themselves.

Lesson 2: Make every customer interaction count. Lauder believed in the personal touch. She would often apply makeup herself to customers in department stores. This hands-on approach allowed her to refine her products based on direct feedback and build personal relationships with her customers. In today's digital age, it's easy to forget the power of face-to-face interactions. But Lauder's success shows that personal connections can be a powerful differentiator.

Lesson 3: Persistence pays off in unexpected ways. Lauder was known for her relentless pursuit of opportunities. She once spilled a bottle of her perfume on the floor of a department store to attract attention. This kind of bold, creative persistence can open doors that might otherwise remain closed. It's not just about trying again and again, but about finding new and unexpected ways to achieve your goals.

Lesson 4: Build a brand, not just a product. Lauder understood that she wasn't just selling cosmetics; she was selling an idea of beauty and luxury. Everything from her packaging to her marketing was designed to reinforce this brand image. This focus on branding allowed her to command premium prices and build customer loyalty. It's a lesson in the importance of thinking beyond your product to the overall experience and image you're creating for your customers.

Lesson 5: Adapt to changing markets. Lauder was quick to recognize and capitalize on new trends. When she noticed that European women were more likely to buy skincare products than makeup, she adjusted her product line accordingly. This flexibility allowed her to expand into new markets and stay relevant as consumer preferences changed. It's a reminder of the importance of staying attuned to your market and being willing to pivot when necessary.

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Estée Lauder Quotes

On persistence: "I never dreamed about success. I worked for it."

On customer experience: "Touch your customer, and you're halfway there."

On product quality: "I learned early that being a perfectionist and providing quality was the only way to do business."

On business instinct: "I am a visceral person by nature. I act on instinct, quickly, without pondering possible disaster and without indulging in deep introspection."

On personal branding: "Make the most of what you have. I operated, full time, on that precept."

On innovation: "Most good ideas sparkle in simplicity, so much so that everyone wonders why no one ever did that before."

On sales: "If you don't sell, it's not the product that's wrong, it's you."

On goal-setting: "Projecting your mind into a successful situation is the most powerful means to achieve goals."

On adaptability: "Each businessperson must find a style, that voice that grows clearer and louder with each success and failure."

On risk-taking: "People do make their luck by daring to follow their instincts, taking risks, and embracing every possibility."

This week, consider how you can apply Lauder's lessons to your work life.

On personal touch:

• Are you connecting with your customers or clients on a personal level?

On brand building:

• Are you consistently reinforcing your personal or business brand?

The Opposite of Mindless Scrolling

We all want to make smart use of our time. But between learning something new and watching a (hilarious) cat video? Sorry, mind. Cat wins. That’s why so many people love Brilliant, the app with thousands of bite-sized, interactive lessons that make it easy to sharpen your mind while building real knowledge in everything from math and data analysis to programming, AI, and beyond. On Brilliant, you’ll dive into:

• Our effective first-principles approach that makes even complex concepts just click

• Personalised learning paths and competitive features to keep you motivated and on track

• Interactive problem-solving and real-world applications—not just memorizing

Join over 10 million people around the world and try Brilliant free for 30 days — and get 20% off an annual premium subscription as a Faster Than Normal reader.

Further Readings

• Estée Lauder Reveals Its Recovery Playbook | BoF

• The Best Advice I Ever Got: William P. Lauder, President and CEO of Estée Lauder Companies

• The Estée Story 

That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Have a wonderful rest of week, all.

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Alex Brogan

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