I met with a business reporter yesterday who interviewed me about my business and my role as the CEO. Her questions were a great exercise. Really made me think about how I run my company and what is important to me. Here are some of the questions she asked and my answers:

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
It was from my father. He always struggled to keep his own business. I was very young when he told me nothing was as important as being your own boss. He said you will work harder then you can imagine and the money risks will be frightening, but at the end of the day, no one controls your time but you. It has been my mantra since I was 12 years old.

How do you motivate your team?
Mostly through empathy and blatant honesty which can be quite a balancing act. A fundamental concept of my company is don’t do to anyone else what you wouldn’t want them to do to you, and don’t ask anyone to do what you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. I’m in there doing it with them every day. We also often talk about our fundamental mission is to change the world for women, giving them what other companies won’t. It’s important to almost all of us.

What is the most remarkable thing you’ve done to increase your business?
Found a way to maintain my integrity and retail skin care and makeup products. Believe me, that is unique in my industry.