Lilit Caradanian is the founder and CEO of Elcie Cosmetics, an award-winning cosmetics brand, and Elcientials, a simplified, clean skincare brand. Lilit had regular 9-to-5 jobs, but she secretly pursued her love for makeup on the side and never thought it could be a real career option. Everything changed when Lilit got laid off from her "dream job" at Disney. It was a wake-up call for her, and she finally decided to follow her passion and open her own makeup studio. Surprisingly, within just a year, her studio became the top makeup school in Los Angeles. Feeling empowered by her success, Lilit took a big financial risk, self-funded and launched her own cosmetics line called Elcie Cosmetics. It didn't take off right away, but things changed when one of her foundation products went viral. She won the Cosmopolitan Foundation of the Year Award in 2016, and that completely changed the game for her brand, turning it into a multi-million dollar business. From the success of Elicie Cosmetics, Lilit recently decided to launch her own skincare line called Elcientials last year.  In our conversation with Lilit, she reveals the key role social media played in raising awareness for her brand over the years. She also opens up about her relationship with social media, why she decided to delete her Instagram with over 1 million followers and how it directly impacted her business. We also talk about how she’s thought about risk throughout her journey when it came to side hustles and starting her business, especially as the primary breadwinner in her family, and so much more. * Growing up with limited economic resources and how it’s shaped Lilit's character. [04:20] * What sparked Lilit’s interest in makeup. [09:17]* Getting her “dream job” in Disney as the procurement finance role. [14:23]* Lilit's perspective on being laid off from her job. [15:33]* Supporting her family while facing the loss of her full-time job. [18:40]* The parent’s initial reaction on her passion. [25:28]* Lilit's relationship with social media in the past and how it has evolved over the course of 10 years. [27:22]* Becoming consumed by social media and reassessing the meaning of influence. [29:11]* Deleting her Instagram account despite having millions of followers. [30:30]* The journey of launching a skincare brand. [39:13] 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/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Follow Lilit: * Elcie Cosmetics Website: https://elciecosmetics.com/ * Elcie Cosmetics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elciecosmetics/* Elcientials Website: https://elcientials.com/* Elcientials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elcientials/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.