How influencer Chriselle Lim started Phlur ($150+ million fragrance empire)

What if heartbreak was the beginning of your empire? In this episode of The Burnouts, entrepreneur and creative director Chriselle Lim sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to unpack how she went from TikTok’s “rich mom” to co-owning Phlur, a $100M+ fragrance brand. From the ashes of burnout and divorce, Chriselle rebuilt her life—and helped reshape how fragrance is built, branded, and sold. She shares the story behind Missing Person (the perfume with a 250K waitlist that changed everything) and how reinvention became her real superpower. Also: the bamboo tree metaphor that will stick with you forever. 🔍 CHAPTERS 00:00 – Who is Chriselle Lim? 1:05 – Growing up in the Bay & dropping out to chase fashion 4:22 – The early days of content creation (before “influencer” existed) 9:51 – The rise and fall of “rich mom” on TikTok 14:30 – Divorce, silence, and starting over in her late 30s 18:20 – Launching "Missing Person" with no retail partners 20:45 – A 250K-person waitlist and the fear of peaking too early 23:10 – Burnout in your 20s vs. intention in your 30s 25:30 – Hiring mistakes, finding talent, and what she really looks for 34:10 – Why showing up—always—was her greatest investment 🔗 FOLLOW US   / phoebegates     / sophiakianni     / chrisellelim   🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTS   / theburnouts     / theburnouts     / the-burnouts   Subscribe for more unfiltered convos with the founders building what’s next (and burning down what’s not). 📲 Download the Phia app to start saving money: http://www.join.phia.com About The Burnouts As former Stanford roommates turned startup founders, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are building more than a business—they’re building a bold new conversation. The Burnouts dives into the chaos of creation, covering everything from personal reinvention and product meltdowns to friendship, finances, and fear. With top guests like Kris Jenner, Danielle Guizio, and Whitney Wolfe Herd, this is your behind-the-scenes playbook for building on your own terms.