Summary: Kate Morris was just 21 when she had her million dollar idea - Australia's first online beauty e-commerce site, Adore Beauty. On this episode, discover how she did it and her own journey through beauty. Hello and welcome to Beauty Island, the beauty podcast that celebrates life and lipstick. I'm your host, beauty journalist, Brittany Stewart, and each episode I sit down with a guest to ask them about the 8 beauty products that have a special memory or meaning for them, that they'd take to a desert island, or Beauty Island, that I am sending them off too. This doesn't necessarily mean practical products but rather the beauty products they've come across throughout their lives that carry significant stories, power or nostalgia for them. The ones that make up a little bit of who they are. Along the way we find out more and their life, career and the people and events that have shaped them into who they are today. Today my guest is Kate Morris, founder of online beauty retailer, Adore Beauty. At a time when we're obsessed with lady bosses - a controversial term we do talk about in this episode - on paper Kate seems like the ultimate one in a million entrepreneur. And in a way she is - at just 21 years old, not yet graduated from uni, while she was working on the Clarins beauty counter in a department store she realised that there were better and more enjoyable ways customers were looking for to buy their beauty products. Online. Except it was 1999 and it just wasn't a thing that was done in Australia. Kate went for it and nearly 20 years later Adore Beauty stocks established and emerging beauty brands like Dermalogica, Bobbi Brown, The Ordinary, Salt by Hendrix and Iconic London. But there's so much more to her story. Like how she almost threw in the towel in the first year, the hard work you often don't see shown on social media, the industry recognition that took a decade and Estee Lauder who said no to being stocked on the site for 14 years. I sat down with Kate in Adore Beauty's Melbourne offices - and the first thing I noticed was how at 6pm on a Monday we were the only two there. You'll find out the excellent reason why when we chat about work life balance. We also talked about how the beauty industry reacted towards a 21 year old from Tasmania trying to revolutionise the industry (spoiler: not well initially), the $19 multi-purpose balm she takes absolutely everywhere with her, and why it's not ideas that are the most important thing but rather actually executing them. She is generous, brilliant and full of incredibly inspiring advice. I hope you enjoy. Follow Kate: Instagram: @kateadorebeauty @adorebeautyofficial Shop Adore Beauty: http://bit.ly/2Cgy5q6 Try out Findation: http://bit.ly/2S5Trf1 Follow host Brittany Stewart: Instagram: @brittanybeautybts @beautyislandpodcast Email: beautyislandpodcast@gmail.com Subscribe to It's A Beauty! Newsletter for no BS beauty reviews, tips and tricks. (It's free!): http://bit.ly/2OE05XB Please note - all beauty products mentioned in this episode are honest recommendations, with no sponsored or adve...
