Known for fusing eye-catching gemstones with elevated design, Kendra Scott jewelry is a rare brand that manages to look ultra high-end while being affordable. In this episode of Glamour’s Millionaire Moves video series, we sit down with Founder, Executive Chairwoman, and Chief Creative Officer Kendra Scott as she breaks down some of the big investments that helped her build her company. Within the span of two decades, Scott has built a billion-dollar jewelry empire with a $500 investment and some serious hustle.
Scott has an interesting origin story: Initially, she set out to design and sell hats as an homage to her late stepfather but quickly realized it wasn’t a sustainable business for her. She pivoted to making her own jewelry, a passion, and Kendra Scott the brand was born.
In the video the designer discusses the challenges she faced to build capital as a new small-business owner and how she needed someone to vouch for her to receive her first line of credit. From there she slowly built her company while raising two young sons and leaned on a growing support system of mothers just like her, who were pushing past fear to create something bigger than themselves.
Scott stands out because of her tenacity and how she navigated motherhood and entrepreneurship while balancing the fear, difficulties, and successes. She combined these things with her love of helping others which led her to open an entrepreneurial program open to all majors at The University of Texas at Austin. Now the designer is helping other women start and build their own empires. Watch the full interview below to see Scott’s biggest investment moves.