Jaime Schmidt started Schmidt’s Naturals in her kitchen and in only seven years scaled it to an acquisition by Unilever. Now Jaime is empowering other entrepreneurs through her inclusive investment firm, Color, and Supermaker, a media company that celebrates inclusive and disruptive independent brands. Her book, Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, follows her journey as an entrepreneur and is packed with advice about turning a passion project into a thriving business. Jaime is now starring in Going Public, the first show that let viewers invest in the companies on screen. She talks about finding purpose, building a values-based company, confidence and vulnerability as key business skills, keeping up with crypto and democratizing entrepreneurship and investing.
Key Points From This Episode:
The organic process by which Jaime discovered her entrepreneurial skills.
Why Jaime wrote her book, Supermaker.
Key qualities and guiding principles that helped Jaime make Schmidt Naturals such a success.
Lessons that Jaime learned through her journey of founding and growing Schmidt Naturals.
How the acquisition of Schmidt Naturals by Unilever came about.
Challenges of maintaining the value of a brand as it grows.
One of the main drivers behind the founding of Schmidt’s.
Overlap between Jaime’s personal life and her work life, and how she manages this.
What changed Jaime’s post-acquisition plans.
The original goal of Color, Jaime’s investment fund, and how it has evolved over time.
Going Public; how Jaime’s latest project is democratizing investing.
An explanation of what an accredited investor is, and the regulation which makes investing more inclusive.
What Jaime has learned through mentoring founders and entrepreneurs.
Factors that keep underrepresented founders out of the game.
The importance of being able to be vulnerable and admit what you don’t know.
A new definition of a Maker.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Susan Ferry Price on Instagram
Leveling the Startup Playing Field with Jaime Schmidt