JO HORGAN - MECCA

ON HOW SHE BUILT A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BEAUTY EMPIRE BY BECOMING FRIENDS WITH REJECTION

Jo Horgan is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs – she is the founder and driving force behind multimillion-dollar beauty giant MECCA.

At 27, Jo had the idea to create a new beauty concept in Australia, and against all odds (she had no retail experience, no distribution experience and only 4 years’ in beauty), she succeeded in getting some of the world’s biggest brands to buy into her vision. We're talking NARS, Stila and Smashbox - all these brands signed with Jo before she even had a store.

22 years on MECCA has emerged as the global leader in beauty innovation.

This is a very candid interview, because - full disclosure - Anna used to work with Jo at MECCA. Get ready to take a peek behind the curtain into the psyche of one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs.

We covered in this chat:

  • How being persistent and unrelenting got brands like NARS on board in the beginning

  • The unique way Jo deals with rejection, and uses it to her advantage

  • How ‘fake it til you make it’ still applies, despite the fact she’s achieved incredible levels of success

  • Her top tip for bringing a deal to a close

  • The key drivers of MECCA’s growth over the last 10 years

  • How Direct-to-Consumer brands are revolutionising the beauty industry

  • How to build a good reputation, and keep it

THE BITS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

“I made it a daily sport to see how many times I could be ignored. I think I win the record for the number of times a call goes unanswered.”
— On how she got the first brands on board.
“I make everything into a sport. I tell myself I AM going to find a way. It may kill you or me in the process, but I’m hoping one of us will break prior, and I’m hoping it will be you.”
— On adopting a competitive mentality to deal with rejection.
“We’re a business that’s built on commercial acumen, genuine interest in the customer, and a good gut on where to take that and how to drive it.”
— On the magic formula: customer + commercials + a good gut instinct

Learn more:  

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