We spoke with Jeff Lee, cofounder and CEO of DIBS Beauty about his approach to building brand awareness, partnering with celebrities, and starting a company during the pandemic.

“What makes us so unique, I think, is the way we speak with our customer at DIBS; we like to joke that it’s reverse master class. People used to learn about makeup from celebrities, from celebrity makeup artists. . . . We’re just about, take the stick, take the brush, take the powder, put it on—you won’t mess it up. And if you learn something from your friend over there, even better.”

Oh, and he also shared his tips on coaching the Miss Universe pageant. “The pageants themselves are actually highly meritocratic in the sense that they test your skills. And I like to say that we give opportunities to people who can hit a ball or punch each other out or jump around at a high-level precision—no matter your race, creed or your background, your economic background for pageants—we’re giving people the opportunity to succeed. We’re democratizing access to fame and opportunities.”