Since premiering to nearly 40 million viewers in 2010,
more than 70 bosses...
Ow, my God.
Have posed as subjects on a fake show
to get honest feedback from their employees.
All right.
It's been shocking...
A lot of people smoke pot.
It's been challenging.
It's not the homeowner's fault that I get paid peanuts.
But it's inspired them to change
their employees' lives forever.
I've decided to invest around $3 million because of you.
Thank you.
For real? Like, this is real?
Without a doubt.
I am going to give you your own store.
Yay!
Probably the best thing somebody ever did for me.
I have a check for $250,000.
Oh, my God.
Tonight, the latest boss to step into the ring,
is Jessica Herrin.
Hi, I'm Nicole.
Stranger danger.
The founder and CEO of jewelry and accessories giant
Stella & Dot.
While going undercover...
Hello, I'm here to see Maria.
Hi.
- She looks like a Barbie. - Uh-oh.
This self-made success story...
Oh, I almost gave somebody the wrong item.
Take your time.
will find diamonds in the rough.
I'm very, very grateful for what I'm blessed with.
And you have to be that way.
What happens when this hard-charging business woman
finds some sting behind her bling?
I sometimes feel like, with the executive team,
like, if I went to my team meeting
and just talked about myself...
Is that how it feels?
I mean, I'll be honest. I don't think you've ever
asked me a personal question.
Find out next...
on Undercover Boss.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California,
and with its design center in New York City,
Stella & Dot jewelry and accessories are in high demand,
from the girl next door to Hollywood's elite,
making it one of the largest direct sales companies
in the world.
Leading this $220 million a year business
and its 30,00 sales people across the globe
is one woman.
I'm Jessica Herrin, the CEO and founder
of Stella & Dot.
Hi! How are you guys?
Thanks for having us.
At Stella & Dot, our mission focuses on reinventing
flexible business opportunities for the modern woman.
Oh, my God, I can't wait to show you everything.
Our independent business owners sells our jewelry online
and in homes.
It's not like a retail store, where it's locked up
in a glass case.
I love it.
You recently turned 40 and already,
you're heading a company that's $200 million.
Yes, this decade's going to be awesome.
Fashion accessories is an incredibly big business.
When you look at Europe and the U.S. combined,
it's a $60 billion industry.
I grew up in Southern California
and I was mostly raised by my dad
because my parents got divorced when I was young.
I never had the pressure from my dad
to be something different than what I really wanted to be.
And that gave me the confidence to go out
and try really different, unexpected things.
Out of high school, I went to Stanford,
where I paid my way through school
with a degree in Economics.
After working in technology, I went back to school
at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
But I dropped out of Stanford Business School
to co-found the company that became weddingchannel.com.
A lot of people said to me, you're crazy,
except for my dad, who said to me,
"Getting into Stanford Business School, that's good,
but dropping out! Now I'm really proud."
The company went on to be acquired by a public company.
And after that, so many women reached out to me
and said, "I want to do what you do.
I want to start a business. I want to be an entrepreneur."
But I, in fact, was thinking,
I'm not even sure I want to do what I'm doing,
as I thought about the next phase in my life.
So I asked myself the question,
could I have a business that would enable
flexible, smart entrepreneurship as I became a mother.
There are home-based businesses for women,
but they feel like they were built for the 1950s housewife.
So I wanted to create it.
And that began the journey of what is today Stella & Dot.
I started this company when I was pregnant
with my first daughter.
It seemed crazy.
I was an E-commerce and technology entrepreneur,
who suddenly started making jewelry in my living room,
and people thought I had lost it.
But I've always believed that Stella & Dot
was a billion dollar global brand in the making.
Since Stella & Dot started in my living room
almost ten years ago, we've now gone out
to over 30,000 independent entrepreneurs,
where they're now running their businesses in their home
in six different countries.
And most importantly,
they've earned over $200 million in commission.
But now, we're expanding into fashion accessories
and into skin care.
So our mission is to broaden our impact
by creating a family of brands.
This color is gorgeous,
but I think the blue is gonna be a lot more commercial.
My team would probably describe me as passionate but tough.
There's a lot of gold.
I've set a high bar for myself
and for everyone that works at Stella & Dot.
What else do we have for the everyday?
I've never really had the thought process to say,
I can do anything a man can do.
I've just always thought, I can do anything.
3/4 cup, right there.
No, we need granulated sugar.
Wait, will you come up here?
I met my husband, Chad, right out of college.
We were both young and at our first job.
Here's the white sugar.
That's powdered.
We need the regular.
Oh, oops.
We have two daughters.
Charlotte, who's now ten years old,
and her little sister, Tatum, who's eight.
Want to crack our two eggs into here?
To be a good mother and to be a good CEO
means a lot of trade-offs.
It sometimes meant ordering pizza
because I was actually playing with my kids
instead of cooking a three-course meal.
So my partnership with my husband
really works for our family.
Hey, Mom. We're undercover sisters.
You're undercover?
I love working and I love being a mom,
but I do believe they can very happily co-exist.
Let me see your outfit.
I'm so proud of being a provider for my family.
It's not believable, guys.
F-minus, F-minus.
And I love that my girls have an example
of a strong modern woman.
It's time to transform.
I've got to look completely different than this,
so I'm thinking blonde.
After being an E-commerce entrepreneur,
I knew that commercial success wasn't enough.
It's not just about running a business.
It's about giving women an opportunity
to live their best life.
I have brown eyes.
And I want to make sure that the mission
and the soul of Stella & Dot is still felt
by every team member.
While undercover, I'll be posing as Nicole Ozie.
My employees will think I'm on a fake reality TV show
to get money to start my new business.
Okay, I think we're ready to go.
Ripping out the pages.
Hi, I'm Nicole.
Stranger danger.
I'm gonna miss you.
We're gonna miss you, too.
I believe I have a very detailed knowledge of our business.
But I hope to find what I'm missing.
Everybody has a blind spot and I want to go find mine.
Bye.
See you soon.
Bye, Mommy.
Bye.
Today, I'm going into our distribution center
in Groveport, Ohio, and I'm going to be a picker.
A picker is the person who gets the order
and goes to the shelves where the product is stored,
puts it in the box, and gets it ready to be packed.
I'm here to see Tyler.
Picking it right and fast is really important
because our promise to the customer
is getting it there very quickly.
I want to see an operation that's clean, efficient, safe,
and well-organized for customer delivery.
Hi.
- Hello. - I'm Nicole.
Tyler. It's nice to meet you.
I'm gonna be your instructor today.
Nicole, she was a very beautiful woman.
First thing I noticed was her bright blonde hair.
I loved it. It was really cute.
So basically, picking... it's a lot like grocery shopping.
That I've done.
Yeah, most people have.
So we'll get you a Gladiator.
We got one, actually right here, for you.
And the Gladiator will basically tell you, like, a list.
And we'll fulfill that shopping list
for somebody that ordered it.
And after that, we'll drop it off in Packing,
which we'll do a little bit of that later.
So these are real orders?
Yes, yes. These are all real orders, yes.
Oh, fun. Okay.
So the way you would start is, it has a cursor,
kind of like a computer.
You would see your location, which container to put it in.
So it's asking me to go to 22C1.
This whole row is 2.
And then this would be Shelf A, Shelf B, Shelf C.
There was all different numbers, on all different things,
and lots of buttons to press.
When you squeeze that button, you see a laser.
We'll use that to go ahead and scan that.
And then it's asking us to go to court level 21.
I was so confused.
It's like a barcode bonanza.
I could do this cart, probably in about five minutes.
Wow, okay.
It's not too bad.
Just scan this for me, please.
There you go.
- Just enter the 20. - "1, Enter."
That's it. Boom, boom.
Okay, 73B05.
So we'll just keep walking this way.
Back here.
I need one of these.
Going to 4-5.
Here we go. Coming down here.
This is tiring.
My arm is seriously sore.
You do this for 10 hours.
Oh, yeah. No problem.
Do you have a giant left bicep?
I felt like Nicole was flirting with me a little bit.
You are probably the best picker in this place.
She's a beautiful woman.
She seems like an All-American woman.
But I'm sorry. I already got somebody.
I mean, do you just go to the gym
to lift weights on your right side?
No, I work four ten-hour shifts here, I go to college,
- and I have another part-time job. - Oh, wow.
Yeah, so I'm working all the time,
at least, like, 90, 100 hours a week, something like that.
Like, with school and studying.
I heart Tyler.
He is so sweet and his energy is infectious.
Even though he is working two jobs and going to school,
he's an upbeat, happy guy.
So I got a little challenge set up for us here.
Basically, we're gonna do a little race through here.
Your cart's gonna have about 25 pieces.
Mine's gonna have about 54.
I believe in you.
I think you can do pretty well.
You picked it up pretty fast.
Okay, I'm gonna go at this.
- You ready? In three... - Okay.
Two...
Go.
Here I go.
14C01.
1-9?
Oh, you can't stop in front of me.
That's not fair.
Oh, no, no, no.
1-0-4.
Okay.
I need one of these.
One of that.
Oh, I almost gave somebody the wrong item.
This is... Where do I put this back?
- Uh-oh. - Take your time.
Hmm.
Help.
How do I find where this goes?
I took it out of the wrong spot.
Oh, thank you. I'm sorry.
This is gonna hurt me.
During the challenge, my Gladiator made a lot of beeps.
Come on.
I didn't really hear too many coming from Nicole's way.
Yo, we got a winner.
Why does my item keep not matching my instruction?
- You getting there? - Hi.
- This is no pressure. - Are you done?
There's no pressure.
Why don't you have your cart with you?
I actually didn't hear his beeps.
I was so busy being confused.
But Tyler was a very good winner because he did not gloat.
He was very gracious, and he told me I did a good job.
So we'll go ahead and drop it off in packing.
We'll do Quality Control.
So the first thing we check is the foam.
Everything looks like it's okay.
There's no loose beads or anything like that.
Take a thank you card. Put 'em on top,
so, you know, they can see it when they first get it.
It's more important.
I like how you put it right side up.
Yeah, we would like, when, you know, they pull it out,
to have the branding and everything showing correctly.
Tyler is so dynamic and so passionate for what he does.
I loved seeing the pride he takes in his work.
How long have you been working two jobs?
Since I've worked here.
So about a year and a half.
When do you go to school?
Monday through Thursday.
Night shift... night... night class.
Night class. Night shift.
It is your night shift.
Yeah, basically.
And what are you studying?
I'm going for dental hygienist.
It's the cheapest Associate's degree
with the most bang for your money.
But I really have a passion for, like, psychology
and mental illness, and, like, addiction.
I grew up on the west side of Columbus.
It's, like, kind of a poor neighborhood.
A lot of my friends are dead.
A lot of my friends went to jail.
A lot of my friends are addicted
to some kind of heavy drug right now.
I have an older brother.
He's going through, like, addictions and things like that,
which really kill me, you know, kill me to see
'cause he's an amazing person.
Especially when he's sober, there's nobody better than him.
I really, you know, try to support him as much as I can,
and do as much as I can for him.
It gives me that much more drive to go to school,
to go to work.
I love the company to death.
It's done so much for me already and improved my life.
I've learned so much.
It definitely was, like, the building block
for the rest of my life.
If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have been able
to start school, I wouldn't have been able
to move and get out of the bad situation
that I got out of, and things like that.
When I heard Tyler talk about his humble beginnings,
I was really filled with admiration.
And you know he would be the best dental hygienist
you've ever met, but it's not his true passion.
And I would really love to see him pursuing something
that made his heart sing.
We gotta get back to work.
There's a lot of stuff to pack.
Okay, time to get back to work.
Coming up...
Nicole drops the ball.
There goes the pearls.
Oh, there goes another pearl.
And later...
I am a Senior Director with Stella & Dot.
I don't know, have you heard of it?
I've heard about it a little.
The boss struggles to avoid one employee's suspicion
about her true identity.
Am I throwing you off a little?
Yes, you are.
Today, I'm in New York City, and I'm going into work
as a sample maker in our design studio.
Design is really what sets Stella & Dot apart.
The sample maker can really bring to life
what's in the designer's head.
Hello, I'm here to see Maria.
- Hi, my name is Maria. - Maria, hi.
Nicole, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
When she's coming the colors is like, boom.
And the hair.
This is so pretty here.
Thank you very much.
She looks like a Barbie.
So what are we gonna be doing?
The designer and me, we work together.
The designer, she's drawn that.
So she'll tell you, "You think we can do, like,
with chain or whatever different materials?"
Oh, I can't believe you can make that picture into something real.
That's really talented.
If you put your love, your interest in that,
you can do very easy.
- You can sit here. - Okay.
Oh, okay.
Go like that.
And then use this to make a knot.
- Oh. - And then you close it.
- That looks pretty easy. - A little bit.
And then what do we do with this?
You can hang it to the necklaces or bracelets.
You would never know from the drawing to use those.
Always, I put my idea into it.
- You put your idea into it. - Yes.
So you're a little bit of a designer too.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Yes. You understand the first thing.
- Right? - That looks pretty easy.
I want to see you.
How you do it.
Okay, I think I can do it.
How many pieces can you make in a day?
Depends.
Bend. Point three... Okay...
Okay... uh-oh.
It's okay.
There it goes.
My thing is too long.
You have small hands. Is that an advantage?
So how long have you been doing this?
A couple of years.
How do they come up with so many different ideas?
These pictures are so pretty.
Pay attention.
It's hard to focus. There's so much fun things
- to get distracted by. - Okay.
She talks too much.
I feel like I'm doing what you're doing,
- but it's kind of crooked. - Yeah.
Look, like that.
There goes the beads again.
- Okay. - There goes the pearls.
She talks a lot.
Focus on this.
This is harder than it looks.
Oh, there goes another pearl.
You talk and talk and talk as the pearls is coming...
going there and there.
I noticed she dropped, like, three or four pearls
because I'm counting.
Honestly, you need to practice more and more and more.
You're tough.
It looks like you love your job.
Yeah. I love my job.
- You love your job? - I love my job.
Are you married?
Getting divorced.
- Yeah. - Do you have kids?
Yeah, I have two.
My son is 15 years.
My daughter is five years, so...
Oh, five years old.
She's my baby, mi Cataline.
What are their names?
My son is Juan and my daughter is Cataline.
- That's a lot on your plate. - Oh, my God.
Especially, going through a divorce.
Are your kids okay with it?
- My son is crying sometimes, you know. - Mm-hmm.
Well, you seem strong enough for three people.
They're lucky to have you as a mom.
Oh, you're so sweet.
- Sorry. - Oh, that's okay.
I'm so inspired by Maria's spirit.
She's so strong.
And the fact that she has the energy to have so much passion
for her job and then go home and take care of her kids,
all while going through the changes in her personal life.
You're so inspiring. I'm so amazed by you.
What are your dreams?
I want to take a house for my kids
because they always ask me and say,
"Mom, I want a room just for me."
My son now, he wants to go to the school for the architect.
Wow. Uh-huh.
So I say, maybe he can do it for me.
My dream is...
Is maybe your dream, your son will be able to do his.
Yes.
The other dream is, you know, going to be a designer and...
- You want to design? - Design.
Well, you obviously have all the creativity and the creative eye.
A mother will do anything for her children.
And I think that her greatest gift in life, her greatest joy,
is the source of her greatest strength.
And a woman that strong is gonna make it work no matter what.
But I am really proud that she makes it work with us.
I feel so lucky to have so many of the people
come into my life that have created Stella & Dot,
and made it what it really is.
And Maria is on that list.
Back to work.
Today, I'm going undercover in Des Moines, Iowa,
as a stylist at a trunk show.
Hi, how are you?
I brought you the newest because you wanted to see the newest.
The trunk show, it's the heart of our business.
The stylist offers a hostess the opportunity to throw a show.
The hostess gets some free product.
She brings her girlfriends over, and just let friends
get in there and have fun with the jewelry.
Hi.
Hi, are you Nicole?
Yes, hi, Grace?
Hi, yes, nice to meet you.
Welcome to my office.
Why, thank you.
Grace is a top leader with Stella & Dot.
So I want to see what makes her really special.
But as a top leader, Grace and I have met many times.
It's making me nervous that it's gonna blow my cover.
I am a Senior Director with Stella & Dot.
I don't know. Have you heard of it?
I've heard about it a little, but not really.
Today, we are going to be going to a trunk show.
There will be, probably, about eight to ten people there.
We'll have the jewelry set up.
So think shopping with your girlfriends.
So you bring the jewelry.
- I do, yeah. - And then people start... okay.
Okay, so we're gonna bring the jewelry.
Yes.
So, Nicole sat down. I looked into her eyes
and thought, this person looks a little familiar.
So, first of all, I try to provide
a great customer experience.
Okay.
Yeah, and, you know, from the moment they walk in,
I greet them at the door.
Okay, well, I'll watch you and I'll do what you do.
Yeah. Yeah.
So how did you get involved with this show?
- Well, I have a business idea. - Okay.
And it's gonna be an app that helps moms.
I could hear her voice, and I went,
Oh, my gosh, this is Jessica Herrin,
the CEO of Stella & Dot.
I would just, really, I would encourage you to be yourself.
Okay.
And just...
Sorry.
Don't worry.
I was really uncomfortable talking to Grace
because she's looking at me funny.
I think she strongly suspects something is amiss.
Am I throwing you off a little?
Yes, you are.
Am I throwing you off a little?
Yes, you are.
I'm pretty certain Grace is onto me.
I'm uncomfortable. She's uncomfortable.
This is like torture.
Do I look familiar to you?
You look so familiar. Thank you.
Jessica, what are you doing here?
Hi. Hi, Grace.
It was very shocking.
I've known Jessica, probably... since I became a stylist,
and we always say hello.
But I was also thinking, "Oh, my gosh, I'm giving
"the worst new stylist training ever
to the CEO of Stella & Dot."
So when did you figure it out?
- As soon as you sat down. - The second I sat down.
So do you know what this is now?
Can you figure it out?
I don't.
It's Undercover Boss.
Oh, my God.
So I'm gonna need your help.
You have to pretend that you don't realize this is me.
I can do that.
But you should still go and teach me the job,
because I really want to just go to a trunk show
as a normal guest.
Your secret's safe with me.
All right. Well, let's go.
Okay, I can't wait.
The Senior Director is a really big deal at Stella & Dot.
They really influence a large group of other stylists
that they mentor and coach.
Hi, Marie.
So I'm so excited to go to a trunk show
and see Grace in action.
Okay, so ladies, my name is Grace Van Cleave.
I'm a Senior Director with Stella & Dot.
Anyway, shop away.
So cute. Nicole, take a look at this one.
Oh, that looks really cute with what you're wearing.
I love it.
It's less than 100. Three different lengths.
That's really cool.
- I like that. - I love it.
Can you check to see if the heart is available?
- I believe it is. - In silver?
I can tell the guests are having a really good time.
We'll need this in the gold.
Gold gitane.
- Thank you, my dear. - Thank you.
You are so sweet, Thank you so much.
Des Moines is a really great market for Stella & Dot.
Why? Because we have Grace.
Thanks, guys.
Bye, guys. Thank you.
She's got everything really dialed in.
Gosh, that was such a fun trunk show.
That was so much fun.
You should come to all of my shows.
I wish I could.
Time to clean up the trays.
Okay, we can do that.
Well, the way you've got it set up is pretty good.
With those, if you just hang them there...
- And little charms. Look at that. - Yes.
What I find all the time is that people ask about charms,
and I don't know that I have the best way of explaining it,
even when we have it in the Look Book.
Just like how we have the swatch bundles,
I wonder if you could do... I'm thinking out loud...
like, a card
where you have the different...
With the bundle of charms.
Yeah, of just kind of...
So that it's not buried in the Look Book.
- It's something separate. - Yeah.
That's a great idea.
Okay, so tell me more.
What other big ideas do you have?
My other big ideas?
For my company. What's your other feedback?
- You know, my other... - Lay it on me.
Okay, I sometimes feel like with the executive team,
I'm, like, if I... if I went to my team meeting
and only spoke to certain people,
and didn't ask... or if I just said a "Hello, how are you?"
and just talked about myself,
that would be really, I think, painful.
I think y'all would all... y'all would pull me aside
and be like, "Grace, we've got to talk about your coaching."
Right. Right. Is that how it feels?
I feels like that at Directors' retreat.
I don't think I spoke to anybody from the corporate team.
Okay, well, that's good feedback.
I mean, I'll be honest. I don't think
you've ever asked me a personal question.
But I think that people, with you, feel like,
they just want you to ask, you know,
tell me about your life.
Tell me about your kids.
Yeah.
I mean, I... you know...
Come here.
Tell me more.
My dad died when I was 16.
We found out in November he had cancer
and he was dead in April.
Wow.
Nobody expects your father to die at 48.
I'm so sorry.
As someone who's definitely a daddy's little girl,
it breaks my heart to think about Grace losing her father
to cancer at such a young age.
As the company grows, I ask myself,
how do I still have the same connection?
- We try, I try. - Yeah.
I think you know that that's what we want.
Of course.
She wants to be seen and recognized
for the incredible talent that she has.
- All right, well, we should wrap up. - Okay.
I gotta figure out how to make that happen effectively
and balance my schedule.
It's certainly what I want to be doing.
It's easier said than done.
Today I'm in Scottsdale, Arizona
where I'll be going undercover in our Delight Center.
Hello. Thank you for calling Stella & Dot.
Our Delight Center is where our customers
and our stylists like Grace call in to get support
for running their day-to-day business.
I'm looking for Jade.
Let's see... over here.
Okay.
We want to make sure our agents are delivering
the right tone, the right empathy,
the right solution focused
towards our independent business owners.
It's gonna come down to these guys making it right
for the customers.
Hi. Are you Jade?
- Yes, hi. - Hi!
- You must be Nicole. - Yes, I am.
- Nice to meet you. - I'm gonna learn your job today.
Yes! Please have a seat.
I'm a Delight Associate here at Stella & Dot.
I will be instructing you on how to take calls
- Okay. - from stylists as well as customers.
And we will assist them with anything
that they really have an issue with.
So let's take a call just so you can kinda see
- what's going on. - Oh, we're all ready to take...
Oh, I get to listen to one... okay.
I just want you to hear one.
Good. I'm excited to hear.
So we got a call.
Thank you for calling Stella & Dot.
My name is Jade. I see that I'm speaking with
one of our fabulous stylists.
So what's going on?
We found out the last gal who was helping me
place the order, she didn't change the zip code
on the order, and I just want to make sure
that that order gets the right zip code.
So I will put in that request for you.
We might actually be able to grab it before it ships.
Okay, perfect. Thank you.
Thank you so much for calling Stella & Dot.
You enjoy the rest of the day.
- Now, do you wanna try and... - I-I do. Okay.
Hello, thank you for calling Stella & Dot.
Hi. How are you?
Great. Thanks for calling today.
Am I speaking to a stylist or a customer?
To a stylist. I'm calling about...
Is this an issue that you've already called us for,
or is there a new issue today?
No, this is a new, random issue.
She did kind of talk over the stylist or customer.
- Now, was this... - So I'm just won...
- I'm just wondering why... - Okay, when did you place that date?
I'm sorry?
That's not gonna work.
Give them a second to actually stop talking
and just pause to see if they're gonna say anything else.
Okay.
So get ready to answer... no, over there.
Okay, you're done. You're on your own.
Hello, thank you for calling Stella & Dot.
This is Nicole.
Um, my name's Shaneen.
Okay, great, Shaneen. How can I help you today?
I had a customer that bought a Caddy Wrap.
A couple of the beads fell out,
and I tried to return it for her,
but she hasn't received the email.
I'm just wondering, can you guide me through that
- So... - because I have two emails for her.
Okay. Can you hold on just for a second?
Sure.
Tell her to go to My Business, My Contacts,
- Okay. - And then she's gonna
look for that person,
and then she's going to edit their email address right there.
- After the order. - Exactly.
Hi, Shaneen. I'm back.
- Hi there. - Here's what we're gonna do.
You can go into My Business, which is in your Lounge,
under My Contacts.
She was very on top of it.
Everything that I told her, I swear she had it stored,
like she had been doing this for Lord knows how long,
and I was like "Okay, that's pretty awesome."
I'm so computer illiterate, I just... yeah.
Okay, that sounds much easier than...
Okay, thanks for calling, Shaneen.
You handled that really nicely when she said
"Can I do it with you?" You'll get that a lot,
where they're like, "I don't want to do the replacement.
Can you just do it for me?"
You are an independent contractor as a stylist with
Stella & Dot, so this is your business.
I really like that Jade wants to take the time right now
to show other people how to use the tools we provide
because it is what's best for them.
I definitely encourage my stylists to be independent.
I worried that being in a call center,
I would have people screaming at me.
but there was no one screaming at me, no one...
Oh, not today,
but you do have... you do have the escalations.
But when it's a flat-out policy
that we're not able to say yes to,
sometimes there's a no.
But you just have to kind of give yourself a moment...
How did you get so good at this?
I think it's honestly easier 'cause I have babies, and so,
I have to tell them no all the time!
I have kids, too, yes.
How old are your cute little kids?
- Look at them. They're so adorable. - Thank you.
Okay, he will be five, in November,
and she just turned three in May, so.
Oh, I wish I had little kids like that.
- I have big girls now. - Do you?
- Yeah, yeah. - Nice.
I'm 24, I started kind of young.
Yeah.
But I've been doing it by myself, since...
hmm, my son was about six months.
I was with their father. You know, we got back together
on and off, on and off, and when I finally left,
I found out I was pregnant with my daughter.
- Oh, wow. - There's really no time
to sit down and cry about it.
I'm very, very grateful for what I'm blessed with,
- even though it's not... - What a great attitude.
Yeah, and you have to be that way,
because I don't want my children to grow up
in a home where I'm constantly worried,
because that comes off on them, you know?
I want them to enjoy their youth.
I had to grow up really fast.
I want to do something to make my children proud, you know?
But I hope I instill enough in them that they're like,
"My mom got through that, so I know I can do it."
And that's just my biggest goal.
Well, I think your kids are gonna get that.
That's for sure.
Awesome.
I am so impressed with Jade.
She is like 24 going on 40.
She has so much wisdom and so much maturity,
yet all that incredible energy.
I can't wait to think about
the ways that we can help continue to develop her
at Stella & Dot.
I will... oop, you got a call.
- Okay. - Let's go ahead and get back to it.
Okay, I'm ready.
Coming up, the employees think
they're going to decide whether or not Nicole
deserves to win money to start a business.
How will they react when the boss reveals her true identity?
I was Nicole,
but I'm Jessica, the CEO and founder of Stella & Dot.
- Oh, my god. - I had no idea!
Going undercover has been an invaluable experience.
On a day-to-day basis, I'm so busy doing my job
that it doesn't occur to me how much we have team members
who are going through really challenging times.
I don't take the time to really appreciate
these incredible people within our company,
and there's more to do.
- Hi, Grace. - Hi!
So you're here to evaluate Nicole, who you trained.
Yeah.
How do you think she did?
You know, sometimes she dropped the pearls.
She was really good.
It was kind of weird how good she was right away.
Do I look familiar?
Yeah, now.
Are you Nicole?
I was Nicole...
That's incredible. I had no idea.
But I'm Jessica, the CEO and founder of Stella & Dot.
Oh, my god, yeah.
I had no idea!
Have you seen the show Undercover Boss?
Yeah.
You're on it.
Oh, my God!
I know I look like a tomato right now.
I can't help it.
Grace, you are amazing at your job.
I was blown away.
It's less than $100, three different lengths,
so you get three different looks with it.
Thank you. You can come back any time.
I saw you in action, with this jewelry,
but I wanted to give you a very special piece.
In addition to your initials, it says,
"You're amazing. XO, Jessica."
Thank you.
I will wear this every day. I really will.
I also want to send you
to the spa for a day,
so that you can unwind and get your mind reset,
so that you can take the next step with your business,
'cause I know you're gonna take it far.
Well, I... I've learned from the best, and
thank you for teaching me that you can be a strong woman
and powerful and have your own business
but still not lose
what makes you great about being a woman.
That's right.
When you shared with me about losing your father
at such a young age, and I think to myself
how much my dad is my rock, I know that
there's not enough love in the world to replace what it's like
for a daddy and a daughter.
But I want you to know how much you're loved.
And appreciated.
So on behalf of Stella & Dot,
we're going to make a $10,000 donation to a cancer foundation.
Thank you.
The idea that one family would not have to go through
what we did is extraordinary,
because of her generosity.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
It's not every day that your CEO,
you know, tells you that they're really proud of you,
and to realize that you are cared for and appreciated,
it's a beautiful gesture and I'm so appreciative.
Maria,
you were extraordinary.
- Thank you. - The greatest part of going undercover
at the Stella & Dot design studio was seeing you work.
- Thank you. - I can't believe how good you are at this.
You would never know from the drawing,
to use those.
Always, I put my idea into it.
- You put your idea into it? - Yes.
You are such a talented artist.
Thank you.
Maria, everyone around you sees your talent
and is so grateful for what you do,
and we want to acknowledge that by giving you
a promotion and a big raise.
Thank you. Thank you.
You are now going to be a sample designer.
Thank you so much.
Thank you. That's, um...
my... my dream.
You do an amazing job putting your mark on our design.
- Thank you. - And I know how much it means to you
when you talk to me about Juan and Kate,
and his dreams.
Oh, my god. They have a lot of dreams.
Like me.
And Juan wants to be an architect.
Architect.
How would it feel to send him to architect classes?
Oh, my god, it's so... you know.
We found one near your house that we can enroll Juan in,
and we'll pay for it.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Well, what about Kate? What would she like to do?
She loves dance.
- So does my little daughters. - She's funny...
We dance all the time together.
Do you think she'd like to go to dance lessons?
Of course.
I want to enroll Kate in
a dance class near your home.
and pay for her lessons.
Thank you. Oh, my god.
I know you talked about wanting them to have their own rooms,
wanting to be able to make a nice home for them,
and every mother wants that.
I know you want to save for a house.
- It's probably hard to do that... - Yes.
paying all the bills,
- every month. - Oh, my god, yeah.
I want to pay your family's rent for a year.
Oh, my God.
That $24,000
is going to feel like a big step towards saving for your home.
Thank you.
Thank you for helping.
Jessica's my hero.
Thank you so much.
You know, when you are a mom,
you want the very good things for your kids,
so my dreams is complete now.
Just... I feel very happy.
Tyler.
- You were incredible. - Thank you.
You were such a sweet instructor,
and you were good.
You were really good.
- Thank you so much. - I thought I was a good picker.
You roasted me.
- Uh oh. - Take your time.
Come on...
You know, I've been talking
to your managers about you, Tyler,
and what I heard
was that you actually did something very extraordinary
for your co-workers during the holiday season.
Oh, yeah, I bought everybody insoles for their shoes,
'cause I bought some for myself and it really helps,
so I bought something for my whole department,
try to help everybody out.
To hear your story, about how you were
financially struggling before you had that job,
and then to get that job,
and what you do with your paycheck is help other people,
it's extraordinary.
You inspired me.
So in honor of you every year,
on people's anniversary,
they're getting a new pair of shoes after you.
Oh, my God.
They're gonna get... These have really nice, cushy...
- Yeah, these are... - Cushy feet!
These are my favorite color too. They look so nice!
People would love it. People will love it.
That is so amazing, it really is.
Tyler, you do so much for other people.
So I want to give you $5,000,
so that you don't have to take
every overtime hour that comes your way.
Oh, my God.
That's so, so amazing. I mean, thank you.
I can't put into words what this means to me.
- Can I have a hug? - Yes!
Thank you so much.
You don't know how much it means to me.
I've been through a lot like this.
You have been through a lot.
You know, I heard you talk about wanting to go to school.
Yeah.
What's your passion?
I was... I love psychology.
I just love to help people.
I can see that.
And I want to give you $20,000 to help toward your education.
Oh, my God.
My God, are you serious?
Thank you, thank you so much.
That means so much to me.
I'm going to make you proud.
I'm gonna do so well in school.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
I can't believe that.
She gave me $20,000 to help me with school, which is amazing.
That's so much money. I can never even...
think about even seeing that much money, you know?
Thank you so much. You are so generous.
You deserve it, Tyler.
- Thank you. - I'm very proud.
Thank you so much.
I feel like I can go anywhere I want to now.
If I set my mind on something, I feel like I can achieve it.
Jade.
You were so good.
Thank you.
You were so patient.
Thank you for calling Stella & Dot.
So what's going on?
You were so kind.
And that's what it takes.
So I talked to your management team,
and we're very excited to give you a promotion
to Lead Delight Associate.
No way! Oh, my God!
You're going to get a 20% raise.
No way!
Way.
Thank you.
Everyone around you
appreciates everything you do every day.
I can take care of my babies now.
You already do.
Oh, wow.
You're an extraordinary mother.
Thank you.
I really try.
I know that you've been putting yourself through school.
You've been working.
You don't feel like you have a lot of time
to just spend with your kids.
Yeah.
How old is Leah? Is she three?
- Yeah. - She's three?
You know, that was the age Charlie was when
I first took her to Disneyland.
One day.
That day might be sooner than you think.
I want to send you and your kids and your parents
on a one-week, all expenses paid trip to Disneyland.
You're also going to be paid for work while you're there,
just spending time with your incredible family.
They'll love it.
For sure.
Thank you.
You've been going since you were 18.
Yeah.
Gotta smile with the cards that you're dealt with, though.
You know?
I want to deal you some better cards, Jade.
I want to give you $15,000...
To just take some of the weight off.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Sorry.
I'm a big baby.
To be validated by Jessica Herrin,
I feel like it's a dream.
The promotion and raise means
I can take care of my children comfortably.
I am. Thank you.
Thank you.
It's a huge, life-changing moment.
Hard work pays off.
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