Ep 188 | Annie Lawless

Written By Yasmin Nouri

Letting Go of the Life You Planned & Stepping Into the Life You Dreamed

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Annie Lawless is a serial entrepreneur known for co-founding Suja Juice and, more recently, Lawless Beauty, a clean beauty brand. Throughout her ventures, Annie has consistently prioritized natural, clean ingredients stemming from her  personal experience with autoimmune diseases. 

Driven by her passion for nutrition and overall health, Annie co-founded Suja Juice, which grew into one of the largest organic cold-pressed juice companies. Eventually, they sold a minority stake to Coca-Cola and, in 2021, the company was acquired by a private equity firm.

After leaving Suja Juice, Annie's health conditions led her to search for clean beauty products  only to find that what was available simply did not provide the full-pigmentation, long-lasting performance she was looking for. Inspired by this gap in the market and the community feedback on her beauty blog BLAWNDE, Annie created Lawless Beauty—a makeup brand that is both high-performing and cruelty-free.

In our episode, Annie shares the various pivots in her journey, including dropping out of law school and teaching at a yoga studio, leading up to starting her first business. She provides insights into the growth of Suja Juice, from hand making juices in her kitchen to scaling the business into a nationwide brand. Annie emphasizes the importance of following one's passions and highlights that both of her businesses started as passion projects, thriving because she genuinely aligned with their purpose. Annie also reminds us of the significance of focusing on joy, nurturing our passions, staying true to our unique experiences and paths, and much more.

Show Notes:

  • You don’t need a business plan to start a business. [03:03]

  • Understanding herself and the world; studying philosophy, and finding her purpose. [05:57]

  • Entering law school, soul-searching, and self-discovery. [10:32]

  • Having anxiety and withdrawing from law school. [15:13]                                  

  • Venturing into teaching yoga and opening her first business. [17:24]

  • The thoughts of Annie’s parents on her career decisions, and her loyalty to her own aspirations. [20:07]

  • The inspiration behind her first business, Suja Juice, that started off as a fun passion project. [22:58]

  • The pivotal moments for Suja Juice that propelled them to the next level of success. [26:58]

  • Biggest learnings Annie had throughout the journey of building her first brand. [30:55]

  • How Annie thought about the next phase of her life when she left her first business. [37:16]

  • Inspiration behind Lawless Beauty, starting as a passion project and gradually evolved into something bigger than she ever expected. [41:13]

  • Greater success lies in finding happiness and channeling one's energy into love and passion. [51:25]

  • How Annie stays centered and maintains joy in her life even throughout the ups and downs of life. [52:39]

  • Importance of creating a positive company culture and fostering trust within the team. [54:43]

  • Annie's advice on embracing the unknown and the power we all have to create a better life for ourselves. [58:36]

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Ep 189 | Dr. Deanna Minich
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Ep 187 | Dr. Afrouz Demeri