In this episode of How They Scaled It, I sit down with Rochelle Jacobs, Co-Founder of Naturally Serious and a Wall Street veteran who returned to her roots in skincare. Rochelle shares how she blended clinical efficacy with clean ingredients to build a brand that's redefining modern beauty.
She talks about the power of partnerships, the lessons she learned launching just before the pandemic, and how learning to let go transformed her approach to growth. From bootstrapping a manufacturing facility to making clean beauty truly accessible, Rochelle’s story is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership and quiet disruption.
00:00:13 – The importance of the right retail partners
00:00:36 – Meet Rochelle Jacobs
00:01:47 – Beauty roots: Her family’s skincare legacy
00:03:19 – Why finance came first and how she was pulled into skincare
00:04:18 – Launching a manufacturing facility with zero experience
00:05:47 – The hands-on MBA of building a beauty brand from scratch
00:07:20 – Learning by doing
00:08:27 – From spas to Sephora
00:10:36 – Product philosophy: Simplicity, transparency, and great naming
00:11:15 – Why fewer SKUs was a deliberate strategy
00:12:19 – Defining “clean”
00:14:25 – Clean meets clinical: Overcoming skepticism
00:16:21 – How the brand encourages organic discovery and accessibility
00:17:47 – Their patented antioxidant blend & anti-pollution edge
00:22:11 – Partnering with hospitals
00:25:13 – Creating healing products during breast cancer treatment
00:26:40 – Leadership lessons: Letting go, trusting your team
00:29:30 – Why word-of-mouth hiring still works
00:30:12 – The myth of work-life balance
00:32:29 – Biggest challenge: scaling in a TikTok-driven world
00:34:45 – Trends, distractions, and your phone
00:35:55 – Staying curious and humble as a founder
00:36:51 – Advice to past self
00:38:41 – Where to find Naturally Serious online