Turning $1500 Into a Multi-Million Dollar Business & Using Therapy to Create a New Future with Karen Young, Founder of Oui the People

Karen Young is the Founder and CEO of Oui the People, a body care
brand designed to make you feel great in your own skin. 


Karen has always been a problem solver, but one problem plagued
her for years - debilitating razor burn which held her back from
wearing many of her favorite skirts or shorts that showed her
legs. In 2014, while working as an executive for Estee Lauder,
Keren suffered a particularly bad case of razor burn and decided
enough was enough.


With $1,500 in her savings, Karen launched Oui the People from
her apartment in Brooklyn and turned the shaving industry on its
head by developing the world’s first safety razor designed
especially for women. The company is now the fastest growing
Black-owned beauty brand in the US and has been featured in many
publications like Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and O Magazine. 


Most recently, after self-funding for many years which we’ll talk
about, Karen closed an oversubscribed round and raised $3 million
dollars for the brand allowing her to continue to push her
mission of empowerment and inclusivity - something that she
didn’t always see in the beauty industry growing up. 


In this week’s episode, we talk to Karen about her very windy
journey in entrepreneurship from having a successful corporate
career while trying different side hustles with the goal of
always starting her own business, the biggest lessons she learned
from her first business that ended up closing down, and how
therapy has been her biggest tool when it comes to overcoming the
darkest of times. We also chat about her unique upbringing as a
child of immigrants and what they taught her about self-worth,
resilience, and perseverance – all key factors that have helped
her in both her personal & professional life. 


In this episode, we’ll talk to Karen about:


* Lessons in perseverance that Karen was taught by her
grandmother. [03:20]


* The culture that Karen was immersed in while growing up and how
it has influenced her. [08:17]


* An overview of Karen’s educational and early career journey.
[13:22]


* The founding story of Karen’s first business, Hammocks and High
Tea. [21:40]


* Karen shares the biggest lesson she learned through her first
entrepreneurial venture. [25:57]


* The motivation behind the closing of Hammocks and High Tea.
[29:15]


* How Karen dealt with the emotional and financial stress that
came with closing down her business. [32:49]


* The importance of separating your sense of worth from your
business. [36:00]


* Pressure that is commonly felt by children of immigrants.
[36:37]


* Karen’s experience working at Estee Lauder. [40:00]


* The problem that Karen saw as an opportunity for her next
business, Oui the People. [41:41]


* What the early days looked like at Oui the People. [42:33]


* The moment Karen realized Oui the People was much more than
just a side hustle. [44:28]


* Karen’s approach to product development and how it benefited
her business in the long run. [46:06]


* How Karen’s mindset around funding has changed with her
evolving journey as an entrepreneur. [52:25]


* Why Karen is a strong proponent of therapy. [55:24]


* Karen’s advice for dealing with overwhelm. [56:46]


This episode is brought to you by Beeya:


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