From Blog to Billion-Dollar Beauty Brand: The Story of Emily Weiss and Glossier

Editor’s Note: If you’d prefer to read the newsletter version of this story, complete with rich details and history, just click on the link at the bottom. And let me know your feedback on whether you prefer podcast of the regular version of the newsletter.

In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary journey of Emily Weiss, the visionary who turned her curiosity and blog—Into the Gloss—into Glossier, one of the most iconic beauty brands of the 21st century. From a solo passion project to a unicorn startup valued at $1.2 billion, this is a story of listening to customers, building community, and daring to rethink an entire industry.

🔍 What started with a simple question—“What do real women actually use?”—sparked a movement that upended traditional beauty models and built a loyal fanbase through authenticity, minimalism, and millennial pink.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How Emily Weiss used The Hills, Teen Vogue, and early career internships to build insider knowledge

• Why Into the Gloss became the go-to source for real beauty advice

• How Glossier used comments, community, and content to co-create products

• The viral rise of cult classics like Boy Brow, Cloud Paint, and Balm Dotcom

• Why the brand’s tech pivot almost derailed the company—and how they rebounded

• What stepping down as CEO taught Emily about leadership

• The power of retail relaunches and the $100M Sephora expansion

• How Glossier kept growing during crisis—and what comes next

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Start by listening. The best product ideas often come from your audience.

• Don’t be afraid to fail publicly. Glossier’s missteps became part of its evolution.

• Community > advertising. Glossier’s fans were also its marketers, co-creators, and ambassadors.

• Step aside when needed. Great founders know when someone else can take the brand further.

• Legacy is built on relationships. Glossier succeeded by treating customers like co-founders.

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If you’d like to read the full story of Emily and how she built Glossier into a billion-dollar brand, just click on the link below.