If You're Not Messing Up or Leading a Truly Female-First Company, You're Not Trying Hard Enough At age 27, BIZ Experiences, founder and shoe designer Tamara Mellon left her post at British Vogue to co-found Jimmy Choo.

By Kathleen Griffith

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Tamara Mellon is the BIZ Experiences, founder and shoe designer, who launched the iconic brand Jimmy Choo at 27 years old. We spoke at length about what it was like to build Jimmy Choo then and what it's been like launching her eponymous shoe brand Tamara Mellon now.

You'll be surprised to learn that the woman who launched mega-success brands still wrestles with imposter syndrome. She took me through how she works through that in the video above. She also shared the inside scoop on how she took multiple risks with Tamara Mellon to get her vision right and come back bigger and better than ever.

"Life is messy," Mellon shared with me. "Everything we do is messy. You're always messing something up." Her ability to lean into the messiness of it all using tools like meditation have helped her to launch two incredible, female-first brands.

We also discussed how she advocates for women in business by keeping women front-of-mind in her majority-female company as well as why she only works with companies that have more than one woman on the board.

Watch the video above, in which Tamara Mellon shares how she leads with just as much style as a pair of her namesake shoes.

This video was produced by Kari Jones.

Kathleen Griffith

Founder, Build Like a Woman; Founder/CEO of Grayce & Co

Kathleen Griffith is founder of Build Like a Woman, and CEO of Grayce & Co, a marketing and media consultancy for Fortune 100 brands and media companies. Grayce aims to help those brands reach and engage the female consumer. Griffith is committed to advancing women through Grayce & Co Ventures, Cannes Lions SIBI and Build Like A Woman.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.

Business Solutions

Boost Team Productivity and Security With Windows 11 Pro, Now $15 for Life

Ideal for BIZ Experiencess and small-business owners who are looking to streamline their PC setup.