Why some brains are built for corporate – with Michelle Kluz, CEO of Stila Cosmetics
Smart Beauty · Viola Levy
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Show Notes
Michelle Kluz is the CEO of Stila Cosmetics, the 31-year-old heritage beauty brand known for its cult liquid eyeliner. Before Stila, Michelle worked at Boston Consulting Group, held multiple CEO roles including running a billion-dollar business in her mid-thirties, and founded her own athleisure brand Urban Savage after moving to Australia.
In this episode, we discuss the misconception that corporate careers are rigid and soulless, why being a founder was humbling after years in senior leadership, and how Michelle's self-diagnosed ADHD means she actually thrives in complex corporate environments rather than the deep-focus work required of early-stage founders. Michelle shares the personal connection that drew her to Stila, her approach to repositioning a heritage brand, and a candid account of being told she didn't "look credible enough" for a CEO role—then turning down the same company when they came back six months later. We also get into the mental health realities of entrepreneurship that rarely get discussed.