Episode 160

From the Kitchen to Unilever: Jaime Schmidt’s Exit Story

This week on The Exit: Jaime’s journey into entrepreneurship began out of necessity. Dissatisfied with her corporate job, she left it all behind and began crafting products in her own kitchen. First it was Kombucha, then it was hot sauces. After finding out she was pregnant, Jaime’s focus shifted. She started creating skincare products for herself and her baby, eventually perfecting a natural deodorant recipe. She started selling her products at local markets, progressing to natural grocery chains. In just seven years, she secured placements in 30K major stores, reaching 30 countries and major retailers like Costco, Target, and Walmart. Then came an offer from Unilever. Tune in to discover how this exit unfolded, Jaime’s remarkable journey of scaling her products from her kitchen, and the lessons she’d apply if given the chance to rewrite her entrepreneurial story. 

Jaime Schmidt is the founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, a brand known for modernizing natural personal care products and bringing them to the mainstream market. Under Jaime’s leadership, Schmidt’s grew into a household name and after seven years was acquired by CPG giant Unilever. She is the author of Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, a personalized guide on how to put your business on the map, turning your passion into profit. Jaime is also an investor and co-owner at Color Capital,a fund that invests in consumer products and emerging technologies. She is cofounder of BFF, a brand and community that provides access and education in Web3 for women and other underrepresented groups. 


Schmidt’s Naturals: https://schmidts.com/

Supermaker: https://supermaker.com/book

Color Capital: https://www.color.capital/

BFF: https://www.mybff.com/ 

Flippa’s First Access: https://flippa.com/product/first-access

For a Free Flippa Business Valuation: flippa.com/freevaluation

YOUR HOST

Steve McGarry

An entrepreneur, content creator, and investor based in sunny Tampa, Florida. In 2015, while living in San Francisco, Steve sold his first fintech startup LendLayer to Max Levchin’s (founder of PayPal) consumer finance company Affirm.

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