From Debt to Billions: Kim Kardashian on Her First Steps in Business

Despite her success, Kim also recalls her failures.

Kim Kardashian is now a billionaire thanks to her successful beauty and shapewear brands, but there was a time when she couldn’t even pay her credit card bill and had a poor credit history.

The founder of SKIMS and KKW Beauty spoke in her new MasterClass about her first steps in business. She recalled the difficulties she and her sisters, Khloé and Kourtney, faced while trying to make Dash — the store they opened in 2006 — profitable.

Kim admitted that she had to register a credit card in Kourtney’s name because neither she nor Khloé had a sufficient credit score. “We were able to get a credit card, but at first only in Kourtney’s name,” Kardashian shared.

The sisters often failed to pay suppliers on time, so they had to pay everything upfront. They used part of their late father Robert Kardashian’s inheritance to rent the space, and Kourtney’s card was used to buy all the merchandise for the store.

In her MasterClass, Kardashian presented her experience to help others avoid similar mistakes when building a business. During the course, she discusses her “10 Kim Commandments,” which she uses to build her empire: “You are the product,” “Test and refine,” “Define yourself before others do,” “Don’t follow trends — be the trend,” “Turn failure into strategy,” “The customer is your co-founder,” “Culture determines timing,” “Know your worth and add tax,” “Empires are built before sunrise,” and “Because I said so.”

Despite her success, Kim also recalls her failures. She admitted that she lost confidence after failing the California bar exam. “I felt vulnerable and upset after the results,” Kardashian told Time. “But then I decided: ‘Okay, I need to work hard again and pass it next time.’”

Although the sisters’ boutique Dash became a cultural phenomenon, with stores in Miami, Los Angeles and New York, it was financially unsuccessful and closed in 2018 when Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney moved on to focus on their own brands.

Today, Kim proudly showcases her business expertise and confidence, reminding everyone: “When people underestimate you — use it. I’m Kim Kardashian, and this is MasterClass.”