Amber Olson Rourke recalls the exact moment her multibillion-dollar beauty brand Neora was born. "I was running this medical spa in South Lake, Texas, and I was very active in all parts of it as any small business owner is," says Olson Rourke. Her dad, Jeff Olson, had recently retired and was planning his next phase of relaxation and recreation. But life had other plans. 

"We happened to get approached by some researchers about a certain idea that they had for skin care. And it really intrigued us - for him on the entrepreneurial side, for me on the product side. That started a path where we started working together, he and I, on what could be the possibilities of creating a company." A dozen years later, with over $2 billion in cumulative sales, Neora stands as a global leader in the skin care, hair care, and wellness industries. 

While many family businesses struggle with combining personal and professional relationships, the father-and-daughter team has forged a new path and connected on a whole new level. Olson Rourke explains, "It's a really awesome experience and it definitely changes the dynamic, but I feel like in a good way, because as you become an adult, you realize your parents are just people too." As a power duo, together with their team, they've worked to push the envelope in the skin care realm and beyond.

Neora's Olson Rourke: 'This Clear Gap of What People Wanted'

So, how did this family business grow to the success we see today? Olson Rourke refers back to those early days in her medical spa. "After literally thousands and thousands of conversations with people and understanding what they were looking for and what was on the market, there was this clear gap of what people needed." Then the creation process began. "We just put everything into the formulas and making them the best they could be and investing in making them really great products." 

Like many successful businesses, Neora relied on word of mouth for its products to find consumers desperate for something to make a clear difference. It was only a matter of time until word spread. Olson Rourke explains, "People would be refreshed and wowed by the fact that these products actually said that they were going to do what they said they were going to do because especially in skin care, there's a lot of marketing flap and empty promises in bottles. And that kind of started it. We started with just the night cream only. We just had one product and then it's grown from there." 

Today, Neora has expanded to offer skin care, hair care, wellness products, and weight management tools. And there are plans for continued expansion. Olson Rourke shares, "I have explained to my [daughters] what it is that I'm trying to create and who I'm trying to help and they feel a part of it. I don't apologize for the work I do. I make it an opportunity to make them a part of it and understand the impact you can make on the world."

She adds, "We're really building this business that creates a legacy and my girls get to see me every day working to build this ... It's creating something that is truly focused on family and something that will last a long time." 

The family focus of Neora includes more than just the Olson Rourke clan. She explains, "When you're leading a sales force of thousands and thousands and thousands of predominantly women, it's understanding what are those things that are likely to hold them back ... One of my biggest roles is to help move our brand partners past what could be those roadblocks for them. And I think I'm able to do that in a way that really resonates with them because it's those same roadblocks I've had to remove for myself and learn how to get past, and so I can share my own journeys. And I think it then really resonates with them and empowers them, that they can make those same choices." 

Neora's Companywide Culture

Olson Rourke points out that the process of leading and sharing ideas doesn't stop with her; it's a companywide culture. She asserts, "We believe really deeply in mentorship ... Stats prove out that a one-on-one mentorship of somebody showing you a different path is incredibly successful, but our entire business model is built on you having somebody that's going to mentor you and help you learn what you need to learn."

This mindset tracks with Neora's overall mission to "Make People Better." Olson Rourke explains, "Neora creates a fertile ground for women from different backgrounds, different ages, and different education and socioeconomic starting points to be able to have something of their own, learn skill sets, be encouraged, share their passions, and grow from wherever they are." She continues, "A lot of the intangible and tangible skills that we teach ... really do impact a lot of different areas of their life. And so we look at everything holistically for the person and try to be a positive, empowering place for people to be." 

Clearly, the Neora business model is working. With tens of thousands of brand partners and earning a No. 1 spot on the Inc. 5000 America's fastest-growing private companies list, Neora has successfully grown to create a legacy for the Olson and Rourke families. It's also helped others to grow and create their own small businesses by selling Neora products. With over 40 million products sold, Neora has become a shining example for all small family-owned businesses.