Lift, Hold, Shine
How I Built a Billion-Dollar Beauty Empire One Strand at a Time
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Lift, Hold, Shine
Pre-order Now for €15.99
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Narrated by:
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Carolyn Aronson
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By:
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Carolyn Aronson
In this vulnerable and inspiring memoir, the CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare—the only Latina-owned worldwide beauty brand—shares the surprising twists and life lessons behind building a name brand, one bottle at a time
Embroiled in a years-long legal battle with her former business partner and ex-husband, Carolyn Aronson bought him out and went $100 million into debt, staking her career on the future of the company—a risky gamble for a solo female CEO in an industry dominated by men.
The result was a miracle—or Miracle Leave-In, Carolyn’s 10-in-1 wonder product that has become a go-to haircare line for beauty salons, stylists, and millions of consumers around the world.
In Lift, Hold, Shine, Carolyn traces her business success through the invaluable life lessons that shaped her business savvy today. After two years as a foster baby, adopted into a loving family at age two, and raised in Michigan, her quest to reconnect with her birth family and Puerto Rican heritage became a personal touchstone, informing her sense of integrity and deep appreciation for identity. And as she navigates setbacks, single motherhood, skeptics, and complex partnerships, Carolyn chronicles the hustle and gumption it took as an up-and-coming CEO to keep the company on track, and the bold swings that led to the winning formula and iconic branding behind It’s a 10.
Told with candor, practical takeaways, and radiant optimism, Lift, Hold, Shine celebrates a life shaped by family, identity, unwavering hard work, and the mindset to create miracles both small and spectacular.
© 2026 by Carolyn Aronson. ℗ 2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Reviews
“This isn’t just a book—it’s a blueprint for everyone out there chasing a dream. Carolyn came from humble beginnings, but even with the odds stacked against her, she never folded and went on to build a billion-dollar business off nothing but heart and hustle. It’s a once-in-a-generation story of resilience, sacrifice, and strategy. Carolyn is living proof that no matter where you start in life, you can rise to the top and build something bigger than you ever imagined."
—Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena, author of The Book of Jose, rapper, and entrepreneur
“A young woman, adopted from foster care at age two after nearly being lost in the system, survives a brush with death and sets out to solve the mystery of her origin story. She uncovers truths of everyday miracles—lessons of identity, belonging, and purpose, and the gift of bringing out beauty in everyone . . . Not only is it true, it gives us an actual road map to achieving our own miracle success.”
—Antwone Fisher, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Fish, screenwriter, and foster youth advocate
“The Carolyn I know didn’t shatter a glass ceiling into shards that cut on the way down. She took it apart at its core—back to sand and limestone—and, guided by thought, care, and courage, she rebuilt it as a clear, open highway forward for anyone willing to think, care, and act.”
—Béryl Lacoste Hamilton, global philanthropist and former president of the Lacoste foundation