Kendra Scott is much more than a jewelry designer — she’s a founder, philanthropist and visionary leader who launched her business in 2002, turning a $500 side hustle into the billion-dollar lifestyle empire it is today. With more than 3,200 employees and over 150 stores and pop-ups nationwide, she’s built a brand rooted in beautiful design and heartfelt values. Since 2010, her Austin, Texas-based company has donated more than $70 million to causes around the world.

Scott was a keynote speaker at ICSC LAS VEGAS, where she shared her personal journey in a conversation with ICSC COO Whitney Livingston. Here are seven takeaways from their discussion, offering insight into the grit, grace and determination that have shaped her path to success.

She Started Her First Business, a Hat Shop, at Age 19

“I took a temporary leave from college to do it. I started it really because of my stepfather, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. I wanted to create headwear that was both comfortable and stylish for people experiencing hair loss.”

It Didn’t Succeed, but It Sparked Her Next Venture

“Most people just don’t wear hats. I ran that shop seven days a week, open to close, for five years — barely making enough to get by, selling maybe a hat or two a day. I couldn’t afford help. Eventually, I had to shut it down. It was heartbreaking. I’d lost my stepfather, the business and I didn’t even have a college degree. It was a real low point. But my stepfather always said: ‘For every hard thing in your life there is a reason for [the] pain. You just have to stay open to what will come ahead.’ And what came ahead was that I sold jewelry in that hat store, and my customers would call me after I closed it, not for the hat, but for the jewelry. And that became my side hustle.”

What Did Work: Selling Her Jewelry Door-to-Door With a Baby in Tow

“I started selling jewelry [in 2002] when my son was three months old. I didn’t even have a real jewelry case, just a tea box, and I’d carry him in one of those little baby carriers, going door to door to boutiques in Austin. The first boutique I went into, they turned me away. I remember getting in the car and putting Cade in his car seat and being like: ‘This is so dumb. Why am I even trying to do this?’ But he was in a really great mood that day, so I thought: ’Let’s try another.’

“I’m glad I started my business in Texas because southern hospitality is everything. Turns out if you take a baby on a sales call in Texas, it’s a good thing. That’s a secret. The next store was like: ‘Oh honey, give me that baby. What do you have in that box?’ Then the next wrote a big order. That gave me the courage to go to the next door and the next door.”

In the Face of a Recession, Scott Doubled Down on Her Dream

“When you think about the trajectory of my business, it started in 2002 as a strictly B2B model. After the hat shop, I told myself: ’I’m never going into retail again.’ Retail was scary stuff (says the woman with 152 retail stores today). Back then, I was focused on selling to boutiques and department stores. I was growing, but not by leaps and bounds. I could take care of my children and cover what I needed, but many times I wasn’t even paying myself. “Then came the Great Recession in 2008. I had no credit, no investors willing to back me and I had to make a tough decision. What was I going to do in that moment? I realized that all the eggs of my business were in one basket. I was relying on department store buyers and boutique owners, many of whom were shuttering their doors daily. They held all the power. And I didn’t have a relationship with the most important person: my customer.

[That year] forced me to rethink everything. I knew I had to go direct to consumer. We completely shifted our model. When you look at the growth of Kendra Scott — from opening our first retail store in Austin in 2010 to where we are today — that was the lightning in a bottle. It’s when we can personally touch the customer and give her that experience that’s different than any other retailer.”

Giving Back Was Never an Afterthought

“From day one I said if somebody called and needed a necklace or a pair of earrings for a silent auction, I won’t turn them away. In [those early days] I couldn’t write big checks, but I could make a necklace. Giving back was my North Star and it still is for us. We measure our success on what we can give back.

“I can’t tell you how many people told me that that model would not work, that I was absolutely going to have a failed business by giving all of this away. And here we are as one of the shining examples of retail that is working.”

Why Her Stores Feel Like Home

“You’ve got to be disruptive. I wake up every day and I’m never complacent. We always think about how we’re going to surprise and delight our customer. What are we going to do that absolutely blows their minds, gets them excited about the experience, about the product?

“I shop every single retailer. I’m on their websites. I’m looking at what they’re doing, and I want to absolutely kick their ass. I’m real nice, but I’m a tough competitor. I want my customers to have the best products, the best experience. When I started, I competed with the jewelry-shopping experience. [Typically,] everything was under a case. It was very judgy. You’d come in workout clothes and [the salespeople would] barely take it out. It was an awful experience.

“I remember thinking: ‘I want to take all that away.’ I want people to pick [pieces] up, try them out. I want fun activities in the store. I want cookies, champagne, lemonade and cupcakes in the store. I want [customers] to feel like they just entered my home. I want them to know they’re welcome, even if they don’t buy something.

“Creating the experience I couldn’t find is what set us apart, and still does. It’s a gift when someone walks into a store today. We need to thank them for taking time out of their very active, busy schedules.”

Growing the Brand’s Reach Without Compromise: Kendra Scott at Target

“Ninety percent of the people shopping our collection at Target are new to the Kendra Scott brand, so it’s a way to reach a broader audience. The collection is unique, designed exclusively for Target, and you can’t find these pieces in our retail stores or with any of our other partners. There’s a clear separation between what’s offered at Target and what’s available elsewhere. At the same time, it’s a powerful way to make our brand more accessible, which has been really important to me from day one. Now, we’re in over 200 Target stores across the country.”

Disruption as Her Winning Strategy

“If you’re doing what somebody else is doing, you’ve already failed. No matter what your idea is, if it’s cookies or if it’s jewelry, you have to figure out: ‘How can I be disruptive in this category? How can I do something that’s going to shake things up?’”

FROM ICSC’S COMMERCE + COMMUNITIES TODAY: Jewelry Mogul Kendra Scott Emphasizes “Connection Before Transaction”