Today on Momentum, we welcome Alan Shamah. After Alan's father passed away at a young age, he had no choice but to work in his family's apparel company. Within a couple of decades, he had taken over a family member's company and built invaluable relationships with suppliers and retailers. He used these relationships and the skills he developed to build e.l.f Cosmetics, an innovative brand now worth over $10B. In this episode, we discuss how Alan set himself apart from other cosmetics brands, how his skills from the family business helped him grow his startup, and the advice he has to fellow community members feeling stuck in their professional lives.

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(00:00) Intro(01:08) Early beginnings in business(03:30) Lessons from the apparel industry(06:41) Hardships after closing his apparel company(13:24) The birth of e.l.f. Cosmetics(16:31) Growth and pivoting at e.l.f.(26:00) Expanding into fitness and headwear(29:36) Community involvement(35:31) Overcoming setbacks and health challenges(42:08) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs(51:02) Momentum Moment(53:03) Closing remarks