5 Words That Turned This Self-Made Woman Into A Multi-Millionaire

This is Mentoring Moments (#12), a series of WOW-you-need-to-know-these stories from successful women of multiple generations. Mentoring Moments is now a podcast.

“I don’t know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring” – David Bowie. This became my personal mantra.” That’s a recent tweet from Jane Wurwand, Founder and Chief Visionary of Dermalogica and FITE, Dermalogica’s global philanthropic initiative that supports female entrepreneurs.

Jane's definitely not boring. She's a risk-taker who tells it like it is and gets stuff done. The U.K. native arrived in Los Angeles in 1983 with an entrepreneurial dream and a suitcase. That’s when she discovered a gap in the marketplace -- a skincare line that's free of harsh irritants and fragrances. Three years later she launched Dermalogica, and today her products are in over 80 countries. Jane's confidence, drive and energy are contagious and she's on a mission to empower girls and women. This is Jane's Mentoring Moment, in her words:

My practical English mum was my greatest mentor. She empowered me and my three sisters by her example. At a very young age, she told us that it was important that we learn how to "DO" something . Little did I know then the impact her words would have on my life.

My sisters and I were born and raised in the U.K. When I was two years old, my life and the lives of my mum and sisters changed drastically when my dad suddenly passed away, leaving my mum aged 38 with the responsibility to care for herself and four young daughters. Fortunately, my mum was a trained nurse, and she was able to call upon that portable skill-set to reinvent her life and provide for us. My mum taught herself how to drive an automobile, so she would not have to limit her work venues based on the bus route. She was just so pragmatic, yet very positive. Her accompanying advice when one of us girls was feeling a bit sorry for ourselves was, "Stop whining and eat your sausage" - meaning, "don't complain, just get on and deal with it." Her incredible strength and sense of pragmatism were the qualities I admired most in her.

By my mum's example, I had witnessed at a very young age what a vocational skill-set training could provide. In my own experience, it allowed my mother to put food on the table and keep her family together. She showed me firsthand the possibilities and securities that come with a vocational skill-set training. So I always knew I would choose an industry where I would need to use my hands, and the skills learned would allow me to support myself anywhere in the world.

My vocational skill-set training in professional skin care therapy allowed me to not only travel and work around the world, but it helped me to start and scale my business, Dermalogica, which is today the number one professional skin care brand in the world. And now, more than 30 years later, we are in a position where we can give back to future entrepreneurs through Dermalogica's global philanthropic initiative, FITE. To date, FITE has helped more than 70,000 women around the world to start or grow a business, many of them in the USA.

My mum's advice of learning how to "DO" something led me to pursue a career as a professional skin therapist. I will always be grateful for her sound advice as this industry has opened up doors and opportunities I never would have imagined. My mum was brave, resilient, resourceful and kind, and she continues to be my greatest inspiration. Thanks Mum!

For more of Jane's Mentoring Moments -- more about the missing middle, how she's simplifying her life (from what she’s eating for dinner to packing tips), how she learned about human touch from an 80-something woman and how she lives in the moment  -- grab your ear buds and take a listen to our podcast.

Mentoring Moments Series

#1: What I Did When My Boss Threw A Stapler At My Head is here. 

#2: How To Break The Rules, Spread A Little Mischief And Make A Mint is here. 

#3: Do You Need A Shrink Or A Mentor? And What's The Difference is here.

#4: Best Way To Deal With A Mean Girl Boss? One Woman's Powerful Answer is here.

#5: Why Women Need To Stop Worrying About Being Liked is here.

#6: What's Better Than A 50% Pay Increase? One Woman's Expensive Lesson is here. 

#7: A Millennial Stops Giving Excuses And Gets What She Wants is here.

#8: Millennial, Mother Of 50: She's Breaking The Rules And Saving Lives is here.

#9: Nice Women Finish First When They Ask The Right Questions is here.

#10: Millennials Beware: 'You Can't Let One Bad Guy Push You Out' is here. 

#11: Women Sleep Better When You Listen To The Silence In Your Head is here. 

#13: Two Things Great Leaders Do Every Day is here.

#14: How An Entrepreneur Made A Choice She'll Never Forget is here.

#15: How This Entrepreneur Turned Her Ignorance Into A Huge Success is here.

#16: Two Words That Made This Millennial's Network Explode is here. 

#17: When This Woman Changed Her Name, Her Career Took Off is here. 

#18: How A Taxi Ride Drove This Self-Made Woman's Career is here.

#19: 6 You-Need-To-Know Lessons That Will Make Your Career Explode is here.

#20: 3 Gritty Tips That Will Make You Way More Exciting And Successful is here.

#21: 5 Words That Made This Millennial A CEO is here.

#22: Can Success Be Dangerous? This Woman Found The Answer On A Starbucks Cup is here.

#23: 7 Simple Words That Will Make Your Career Soar is here.

#24: Why Women Need To Stop Being Afraid To Ask For Help is here.

#25: 7 Powerful Lessons That Will Ignite Your Inner Fire And Your Career is here.

#26: How a Homeless Woman Released From Prison Became 'My Greatest Mentor' is here. 

#27:  To Find A Mentor Stop Asking 'Can I Pick Your Brain?' Do This Instead is here.

#28: Her Boss Verbally Slapped Her - Now She Runs Her Own Show is here.

#29: Top Poker Player Wins $11.6 Million And Goes To Work Thinking She's A Loser is here.

#30: How A Sex Ed Class Prepared This Woman For The Biggest Pitch Of Her Career is here.

Watch on Forbes: