Once solely a stylist and salon owner, Carolyn Aronson worked tirelessly to achieve her dreams and beyond. It's a 10 Haircare was founded in 2005, and Aronson announced full company ownership in 2017 after buying her partner’s stake. From its inception, It’s A 10 Haircare was born out of Aronson’s vision of a product for everyone that delivered full, salon-quality results in just one bottle. She began with a star product, Miracle Leave-In, and the line quickly rose to fame through pro hair stylists who shared the cult-favorite product with their clients. Since then, over 10 million bottles of Miracle Leave-In have been sold annually.

It’s a 10 started entering international markets just three years ago and is now sold in 100+ countries. The brand’s international sales were up 80% year over year, representing 10% of its overall sales and expecting triple-digit growth in this market this year.

She has transformed her success with It’s a 10 Haircare into It’s a 10 Enterprises, a globally recognized name in the beauty industry and beyond. The portfolio includes It’s a 10 Haircare; It’s a 10 Tools; It's a 10 EX10SIONS; Be a 10 Cosmetics; and Rewind It 10, a new celebrity-supported men’s grooming venture. She also recently acquired Nisim, a hair growth-focused company, which she will rebrand to Arise Haircare in 2024. This is made even more monumental because this is Aronson’s first-ever brand acquisition.

When she came onto the beauty scene, it was still at a time when men led most beauty brands. As a Latina, Aronson broke the barriers being an owner, founder, and CEO. Today she continues to dominate male-dominated industries. She started with beauty and has now grown her expertise to include the worlds of yachting, real estate, and aviation. Aronson is a master of entering arenas where she is a novice, learning all there is to know, and creating businesses she hopes will inspire others.

BeautyMatter caught up with Carolyn Aronson, Founder and CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare and BeautyMatter 2024 NEXT Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

The most common trait in entrepreneurs is passion. What fuels your passion as an entrepreneur? 

My passion is being creative and building things and seeing them come to life. Building brands, businesses, homes, buildings, yachts, airplanes, you name it … love to rebuild or build things from scratch.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? 

Becoming the sole owner of Its a 10 Haircare in 2017.

On the flipside, failure is part of being an entrepreneur. What is the best mistake you've made? 

There is no such thing as a “best mistake.” The best is when you learn from one’s mistakes (too many to count), and the next time you ward off the error. Having been in hair product manufacturing for 22 years, I’ve learned a lot and am getting better at avoiding mistakes. But as an entrepreneur, they never fully go away.

In the past decade, the word "entrepreneur" has been glamorized and romanticized. In reality, it's really hard and comes with a lot of ups and downs. What keeps you going?  

I love to create … I usually have more than one project going at a time. It’s very rewarding to see one’s vision come your way to life.

Being an entrepreneur isn't something that can be taught in a classroom. What's been the biggest learning from being in the trenches and operating a business you wish you'd known?  

Something that can’t be taught in a classroom is good intuition, and something I wish I knew years ago is how important agents and detailed contracts are before you start doing business with someone.

The dark side of entrepreneurship can be isolation, loneliness, and burnout. How do you take care of yourself?  

I spend time with my friends and family. I have five children and a wonderful network of supportive friends and family in my life. I enjoy spending time with them. I usually do it at beautiful places in the world, go on adventures, sometimes float on the ocean. That’s how I find solace. 

What is the best piece of advice you've received that has guided you? 

Some of the best deals are the ones you don’t make. Over time, you learn forcing deals is not the way to go. They usually don’t end up working out anyway. If things don’t fall together somewhat organically, then walk away. Trust me if it’s meant to be, it will come back your way later; if not, it was for the best.