“Losing” Taught Me Everything: What You Can Learn From This Founder’s Failure | Aspire
Emma Grede
145,570 views
What really happens when you follow your dream — and it doesn’t work out the way you planned? In this powerful conversation, Emma sits down with Diarrha N’Diaye, founder of the beloved beauty brand Ami Colé, to talk about the courage it takes to build, the heartbreak of closing your company, and the lessons every entrepreneur needs to hear.
Diarrha opens up about:
-Why she decided to close Ami Colé, even after major success
-The emotional toll of letting go of a dream
-Hard truths about investors, retail, and the beauty industry
-The power of community, resilience, and redefining success
If you’ve ever thought about starting a business, struggled with failure, or wondered how to keep going when things fall apart — this episode is for you.
#aspirewithemmagrede #femalefounders #amicole #womeninbusiness #failuretosuccess #lifelessons #business #businessadvice #startup #dreambig
_____
SUBSCRIBE
@emmagrede
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ABOUT ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world’s most successful people.
Emma Grede, one of America’s richest self-made women - wants you to make the most of your life. On ‘Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet, including goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, investor, philanthropist and former chair of Starbucks, Mellody Hobson, podcast host Jay Shetty, billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, and public luminaries like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology and of course how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need, to turn your dreams into reality.
LISTEN TO ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
link.pscrb.fm/f0281/Aspire_YT
ABOUT EMMA GREDE
Emma Grede is a founding partner and chief product officer of SKIMS and CEO of Good American. She also made history as the first Black woman to serve as an investor on Shark Tank.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Emma's mentorship
00:03:12 What is the legacy of Ami Cole?
00:08:57 How Diarrha's mother inspired Ami Cole
00:12:39 Journey from a dream to a business
00:16:06 Black-owned business
00:20:48 "Rocket ship" growth with no guardrails
00:29:36 Ad Break
00:31:39 Hindsight: the importance of "testing and learning"
00:35:51 Is Sephora still a "game changer" for beauty brands?
00:38:42 Why Emma didn't invest in Ami Cole
00:40:22 Dealing with investors and the importance of track record
00:46:09 When Diarrha knew Ami Cole wasn't working
00:50:45 What would Diarrha do differently?
00:56:04 Ad Break
00:58:20 The importance of time and money
01:03:47 Diarrha's biggest mistakes
01:07:49 The challenges of being a mom and an entrepreneur
01:17:03 Ad Break
01:18:45 Being comfortable with (and not afraid of) success
01:23:20 Was Ami Cole a success or a failure?
01:27:52 Diarrha's "hardest day" at Ami Cole
01:33:00 Diarrha's next chapter
01:41:39 Rapid Fire Questions
20 Comments
Black businesses need funding and mentorship.
Not just investors who just want to leach on and line their pockets.
And I didn’t even know this superstar of a woman - I need to reevaluate where I spend my time.
In this interview, I could sense your guest’s discomfort with failure. She understandably didn’t want to be tainted by it, while others are celebrated for “failing fast.” What I eventually drew out was that she didn’t know how to transition between running a small company and a larger one. She carried fears - about her investors, her leadership team, even success itself and the need to let go.
She didn’t hire a PA, taking on piles of admin work while breastfeeding. She claimed it’s “equally wrong” to know too little or too much about any one role. That’s false. Knowing too much can be a strength - it forces the people with the big salaries to stay sharp. Her real issue was her inability to step back, instead wearing “I work hard” as a badge of honor.
By pressing into this, I realized something valuable: these are the exact patterns I need to watch for in my own journey.
“Losing” Taught Me Everything: What You Can Learn From This Founder’s Failure | Aspire
Emma Grede
145,570 views
What really happens when you follow your dream — and it doesn’t work out the way you planned? In this powerful conversation, Emma sits down with Diarrha N’Diaye, founder of the beloved beauty brand Ami Colé, to talk about the courage it takes to build, the heartbreak of closing your company, and the lessons every entrepreneur needs to hear.
Diarrha opens up about:
-Why she decided to close Ami Colé, even after major success
-The emotional toll of letting go of a dream
-Hard truths about investors, retail, and the beauty industry
-The power of community, resilience, and redefining success
If you’ve ever thought about starting a business, struggled with failure, or wondered how to keep going when things fall apart — this episode is for you.
#aspirewithemmagrede #femalefounders #amicole #womeninbusiness #failuretosuccess #lifelessons #business #businessadvice #startup #dreambig
_____
SUBSCRIBE
@emmagrede
_____
ABOUT ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
Build the life of your dreams and learn from the world’s most successful people.
Emma Grede, one of America’s richest self-made women - wants you to make the most of your life. On ‘Aspire with Emma Grede', learn through thought-provoking conversations with some of the most successful and smartest minds on the planet, including goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow, investor, philanthropist and former chair of Starbucks, Mellody Hobson, podcast host Jay Shetty, billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, and public luminaries like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Each episode will unpack their habits, philosophy and strategies, covering career advice, well-being, psychology and of course how to win in business. The show offers personal stories, data-driven advice, real-world strategies, and the experience you need, to turn your dreams into reality.
LISTEN TO ASPIRE WITH EMMA GREDE
link.pscrb.fm/f0281/Aspire_YT
ABOUT EMMA GREDE
Emma Grede is a founding partner and chief product officer of SKIMS and CEO of Good American. She also made history as the first Black woman to serve as an investor on Shark Tank.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Emma's mentorship
00:03:12 What is the legacy of Ami Cole?
00:08:57 How Diarrha's mother inspired Ami Cole
00:12:39 Journey from a dream to a business
00:16:06 Black-owned business
00:20:48 "Rocket ship" growth with no guardrails
00:29:36 Ad Break
00:31:39 Hindsight: the importance of "testing and learning"
00:35:51 Is Sephora still a "game changer" for beauty brands?
00:38:42 Why Emma didn't invest in Ami Cole
00:40:22 Dealing with investors and the importance of track record
00:46:09 When Diarrha knew Ami Cole wasn't working
00:50:45 What would Diarrha do differently?
00:56:04 Ad Break
00:58:20 The importance of time and money
01:03:47 Diarrha's biggest mistakes
01:07:49 The challenges of being a mom and an entrepreneur
01:17:03 Ad Break
01:18:45 Being comfortable with (and not afraid of) success
01:23:20 Was Ami Cole a success or a failure?
01:27:52 Diarrha's "hardest day" at Ami Cole
01:33:00 Diarrha's next chapter
01:41:39 Rapid Fire Questions