Driving Performance

What do Yale Law, Miss Universe, A-Rod, and a dual-ended mascara have in common? 

In Season 3, Episode 2 of Driving Performance, I hopped in the truck with Jeff Lee, CEO & Co-Founder of DIBS Beauty, to trace one of the wildest, most intentional career arcs I’ve ever seen – and how it all ladders up to building one of beauty’s fastest-growing brands.

We start with Stop 1: the personal story.

Jeff grew up the kid with a chip on his shoulder — bullied, deaf in one ear, raised by engineer-turned-entrepreneur parents who expected a lot. That mix of pressure + proof shaped how he sees work: you might not control the outcome, but you can out-prepare and out-execute everyone else.

Stop 2: the résumé that makes no sense… until it does.

Jeff is a Yale-trained M&A lawyer who walked away from a top firm, elbowed his way into the insanely insular Miss Universe world by… writing a blog, then ended up President & COO of A-Rod Corp, helping turn a Hall-of-Fame athlete into a media & business platform. His throughline: show up over-prepared, add real value, and don’t be afraid to be the outsider in the room.

Then we hit DIBS.

DIBS originally stood for “Desert Island Beauty Status” – the products you’d take if you could only pick a few. Now, depending on who you ask, it’s also “ditch the BS” or “do it better.” The obsession is the same: take the intimidation out of makeup with fun, multi-use, inclusive products. Their hero Desert Island Duo (blush on one side, bronzer on the other) is almost offensively simple… which is exactly the point. It solved a “common sense” problem the market had overlooked.

We got into creator vs. celebrity brands.

Jeff’s POV: creator-led brands win when the creator is in constant dialogue with their community and comfortable selling on camera. Celebrity brands can crush (think Rare, Haus Labs) but only when the involvement is real, not bolted-on. With Courtney Shields, DIBS had a founder-creator who genuinely lives in that day-to-day feedback loop – and it shows in product, content, and growth.

Speaking of growth:

Launched in 2021, DIBS quickly became one of the fastest-growing beauty brands, posting eye-popping YoY numbers and turning Ulta Beauty into its single biggest growth driver. Jeff talks a lot about “making your own luck” – but he’s also honest about timing, positioning, and the power of having a team that’s willing to do anything (including finance going to their local Ulta to support store expansion).

We closed with their “bet-big” moment:

The launch of DIBS Double Standard Mascara – a first-of-its-kind brown tubing primer + black volumizing mascara built around a simple idea: refuse to choose. One SKU that finally lets multi-hyphenates get length, volume, and wear in one go. It’s their first full-on omni launch with Ulta, rolling into all 1,400 stores, conscious beauty endcaps, travel sections… and yes, onto a fleet of trucks you’ll start seeing IRL.

If you’re into brand-building, creator-led beauty, or just love a “how is this all the same person?” career story, this one’s worth the ride. Link in comments!