Beauty Pie founder Marcia Kilgore shares five lessons from building a global business
Beauty Pie founder Marcia Kilgore has reflected on the experiences that shaped her career, sharing five principles she believes helped her build several successful beauty brands ov
By BBC News
Beauty Pie founder Marcia Kilgore has shared the lessons she believes were most important in building a series of successful beauty businesses, saying entrepreneurship was driven more by necessity than careful planning.
Speaking to the BBC, Kilgore explained that she moved from Canada to New York to study at Columbia University, but had to support herself after her tuition funding fell through. She began working as a personal trainer while attending beauty classes in the evenings before deciding to leave university and pursue a career in the beauty industry.
Before launching Beauty Pie in 2016, she founded or helped build several well-known brands, including Bliss Spa and Soap & Glory.
Reflecting on her career, Kilgore said one of the biggest misconceptions about starting a business is believing everything has to be planned from the outset. She argued that taking action, learning through experience and adapting along the way can be more valuable than waiting for the perfect opportunity.
She also stressed the importance of understanding every aspect of a business. Working across different roles early in her career gave her practical knowledge that later proved invaluable when expanding her companies internationally.
Another lesson was the need to challenge rather than become attached to new ideas. She encouraged entrepreneurs to test concepts with potential customers and seek honest feedback before committing significant time or money, warning against allowing personal enthusiasm to cloud commercial judgement.
Kilgore also acknowledged that building a successful business often involves personal sacrifice. Alongside hard work, she believes treating customers and colleagues with respect is essential for creating a sustainable brand and maintaining long-term loyalty.
Finally, she recommended what she calls the “deathbed test”—asking whether a project would still feel worthwhile when looking back on life. For her, long-term success is measured not only by commercial achievements but also by pursuing ideas that have genuine meaning and purpose.
The interview offers an insight into the thinking behind one of the beauty industry’s best-known entrepreneurs, whose career has spanned multiple international brands and more than three decades.