Couldn’t pay me to go back to being 20 for a day. It does feel hard sometimes having every single thing be looked at and picked apart. It has to be this number. [laughter] i will not go for less. Okay, haley, 2025 was a huge, huge year for you. ; was your first full year of motherhood. You sold your company.
Some people really thrive in moments of big change. Some people really struggle. Like, how is a big change period for you? I think it’s a lot of different things. I don’t think it’s all sunshine and rainbows. And i don’t think it’s all bad. I just think it’s you experience so many different emotions and so many different things.
selling my company in the first year of also having a child. It’s like there’s a lot of change happening at once. Becoming a mom is so far in my life the biggest change i’ve ever been through. I i feel like a lot of women would probably agree that the biggest identity shift that you go through ; in your life is becoming a parent, becoming a mom.
and to be going through that while also going through this insane business process is just it was really interesting for those two things to be going on um in parallel. I felt ; really stretched in a lot of ways. I just felt like this last year was a really big growth and learning year for me. And when i look back on it now being 29, turning 30 this year, i’m like, wouldn’t have changed a thing.
as many ups and downs as there was, as hard it as it was for me to do all these major things at one time, i really feel like it strengthened me in a lot of ways. ; let’s talk about the acquisition for a second. M road was only out for 3 years. You had 10 products which for a beauty brand is not a lot of products for this like big acquisition moment and the deal was for up to a billion dollars.
; that was the number that you had in your mind. Why? ; i’m somebody who really believes in like what you say out loud, you know, is very important. Our words are important. The the kind of manifestations we put out there into the world are very important. So from a very early on conversation when we were just kind of like hey what would it look like? What would we want the number to be? I was like it has to be this number.
[laughter] i will not go for less. Like that is just it was a goal. So that was the you know that was the line i drew in the sand and the goal that i set. ; your potential customers in the eu have really been clamoring. I’ve seen the reddit threads. [laughter] ; when is road coming to sephora eu? Can we make some news today? So, we are launching in sephora eu in the fall.
; okay. ; i’m allowed to say the fall. ; okay. Amazing. ; we’re taking it a territory at a time. ; yeah. ; um, ; but that’s a big one. ; but i am eu is huge. ; yeah. The eu is huge and i am eager. You know, south america is another really important one to me. My mom’s from ; yeah. So, like ; being able to do that will be another it’s another big goal of mine.
speaking of goals to to be able to be in all these places, ; i was reading a story in vogue. It said when road launched the product was better than anyone expected. ; mhm. ; which just sort of struck me because okay. So, you’re saying that the expectations were low. Did you feel like you had an uphill battle to climb and proving that you could really deliver? So, i understood that there was definitely a lot of siding of, oh, here we go again. Here’s another brand.
why should people buy my skincare? Why should people trust it? So, i went into it knowing that that was there was a lot of that question mark around it. And that’s why i brought people so in on the process. I documented everything. I am such a skincare like fanatic and nerd. Like i wanted to show people that so that they understood that ; i’m really about it, you know, and i’m not somebody who’s just going to sit here and try to pedal you a product cuz i don’t think that’s necessary.
we focus on inviting you into this whole entire world that really fits into your lifestyle and i think that goes so far beyond skincare. I think how does it make you feel? I wanted to invoke feeling um around the brand. I think that’s such a good point and young consumers i think they don’t they don’t just want to buy a product they want to buy into or opt into a world they really want to support brands that i think align with their own values and their worldview ; what would you say are roads values in 2026 and how do they overlap with your
Own ; i do think that the accessibility and the inclusivity were two things that were really really important to me because i want road to be for everyone. I never want it to feel like ; it’s not for somebody because i really believe that skincare is for everyone. And listen, i i know when brands kind of when they get really hyped, it can feel kind of like it’s this like club that you don’t get to be a part of.
and that’s never been intentional with road. Like when we’ve sold out of things and stuff, it’s not to make it inaccessible. That’s actually always like panicked me because i’m like i i always want people to be able to have access to it. I want to continue to take feedback and make the brand better.
that’s what i think having a great brand is is you listen to your customer and you listen to your consumer and say, “okay, maybe this is not maybe it works for me, but i need it to work ; for everyone. I need it to work for you.” ; can you share an example of some feedback that you received and you thought that’s actually really smart? We should make that change.
; we had a formulation issue with our peptide lip treatment and it had like this grainy texture ; texture, right? ; you know, and when that happened, i was like i was distraught. I was like, “this happened right when we,” it was in the beginning of the brand, too. And our lip treatments were our hero in the start.
There was so much feedback of that and then people being like, “i’m putting my road in hot water to like melt the graininess.” i’m like, “this is ridiculous.” like, we cannot have people because i think what makes me the most upset is i would never want somebody to spend their own hard-earned money on something that becomes not worth it for them.
to your point about inclusivity, i think price point is obviously relevant to that topic. Yeah. ; and road like on the scale of skincare is pretty inexpensive. ; yeah. ; what’s your philosophy on pricing? And do you feel like there’s an upper limit, a dollar amount that you would say like i would never want to make a product and sell it for more than x amount? ; it really doesn’t take much for a great skinincare product to be great.
it doesn’t have to be $200. I end up reaching for the less expensive thing a lot of the time more than i would reach for, you know, i tried it all. I was like, i’m going to get the $150 serum and like i let me find the most expensive thing that i can find and see if it really is like that much more crazy of a product.
and and i will say there are products out there that i’ve tried where i’m like, “yeah, i see why this is like ; like name one.” i think that the company plated is very innovative um with their technology with the exoomes i think is very interesting but that is like very scientific and very different than you know what we’re doing at road we’re trying to make solid everyday staple skin care products but i’m also really inspired by the really scientific brands too because it makes me want to push ourselves too well while doing something that is that innovative
And scientific specific and still making it accessible because i believe you can. I really do believe you can. ; i want to talk about what it’s like to have your appearance be connected to your profession. ; you’re a skin care brand founder. You have famously nice skin. Like what is it like if you wake up one day on a big event day and you have like a rash or a breakout or something like that? ; i think people find that really refreshing.
i’ve always been really open about like i get peroral dermatitis pretty bad. My appearance being tied to it, it kind of forces you to have to be like just embrace every part of it. You know what i mean? ; um ; and that’s something look like genetically i’ve not really ever struggled with acne. So i’m not going to sit there and try to pretend like i know what it’s like for somebody who struggled with cystic acne because that was never my experience.
sure, i can speak to when i have like a pimple here or there and how i might treat it and what i might do, but that might not make somebody feel good who’s dealt with cystic hormonal acne their entire life, ; right? ; um, but i always when people ask me, hey, what do you think about what do you do for breakouts or what would you recommend to somebody who has really bad acne? I’m the first person to say you should probably see a dermatologist or like talk to your doctor because a lot of the time what you’re putting on it
Topically can only do so much and what it what it can really do. ; growing up, were there women that you saw and compared yourself to? ; yeah. All the time. I think being young and like entering into the modeling industry, you’re constantly looking at other women and comparing your body, comparing your looks.
i always see those quotes that say something along the lines of like comparison is like the thief of like joy. Yeah. And i and i really do resonate with that because i do think individuality is so sexy and so cool and so important. As i’ve gotten older, i feel so much more settled in who i am and i know what i bring to the table.
and you know, my confidence has changed a lot and a lot more too after becoming a mom. Some days are better than others and we might have a day where we feel like nobody can touch me today and then the next day be like i feel literally miserable and this person seems like they have their together. Sorry, can i say that? This person seems like they have their together and today it feels like i don’t have anything figured out and together.
So, i just think it’s a constant journey having sunken into myself a lot more. Like i really have enjoyed getting older. Like i’m so excited to be in my 30s. I’m excited to turn 30. I think when you’re younger that sounds old and it sounds daunting. Like when i was 19 i was like 30 that’s embarrassing.
and now i’m 29 and i’m like 19 was so embarrassing it’s not even funny. Couldn’t pay me to go back to being 20 for a day. Like there’s nothing there for me. Not interested. Can’t wait to turn 30 and continue to like see what’s in store because it really only has gotten more enjoyable and just felt so much better.
but of course, when i was young, there was other women that i would see that i was like, man, if like if i just had her size waist or if i just looked a little bit more like that or if i talked a little bit more like that. I think we all go through that, though. I hear you talk about the inclusivity piece and i hear you being very thoughtful about this.
it’s also like you’re haley bieber, you know, and you’re selling this skincare line and you’re using your image and i’m sure that there are young people out there who look at it and they’re like, i i want that like they’re comparing themselves to you. ; yeah. ; how what do you say to those young people who might be kind of having that bad day feeling because they’re looking at an image of you? ; what i say is that i go through it too.
You know, it may not be for the same reason or under the same circumstances, but it’s something that i can definitely relate to and i can definitely understand. And it’s why i talk so much about embracing individuality because i think ; you’re the only you that is on this entire planet. And that’s valuable.
Being yourself is cool and being an individual is cool. And i think women have just like this beautiful intuition and knowing and understanding. And i think that continues to become deeper as you get older and you know yourself more and you find yourself more. And that’s something that i would tell young people and i would go back also and tell myself that if you continue to listen to that and continue to hone in on that and follow it even when it maybe doesn’t feel right.
It’s going to get you exactly where you were always supposed to go. ; you’ve been famous for a long time. You have been famous for, you know, the family that you came from, the person that you married now as a founder and a businesswoman and your own right. Like i’m curious if it ever feels harmful or beneficial, like both sides of the coin, to have all of that history kind of be out there and have to have people know your story in that way.
i just think being in this position in general, there’s a lot of judgment, ; you know, and i think that ; when when you’re trying to figure out who you are on such a big scale in front of so many different people, it feels really restricting to be able to like make really normal mistakes or like do the wrong thing or say the wrong thing and not be able to just naturally grow out of things and like grow in front of people and ; yeah.
and have that constantly be looked at in in a microscope. I’m really uncomfortable a lot of the time in interviews because i find that my words get twisted or, you know, things get totally misconstrued and and then it makes me want to like close off and not be open with people. And i’ve obviously am in a position where i want to share my life and i want to be able to be myself and be open and be exactly who i am.
it just i i think it does feel hard sometimes. Um having every single thing be looked at and picked apart. And people kind of like they create a story for you. And it can feel really uncomfortable and bizarre sometimes cuz i’m like it it’s just not even real when people have made up their mind about something and about you. They don’t care what the truth is.
They just enjoy believing what they believe, ; right? Um, so trying to, you know, i’m like want to defend myself and i want to tell the truth because that’s not really what happened and this is what really happened. Everybody’s like, “okay, we don’t care. That’s not the dramatic version. Like we want this version.
” so there’s only so much i think you can do and say to a point where you have to just kind of be like, i need to live my life and continue to move forward regardless of people have something to say every single day. Like it does not ever change and it doesn’t it’ll just be something new or different that they’re saying.
how do i want to like move in this life and tell my story in a way that really just feels like comfortable for me? ; looking back on your 20s, what are the most important lessons that you learned about life? ; i’m always somebody who’s actually been really blunt and really honest, but like not super confrontational and not very good at like setting boundaries.
and i think ; you identified as a people pleaser for a long time. ; still do. Still do like still struggle with people pleasing. Not sure that i’ll ever just be able to, ; you know, clip flip a switch and it be done. You know, ; the last 10 years of my life has really taught me how important it is to be vocal about ; what you want, what you don’t want, what’s comfortable for you, what’s not.
And then being a mom really like really just sent it over the edge for me because when i had my son, it became crucial to me to be able to have him see both of his parents say, “no, we’re not okay with this.” i spent so much time with people asking like, “oh, like how are you doing?” “yeah, i’m good. I’m fine.
” and not really being good and not really being fine. I realized getting older i i became so much more connected to people that i cared about and loved by just being like, “you know what? Actually having a really hard time with this. And ; i was like, “oh, wow. Vulnerability is really cool because it ; actually really connects you to people.
” and it really has only changed all my relationships for the better. It has made me a better businesswoman. It has made me a better communicator. It has made me a better friend, a better mom, a better partner. All of the above. ; when do you feel most seen and understood? When i feel like somebody is genuinely relating to my pain.
obviously, i’ll use like my partner as an example, my husband. Like when we both can identify that something like hurts in the same way and be like, “man, i really understand that because like i’ve been through that and i know how that feels and i know how hurtful that can be.” and to just like again like connection like be connected over that.
i think that makes me feel really seen. Like understanding makes me feel really seen. Like, hey, i really feel you on that and i really understand. I’m sorry that that’s the way that that feels. I’m sorry that you went through that today. To be understood, i think is like to be known. And i think why that’s so important to me is because i feel so misunderstood so much from an outside perspective.
i get very misunderstood so often. So then being understood makes me feel very seen. Do you think justin understands you the most of anybody? ; i would say so. ; yeah, ; that means you married the right person. ; yeah, i i think so. ; do you think you’re going to start another business? ; i think i’d like to eventually. Yeah, i’m not going anywhere with road.
i am here and here to stay. Like i and that was another thing that was really important to me with being with elf is that you know you hear a lot of stories that founders they sell their business and they get pushed out or they leave or they kind of just you know get a payday and they decide to move on.
and i was like that’s absolutely not what i want. I want to be here forever. I want to be in i’m so ingrained in this brand. I could never imagine not being so intricately woven into it, but i definitely have other aspirations and things that i’m inspired by and that i’m thinking of. ; do you want to tease anything? [laughter] ; there’s nothing to tease yet.
and that’s me being super honest. Like, i’m tinkering with ideas and i have thoughts and inspirations and things that i i would love to see come to life. I don’t have anything really yet. ; secret file in the office that we can dig. In the office. It’s just ; just kind of like little brain ideas that i’m thinking about.
i’m an entrepreneur at the end of the day. I want to expand in in business and i want to be able to do more things, but i’m definitely not in a rush. If i was giving you a short answer like yes, there is ; some more that i’d like to do outside of outside of road. ; i’m excited to see what it is eventually. ; thank you. Thank you.
Inside the Secret Strategy Behind Hailey Bieber’s Billion-Dollar Business and Her Plans for the Future
The Billion-Dollar Paradox: Hailey Bieber’s Unvarnished Truth
For most of the world, Hailey Bieber exists as a polished image—a carefully curated feed of skincare gloss, high-fashion campaigns, and the relentless glow of global superstardom. But behind the veneer of the billion-dollar brand, the red carpets, and the constant flash of cameras, there is a woman navigating a transition more profound than any business deal. As she approaches the milestone of turning thirty, Bieber is finally pulling back the curtain on the identity crisis that defined her recent years, the harsh reality of being “picked apart” by the public, and why she wouldn’t trade a single moment of the struggle for the world.
To understand the woman behind the brand, one must first look at the year 2025—a period she describes as both a professional zenith and a personal firestorm. It was the year she became a mother, a shift she identifies as the most significant identity transformation of her life, while simultaneously shepherding her skincare line, Rhode, through a high-stakes acquisition deal reaching the billion-dollar mark.
“I don’t think it’s all sunshine and rainbows,” Bieber admits, her voice softening as she reflects on the collision of these two massive worlds. “Becoming a mom is the biggest change I’ve ever been through. To be going through that while also going through this insane business process… I felt really stretched in a lot of ways.”
Yet, it is precisely this “stretching” that has forged a new version of the entrepreneur. There is a sense of finality in her tone when she discusses her twenties. Gone is the girl who was anxious about the perception of her age; in her place is a woman who finds the prospect of her thirties not just acceptable, but exciting. “Couldn’t pay me to go back to being 20 for a day,” she says, laughing.
The Billion-Dollar Line in the Sand
The business world is often painted with the broad strokes of quarterly earnings and market saturation. For Bieber, the Rhode acquisition was rooted in something far more metaphysical: the power of spoken intention. When she and her team first began discussing potential valuations, she refused to entertain the idea of settling.
“I’m somebody who really believes that what you say out loud is very important,” she explains. “Our words are important. The kind of manifestations we put out there into the world are very important.” When the number was discussed, she drew a hard line in the sand. It was to be a specific, massive figure, or the deal simply would not happen. It wasn’t just arrogance; it was the manifestation of a goal she had set for herself since the brand’s inception.
But beyond the numbers, there is the ongoing struggle of consumer trust. When Rhode first launched, critics were quick to ask the inevitable question: Why does the world need another celebrity brand? Bieber didn’t shy away from that skepticism. Instead, she invited the doubters into the lab.
“I understood there was definitely a lot of ‘oh here we go again,'” she notes. Her strategy was radical transparency—documenting the entire process, sharing the grit of formulation, and, most importantly, listening when things went wrong. She recalls the “grainy texture” fiasco with her early peptide lip treatments—a moment that caused her genuine distress. When fans began suggesting they heat the product to fix it, her reaction wasn’t defensive; it was empathetic. “I was distraught. I would never want somebody to spend their hard-earned money on something that becomes not worth it for them.”
This leads to a crucial moment of reflection in our journey through her philosophy. What would you have done in this situation? Would you have prioritized the bottom line, or would you have pivoted to accommodate the feedback of your most loyal fans, even at the cost of your pride?
The Myth of Perfection and the “Comparison Thief”
One cannot talk about Bieber without discussing the weight of her appearance. As the face of a skincare brand, her skin is expected to be flawless, a standard she knows is both unrealistic and exhausting. She is refreshingly candid about her struggles with perioral dermatitis and admits that while she hasn’t dealt with cystic acne, she knows the toll that skin issues can take on a person’s self-esteem.
“My appearance being tied to my profession, it kind of forces you to have to just embrace every part of it,” she says. Growing up in the modeling industry, she was no stranger to the toxic cycle of comparison. She describes seeing women and wishing she had their waist, their look, or their mannerisms—a trap she recognizes as the “thief of joy.”
This brings us to the central irony of her current life: while she promotes a standard of beauty that many strive for, she is constantly telling her younger followers to look inward. “Individuality is so sexy and so cool,” she insists. When she sees young people comparing themselves to her online, her advice is simple yet difficult: You are the only you on this planet.
The High Cost of Visibility
Being “known” is a double-edged sword. Bieber acknowledges that throughout her life—from the family name she carried to the person she eventually married—she has been subjected to a level of public narrative control that feels, at times, “bizarre.”
“It feels really restricting to be able to make normal mistakes,” she says, her frustration palpable. “People create a story for you. And it can feel really uncomfortable when people have made up their mind about something and about you; they don’t care what the truth is.”
This is the “open loop” that has defined her public persona. The tabloids have a version of Hailey Bieber; the business world has another. But the woman herself—the one who is still working through the trauma of public judgment—is often lost in the noise. She admits that she feels deeply misunderstood, which is precisely why she values connection so highly. When she finds someone who truly understands her pain—often her husband, who shares the unique burden of global scrutiny—she feels seen.
“To be understood is to be known,” she says. “And I think why that’s so important to me is because I feel so misunderstood so much from an outside perspective.”
The Future Beyond the Bottle
So, what is next? With Rhode firmly established as a titan in the beauty industry, there is speculation about her next move. Will she pivot to fashion? Wellness? Technology? While she keeps the specifics under lock and key, she is clear about one thing: she isn’t going anywhere.
The fear of the “exit”—the narrative where a founder takes the payday and vanishes—is not her story. She is intricately woven into the fabric of Rhode, and she intends to keep it that way. But the entrepreneurial itch is undeniable. She speaks of a “secret file” in her office, filled with brain ideas and inspirations that are currently waiting for their moment.
As we wrap up our look into the life of one of the world’s most scrutinized businesswomen, it is clear that Bieber is no longer playing by anyone else’s rules. She has shed the skin of the people-pleaser, embraced the vulnerability of motherhood, and turned the judgment of the public into the fuel for her next chapter.
She has learned that boundaries are not barriers, but rather the foundation upon which true success is built. Being vocal about what you want, what you don’t want, and what is comfortable for you has been her greatest lesson of the last decade. It has made her a better friend, a better partner, and, most importantly, a person who finally knows exactly who she is.
The world may continue to write stories about her, but Hailey Bieber is busy writing her own. The question remains: as she moves toward the next decade, will she continue to defy the expectations of the masses, or will the weight of that billion-dollar brand eventually force her into the mold others have carved for her?
What do you think is next for Hailey Bieber, and how would you handle the pressure of having every move you make analyzed by millions? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
The path she has carved is proof that true power isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being undeniably, unapologetically yourself, even when the world is watching your every move. Success, as she has discovered, isn’t about the final number on a contract; it’s about the freedom to walk into the future without looking back.
