Outglow

Interview #49 - Outglow

Welcome back readers to another blog with Business Anthropi. Apologies for being relatively inactive over the past week, it’s coming up to exam time, and I’m getting super busy with studies. Still, I don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the fantastic businesses yet to come! After this semester and classes are finally over, there are so many things I hope to achieve with my blog, so look out for new updates to not miss out. 

This evening, I hope you all enjoy the following read about a new business that only started this year in June, Outglow. This business is a specialised Korean cosmetic retailer based in Sydney that started between two friends, Kristen and Emily. For this interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kristen and learning more about the business and what they hope to achieve. 

Outglow was established during the year out of the pandemic and has taken a turn for the better. Kristen and Emily started the business together then and found this to be perfect timing. As both of them wanted to create something new and exciting, none of them had the time before to do something new amongst university and work. So when Kristen lost one of her jobs, they took the leap and start investing in the business. 

MEET KRISTEN! 

Outglow is a retailer for Korean skincare products, and even though they don’t have a professional background, for Kristen at least this business started out of passion and personal interest in skincare. This isn’t to say however that they know nothing, Kristen and Emily are well versed in the skincare industry and have done plenty of research mixed with experience to understand the products and what is needed for the different skin types. 

The goal that Kristen and Emily have for Outglow is to ensure that their business stands out from the rest rather than blending in with everyone else. Even though the businesses started during a lockdown period, Kristen had gotten inspiration and passion for skincare through the YouTube channel, Liah and her business Krave. Her channel and business are about going back to the basics, and this is precisely what Outglow wants to achieve. Starting from the beginning and working your way up with products to ensure to not overwhelm anyone. 

---

What is your favourite skincare product?

“Sunscreen. Most people say serums and maybe toners but sunscreen protects your skin, especially from sun damage and ageing.” 

---

More and more, Korean skincare is getting more hype and becoming more popular amongst the skincare community, and it’s easy to see why. The products tend to be quite affordable and is actually sufficient for the skin when used correctly. While interviewing Kristen, she told me a story of how, when she was younger, she would get overwhelmed with the number of products in skincare, especially while everyone raves about the ten-step routine. So when Kristen started Outglow with Emily, it was essential to her that when talking with customers that they are not stressed and to make their customers feel better about their skin. 

Outglow is here to act like a bigger sister, in the sense that if anyone struggles with skin concerns, Kristen and Emily can give useful advice and point you in the right direction. 

This is part of the intended experience that Outglow hopes to give to their customers, and also anyone that simply wants to talk about skincare. They are more than happy to talk to anyone, so it’s important for their audience to know that they are there for them. 

---

What tips would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?

“Don’t just follow the trend that everyone is now wanting to start their own business and that you might as well start one. Just think about it in a way that if you’re really passionate about something and you have worked on something really hard, then do it rather than following the trend. And before starting a business, you have to be confident in yourself that you don’t bring anyone down because starting a business is all about taking risks and isn’t a one day process, so you have to keep trying. Also taking notes and advice from others and those who have experience in your industry is good, and doing a lot of market research.”

---

Starting a business during a crisis is not ideal, so it’s not uncommon that there were challenges faced for Kristen and Emily, having only been operating for a few months. When they started Outglow, they started from, and with nothing and when speaking with Kristen, she had no prior business knowledge or experience, especially in the sense of how to start. So this was a big learning curve for them to overcome, and every day they are still continually adapting and changing, understanding more and more about the business environment. One aspect that Kristen wished she had started earlier was to gain engagement and an audience through social media before the launch rather than starting at one time. But even though she began to this late, it hasn’t changed much, and they have learnt from this. 

There is a bright future ahead for both Emily and Kristen and their business, Outglow. They are both confident in themselves and what their business stands for, going back to the basics and simplifying the way we see skincare.

---

How would you describe your business in one sentence?

Simplify your skincare journey

---

Thank you all for reading my latest blog post about the business, Outglow. I had a great time speaking with Kristen about the business and learnt so much about what they hope the business stands for and aspirations for the future. To learn more about the business, click the button below for a link to their Facebook page or click this link HERE for their Instagram. 

To get regular updates on my blog and all that is to come,  follow my Instagram and like my Facebook page with the links all over this blog as well as subscribe down below to keep in touch and stay updated on the happenings of my blog. I have exciting businesses coming your way and you don’t want to miss what I have in store!

And I love to hear your feedback, it helps me improve on my writing and finding out on what you want to see in future posts. Click Here to let me know what you think!

© copyright 2020 - Business Anthropi - republishing of any material is not permitted, contact me for authorization. All images shown have permission to be used by Business Anthropi.