“It's nothing short of an Australian small business fairy tale that's about to unfurl.”
Poppy King was barely out of high school when she launched her first company in 1991, quickly gaining a cult-like following for her dreamy 1940s Hollywood-inspired matte lipsticks.
By 1995 she was Young Australian of the Year, but not long later the company fell apart amid investor disputes.
The young entrepreneur moved to New York to work for the famed Lauder cosmetics brand. “My office was on the 39th floor of the GM building opposite the Plaza Hotel. I walked past Tiffany's every morning,” King enthuses.
Now, some 30 years since the launch of her lipstick empire, King has revealed exclusively to Curveball she's returning to the Australian market with a brand new line.
Find out what King learnt from her first business collapse, how she views the current influencer-inspired cosmetic industry, and why she’s going all-in on a new lipstick line made in the very same factory as her first product.
+++
Curveball is the show that leans into life’s messy moments! It’s a production of Deadset Studios.
Keep up to date with Curveball by following @_deadsetstudios on Twitter and @deadsetstudios on instagram.
Want to know more about how people thrive in challenging times? Sign up to Curveball’s LinkedIn newsletter! And suggest a Curveball guest by visiting www.curveballshow.com
This episode was produced by Grace Pashley and edited by Liam Riordan. Executive producers are Rachel Fountain and Kellie Riordan.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life
We’re back after some Curveballs close to home
New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2
And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1
Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono
Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why
From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor
Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire
Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund
BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains
Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2
The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1
Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap
Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit
The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway
Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream
Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power
Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road
Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied
Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Organic Marketing Simplified: Master podcast marketing, fuel podcast growth, and make money podcasting!
THE GO BIZ GUY
The Sigma Femme Podcast
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
The Tim Ferriss Show