Book Review: Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima

Summary from GoodReads: In Believe IT, Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, shares the wild but true story of how a once struggling waitress turned her against-the-grain idea into an international bestselling sensation, eventually selling the company for over a billion dollars and becoming the first female CEO of a brand in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. Faced with self-doubt, body-doubt, God-doubt, down to her last few dollars and told “No one is going to buy makeup from someone who has your body,” Jamie reveals for the first time what really went down, how she almost didn’t make it, and the deeply personal and powerful business lessons you, too, can use to go from underestimated to unstoppable. With radical vulnerability and honesty, Jamie shares deeply personal stories of heartbreak and resilience—including accidentally finding out that she was adopted when she was in her twenties, and the reverberations this has had on all aspects of her life. She also pulls back the curtain on her fight to change the beauty industry’s use of unrealistic images, on behalf of all little girls who are about to start doubting themselves, and all of the grown women who still do. Spellbinding, riveting, with raw vulnerability and down-to-earth warmth, Believe IT shakes your soul and shows you that you, too, have what it takes to achieve the impossible.

Do you have big goals, hopes and dreams but let rejection or self-doubt get in the way? Do you struggle with feeling like you’re not enough, and like success is something that happens to other people, but have a hard time believing it’s possible for you? Do you let past mistakes and failures hold you back? Do you know deep down inside that you have something more to give, but you’re not sure how to step into your full power and own it? If you answered yes to any of these, Believe IT is for you!

I took this audiobook out from the library just on a whim because I liked the title and was looking to listen to something business/entrepreneur themed for some inspiration. I’m so glad I did!

I loved hearing about Jamie’s journey and how she grew her cosmetic company & accomplished so much against the odds. It was really interesting to learn about her entrepreneurial journey and where her company ended up. It was also a very personal look into Jamie herself and the personal struggles she went through outside of her business. I felt like I really got to know her as a person and got to peek inside her life. Some moments made me laugh and others cry, but throughout the book I definitely felt a sense of inspiration.

Probably the last few chapters of the book, Jamie did go into her faith and how that shaped her drive, decisions and attitude around life in general. It was pretty “god-centric” and sometimes that god-heavy stuff turns me off, but this time I didn’t mind it as much. It felt authentic to who Jamie is as a person and I’m less queasy about that type of talk now since I know I can leave it or take it as I want. Of course it still depends on the person and their message, but with Jamie it wasn’t pushy about making you believe in God or anything, she just talked about her beliefs in the way she believed and felt God had influenced her life and her decisions. So it felt more like a Jamie thing then a “you need to believe in God and let him take the wheel” vibe to me.

Overall I felt inspired by Jamie’s story and felt like I was connecting with her as a person. I absolutely loved that she read her own book because I really feel like that made all the difference.

While this wasn’t a traditional, how-to entrepreneur book, I felt like it was a great inspiration for continuing to work towards making your dreams happen.

I hope you give this one a chance if your interested in business, entrepreneurship, family/work balance or just love memoirs in general.

Tell me what you think about this title below or leave any recommendations you have for books like this one! I’ve been reading so many inspirational, entrepreneurial books lately. 🙂

Happy Reading!