The founder who turned $30,000 in life savings into a beauty empire 2/10/26

The CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast features candid conversations with leaders shaping business and culture. In this episode, CNBC's Julia Boorstin sits down with Cassandra Morales Thurswell, founder and CEO Kitsch.

Thurswell shares how she turned $30,000 in life savings into a global beauty brand without venture capital or outside investors. She discusses trusting her gut instincts over data and market research, why she deliberately avoided seeking advice from mentors and advisors early on, how she learned business skills through unconventional jobs, and why being underestimated as a young female founder became her advantage.

She also opens up about the pressure and judgment that comes with being a woman building a business, how she's using AI to transform product development and customer engagement, her philosophy on staying true to your own vision rather than following conventional wisdom, and her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs who don't fit the traditional founder mold.

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