ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Some people have one business idea in their lifetime. Kristen Sgarlato had five before she even turned 31—and each one taught her something new about what it truly takes to start, adapt, and persevere in business.
As an award-winning product developer and founder of KES Innovation, a New York-based product development agency, Kristen worked with major beauty brands like Estee Lauder, Tom Ford Beauty, Shiseido, and Beauty by PopSugar. In this conversation, she shares the behind-the-scenes realities of entrepreneurship: the messy middle, the pivots, the failures, and the relentless resilience needed to succeed.
From building her first career-development website in college to creating apps, consulting, and ultimately founding KES Innovation, Kristen explains how to trust yourself, build a “toolkit” of skills, leverage mentorship, and surround yourself with the right people to make your vision happen. This episode is a roadmap for aspiring founders and anyone curious about what real entrepreneurship looks like—beyond the highlight reels.
Timestamps:
01:51 Kristen’s entrepreneurial journey: Five business ideas before 31
05:21 Growing up in a business-minded family: How parents influenced Kristen’s path
10:19 College experiences that shaped Kristen’s first business idea
11:16 Launching a career-development website: Lessons learned the hard way
13:31 Early insights into payments, web development, and entrepreneurship tools
15:10 First steps in the beauty industry: Internships at Tom Ford Beauty
17:22 Discovering a passion for product development at Shiseido
20:04 Building graphic design and web skills on the side: The start of a second business
22:19 Pivoting roles to gain a full toolkit: PopSugar and international marketing experience
28:09 Mesa: Learning to launch brands from scratch into retail
30:31 COVID-era ventures: Exploring a drop-shipping clothing brand
34:37 The spark for an app idea: Seeing a problem and solving it creatively
38:44 Transitioning to consulting: Building KES Innovation while supporting the app
42:32 Building a team: Hiring strategically and knowing your strengths
Learn more about KES Innovation and Kristen Sgarlato: https://www.kesinnovation.com
Follow Kristen and KES Innovation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kesinnovation/?hl=en
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