Build Credibility, Grow Your Business w. Rochelle Jacobs

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 partners00:00:36 – Meet Rochelle Jacobs00:01:47 – Beauty roots: Her family’s skincare legacy00:03:19 – Why finance came first and how she was pulled into skincare00:04:18 – Launching a manufacturing facility with zero experience00:05:47 – The hands-on MBA of building a beauty brand from scratch00:07:20 – Learning by doing00:08:27 – From spas to Sephora00:10:36 – Product philosophy: Simplicity, transparency, and great naming00:11:15 – Why fewer SKUs was a deliberate strategy00:12:19 – Defining “clean”00:14:25 – Clean meets clinical: Overcoming skepticism00:16:21 – How the brand encourages organic discovery and accessibility00:17:47 – Their patented antioxidant blend & anti-pollution edge00:22:11 – Partnering with hospitals00:25:13 – Creating healing products during breast cancer treatment00:26:40 – Leadership lessons: Letting go, trusting your team00:29:30 – Why word-of-mouth hiring still works00:30:12 – The myth of work-life balance00:32:29 – Biggest challenge: scaling in a TikTok-driven world00:34:45 – Trends, distractions, and your phone00:35:55 – Staying curious and humble as a founder00:36:51 – Advice to past self00:38:41 – Where to find Naturally Serious online