Anastasia Soare fired her daughter for chronic lateness, forcing her to get another job and learn financial independence the hard way. This tough-love approach taught her daughter the importance of professional standards, leading to her successful return as a highly dedicated employee.
Despite immense financial success, Anastasia Soare maintains the same work ethic she had when starting out. She intentionally ignores her wealth and works with the urgency of a new venture, believing this relentless drive is essential for sustained passion and success in entrepreneurship.
Before social media, Anastasia Soare's primary marketing strategy was perfecting her craft on every single client, regardless of their status. She knew that exceptional, consistent results would turn each person into a walking advertisement, generating powerful word-of-mouth referrals that built her initial brand.
Facing the immigrant's 'catch-22' of needing credit history to get a card, Anastasia Soare convinced a bank manager to give her a $500 credit line by pointing to her $2,000 in savings and promising long-term loyalty. This creative persistence built her initial financial foundation in the U.S.
When a landlord refused to rent her a space that had been vacant for two years, Anastasia Soare successfully negotiated by offering a six-month trial period. She framed it as a no-lose situation for the owner, demonstrating persistence and creative deal-making to overcome her lack of a track record.
To work more efficiently, Anastasia Soare invented the first dual-ended brow brush with a spoolie but didn't know it was patentable. Now a market standard copied by countless brands, this missed opportunity serves as a key lesson for founders: hire a smart lawyer early to protect all product innovations.
Despite a $3B valuation with a PE firm, Anastasia Soare believes she should have sold her company to a strategic buyer (e.g., a cosmetics conglomerate) when it was valued at $1B. Strategic buyers offer existing infrastructure and operational expertise that PE firms often lack, which she needed for international expansion.