From Fox News to Beauty Mogul: How Natasha Cornstein Reinvented Herself and an Industry

What if your most exciting professional chapter starts after 40? What if your “next hello” changes everything? In this inspiring episode of Living Ageless and Bold, host Christina Daves sits down with Natasha Cornstein, the CEO of Blushington Holdings, for a conversation that is part career masterclass, part heart-to-heart on womanhood, leadership, and reinvention.

Natasha’s story is anything but conventional. From the overnight news desk at Fox News to managing NBA players’ lives, and eventually to leading one of the most inclusive and empowering beauty brands in the U.S., Natasha’s journey is a blueprint in taking bold, unexpected turns—and making each one count.

If you’re navigating your own pivot or looking to build something meaningful later in life, Natasha’s story is proof that it’s never too late to start over—and soar.

The Fox News Years: Where the Hustle Began

Before she was a beauty industry CEO, Natasha Cornstein was a fresh graduate from Ohio, armed with a fellowship and big-city dreams. Her career kicked off in the trenches of the newsroom—literally. At Fox News, she worked the overnight assignment desk, clocking in at 11 p.m. and leaving around 8 a.m.

That high-pressure environment didn’t just sharpen her newsroom instincts—it molded her leadership DNA.

“Being at the epicenter of the newsroom during 9/11 shaped me,” she said. “It taught me how to synthesize a lot of information quickly, how to stay calm in chaos, and how to lead under pressure.”

Those early newsroom lessons would echo throughout her career: the importance of facts, the discipline of preparation, and the power of decision-making in real time.

Life with the NBA: Negotiating Deals and Managing Dreams

From news, Natasha jumped into an entirely new arena—literally. She joined her husband’s sports agency, helping international basketball players transition into life in the NBA.

“My husband did the contracts. I did everything off the court—housing, schools, doctors, philanthropy,” Natasha explained.

She likened their dynamic to Jerry and Renée from Jerry Maguire. What started as a support role quickly became an immersive business education. Sitting in on every meeting, Natasha learned how to negotiate, manage contracts, and balance high-stakes decisions with deep human empathy.

This was more than a job—it was a masterclass in business and leadership. And when her husband’s business shifted direction, Natasha knew it was her time to take the lead in a new way.

The Beauty Pivot: One Headshot Changed Everything

The turning point came unexpectedly—in a makeup chair.

Natasha was in Los Angeles, opening an office and prepping for press interviews when her PR rep insisted she get a professional headshot. “No more iPhone pics,” the rep said, directing her to a then-little-known beauty boutique called Blushington.

“The minute I walked in, it was love at first sight,” Natasha recalled. “I felt beautiful and confident.”

The next morning, over breakfast, Natasha raved about the experience to a new acquaintance—who, by chance, represented Blushington’s PR. That one conversation led to a meeting with the co-founders. By the end, Natasha was offered the CEO position.

Yes, she walked in as CEO.

Her transferable skills from news and sports—managing crises, building relationships, scaling ideas—were exactly what Blushington needed.

Leading Through Crisis: Reinventing Blushington During a Pandemic

Just five years into her role, Natasha faced her greatest test: the COVID-19 pandemic.

With beauty services shuttered nationwide, she wrote to over 100,000 customers, announcing Blushington’s temporary closure and outlining health measures. But in her gut, she knew it might not reopen the same way.

“I woke up that Sunday and said, ‘We may never reopen in this form again.’”

Instead of retreating, she rallied. Natasha reached out—not just to her team, but to competitors, vendors, and peers. She founded the Beauty and Wellness Forum, a coalition of over 100 industry leaders, to share resources, strategy, and emotional support.

This collaborative approach led to a full-scale business transformation:

Empowering Women Through Franchising

Natasha’s biggest impact may be in who she empowers, not just what she builds.

Through Blushington’s franchise model, she’s giving women—many of them career pivoters—the tools to run their own businesses under an inclusive beauty brand.

Take Dr. Karen Diaz-Mike, a social worker and real estate broker, now opening a Blushington in Boca Raton, Florida. Or Courtney Friels, a former oil and gas trader turned franchisee in Houston.

“These women are extraordinary. Some had corporate careers. Some paused to raise families. And now they’re saying, ‘I want to be more than mom.’”

And Natasha’s not stopping there. With goals to open 150+ locations in the next five years, she’s laying the groundwork for Blushington to become a household name in inclusive beauty.

Leadership, Listening & Wig Styling

Natasha doesn’t just talk about empowering others—she listens to them. That’s not a platitude; it’s her actual leadership style.

She credits listening as her superpower. Not just hearing—but truly listening to customers, employees, partners, and even competitors.

A recent example? Blushington now offers wig styling services—an idea sparked by one of her artists.

“She came to me and said, ‘We already do blowouts. There are so many women wearing wigs for different reasons. Why not this?’ So we researched, discovered it’s a $5 billion market, and made it happen.”

Listening, paired with action, is what sets Natasha apart—and it’s what has driven Blushington’s success in tough times and thriving ones.

Work-Life “Balance” Is a Myth—Here’s What Works Instead

Natasha is also refreshingly honest about motherhood and work. Forget the polished Instagram version—her success came with real choices and sacrifices.

“Work-life balance? That concept stresses me out,” she laughed. “It’s about prioritization. Some days it’s family. Some days it’s business. And it balances out in the long run.”

She and her husband even passed that mindset on to their son, mentoring him as he ran their nonprofit, Courts of Dreams Foundation, through high school. By 19, he had managed a junior advisory board, budgets, and city partnerships.

“You can put the time in now—or pay for it later,” she said, speaking to young moms trying to do it all.

Reinvention and Advice: What Natasha Would Tell Her 30-Year-Old Self

With decades of leadership behind her and a thriving career at the helm of Blushington, Natasha Cornstein has a clear message for her younger self—and for any ambitious woman chasing her dreams:

“Slow down. Bring people together.”

In her 20s and 30s, Natasha describes herself as someone who was always striving to be first, to be fast, to push her own ideas forward without pause. The ambition was there—but so was the pressure to perform at lightning speed, to prove herself, to achieve without stopping to bring others along for the ride.

That mindset reached a turning point during one of her annual performance reviews. Sitting down with her boss, Natasha received feedback that would become a defining moment in her evolution as a leader:

“You will be a CEO someday, but you will never get there if you don’t slow down. If you don’t bring your team along with you. If you don’t get their ideas, their buy-in.”

That advice hit home—and it stuck. It wasn’t just about delegating more or listening better. It was about reshaping her entire approach to leadership: from individualistic to collaborative, from fast-paced to intentional, from doing it all herself to creating space for others to contribute and shine.

It also marked the beginning of a deeper commitment to listening, which Natasha now calls one of the two most important skills in her life (the other being learning). She had to grow into her leadership style—one that values people, process, and partnership.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Get Stuck—Keep Moving

Natasha Cornstein’s journey is a powerful reflection of what it means to grow through every season of life. From working the overnight shift at Fox News in her early 20s—where she learned to synthesize fast-moving information and make calm, informed decisions during high-pressure moments like 9/11—to running a sports management business with her husband, and ultimately becoming CEO of Blushington, every step of her path was built on the last.

Her story is one of listening deeply, learning constantly, and choosing reinvention over giving up—even in the face of uncertainty. When the pandemic hit, Natasha didn’t just protect what she had built; she started over—transforming Blushington from a corporate concept into a franchising model, launching e-commerce, digital education, and services like wig styling, all sparked by simply listening to her team and customers.

Now, as she mentors new franchisees—many of them women stepping back into careers or launching something of their own for the first time—Natasha’s leadership is grounded in inclusion, confidence, and connection. Her reminder to slow down, bring others along, and never get stuck is not just advice—it’s the roadmap that helped her become the leader she is today.

Watch the full episode here: