True Religion Co-Founder: From $250K in Debt to $800M Fashion Empire - Kym Gold

Kym Gold is a visionary entrepreneur, co-founder of True Religion, the iconic denim brand that redefined premium jeans, and most recently, the founder of dumæ, a homeware line that blends her signature aesthetic with artisanal craftsmanship. As the co-founder of True Religion Jeans, Kym redefined fashion with her rockstar style, fearless vision and unwavering determination. Her entrepreneurial journey began at 18 on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, where she resold irregular clothing items, eventually leading her to launch several successful brands. Known for her transformative approach to business, Kym later co-founded True Religion, a brand that would become one of the biggest names in denim history. After selling the company for over $800 million, Kym focused on family and pursued new creative paths in filmmaking and interior design. A trailblazer and role model, she’s now channeling decades of business and design expertise into her luxury homeware brand, dumæ. In this week’s episode, Kym Gold shares her journey from dropping out of college to her early entrepreneurial ventures and the founding of True Religion. She reflects on the pressures of entrepreneurship, her unique upbringing as an identical triplet, and the sacrifices she made to build her brand, including living in debt and staying in hotels with her three children. Kym opens up about prioritizing passion over profit, choosing peace over millions when taking her company public, and her belief in resilience, self-care, and the power of community among women. As she launches dumæ, she discusses timeless business fundamentals, the art of hiring, and teamwork. This episode will leave you inspired to embrace change and pursue your passions, regardless of age or circumstances.  In this episode, we’ll talk to Kym about: * Enjoying the journey and being in the moment. [03:42] * How self-care alleviates pressure. [05:25] * Growing up as an identical triplet. [11:48] * Kym’s unique hustle, defying family expectations. [13:03] * From real estate license to selling garments and being a college dropout. [15:16] * Asking questions and not accepting "no" as an answer. [20:27] * Founding True Religion with $250K in debt and living with three kids in a hotel. [24:21] * Taking True Religion public. [32:22] * Leaving the company to prioritize peace of mind. [34:27] * Why family and legacy are more important than business. [37:46] * The inspiration behind dumæ. [41:31] * The challenges of starting dumæ. [44:18] * Kym’s lessons from hiring her team. [46:12] * Why organization is essential in life and business. [49:07] This episode is brought to you by Beeya: * If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle. * Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10 Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/ * Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Follow Kym: * Website: https://dumae.co/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dumaeofficial/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kym.gold/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.