HOUSTON — In the quiet moments before the doors opened for the first stop on her book tour, Kendra Scott – billionaire businesswoman, jewelry designer and philanthropist – admitted to feeling a lot of emotions.
"It's so exciting and scary at the same time because it was such a process," Scott shared.
It’s no coincidence she picked Houston to introduce her fans to Born to Shine, a memoir all about how she grew her jewelry company and the lessons she learned along the way as a woman, an entrepreneur, and as a mom.
"I came to Houston when I was 16 years old. I graduated from Klein High School, so this is part of my DNA, the city, the people here I love so much," Scott said. "It was my first introduction to Texas, where it became my forever home."
Houston was Scott’s first home in Texas, but Austin is where she built her jewelry empire. It was a challenging and sometimes painful journey that she details in her memoir, including the failure of her first retail venture, The Hat Box.
"I needed that experience to be able to build the successful company I have today," Scott said. "So when we're going through those moments, it's really hard. But I promise on the other side of it, it's your bridge to get you to the next most amazing place you're headed."
That's a lesson she learned the hard way, one of so many she hopes readers will take from reading her book.
"I believe that all of us have (an) innate and immense value," Scott said. That we were put on this earth for a reason. We are all born to shine."