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