The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · Podcast summary
Most Replayed Moment: A Guilt-Free Way to Handle Work and Life
Nicola Kilner, co-founder and co-CEO of Deciem, shares her journey from corporate buyer to beauty entrepreneur and reveals how building a family-like startup culture fueled the success of The Ordinary and beyond.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 🏢Corporate experience at Boots provided Nicola with entrepreneurial skills and industry insights.2:00
- 🤝Meeting Brandon and their complementary partnership was key to Deciem’s founding.5:40
- 🔟Launching 10 brands simultaneously enabled rapid innovation but later caused resource challenges.8:00
- 👩🔬Brandon’s scientific rigor balanced Nicola’s calm mediation in leadership.11:30
- 🎉A fun, family-like culture fostered deep loyalty and creativity among early team members.15:00
- 🌱Early startup culture thrives on agility, wearing multiple hats, and shared mission.20:00
Chapters
- 2:05🏢 Boots and Early Career
- 4:20🤝 Meeting Brandon
- 7:30🔟 Deciem’s Multi-Brand Strategy
- 11:20👩🔬 Co-CEO Dynamics
- 15:00🎉 Building a Family Culture
- 20:00🌱 Startup Agility and Teamwork
- 22:00⚖️ Rethinking Work-Life Balance
- 24:00💡 Kindness Meets Performance
- 26:20🙋♀️ Leadership and Self-Awareness
The digest
From Corporate Boots to Startup Dreams
Nicola Kilner’s path to co-founding Deciem, the beauty company behind The Ordinary, began with a formative corporate career at Boots. She spent years learning the ropes as an assistant buyer and then buying manager, where she honed skills in collaboration, innovation scouting, and brand launching. Nicola described how Boots’ “Latest Finds” program gave her hands-on experience working with entrepreneurs, guiding them through product launches, PR, and supply chain logistics. This role was entrepreneurial in nature and perfectly suited her skill set, ultimately shaping her future ambitions.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 4-minute article, 8 more sections, and every new episode from The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and the creators you follow.
- Meeting Brandon and the Birth of Deciem
- The Power and Pitfalls of Multiplicity
- A Unique Co-CEO Dynamic
- Cultivating a ‘Happy Cult’ Culture
- Work-Life Balance as a Personal and Evolving Concept
- Kindness and High Performance: Finding the Sweet Spot
- Embracing Self-Awareness and Delegation
- Lessons for Founders and Teams
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