The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Most Replayed Moment: A Guilt-Free Way to Handle Work and Life

Sep 25, 2026 · 32m

Summary

Jenny Bannister, co-founder of DECIEM and The Ordinary, shares her journey from a corporate career at Boots to building a billion-dollar beauty empire with co-founder Brandon Truaxe. She discusses the strategic benefits of launching ten brands simultaneously to create an in-house ecosystem, the importance of hiring young, adaptable talent, and how a "family" culture fosters deep loyalty and high performance. Bannister also reflects on her self-awareness as a CEO, acknowledging her strengths in brand and culture while delegating operational and financial tasks to experienced leaders to suppo…

Topics discussed

Sponsor: Gusto payroll and benefits for small businesses Sponsor: Wayfair and Nicola Kilner on work-life fit Advice for young entrepreneurs: corporate vs startup Nicola's career at Boots and the 'Latest Finds' program Meeting Brandon: Energy and the Indeed Labs connection Founding Deciem: The idea behind Beautywise and The Ordinary Strategy: Why launching 10 brands at once made sense Downsides of multi-brand focus and hiring fresh grads Co-founder dynamics: Nicola and Brandon's complementary styles Building a 'family' culture and the concept of belonging Scaling from a cult: Dedication and shared mission Creating deep culture: The role of fun and natural connection Early startup intensity: Collaboration and agility Hiring for early phases: Wearing every hat and working hard Work-life balance: Personal happiness and life stages Family vs high-performance: Kindness and hard decisions Imposter syndrome and the challenges of scaling to 1500 Self-awareness, delegation, and playing to strengths Sponsor: Wayfair Verified and closing remarks
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