January 13, 2021 • 27 mins
Toni Ko moved to the United States from South Korea when she was 13 years old—and by the time she hit 25, she had launched NYX Cosmetics, which quickly became a wildly successful million-dollar company. Then, in one of the largest beauty acquisitions in history, Toni sold the brand to Loreal in 2014. This week, Toni joins Bobbi to share what it’s like to leave the brand you built, and what comes next—from taking on exciting new projects, to surrounding yourself with good people and collaborators, to helping the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Beyond the Beauty is a production of I Heart Radio.
I'm your host, Bobby Brown. I have wanted to meet
Tony co for a very long time. I've heard through
mutual friends that she's a powerhouse. She is the founder
(00:25):
of the makeup brand NIX, which is also n y X.
I want to find out how it's pronounced. But I
also want to just hear her journey. She came here
as a kid from Korea, she sold the company, and
she's done so much more since. So I'm looking forward
to the conversation with Tony Co. Hey, Tony, nice to
(00:47):
meet you. I Bobby. Nice to finally meeting you. Tony
with an eye and Bobby with an eye. Yeah. Now,
I don't remember who we have in common, but some
really cool woman said to me after I left Bobby
Brown Cosmetics and I was trying to figure out what
I wanted to do. She said, oh my god, you
have to meet Tony. She is the coolest and she
(01:09):
just left too, and you guys have to get together,
and we didn't, but who knows what would have happened
if we did. But nice to finally meet you. I
know so nice. I'm so happy to meet I just
want to quickly say that you know that I've been
wearing your eyeshadow for like ten years. Well, you know
it's not my eyeshadow anymore. It might be the one
that I made, but yes, with your name, with my
(01:32):
name on it. Yeah, you know. I don't know about you,
but I I don't feel emotionally attached to the original company.
I've kind of moved on. I don't know, how do
you feel. Um, I felt super attached for like the
first three years and then I had a gradual dwindle
(01:53):
down that that that attachment over probably like the next
the two years after that and out, I of course
nearly loved the brand and everywhere I go, like if
I see it, it just makes my heart flutter. But
it's not like, oh my god, that like like I
created that, Like that's my company that I don't have,
Like I just wish the best for them, and then
(02:15):
that that's so nice. Well, we have so much to
talk about before we get to that point, because I
just want to know so much about you. I know
you moved to America when you were a kid like thirteen?
Is that true? From Korea? Right? South Korea? Not North Korea? Ima,
(02:37):
that's all I know. So what was it like coming
to this country as a thirteen year old? You know,
thirteen year old back in six and thirteen year old
now is very different. So, um, well, back then, like
we were really really innocent and like literally like I
didn't know what was going on. I was a little
kid coming I moved to us basically because my parents
(03:00):
that we're moving. It was it wasn't my toys. Um,
but I was super excited because I'm like, oh my gosh,
I'm going to the land of Disneyland and bananas, like,
because banana was really expensive back in back in the
days in Korea and all I wanted to do is
it as much bananas? Again? That's so cute. And your
(03:21):
parents were in the beauty business. Um, yes, after we
moved to us, they were in the beauty business. So
we started with a beauty supply store. And is that
how you got interested in beauty? I don't think that's
how I got into and got interested in beauty. I've
always been interested in beauty. I'm a consumer. I'm probably
(03:42):
the ultimate consumer of all things beauty. And uh, my
parents being in the business did propel the interest even further. Um,
But it wasn't because of that business. So that's what
it's more like. Well, I have to say, looking at
you know, I am sitting here in my husband's closet,
I have not put any makeup on, I haven't done anything,
(04:05):
and you look like you're ready for a red carpet
or a photo shoot. Do you do this every day
like I got ready for you? Oh my god? Well
then then maybe hold on, let me, let me. Maybe
I'll have to call you back. But I think you
look gorgeous. Yeah, well you look you look gorgeous. But yeah,
(04:28):
So so when did you get the idea for and
how do you even say it? And how do you say?
I always say n y X yeah, which most people do,
and I don't mind. Um, it's Nicks, it's nicks. Yep.
NIX has got us a night for Greek mythology, like
even the word night came from the originating from the
(04:51):
word knicks. So and I remember the first time I
saw it. I walked by I don't know if it
was a pop up something in Union Square or one
of your stores, and I was like, you know, for
the Queen of no color makeup. I walk in and
I see this like mega explosion of color, and I
was like, what is this? So tell me about how
(05:11):
you got the idea? Um the store actually is a
post my exit. By the time I sold a company
was we had a concept of an individual like offline
retail stores. It had not been launched yet. But then
the idea behind the entire brand was because I was
really looking for something that I would be proud of
(05:34):
using and my friends would be proud of using. I mean,
I started the company when I was twenty six. I
was in my twenties and young, and I had a
lot of money, and I was always searching for a
great quality cosmetics that didn't break my bank. So where
did you Where did you start? You didn't have a
lot of money, you didn't know anyone, you had no experience,
(05:54):
So where did you start? I started? So the reason
I didn't have a lot of money is because of
my culture, in the Asian culture, at least back then,
like you were expected to go work at your family
business and your parents didn't pay you. They give you
room and board and they give your clothes. So I
was twenty five years old and I was only allow
(06:15):
ones I've never like, so I've never officially worked for
I've always worked in a family business, but I've never
officially worked for anybody, so I've never officially made money.
I've never had a salary. I never had to check
it like that kind of money in my life. That's
why I was always poored. Not many twenty five year
old have money to start a business, let alone pay
their rent. So you had this idea, and what did
(06:36):
you do with it? My so, my mother was my
first investor. So say, so, you know, family, family money,
family seed money. And when I talked about my business
idea my mom, she glad run me a check and
it was like back pay for like the twelve, fifteen, twelve,
how many years like top plus years of of employment
(07:00):
that I have free employment that I've given her. But
she wrote me a track, and you know, she said
something really amazing. Um, she said, all right, like now
you're on your own, you could do whatever you want
to do, and don't be afraid of failure. Good mom,
he said, do whatever you wanna do, don't be afraid
of the failure. It's better if you're gonna fail. It's
(07:22):
better to have that experience under your belt when you're
younger rather than we're older. But then how did you
know where to begin? Like what was your first step?
I wanted to make lipliners and eyeliners. If you remember,
like in the early nineties, um uh, we we all
used to wear like these dark brown lip liners with
(07:43):
like frosty color beij or like really like pink lipstick inside.
That was the look. And um, I like lip liner
was a really hot categories. I knew I wanted to
start with the lip liner, and I knew a manufacturer
that was out of New York, and uh, I reached
out and I flew red eye um, because I didn't
want to waste the time. I don't want to waste money.
(08:03):
It was cheaper, and I don't want to waste money
on hotel launching and things like that. I remember arriving
at JFK like five thirty in the morning. I went
to to the restroom to change into like my meeting
clothes and took a cab out to the factory and
had a meeting and came back the same day. That's home. Wow.
And then how did you market and sell? And what
(08:25):
was your idea? And what year was this exactly? I
launched in May. Um, so this must be so this
is time. So I was twenty five years old, because
it takes some time for the products to be manufactured
and things like that. It's like marketing and things like that,
like if you take two days marketing concept the method
(08:47):
like what we have today did not exist the back then.
Like marketing back then was your traditional advertisement on vook
or like your TV TV ads that right, which was
like millions of dollars which most people cannot afford. So
I was like, all right, i can't even play a
part in this game. So I'm just not gonna do it.
But my marketing is word of mouth. And how do
(09:08):
you get word of mouth? You sell great product at
a great price. But where did you sell? Trade shows?
Trade shows? Okay, you started trade shows? Yeah, so um,
I hit the I hit the trade shows. And there
were a lot of trade shows back then. Um, there
were a c M D. There were trade shows at
Javis Convention Center. There were Tigers of Asia in Miami.
(09:32):
Um of course, like they're still ongoing, like Cosmo Profs
in Italy, Cosmo Hong Kong. Like if there was a
trade show, I was on my way. So you got
out there. I mean a lot of people that are
a lot of people that are listening, they're like they
want to do it so badly, like how do you
do it? And you know what, there's no substitute for
just putting on your big girl shoes and going to
(09:52):
do it and keep doing it and do it again
and again. And I think that's probably how you started.
One h said, it's the motion of repetitiveness that turns
into a result at certain point. Um, you know you
can't just go to a trade show one time, two time,
three time. Oh, this is not working. I'm gonna like,
(10:13):
I'm gonna quit. So like exhibiting in trade shows that
cosmoprof is like really expensive. And I'm like, for the
first three years I received like zero orders from like
going into these trade shows. But I just kept going
and get going and get going, and like look at
the buyers who passed by. I'm like, I saw that guy.
(10:35):
Uh last year. I've seen that gal last year. Okay,
you're passing by that booth in this year. Maybe next
year you'll stop by. Maybe the year after you write
an owner. I'm like, I'm just gonna be here. I'll
be here ready for you when you are. So who
wrote your first order the Alta not from a trade
show like this is later on, but anyone like recognizable
(10:57):
name will be Alta will be my first order. But
you must have so you must have sold to little
teeny places before Alta. Yeah, but if I say yeah,
so no because nice full name, right, but no, but
that's another you know, that's another road to go. You
started selling and beauty supplies. Also that's what you knew
(11:17):
floor yeah yeah, okay and so um and so your
first big break was alter then correct yes? And how
big was your line when you launched Alta? I when
the year I launched Alta, we're about twenty million dollars
in revenue. Wow? So how long was your line out
(11:40):
before you sold it? Like? How many years? Years? Fifteen years? Okay?
My success? And why did you decide that it was
time to sell? You know? I like so lived mixed cosmetics,
like it was like my entire being, Like it was
(12:00):
my DNA, it's just like my everything. I had no life.
I literally had no life. Um, and I don't know
what it was like. One day I was in uh
Poland visiting a distributor. It was April, and I remember
April that year in Poland, and like in Los Angeles
was like like beautiful, glorious and like blue skies, warm weather,
(12:25):
and then I get to Poland It's freezing, and I
was I was there for like seven days, and I
love my distributors, but like I was like, why am
I here in April? Like I was like, I've been
everywhere in the world, but I've never traveled. Like it's
like you land, you go to a hotel and then
you go to a trade show, like you go to
(12:46):
a convention center, and as soon as the convention is over,
you pack and then you come home. Like I'm like,
I've been to I've been to so many countries, but
I've never traveled in any of these countries. And I
was like, I want to come to Poland when I
want to come to Poland when it's like maybe in
July or August or something like when it's nice and
lush and green. So after fifteen years, you sold the company,
(13:24):
and I know you had a noncompete for a bunch
of years, and what did five years? What I had
four years when I left the company, and I had
a twenty five year noncompete when I sold the company,
So like twenty five years because when I when we
sold the company, I was thirty three years old, and
(13:45):
I thought, I'm not gonna want to work in twenty
five years. Huh. Well guess what Now it's twenty five
years later and I just launched a brand. So that
is not true. Yeah, but it was. It was a
very hard you know, four or five years for me
because I'm I'm a serial entrepreneur like you are. So
what did you do when you left and you knew
(14:06):
you had four years? What did you do? Um So?
Five years? No compete in the beauty industry? Um So,
I launched this some glass company. Exactly one year after
I sold. I sold my company, but then I opened
a new office like one week after, like so, I
my deal was consummated on July and August fifth. I
(14:32):
had an office because I was I was now investing
in real estate and I was I had a small
investment company. It is called Butter Ventures. I had staff,
and I already had a company. So I was really
like not working for five days. But you know how
it isneur, So, tell me tell me about Butter. It's
(14:54):
your your investment companies called Butter Butter Ventures. Okay, tell
me about that, um So, after I sold my company.
You know, of course you count to zeros in your
bank account and like, WHOA, what do I do with this? Right? Um?
So you can't have the money, said it, like you
gotta always have your money work for you, Like you're
not working for the money, but you have the money
(15:14):
work for you. But when you have a pile of cash,
what you do is you invest and you don't go
in like spend all of it. Um. So I immediately
started buying real estate. And because real estate, real estate,
real estate, location, location, location, like it's drilled into my
head like that's the best investment that you could make.
So I started to do that, and then I launched
(15:36):
Putaventures because I really wanted to get back. I felt
very blasted. I still feel blast. I feel very blast
that all the opportunities and everything that, you know, just
like these amazing things that that's happened to me for
my life. So I wanted to help other female entrepreneurs
start there, get off the ground, because it's really you know,
it's known fact that it's female entrepreneurs have had a
(15:59):
harder time raising capital. So um, I was investing in
uh in companies. UM, but I'm not very active investing
anymore because I, first of all, I've kept out on
the fund that was that I allocated for that fund.
And I've just gotten so busy with my current business
(16:19):
that i don't have time to look at other deals. So,
so talk about bespoke beauty. What is what? Tell me
about what you're working on now? Okay, so bespoke beauty.
My noncompute expired last year July thirty. Um So, I
launched the I launched a new company in August one,
two days. I launched my company the day after my noncomputer. Also, okay,
(16:46):
let me see a matter, Yeah yeah, um So dispook
beauty bread is basically like we create bespoke brands UM
for the influencer or UM any influential UM business partners
that we partner with and bes both meaning that it's
(17:07):
very custom tailor to their personality, their character, so it's
very authentic, it speaks their language and um So, the
first brand that we launched was with a drag queen.
Her name is Ku Chichi. She's a Korean American drag queen. Actually,
um she was on RuPauls Drag Race. Uh. I think
she was the runner up and just this beautiful soul
(17:29):
and but like she's like this like drag queen, the
super cute personality, like adorable and cute. Um. So the
brand is like really cute, like really adorable, very colorful.
UM like that. So that's the that's the first brand
that we launched. And immediately after it was Jason Wu.
(17:52):
He's a fashion designer. He's a worldwide and recognized and
famous fashion designer, very famous for UM. You know, Jason's
who is the fashion designer for UM Michelle Obama's inauguration
dress ball down both times. And highly respected and he
had done to Batchel collab with Target before. We had
(18:16):
mutual friends. Actually, so when I met Jason, it wasn't
a business meeting at all. We just went out to dinner,
but then like something clicked. I'm like wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, Like, um,
we need to do something together. So just casual dinner
turned into a business conversation later and we really um
(18:37):
he's so, he's so funny, he's such a good human
being and he sends a beauty and fashion and every
is amazing. So we we are partnered and we're launching
a Target on January. It is going to be a
giant success. I am a huge fan of his UM.
(18:59):
I I've seen some of the things, and I think
it's going to be a huge success. And I think,
I really do think it's his time. And I think
the partnership with the two of you guys, oh my god,
I didn't know that. I just thought he was doing
it himself. I cannot wait to see that. So right
now you've got two brands, and then UM we also
signed agreement, so we're launching on band skiing Caroline UM
(19:21):
probably Summer one. And then we have another UM eyelash
line coming with a very famous instagramm er talker can
reveal the name. Yet, we're going to be dropping a
lash line towards the end of So very busy. And
(19:44):
do you think that the social is still what's driving
the beauty industry? Do you think it's the Instagram or
do you think things are changing? Things are definitely changing.
It is still a great push. It is still an
integral part of UM, the entire marketing campaign and everything.
(20:05):
But is it as effective as it was five years ago?
It's not. But I think a lot of the company's
are most brands are kind of lost at where to
put the ad dollars. I've word to put the marketing
dollars because it seems like everything is kind of pizzling out,
Like you know, TV, no one watches TV anymore, no
(20:26):
one Reason magazine anymore, no one Data da like, no
one Bison, Instagram. It. You just have to try a lot,
put a little bit of money in different outlets and
see what sticks for you and your brand, because just
because it doesn't work for one company does not mean
that it's not going to work for your company, and
same vice versa. M so interesting, so interesting, And would
(20:51):
you ever come back into the beauty industry where you
get to do a ligne like in your name or
totally your vision without another creative Oh my gosh, no, no,
it's so funny because I consider doing what you're doing
now after when I was trying to figure it out
and trying things, and you know what, I have never
(21:13):
been happier launching my own brand my way. I guess
my the difference between you and I. I mean because
when you have a meeting with Jason or Kim Chay,
there's a few different creative opinion you have. Well, here's
the thing, So, UM, I when I signed an agreement
with anybody, when I decided to partner with anybody, I
(21:35):
make sure that I only work with people that I
that I like. I mean, there's no really like when
you know how much work time hours a day we
put into our work, and if we're spending this much
time with people, UM, then why like, why be with
(21:57):
somebody that you don't want to be around with? So
I first, why make sure that, um the work environment
is good? And I have decided that my first and
four most important commitment for me, for this brand, and
for the companies and for the brands that we launch,
(22:18):
is that, UM, I made their dream come a reality.
It's not my dream, is their dreams. And I'm just
I'm just, I'm just a UM what is it? Facilitator,
fairy godmother? The yeah? But your knowledge? And you know,
they're so lucky and I'm sure they know how lucky
(22:39):
they're to have someone who has that that attitude plus
your knowledge. So I'm lucky that day I agreed to
partner with And what do you think that US season
Founders could do to help the younger generation coming up?
I think the most important. But I'm gonna say this,
but this is like, this is not something that that
(23:03):
I can fully practice right now because I'm so tied
with so many projects. Next, but really volunteering your time,
like sharing your time, because time is the most valuable. Right.
If you spend an hour with an entrepreneur, mentoring somebody
or just having a conversation that like elevates them to
(23:24):
the next level, You're one alp or But it is
so hard, I know it. So since this is a
beauty podcast, it's called Beyond the Beauty, I'm I ask
(23:48):
everyone the same question. What is beauty too? To you?
Beauty is whatever makes you happy? You know, what's the
most beautiful thing is a smile on somebody's face. M
I love I love that answer. Okay, now are really
quick speed round. What's your makeup routine on a casual
day when you're not Yeah, like, what's your routine on
a day when you're not being photographed? Uh? Okay, So
(24:10):
either I do a full face or no face at all.
Because I'm a child of the eighties and I have
overplucked my eyebrow so I don't have any eyebrows. So
if I'm going into my eyebrows, it needs to be
a whole thing or nothing? Okay? And what's something most
people don't know about you? And that I'm an introvert?
Really I would I would not have guessed that I
(24:32):
know living on extrovert night. What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is um I buy stuff on Facebook,
not Instagram, Facebook, face Book. If I just got something delivered,
what do you get? What was it? It's like this
thing that you put on your neck and you stretches
(24:54):
your Now it just goes into another pile of I
bought it, but I never use it pile from Facebook.
That's so funny. And do you have a favorite cocktail?
I do a lot of them. What is the one
(25:17):
product you cannot live without? My LaMere face cream? So
where do you want to send people that want to
know more about you? Where can they find you? They
could find me on Instagram Tony co co co to
and I k okay, okay, okay. Oh one last question
I did forget to ask you. Since you are from Korea,
(25:39):
talk to me about k beauty and if it's still
as big as it always was? I think it is.
I think it is. I think it is actually bigger
than it was because before when it was like really
like everybody's talking about it because it's the beginning, right
because at the birth of anything, um, there's a lot
of hype around it and then it kind of tapers down. Um,
(25:59):
but that doesn't mean that it's gone away, and like, um,
it's spread wider. But women are obsessed with skincare and
all things beauty and like they look like they're not
wearing anything on their face. Trust me, they're wearing like
twenty different items on their face. They put so many
items on to look like they're not wearing anything. And
(26:20):
but skincare. Let me tell you my mom maybe where
I cream starting like eighteen years old and my mom,
like my first image of my mom from my childhood
is her with cucumber slices on their face. And it's
like the best, like the easiest, chipest, cheapest, like the
quickest like beauty of routine that you could do is
(26:42):
like you either like great grind great uh this is
my yes English second eguige moment, or like you like
thinly sliced cucumbers, um, uh, fresh cucumbers and you just
put pieces on your face and it's amazing for your skin.
Um or like her like massaging her skin all the time.
She my mom is seventy six years old. You should
(27:02):
see this woman like she looks like at least like
fifteen years younger than she does. And uh um, she
would not step out of the house without being fully done,
like her hair, makeup, like everything. Well, you got good
jeans and tell your tell your mom. She did a
really great job with you. Thank you, thank you. All right, Well,
(27:23):
be safe and I look forward to connecting next time
for sure. Bye bye. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Beyond the Beauty is a production of I Heart Radio.
I'm your host, Bobby Brown. I have wanted to meet
Tony co for a very long time. I've heard through
mutual friends that she's a powerhouse. She is the founder
(00:25):
of the makeup brand NIX, which is also n y X.
I want to find out how it's pronounced. But I
also want to just hear her journey. She came here
as a kid from Korea, she sold the company, and
she's done so much more since. So I'm looking forward
to the conversation with Tony Co. Hey, Tony, nice to
(00:47):
meet you. I Bobby. Nice to finally meeting you. Tony
with an eye and Bobby with an eye. Yeah. Now,
I don't remember who we have in common, but some
really cool woman said to me after I left Bobby
Brown Cosmetics and I was trying to figure out what
I wanted to do. She said, oh my god, you
have to meet Tony. She is the coolest and she
(01:09):
just left too, and you guys have to get together,
and we didn't, but who knows what would have happened
if we did. But nice to finally meet you. I
know so nice. I'm so happy to meet I just
want to quickly say that you know that I've been
wearing your eyeshadow for like ten years. Well, you know
it's not my eyeshadow anymore. It might be the one
that I made, but yes, with your name, with my
(01:32):
name on it. Yeah, you know. I don't know about you,
but I I don't feel emotionally attached to the original company.
I've kind of moved on. I don't know, how do
you feel. Um, I felt super attached for like the
first three years and then I had a gradual dwindle
(01:53):
down that that that attachment over probably like the next
the two years after that and out, I of course
nearly loved the brand and everywhere I go, like if
I see it, it just makes my heart flutter. But
it's not like, oh my god, that like like I
created that, Like that's my company that I don't have,
Like I just wish the best for them, and then
(02:15):
that that's so nice. Well, we have so much to
talk about before we get to that point, because I
just want to know so much about you. I know
you moved to America when you were a kid like thirteen?
Is that true? From Korea? Right? South Korea? Not North Korea? Ima,
(02:37):
that's all I know. So what was it like coming
to this country as a thirteen year old? You know,
thirteen year old back in six and thirteen year old
now is very different. So, um, well, back then, like
we were really really innocent and like literally like I
didn't know what was going on. I was a little
kid coming I moved to us basically because my parents
(03:00):
that we're moving. It was it wasn't my toys. Um,
but I was super excited because I'm like, oh my gosh,
I'm going to the land of Disneyland and bananas, like,
because banana was really expensive back in back in the
days in Korea and all I wanted to do is
it as much bananas? Again? That's so cute. And your
(03:21):
parents were in the beauty business. Um, yes, after we
moved to us, they were in the beauty business. So
we started with a beauty supply store. And is that
how you got interested in beauty? I don't think that's
how I got into and got interested in beauty. I've
always been interested in beauty. I'm a consumer. I'm probably
(03:42):
the ultimate consumer of all things beauty. And uh, my
parents being in the business did propel the interest even further. Um,
But it wasn't because of that business. So that's what
it's more like. Well, I have to say, looking at
you know, I am sitting here in my husband's closet,
I have not put any makeup on, I haven't done anything,
(04:05):
and you look like you're ready for a red carpet
or a photo shoot. Do you do this every day
like I got ready for you? Oh my god? Well
then then maybe hold on, let me, let me. Maybe
I'll have to call you back. But I think you
look gorgeous. Yeah, well you look you look gorgeous. But yeah,
(04:28):
So so when did you get the idea for and
how do you even say it? And how do you say?
I always say n y X yeah, which most people do,
and I don't mind. Um, it's Nicks, it's nicks. Yep.
NIX has got us a night for Greek mythology, like
even the word night came from the originating from the
(04:51):
word knicks. So and I remember the first time I
saw it. I walked by I don't know if it
was a pop up something in Union Square or one
of your stores, and I was like, you know, for
the Queen of no color makeup. I walk in and
I see this like mega explosion of color, and I
was like, what is this? So tell me about how
(05:11):
you got the idea? Um the store actually is a
post my exit. By the time I sold a company
was we had a concept of an individual like offline
retail stores. It had not been launched yet. But then
the idea behind the entire brand was because I was
really looking for something that I would be proud of
(05:34):
using and my friends would be proud of using. I mean,
I started the company when I was twenty six. I
was in my twenties and young, and I had a
lot of money, and I was always searching for a
great quality cosmetics that didn't break my bank. So where
did you Where did you start? You didn't have a
lot of money, you didn't know anyone, you had no experience,
(05:54):
So where did you start? I started? So the reason
I didn't have a lot of money is because of
my culture, in the Asian culture, at least back then,
like you were expected to go work at your family
business and your parents didn't pay you. They give you
room and board and they give your clothes. So I
was twenty five years old and I was only allow
(06:15):
ones I've never like, so I've never officially worked for
I've always worked in a family business, but I've never
officially worked for anybody, so I've never officially made money.
I've never had a salary. I never had to check
it like that kind of money in my life. That's
why I was always poored. Not many twenty five year
old have money to start a business, let alone pay
their rent. So you had this idea, and what did
(06:36):
you do with it? My so, my mother was my
first investor. So say, so, you know, family, family money,
family seed money. And when I talked about my business
idea my mom, she glad run me a check and
it was like back pay for like the twelve, fifteen, twelve,
how many years like top plus years of of employment
(07:00):
that I have free employment that I've given her. But
she wrote me a track, and you know, she said
something really amazing. Um, she said, all right, like now
you're on your own, you could do whatever you want
to do, and don't be afraid of failure. Good mom,
he said, do whatever you wanna do, don't be afraid
of the failure. It's better if you're gonna fail. It's
(07:22):
better to have that experience under your belt when you're
younger rather than we're older. But then how did you
know where to begin? Like what was your first step?
I wanted to make lipliners and eyeliners. If you remember,
like in the early nineties, um uh, we we all
used to wear like these dark brown lip liners with
(07:43):
like frosty color beij or like really like pink lipstick inside.
That was the look. And um, I like lip liner
was a really hot categories. I knew I wanted to
start with the lip liner, and I knew a manufacturer
that was out of New York, and uh, I reached
out and I flew red eye um, because I didn't
want to waste the time. I don't want to waste money.
(08:03):
It was cheaper, and I don't want to waste money
on hotel launching and things like that. I remember arriving
at JFK like five thirty in the morning. I went
to to the restroom to change into like my meeting
clothes and took a cab out to the factory and
had a meeting and came back the same day. That's home. Wow.
And then how did you market and sell? And what
(08:25):
was your idea? And what year was this exactly? I
launched in May. Um, so this must be so this
is time. So I was twenty five years old, because
it takes some time for the products to be manufactured
and things like that. It's like marketing and things like that,
like if you take two days marketing concept the method
(08:47):
like what we have today did not exist the back then.
Like marketing back then was your traditional advertisement on vook
or like your TV TV ads that right, which was
like millions of dollars which most people cannot afford. So
I was like, all right, i can't even play a
part in this game. So I'm just not gonna do it.
But my marketing is word of mouth. And how do
(09:08):
you get word of mouth? You sell great product at
a great price. But where did you sell? Trade shows?
Trade shows? Okay, you started trade shows? Yeah, so um,
I hit the I hit the trade shows. And there
were a lot of trade shows back then. Um, there
were a c M D. There were trade shows at
Javis Convention Center. There were Tigers of Asia in Miami.
(09:32):
Um of course, like they're still ongoing, like Cosmo Profs
in Italy, Cosmo Hong Kong. Like if there was a
trade show, I was on my way. So you got
out there. I mean a lot of people that are
a lot of people that are listening, they're like they
want to do it so badly, like how do you
do it? And you know what, there's no substitute for
just putting on your big girl shoes and going to
(09:52):
do it and keep doing it and do it again
and again. And I think that's probably how you started.
One h said, it's the motion of repetitiveness that turns
into a result at certain point. Um, you know you
can't just go to a trade show one time, two time,
three time. Oh, this is not working. I'm gonna like,
(10:13):
I'm gonna quit. So like exhibiting in trade shows that
cosmoprof is like really expensive. And I'm like, for the
first three years I received like zero orders from like
going into these trade shows. But I just kept going
and get going and get going, and like look at
the buyers who passed by. I'm like, I saw that guy.
(10:35):
Uh last year. I've seen that gal last year. Okay,
you're passing by that booth in this year. Maybe next
year you'll stop by. Maybe the year after you write
an owner. I'm like, I'm just gonna be here. I'll
be here ready for you when you are. So who
wrote your first order the Alta not from a trade
show like this is later on, but anyone like recognizable
(10:57):
name will be Alta will be my first order. But
you must have so you must have sold to little
teeny places before Alta. Yeah, but if I say yeah,
so no because nice full name, right, but no, but
that's another you know, that's another road to go. You
started selling and beauty supplies. Also that's what you knew
(11:17):
floor yeah yeah, okay and so um and so your
first big break was alter then correct yes? And how
big was your line when you launched Alta? I when
the year I launched Alta, we're about twenty million dollars
in revenue. Wow? So how long was your line out
(11:40):
before you sold it? Like? How many years? Years? Fifteen years? Okay?
My success? And why did you decide that it was
time to sell? You know? I like so lived mixed cosmetics,
like it was like my entire being, Like it was
(12:00):
my DNA, it's just like my everything. I had no life.
I literally had no life. Um, and I don't know
what it was like. One day I was in uh
Poland visiting a distributor. It was April, and I remember
April that year in Poland, and like in Los Angeles
was like like beautiful, glorious and like blue skies, warm weather,
(12:25):
and then I get to Poland It's freezing, and I
was I was there for like seven days, and I
love my distributors, but like I was like, why am
I here in April? Like I was like, I've been
everywhere in the world, but I've never traveled. Like it's
like you land, you go to a hotel and then
you go to a trade show, like you go to
(12:46):
a convention center, and as soon as the convention is over,
you pack and then you come home. Like I'm like,
I've been to I've been to so many countries, but
I've never traveled in any of these countries. And I
was like, I want to come to Poland when I
want to come to Poland when it's like maybe in
July or August or something like when it's nice and
lush and green. So after fifteen years, you sold the company,
(13:24):
and I know you had a noncompete for a bunch
of years, and what did five years? What I had
four years when I left the company, and I had
a twenty five year noncompete when I sold the company,
So like twenty five years because when I when we
sold the company, I was thirty three years old, and
(13:45):
I thought, I'm not gonna want to work in twenty
five years. Huh. Well guess what Now it's twenty five
years later and I just launched a brand. So that
is not true. Yeah, but it was. It was a
very hard you know, four or five years for me
because I'm I'm a serial entrepreneur like you are. So
what did you do when you left and you knew
(14:06):
you had four years? What did you do? Um So?
Five years? No compete in the beauty industry? Um So,
I launched this some glass company. Exactly one year after
I sold. I sold my company, but then I opened
a new office like one week after, like so, I
my deal was consummated on July and August fifth. I
(14:32):
had an office because I was I was now investing
in real estate and I was I had a small
investment company. It is called Butter Ventures. I had staff,
and I already had a company. So I was really
like not working for five days. But you know how
it isneur, So, tell me tell me about Butter. It's
(14:54):
your your investment companies called Butter Butter Ventures. Okay, tell
me about that, um So, after I sold my company.
You know, of course you count to zeros in your
bank account and like, WHOA, what do I do with this? Right? Um?
So you can't have the money, said it, like you
gotta always have your money work for you, Like you're
not working for the money, but you have the money
(15:14):
work for you. But when you have a pile of cash,
what you do is you invest and you don't go
in like spend all of it. Um. So I immediately
started buying real estate. And because real estate, real estate,
real estate, location, location, location, like it's drilled into my
head like that's the best investment that you could make.
So I started to do that, and then I launched
(15:36):
Putaventures because I really wanted to get back. I felt
very blasted. I still feel blast. I feel very blast
that all the opportunities and everything that, you know, just
like these amazing things that that's happened to me for
my life. So I wanted to help other female entrepreneurs
start there, get off the ground, because it's really you know,
it's known fact that it's female entrepreneurs have had a
(15:59):
harder time raising capital. So um, I was investing in
uh in companies. UM, but I'm not very active investing
anymore because I, first of all, I've kept out on
the fund that was that I allocated for that fund.
And I've just gotten so busy with my current business
(16:19):
that i don't have time to look at other deals. So,
so talk about bespoke beauty. What is what? Tell me
about what you're working on now? Okay, so bespoke beauty.
My noncompute expired last year July thirty. Um So, I
launched the I launched a new company in August one,
two days. I launched my company the day after my noncomputer. Also, okay,
(16:46):
let me see a matter, Yeah yeah, um So dispook
beauty bread is basically like we create bespoke brands UM
for the influencer or UM any influential UM business partners
that we partner with and bes both meaning that it's
(17:07):
very custom tailor to their personality, their character, so it's
very authentic, it speaks their language and um So, the
first brand that we launched was with a drag queen.
Her name is Ku Chichi. She's a Korean American drag queen. Actually,
um she was on RuPauls Drag Race. Uh. I think
she was the runner up and just this beautiful soul
(17:29):
and but like she's like this like drag queen, the
super cute personality, like adorable and cute. Um. So the
brand is like really cute, like really adorable, very colorful.
UM like that. So that's the that's the first brand
that we launched. And immediately after it was Jason Wu.
(17:52):
He's a fashion designer. He's a worldwide and recognized and
famous fashion designer, very famous for UM. You know, Jason's
who is the fashion designer for UM Michelle Obama's inauguration
dress ball down both times. And highly respected and he
had done to Batchel collab with Target before. We had
(18:16):
mutual friends. Actually, so when I met Jason, it wasn't
a business meeting at all. We just went out to dinner,
but then like something clicked. I'm like wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, Like, um,
we need to do something together. So just casual dinner
turned into a business conversation later and we really um
(18:37):
he's so, he's so funny, he's such a good human
being and he sends a beauty and fashion and every
is amazing. So we we are partnered and we're launching
a Target on January. It is going to be a
giant success. I am a huge fan of his UM.
(18:59):
I I've seen some of the things, and I think
it's going to be a huge success. And I think,
I really do think it's his time. And I think
the partnership with the two of you guys, oh my god,
I didn't know that. I just thought he was doing
it himself. I cannot wait to see that. So right
now you've got two brands, and then UM we also
signed agreement, so we're launching on band skiing Caroline UM
(19:21):
probably Summer one. And then we have another UM eyelash
line coming with a very famous instagramm er talker can
reveal the name. Yet, we're going to be dropping a
lash line towards the end of So very busy. And
(19:44):
do you think that the social is still what's driving
the beauty industry? Do you think it's the Instagram or
do you think things are changing? Things are definitely changing.
It is still a great push. It is still an
integral part of UM, the entire marketing campaign and everything.
(20:05):
But is it as effective as it was five years ago?
It's not. But I think a lot of the company's
are most brands are kind of lost at where to
put the ad dollars. I've word to put the marketing
dollars because it seems like everything is kind of pizzling out,
Like you know, TV, no one watches TV anymore, no
(20:26):
one Reason magazine anymore, no one Data da like, no
one Bison, Instagram. It. You just have to try a lot,
put a little bit of money in different outlets and
see what sticks for you and your brand, because just
because it doesn't work for one company does not mean
that it's not going to work for your company, and
same vice versa. M so interesting, so interesting, And would
(20:51):
you ever come back into the beauty industry where you
get to do a ligne like in your name or
totally your vision without another creative Oh my gosh, no, no,
it's so funny because I consider doing what you're doing
now after when I was trying to figure it out
and trying things, and you know what, I have never
(21:13):
been happier launching my own brand my way. I guess
my the difference between you and I. I mean because
when you have a meeting with Jason or Kim Chay,
there's a few different creative opinion you have. Well, here's
the thing, So, UM, I when I signed an agreement
with anybody, when I decided to partner with anybody, I
(21:35):
make sure that I only work with people that I
that I like. I mean, there's no really like when
you know how much work time hours a day we
put into our work, and if we're spending this much
time with people, UM, then why like, why be with
(21:57):
somebody that you don't want to be around with? So
I first, why make sure that, um the work environment
is good? And I have decided that my first and
four most important commitment for me, for this brand, and
for the companies and for the brands that we launch,
(22:18):
is that, UM, I made their dream come a reality.
It's not my dream, is their dreams. And I'm just
I'm just, I'm just a UM what is it? Facilitator,
fairy godmother? The yeah? But your knowledge? And you know,
they're so lucky and I'm sure they know how lucky
(22:39):
they're to have someone who has that that attitude plus
your knowledge. So I'm lucky that day I agreed to
partner with And what do you think that US season
Founders could do to help the younger generation coming up?
I think the most important. But I'm gonna say this,
but this is like, this is not something that that
(23:03):
I can fully practice right now because I'm so tied
with so many projects. Next, but really volunteering your time,
like sharing your time, because time is the most valuable. Right.
If you spend an hour with an entrepreneur, mentoring somebody
or just having a conversation that like elevates them to
(23:24):
the next level, You're one alp or But it is
so hard, I know it. So since this is a
beauty podcast, it's called Beyond the Beauty, I'm I ask
(23:48):
everyone the same question. What is beauty too? To you?
Beauty is whatever makes you happy? You know, what's the
most beautiful thing is a smile on somebody's face. M
I love I love that answer. Okay, now are really
quick speed round. What's your makeup routine on a casual
day when you're not Yeah, like, what's your routine on
a day when you're not being photographed? Uh? Okay, So
(24:10):
either I do a full face or no face at all.
Because I'm a child of the eighties and I have
overplucked my eyebrow so I don't have any eyebrows. So
if I'm going into my eyebrows, it needs to be
a whole thing or nothing? Okay? And what's something most
people don't know about you? And that I'm an introvert?
Really I would I would not have guessed that I
(24:32):
know living on extrovert night. What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is um I buy stuff on Facebook,
not Instagram, Facebook, face Book. If I just got something delivered,
what do you get? What was it? It's like this
thing that you put on your neck and you stretches
(24:54):
your Now it just goes into another pile of I
bought it, but I never use it pile from Facebook.
That's so funny. And do you have a favorite cocktail?
I do a lot of them. What is the one
(25:17):
product you cannot live without? My LaMere face cream? So
where do you want to send people that want to
know more about you? Where can they find you? They
could find me on Instagram Tony co co co to
and I k okay, okay, okay. Oh one last question
I did forget to ask you. Since you are from Korea,
(25:39):
talk to me about k beauty and if it's still
as big as it always was? I think it is.
I think it is. I think it is actually bigger
than it was because before when it was like really
like everybody's talking about it because it's the beginning, right
because at the birth of anything, um, there's a lot
of hype around it and then it kind of tapers down. Um,
(25:59):
but that doesn't mean that it's gone away, and like, um,
it's spread wider. But women are obsessed with skincare and
all things beauty and like they look like they're not
wearing anything on their face. Trust me, they're wearing like
twenty different items on their face. They put so many
items on to look like they're not wearing anything. And
(26:20):
but skincare. Let me tell you my mom maybe where
I cream starting like eighteen years old and my mom,
like my first image of my mom from my childhood
is her with cucumber slices on their face. And it's
like the best, like the easiest, chipest, cheapest, like the
quickest like beauty of routine that you could do is
(26:42):
like you either like great grind great uh this is
my yes English second eguige moment, or like you like
thinly sliced cucumbers, um, uh, fresh cucumbers and you just
put pieces on your face and it's amazing for your skin.
Um or like her like massaging her skin all the time.
She my mom is seventy six years old. You should
(27:02):
see this woman like she looks like at least like
fifteen years younger than she does. And uh um, she
would not step out of the house without being fully done,
like her hair, makeup, like everything. Well, you got good
jeans and tell your tell your mom. She did a
really great job with you. Thank you, thank you. All right, Well,
(27:23):
be safe and I look forward to connecting next time
for sure. Bye bye. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
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