Carolyn Aronson isn’t interested in celebrating the past.
Rather than dwelling on two decades of success, the founder and CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare is focused on the future, including a sweeping visual rebrand, the appointment of Khloé Kardashian as the company’s first-ever global ambassador, and her upcoming memoir, Lift, Hold, Shine: How I Built a Billion-Dollar Beauty Empire One Strand at a Time.
The salon-born brand behind the cult-favorite Miracle Leave-In Product is now sold in more than 140 countries, through more than 25,000 professional salons, and at retailers including Ulta Beauty and Target. With annual sales of $500 million, Aronson has become one of the hair care industry’s most successful self-made entrepreneurs.
For someone who began life in foster care, weathered business failures, and ultimately built a billion-dollar hair care empire, standing still has never been an option. Throughout our conversation, Aronson returns repeatedly to what’s next: new products, new markets, new technology, new ways to give back—and even a new home.
That home is a work in progress. Aronson is temporarily living at Aria Reserve in Miami while construction wraps up on her waterfront estate on Miami Beach’s exclusive La Gorce Island. Soon, she’ll trade her luxury condominium for the sprawling $19.6 million property, complete with a guesthouse, tennis court, spa, pool house, and private boat lifts.
The Hairdresser Who Refused to Quit
Long before she was building one of the world’s most successful hair care companies, Aronson was a teenager working behind a salon chair. “I started my career as a hairdresser when I was 18,” she says.
The beauty industry became both her profession and creative outlet. She eventually opened her own salon and later created a styling product company called Linq. The venture failed, wiping out much of what she had built. For many entrepreneurs, that would have been the end of the story. Instead, it became the foundation for her next act.
At 39, Aronson launched It’s a 10 Haircare after growing frustrated with products that solved only one problem at a time. She envisioned formulas that could tackle multiple hair concerns while delivering salon-quality results.
The company’s Miracle Leave-In Product quickly gained traction among professional stylists and consumers alike. Nearly two decades later, it remains one of the industry’s most recognizable products, with more than 11 million bottles sold annually.
“Being one of the only female-owned, Latina-owned brands at my size in the world is definitely important,” Aronson notes. “I wanted to make sure that I did it right and that I did everyone proud.”
Aronson views that success as a mission. “To me, it’s a lot of responsibility to really prove that a woman can do it. I want to inspire other people to become entrepreneurs and not let the fear of some of the things you go through stop them.”
Her own journey serves as evidence. When discussing her childhood, Aronson doesn’t define herself by hardship. Instead, she focuses on possibility. “My husband, entrepreneur Jeff Aronson, said, ‘If someone shouldn’t have made it, it was you,’” she recalls. “So, it’s all about inspiring people no matter where you come from.”
A Miami Success Story
Although It’s a 10 Haircare products can be found around the world, South Florida remains central to Aronson’s story. The company was built here. The relationships, opportunities, and community support that shaped the brand all started here.
Aronson moved to South Florida 24 years ago and has no plans to leave. “I think Miami’s the best city in the world,” she reveals. “I have been all over the world, and every time the airplane is about to land, I’m really happy to come back to Miami. I will never live anywhere else.”
In the company’s early years, Aronson found creative ways to build awareness despite limited marketing resources. Efforts included sponsoring the Miami Heat multiple years in a row and distributing thousands of product samples directly to consumers. “It really helped to build the brand,” she adds.
Today, Aronson’s business interests extend well beyond hair care. At 59, she balances a billion-dollar portfolio that spans beauty, aviation investments, philanthropy, and real estate while also indulging a longtime passion for interior design. That aesthetic sensibility is evident everywhere—from the products she develops to the complete interior refit she personally led aboard her 177-foot superyacht, She’s a 10 Too.
Stepping aboard the Mangusta GranSport 54 superyacht, another facet of Aronson’s creative vision comes into focus. She collaborated with the Italian shipyard on the yacht’s interior, bringing the same meticulous attention to detail that defines her brand. The yacht has hosted countless celebrations over the years, including the wedding of Below Deck star Captain Sandy Yawn.
Despite her demanding schedule, Aronson insists family remains at the center of it all. Alongside her husband, she has built what she affectionately describes as “the Brady Bunch,” a blended family with children ranging in age from 5 to 25. Their youngest daughter, Aliya, was born when Aronson was 54.
“She’s our little joy within our entire family,” Aronson shares. “Even the older kids are just really in awe of her.”
The Next Chapter
While It’s a 10 Haircare recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary, Aronson sees the milestone as a launching point. The company is in the midst of a comprehensive visual rebrand, refreshing the packaging across approximately 80 products while expanding its global reach.
Perhaps the most exciting development is the addition of Khloé Kardashian as the brand’s first-ever global brand ambassador. The partnership emerged after a lengthy search. “I had been looking and interviewing people to be the face of the brand for about a year and a half,” Aronson says.
Then came an unexpected discovery. Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the Kardashian clan, gave the brand a shoutout. As Aronson recounts, “Kris was like, ‘Oh my God, we love It’s a 10. I raised my daughters on it. They’re using it on their kids.’”
The connection felt authentic almost immediately, and in 2026, Kardashian officially became the brand’s global ambassador. “Khloé has never really been in beauty,” Aronson explains. “She has a lot of amazing brands, but beauty wasn’t one of them—and she genuinely loves the products.”
“It’s amazing to join the brand as it celebrates 20 years and prepares to step into a new era,” Kardashian says. “This is a brand that has built real credibility and trust over time. What makes this partnership especially exciting is that it’s evolving visually with a fresh new look, while keeping the formulas people love exactly the same. That kind of reinvention—without losing what made the brand great in the first place—is really powerful.”
The collaboration arrives during a period of significant growth. In recent years, Aronson has expanded into clean beauty with the Clear Collection, launched F.A.S.T. Haircare, and continued building Rewind It 10, the men’s grooming brand she co-founded with her husband and longtime friend Fat Joe.
Success With A Purpose
Ask Aronson about her proudest accomplishments and the conversation turns toward philanthropy. The foster care system remains close to her heart because of her own upbringing.
Over the years, she has supported organizations including Junior Achievement, the Boys and Girls Club, Children’s Diagnostic Center, and numerous initiatives focused on empowering women and children, locally and nationally.
One project she is particularly passionate about involved building a beauty education center through Junior Achievement. “We created a hair salon in Junior Achievement, the first-ever beauty center to inspire people to go into the beauty industry,” she says.
Her philanthropic efforts have also included partnerships with The Trevor Project, disaster-relief initiatives, and educational programs. Through Kyana’s Dream Foundation, established in honor of her daughter, Aronson supports school-safety initiatives and emergency-preparedness efforts. “I don’t think there should be business without purpose,” she says.
For Aronson, that mindset transformed setbacks into opportunities, a salon chair into one of the world’s most successful hair care companies, and an unlikely start into a journey that continues to inspire entrepreneurs everywhere.
Available October 6, Aronson’s memoir, Lift, Hold, Shine: How I Built a Billion-Dollar Beauty Empire One Strand at a Time (BenBella Books), traces her inspiring journey from foster child and hairdresser to self-made billionaire. More than a business memoir, it explores resilience, identity, entrepreneurship, and the bold decisions that built It’s a 10 Haircare, proving there is no single path to success.
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