There have been countless inspiring stories from the fifth annual Women in Retail Leadership Summit (WIRLS), but one that truly sticks out was the presentation given by Jessica Herrin, CEO and Founder of Stella & Dot, a jewelry company that has recently expanded into skincare with Ever Skincare. Herrin founded Stella & Dot in 2013, finding the white space for today’s accessible jewelry. In the five years since its launch, Stella & Dot has grown to nearly $500 million in incremental revenue to date.

The story of Stella & Dot is truly one of a kind, but it was Herrin’s personal story that captivated the WIRLS audience. She was raised by a single dad who taught her that if she didn’t have the answers, she needed to find them.

Herrin’s career started in technology, but after realizing her passion for entrepreneurship (and jewelry), she switched gears.

“Businesses are about people,” Herrin said. “Believe in a mission, then go find an expert that’s far more informed on this mission.”

When asked about lessons learned in hindsight, Herrin advised the audience to not dwell on failures. “Don’t lament your mistakes; it’s futile. My brain doesn’t think of the mistakes in the moment. I’m always looking forward, never looking back.”

To close, Herrin shared some words of wisdom on hiring. “My goal is sharing passion with other people. Our team is very motivated by the stories of our independent business owners. The people at Stella & Dot rely on hearing the stories of the impact of their work. You need to hire for culture fit. The best hires are people that share your core values. It’s not the resume; I believe in their core beliefs.”

These are just a few of the amazing tidbits shared during Herrin’s phenomenal WIRLS session. Stay tuned for more on Herrin’s session as well as other WIRLS content in the coming weeks!