Jane Hertzmark Hudis is one of the most prominent beauty executives in the country. As an executive group president of the Estée Lauder Companies – the company she’s been at for over 30 years – she oversees some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, including Tom Ford and La Mer. Her secret to making it to the top? Embrace the beauty of connections, find mentors, and hire a team you can learn from.
In this episode, Jane shares:
Why it’s crucial to hire people who are smarter than you
Her tips for making work travel more bearable
Her experience raising children while on the executive track
How she thought about growing her career at one company
What Kendall Jenner taught her about social media
On Hiring a Team
Jane: You should hire people who are smarter than you are, and not be threatened by the brilliant people that surround you. You are so much better by virtue of having those kinds of people around you, rather than people who just sort of take orders. And so, I've tried to do that. I surround myself with absolutely brilliant people. I'm blessed to have a team that knows a lot more about a lot of subjects than I do.
On Negotiating
Jane: Life is a negotiation. And, you know, when you say negotiate, you might be selling an idea. You might say, “Invest in me or invest in one of my brands.” I'm someone that believes you're always selling. You're selling yourself. You're selling your ideas. You're selling ways of growing the business. And so, every opportunity that you have to present is an opportunity to sell something. And so, selling and negotiation sometimes go hand-in-hand because you want something in return. And so, I think you have to be a very good negotiator and also a great seller of your ideas. And I try to encourage people to be the best seller of their ideas and not to miss an opportunity to sell your idea.
Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device: Apple podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher
Live Smarter
Sign up for the Daily Skimm email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.