From Disruption to Exit: Building Brands That Scale with Nicole Collins

In this episode of Scale to Exit, we sit down with beauty industry disruptor and serial entrepreneur Nicole Collins, a powerhouse behind brands like ipsy, YUME, and the revolutionary 213Deli.

Nicole shares her journey from being a beauty-obsessed kid in L.A. to co-founding some of the most innovative beauty startups of the last decade. With deep expertise in brand building, influencer marketing, and social commerce, she reveals how she's helped companies scale from startup to household name, and how she thinks about value creation, consumer obsession, and exit readiness from day one.

We talk about:

• The founding story behind Ipsy and how it changed beauty marketing forever

• Why she and Michelle Phan created YUME and what they learned

• How 213Deli is disrupting beauty drops via SMS

• Her approach to scaling smart, storytelling with purpose, and preparing brands for potential acquisition

• What today's founders need to understand about differentiation, community, and timing an exit

Whether you're a brand builder, founder, or investor, this episode is packed with insights into what it takes to disrupt an industry and exit on your terms.

You can find Nicole Collins at: 

(1) Nicole Collins | LinkedIn