1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Well, what's up. It's way up at Angela Yee on 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: our Wealth Wednesday. I'm Angela Yee and Stacy Tuesday. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 2: Happy Wealth Wednesday. Everybody. We are going to help you 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: look good, we are going to help you feel good, 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:14,159 Speaker 2: and we're going to tell you how to be an 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 2: amazing entrepreneur because we have Katini herself, the singer, songwriter, 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 2: skincare everything. We're just so excited to have you today. 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me trust you. 9 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 4: Because your skin looks amazing. 10 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 3: All right, oh, thank you, thank you so excited to 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 3: be here. 12 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: Beautiful. But you, I mean, skincare is one thing, but 13 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 2: you do so many things, singing, songwriting, and I know 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 2: you're you have quite a mix of Japanese mother your 15 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: father's from Guyana, and that really seemed to inform your 16 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 2: music and your skincare choice. Tell us about that. 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, so I was my mom's Japanese. I was born 18 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 5: in Tokyo, Japan, and lived between West Africa and Japan 19 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 5: until I was about I have six years old. You 20 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 5: get from Ghana, Ghana in West Africa, and then I 21 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 5: relocated to Australia's Unfortunately, my dad passed when I was 22 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 5: about five, and there was like a school in Australia 23 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 5: that my parents were really like inspired by, and so 24 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 5: to honor that, my mom moved my siblings and I 25 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 5: to Australia and then kind of was in Australia, moved 26 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 5: back to Japan and then now I'm based here in 27 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 5: New York City doing my music and Continy Skin is 28 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 5: based here. 29 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 4: Okay, So what came first? The music or the skincare 30 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 4: So the music? 31 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 3: Well, actually, you know, so we moved to the school 32 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 3: in Australia. 33 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: Are about the school? 34 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,919 Speaker 3: Yes, it's a really interesting school. 35 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 5: So I grew up in a really holistic household where 36 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 5: my mom and my dad raise us all vegetarian from birth. 37 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 5: Yoga meditation was a part of the school curriculum, a 38 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 5: part of the life curriculum. And then so the school 39 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 5: that we went to had it like as a part 40 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 5: of the program. So you'd learn meditation and yoga. You 41 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 5: could only bring plant based food to school, and you 42 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 5: you actually learned how to make your own products like 43 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 5: soaps and performs using things that were growing in the garden. 44 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 5: And so because we were already raised in that environment, 45 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 5: my mom was like, I want to further that and 46 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 5: take my kids to the school. 47 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 3: Now, we kind of. 48 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 5: Moved from like Neon Metropolis, Tokyo City life, where like 49 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 5: there's buildings everywhere, to this tiny town called Maulaney where 50 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 5: there was more cows and people. The school was literally 51 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 5: in the middle of the rainforest. 52 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 4: Like, so you guys move there just for this school? 53 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, just for the school. 54 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 5: So it was I mean my mom also, she was like, 55 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 5: we just lost our father, and she was like it'd 56 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 5: be a beautiful place for healing as well. Like we 57 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 5: were living in Japan, we were going to international school. 58 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 5: But now my mom, being a single parent, she's like, 59 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 5: there's no way I can afford to take all my 60 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 5: kids there. They will have to go to regular Japanese school. Now, 61 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 5: Japan's very homogeneous, and she thought they could be bullied, Like, 62 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 5: I don't know if that's the right thing for them. 63 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 3: So this school was like her calling. She's like, we're 64 00:02:57,919 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 3: doing it. 65 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,279 Speaker 4: She thought you could be bullied because. 66 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 5: In Japan, just because schooling is very homogenous, and they 67 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 5: have this thing where they have this saying where it's 68 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 5: like death a koogie up with that editor, which means 69 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 5: like the nail that sticks. 70 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 3: Out wi be hammered. 71 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 5: Back in place, and so we would probably be the 72 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 5: nail that stuck out because we were these mixed kids 73 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 5: like in Japan, in Japanese society. Now, I never experienced 74 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 5: direct racism, but I know that in Japan, like if 75 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 5: you are different, kids tend to pick up that, you 76 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 5: know what I mean. And she didn't want that to 77 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 5: like affect us in our future and how we saw 78 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 5: ourselves in the world and in society. 79 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 4: And how did your mom and dad meet? 80 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 5: They met in Japan. So my dad was there backwards 81 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 5: and Fords for work. He was a diplomat and he 82 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 5: spoke Japanese perfectly. At the time, like my mom's I mean, 83 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 5: nobody was really like getting married, like interracial marriages weren't 84 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 5: really a thing, and so they met. 85 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 3: My dad was super charming. 86 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 5: He'd make jokes in Japanese, he read like the Japanese newspaper, 87 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 5: and so I think my mom's family were like, you know, 88 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 5: he's an African man. He looks very different, but he 89 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 5: understands our culture and respects that right, and so it 90 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 5: sort of allowed that marriage to happen. 91 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 4: But Okay, yeah, I love that story, and. 92 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 2: You bring a lot of that your spiritual approach to life, 93 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: into your music, and to your business. I was reading 94 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: how you said that the importance of mental, physical, emotional, 95 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: and spiritual balance for entrepreneurs is critical. Talk a little 96 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: bit about. 97 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 5: That totally, and I mean I learned that growing up 98 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 5: through this, you know, the meditation, the yoga that was 99 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 5: around my house and as well at the school. But 100 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 5: it's the only thing that kind of can expand your mind. 101 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 5: And really, like, we live in a world where we're 102 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 5: seeing so many things in the external that can limit 103 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 5: us in the way that we see ourselves, especially where 104 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 5: we come from, our culture, erase our background. But the 105 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 5: spiritual aspect really like puts a pause in all of that, 106 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 5: allows me to like tap into myself and me like 107 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 5: who am I and what do I want to do? 108 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 5: And helps me expand my mind. So I think it's 109 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 5: it's really important that we tap into that. 110 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 2: And we'd a lot of people are talking about mindfulness 111 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: and rituality. We even talk about it around money, but 112 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 2: people don't meditating is stepping out of your thoughts. Yes, 113 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 2: so stepping at the act. It's actually some people are like, oh, 114 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: I can't meditate because I'm like, cause you're sitting there 115 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: just straight wall. 116 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 4: Your mind is racing. 117 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: It's like stepping out of that. And even if you 118 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 2: can just do it for a second, practicing it strengthens 119 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 2: that muscle, just like a workout, and that's the key 120 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 2: to everything like posture syndrome, being bullied, all this stuff, 121 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 2: being able to step out of it so you can 122 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 2: make different decisions. And how important that I'm told you 123 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: I'm having me on this new no. 124 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 5: I love it, you know, It's it's really true, and 125 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 5: I thank my mom for it. 126 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 3: I think when I was a kid, I was like, 127 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 3: you're so weird, Like why do I have to meditate? 128 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 3: Why do I have to go to school? And all 129 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 3: those things? 130 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 5: But like as an adult, it's the only thing that 131 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 5: keeps me grounded, and it expands my consciousness to a 132 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 5: point where I'm like, Okay, I can look at a situation. 133 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 5: I can be wrapped up in it emotionally and like 134 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 5: go along that rollercoaster, or I can put a pause 135 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 5: and be like, you know, look at things basically like okay, 136 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 5: is that really what I want to do? Is that 137 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 5: really going to affect me that badly? And make better 138 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 5: decisions that way. 139 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: That's interesting because they definitely don't really tease that in 140 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: school here they don and that could be something that 141 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: could be incorporated. And I think even as an entrepreneur, 142 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: knowing how to be able to meditate, you know, yoga 143 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: I think is a great time. I always when I 144 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: get a chance to do yoga, I feel like it's 145 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: a meditative thing to do. You're so focused on just 146 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: the stretching of it and doing everything, I can't even 147 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: think about anything else. 148 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the positions actually slow your mind. 149 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's like training. 150 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 5: It's like discipline for your body to be like Okay, 151 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 5: at the time, it's difficult, but it's really just like 152 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 5: allowing you to see things in a different way. 153 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 2: And you brought all of that to money and entrepreneurship. 154 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 2: And I know you got your initial funding from the 155 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 2: Black Progress Resources Collective, which is an incubator. And I 156 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: think a lot of we have so many wonderful entrepreneurs 157 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: in our audiences, and I don't think a lot of 158 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 2: them know what business incubators are or know how to 159 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: tap into them. So tell us all about that. And 160 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 2: now you're on the board, so you're go and tell 161 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 2: us how to join you in. 162 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 3: Every Yeah, totally. 163 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 5: So I mean I'll answer that question as well with 164 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 5: your previous question with like, which came first, music or 165 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 5: skin care? Now it was music. Like I was initially 166 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 5: signed at seventeen to a major label in Japan, did 167 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 5: that and then moved to New York as an independent artist. 168 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 4: And what kind of shock was that? By the way, 169 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 4: moving to New York from you know, from the Japan Australia. 170 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 5: Total, it was a pretty big I mean, so I 171 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 5: was in Japan for two and a half years. I 172 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 5: was meant to release debut in Japan, and then I'm 173 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 5: not sure if you remember, there was a huge tsunami. 174 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: Earthquake that happened that hit for. 175 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 5: Kushima, and so that was like the year that I 176 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 5: was meant to release, and then there was a lot 177 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 5: of radiation problems that we weren't really spoken about in 178 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 5: the Western world. But my mom was like, you need 179 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 5: to get out of there, and I also felt a 180 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 5: little bit. 181 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 3: In danger, so I left and then moved here. 182 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 5: So it was kind of like, yeah, the shock between 183 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 5: Tokyo and New York. And they're both big cities, but 184 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 5: New York is very free. You can say what you want, 185 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 5: like things. You just got to fend for yourself. Kind 186 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 5: of like you're out here on these streets and I 187 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 5: didn't know a single soul in New York who I 188 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 5: was like, that is where. 189 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 3: I want my career to blossom. 190 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 5: So in that sense, I felt a bit more, you know, 191 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 5: I had family in Tokyo, a little bit more like 192 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 5: sheltered in a sense because things were in order, Like 193 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 5: you could go to the Starbucks and leave your purse 194 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 5: on the table, go to the bathroom, now do your makeup, 195 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 5: come back and it's still there. You know we're here. 196 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 4: It's like you could leave it on a tier next year. 197 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, okay exactly, and so yeah, did that move here. 198 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 5: Have been an independent artist for a while now, and 199 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 5: I've always wanted to start this beauty business because I've 200 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 5: always been like, I love skincare. It's another self of 201 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 5: self expression. It's important that you know, we give ourselves 202 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 5: love so then we can go out into the world 203 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 5: and mirror that with others. And that applies to every 204 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 5: single industry, whether it's music, whether it's business, whatever it is. 205 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 5: And I was like, Okay, maybe you'll come later on 206 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 5: in my career because I know starting something like that 207 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 5: takes a lot of time, takes a lot of money 208 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 5: takes a lot of resources that I just. 209 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 3: Didn't have, you know. I was just like doing my 210 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 3: music and that's all. 211 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 5: And so the pandemic hit, and I remember I was 212 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 5: at a really exciting place in my music career and 213 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 5: I was like moving towards potentially signing to my dream label, 214 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 5: and then the pandemic hit and I was just like, 215 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,839 Speaker 5: oh my god, I've worked so many years for this, 216 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 5: but I mean, that's so many people had stories with 217 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 5: like what they last during that time. And I remember 218 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 5: being in my apartment and just writing songs for my 219 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 5: publishing company, like writing jingles, writing you know, commercials and things. 220 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 3: And of course I did that for a job, but 221 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 3: it wasn't. 222 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 5: Something that I was super passionate about, like I love 223 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 5: to perform and write my own music and tell my 224 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 5: own stories. And I remember driving myself insane being in 225 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 5: my apartment being like like I can't write another jingle, 226 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 5: Like give me another project, universe that I can focus 227 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 5: on and put my skills towards, and that I can 228 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 5: just put my mind in herder, you know, just put 229 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 5: put all of this at rest for a second, and 230 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 5: just so I don't have to like kill myself thinking 231 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 5: about what I can do in a state that nothing 232 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 5: can really happen. 233 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 3: And literally, like a week later, I had a. 234 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 5: Phone call from a friend of mine that I had 235 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 5: helped on this like luxury beauty conference that he hosts 236 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 5: once a year in New York because I was just 237 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 5: curious about the new brands that were coming up. And 238 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 5: he's like, this is amazing organization called Black Progress Resources 239 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 5: that is looking to partner with a young founder. I 240 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 5: put a few names forward. They really resonated with your story. 241 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: Do you want to take the call? And I was like, 242 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 3: I'll take any care. I got nothing going on right now, 243 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 3: and so I got on a call with them. 244 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 5: And what they do is they work to change the 245 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 5: color of the executive suite across corporate America. There's staffing program, 246 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 5: so they'll staff like a black CEO to then inspire 247 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 5: everybody at the company that yes, there is a place 248 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 5: for you and yes you can work towards that. And 249 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,599 Speaker 5: they also have a business incubator. And as one of 250 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 5: their very first brands and founders, they wanted to work 251 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 5: with me on a beauty brand. And they had found 252 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 5: out that I had this holistic background and that I 253 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 5: really loved natural beauty, and. 254 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 3: So I was just like, oh my god, is this 255 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 3: like this is like really a dream? 256 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 4: Put it out there and the universe answered you. 257 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 3: Really, And I think it's life is like that. 258 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 5: If you like have a passion for something and you 259 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 5: can visualize it, it's just a matter of time until 260 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 5: reality catches up with that. 261 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: And I think and it's also planting those seeds where 262 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: the relationship that you had with him where you helped 263 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: him with something and then he knew your skills and 264 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: capabilities that he could actually co sign you for this opportunity. 265 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: That's why it's important how you show up for people 266 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: and how you represent yourself too, because you don't know 267 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: how that's going to come. 268 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 3: Back a one hundred percent agree with you. 269 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 5: And I think it's even like along our journey we'll 270 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 5: have like random well, I mean, I've had so many 271 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 5: random jobs to like, you know, make ends meet. But 272 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 5: each of those jobs and each of those opportunities and 273 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 5: the people that you meet, you have to treasure them 274 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 5: because you just don't know when your paths are going 275 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 5: to cross. And we live in a world where human 276 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 5: connection is everything right, and it's like I don't know 277 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 5: when we're going to meet again. Yeah, but if it's 278 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 5: a beautiful exchange, it'll be an even more beautiful exchange 279 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 5: in the future. And so this was one of those 280 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 5: moments where I'm just like, oh my goodness, I would 281 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 5: love to partner with them. And I've always been like 282 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 5: and I think this comes from both of my parents 283 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 5: because they did a lot of like work for the 284 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 5: community when I was younger, and they're always like, whatever 285 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 5: you do, whether it be you know, in music or business, 286 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,319 Speaker 5: like make sure that you're bringing some sort of positive 287 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 5: impact into this world. And so I was like, I 288 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 5: want to start a company, but a part of me 289 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 5: was like, I want to make sure that my partners 290 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 5: understand the importance of uplifting the community, and so especially 291 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 5: being from you know, Asian and black backgrounds, same, yeah, 292 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 5: I was like, I want to make sure that we 293 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 5: can be a voice that like things can happen. And 294 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 5: we're talking about this like backstage, but it's like people 295 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 5: of color come from, you know, a lineage of kings 296 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,719 Speaker 5: and queens and emperors and empresses, Like we need to 297 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 5: see ourselves in that way. And so creating Katini's skin 298 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 5: has been like you know, paying homage to ancient wisdom 299 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 5: and all of the beauty secrets that run deep within 300 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 5: my culture and bringing them to the modern world, but 301 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 5: in a sense that can like sit alongside legacy brands. 302 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 4: Katina is like the perfect name too. It just sounds 303 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 4: so good. 304 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 2: It sounds sounds luxury. 305 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 4: It sounds like luxury, you know. 306 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: And like you said, being Asian and being of African 307 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: descent also during a pandemic, it was a really difficult time. 308 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: It was so divided, supervising, even though both cultures were 309 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: being attacked by Donald Trump at that time, but then 310 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: it was also a lot of hate between both sides too, 311 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: you know, And I think that's a really unfortunate thing. 312 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 5: It was really unfortunate, and it was just like, yeah, 313 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 5: I didn't even know how to feel about it. I'm 314 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 5: just like I have, you know, part of my family, 315 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 5: and you too, like are Asian and black. I'm like, 316 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 5: if my mom came to New York City right now, 317 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 5: and I was fearful for her to get from point 318 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 5: A to B, like that would that kills me? But 319 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 5: there's so many families out there, you know. 320 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 2: Both that was a difficult time for black Asian characters 321 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 2: for so many reasons to get back to business. Incubators 322 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 2: a little bit, tell people what did they do for them? 323 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 3: Totally. 324 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 5: So what happened was we had this call and they 325 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 5: were like, we want to build this company with you. 326 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 5: We will fund it and help you get the resources 327 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 5: to bring your product to the market. 328 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 3: Now to me, I was just like, that's everything because 329 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 3: I love beauty, but I know nothing about. 330 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 2: Them and they teach you and they yeah. 331 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 3: So I had an incredible team. 332 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 5: It's run by Dean Hainsworth and Catherine Ragusa, her founding partners. 333 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 5: She already had a lot of experience in the beauty industry. 334 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 5: She had a couple of her own beauty brands. So 335 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 5: together with their team, I was able to build Katini 336 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 5: Skin Like I had a lot of the recipes just 337 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 5: in my little book since I was like a kid 338 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 5: and what I wanted. But they had the relationships with 339 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 5: the lab, so we brought what I had had for 340 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 5: years and that ran in my family for years to 341 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 5: the lab. We developed that. We spent two years incubating 342 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 5: Katini's Skin. But they help me everything from like packaging 343 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 5: and making you know. 344 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 4: Yeah it looks really really nice and clean. 345 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 3: Thank you. 346 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 2: I love it. I love it because we always talk 347 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: about the challenges to access to funding and people don't 348 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 2: realize in these incubator and accelerator programs they pick you, Yes, 349 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 2: they train you, they mentor you, they help you with 350 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: the design, packaging and stuff, and then they fund you. 351 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 3: Yes. 352 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 2: And it's a lot of entrepreneurs of color don't know 353 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: they exist. It's accelerators, incubators, and there's actually a National 354 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 2: Business Incubator Association where you can check out and you're 355 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 2: on the board. Now tell people how they would find 356 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 2: that's amazing. 357 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, so I mean black progres Resources dot Com would 358 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 5: love we work. We got partnerships with like Walmart in 359 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 5: the NFL and some amazing companies where we'll go in 360 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 5: sort of staff executives at there at the company. So 361 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 5: if you, yeah, jump onto that website. 362 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: And then people know d I like staffing executives is 363 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: qualify executives, not just a color to fit a quota. 364 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 4: It's people who deserve to be there. 365 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, And what you do these organizations are going 366 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 2: to become so much more important and critical to us 367 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 2: because of the assault on DEI. 368 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 3: Exactly, it's so so important. 369 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 5: I think, Yeah, it's really sad time right now with 370 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 5: the assaults, But there's so much incredible talent that need 371 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 5: to be championed and that need to be in the 372 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 5: forefront to inspire the next generation. 373 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: So I want to when it comes to your products. 374 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: So it took you two years, right to develop? So 375 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: what were the first items? What were the first products 376 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: that you came out with in your life? 377 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 3: Came out with the four oils. 378 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 5: Okay, the four oils, this is our hero product. It 379 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 5: took a while for like a lot of the ingredients 380 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 5: to come in because yeah, because I wanted to focus 381 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 5: on ingredients and wild harvested flora from Japan, Australia and 382 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 5: then in Africa as well, and so you can imagine 383 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 5: during the pandemic, it was like, I think it took 384 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 5: us a year to get where it's here. So Quang 385 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 5: Doong is like a super fruit that comes from indigenous 386 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 5: Aboriginal people in Australia and they've been eating it, they've 387 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 5: been using it topically for for the longest time. And 388 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 5: my partner was like, are you sure you want to 389 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 5: bring that that ingredient and it's going to take at 390 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 5: least about a year. But I'm like there's so many 391 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 5: benefits to the skin and so much more vitamin see 392 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 5: that than any other you know, citrus fruit that you 393 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 5: can think of that we can find here and so and. 394 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 4: I've never heard of a product that has quang dong And. 395 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 5: Yeah it's a funny name like greendong, but you can 396 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 5: eat it, you can, you can make a jam out 397 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 5: of it, and you can put on your skin. 398 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 3: But yeah, it's really incredible. 399 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,360 Speaker 4: An Apricot and Maroula. 400 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 3: Rulers from South Africa. 401 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, no, I love this. You know, first of all, 402 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 4: you know, I'm a skin product junkie. 403 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 2: She is, she has beautiful skin. Look at her. 404 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:48,159 Speaker 4: I pay so much. 405 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: And I think, and I always say this to men, 406 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: y'all need to pay attention to your skin too, because 407 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: a lot of guys will be like I just use 408 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: soap and you know, regular lotion on my face. And 409 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: you got to start like not that you have to 410 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,239 Speaker 1: have problem skin. You want to start early so that 411 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: you later on don't have those issues. 412 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 3: Dan, We've got some products you. 413 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, we have some products for you. 414 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 4: Yes, redish cheeks are but they're so cute. 415 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 2: Fan is so cute. 416 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, but no, and even like look, I have combination skin, 417 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,719 Speaker 1: but the oil is great for your skin. Some people think, oh, 418 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: I already have oily skin, so I shouldn't be putting 419 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: oil on my skin. 420 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 4: But something like this explain. 421 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 422 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 5: So I think a lot of times people think facial oil, 423 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 5: you know, if they have oily skin, I don't want it. 424 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 5: But like what actually happens is when your skin is 425 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 5: producing too much oil, it's because it's actually really dry. 426 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 5: So putting a facial oil will help neutralize your skin 427 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 5: and stop it producing extra oil and helps the seal 428 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 5: in the moisture and so, like you have your skincare routine, 429 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 5: you know, whether it's like washing your face, moisturize or 430 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 5: whatever that looks like. But facial oils are something that 431 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 5: you can just add as like the icing on the 432 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 5: cake of any. 433 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 3: Skintal, no matter what you're doing. 434 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 5: And we use such potent, incredible ingredients that it just 435 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 5: enhances everything that you're doing and you'll find it's madifying. 436 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 5: It's not going to be sticky, it's not going to 437 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 5: be oily. It just has a very beautiful feel to it. 438 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 4: And different seasons too, you need different products. 439 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: Yes, okay, so. 440 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 5: We have, I mean we have our day and Night serum, 441 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 5: which is really great for like evening the day serum. 442 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 2: If you're using other stuff, you can use it. 443 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 3: To totally whatever you use. You can just like add 444 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 3: a couple of drops and massive. 445 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 2: Hey this part for wrinkle here, Yeah, you can make it. 446 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 3: We have like. 447 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 1: Age definitely different products for daytime and night time because 448 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: when you go to bed, I love it. 449 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,120 Speaker 5: Overnight oil me too, just so then you can wake 450 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 5: up super jewy and super hydrated. 451 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 4: Yeah. 452 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's so much of you in your brand. And 453 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 2: I know a lot of people listening out here who 454 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 2: are entrepreneurs want to go into this beauty space. What's 455 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 2: a piece of general advice that you would have to them? 456 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 2: And obviously authenticity seems to be a big part of 457 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 2: what worked for you. 458 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 5: And patients, patients, patience and all. I mean, you nailed 459 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 5: it with authenticity. It is a space that is crowded. 460 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 5: There's a lot of skin out there. But if you 461 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 5: have a purpose and you're doing it from the love 462 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,919 Speaker 5: of your heart and you really understand your products and 463 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,199 Speaker 5: what you're putting in it and the benefits they have 464 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 5: on people, people are going to feel that and continue 465 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 5: to use your products. So I think it just comes 466 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:16,719 Speaker 5: down to, like, am I being authentic? Am I going 467 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 5: to be using this product every day? Am I excited 468 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 5: about it? What does that mean to me? And I 469 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 5: think that's the question that you have to ask yourself, 470 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 5: and that bleeds into anything that you do as an entrepreneur, 471 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 5: Like if you really believe in what you do and 472 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 5: you're truly excited from your care, people will feel that 473 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 5: and people will support you. 474 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 2: And being strategic. I was listening to some of your 475 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 2: interviews and I read an article about you, and I 476 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 2: love your mother told you when it comes to business, 477 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 2: be an iron fist and a velvet glove. Yes, yeah, 478 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 2: what does that mean? 479 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 5: So I guess, like, I mean, my mom is exactly that. 480 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 5: She's this like petite Asian woman, beautiful, soft, elegant, all 481 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 5: the things, But then she can also be like this 482 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 5: iron fist where she's got this like incredible strength and 483 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 5: incredible determination. And I think that's the beauty of being 484 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 5: a woman. You know, you have this beauty, you have 485 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 5: this grace, you have this amazing magic about you that 486 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 5: you can take someone's breath away. But at the same time, 487 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 5: if you pair that with strength and pair that with 488 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 5: vision and pair that with determination. It's like your superpower, 489 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 5: like a combination that only us women can carry. 490 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 4: And listen. 491 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: Once you had this product right, the next step is 492 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: how do people get the product? And you've done some 493 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: great partnership, so talk about how once the product was in, 494 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: now we have to get it in store us because 495 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: that's a whole nother process in itself. 496 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 5: So when we launched Continue's Skin, it was right around 497 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 5: the same time that the fifteen percent came in, a 498 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 5: fifteen percent pledge came in. So a lot of these 499 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 5: larger retailers were like, we need to create space for 500 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 5: black and brown brands and founders, and so I remember 501 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 5: I was very clear, I'm like, I want us to 502 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 5: live in that luxury space. And when we were like 503 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 5: a few months from launching, I remember it was like 504 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 5: Christmas time, freezing cold. I stood outside of Sex Fifth 505 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 5: Avenue and I was like, we belong on Fifth Avenue, 506 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 5: Like I want to be in a store like this 507 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 5: where we can represent luxury for minority brands. And so 508 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 5: it was like all emailing following up, like when was this? 509 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 5: This was like twenty twenty so two years right around 510 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 5: this time two years ago, we ended up launching with 511 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 5: Sex Fifth Avenue, So it was just like it first 512 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 5: you imagined it, and then like we did our you know, 513 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,959 Speaker 5: we did our work. We had meetings with them and 514 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 5: they just fell in love with the brand and they 515 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 5: loved that we were inspired by culture and I really 516 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 5: wanted to bring my Asian and African roots together and 517 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 5: that's something that resonated with them. So we started with 518 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 5: Sax Online and then shortly after I broke off, Goodman 519 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 5: picked us up and we're Acid Dream. How did you 520 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 5: get that meeting with sax It was through the incubators, 521 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 5: so Cathy incubator, So. 522 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 2: Incubators, incubators, accelerators. 523 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, they're really really important, and so the introduction came 524 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:58,959 Speaker 5: from there and then I sort of took it from 525 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 5: there and sort of expanded on the conversations. And then 526 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 5: after several meetings, we were able to get in to Sachs. 527 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 3: And then Burgdorf and then Neiman Marcus. 528 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: And they gave you funding as well, the incubator. 529 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 5: The incubator, so they funded Contini's Skin to get to 530 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 5: market and then now we've raised some money just then 531 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 5: further our marketing and grow the business. 532 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: Did you ever anticipate this happening, like starting your own 533 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: beauty brand. Just think about how you were kind of 534 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: you know early on, like you said, went to I show, 535 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: you went to the school making your own products, and 536 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: you come to New York and you just never know 537 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: what's going to happen. 538 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 4: You're doing music, but then the pandemic hits. 539 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, I never imagined it, like because it 540 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 5: was actually quite funny. I was living with my sister 541 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 5: during the pandemic and this opportunity came and. 542 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 3: I was very inspired by like, oh my god, what 543 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 3: could be? 544 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 5: And then I was like, no, but I'm an artist, 545 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 5: Like I have to just stick to one thing. And 546 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,440 Speaker 5: my sister was like, are you insane? Like you are 547 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,479 Speaker 5: a person that has multiple talents, Like you have to 548 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 5: do both if the opportunity comes, don't a door, Like 549 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 5: this is a dream come true. And it took for 550 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 5: her to like sit me down and kind of shake 551 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 5: me to be like, you can do more than one thing. 552 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 5: And I think that kind of reminded me, like it's 553 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 5: so important to have that one person or your community, 554 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 5: people that champions you and lets you sort of spread 555 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 5: your wings and fly and take on certain things that 556 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 5: you might be a little bit afraid of you know. 557 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 4: So people know you are still doing music, so let 558 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:23,199 Speaker 4: that know. 559 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely still do music. 560 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 5: I've had a couple of shows last week that I 561 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 5: was just telling you about. I just released a record, 562 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 5: Beautiful Tragedy, which is a six song EP that also 563 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 5: takes influence from my cultural background, so you'll hear sonic 564 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 5: influences from Japan and Africa. So yeah, I think music 565 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 5: and skincare they're both healing, they're both creative, They're both 566 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 5: a part of my journey. 567 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 3: So I'm really grateful to be. 568 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 2: Able to And where can they find Katini. 569 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 3: Katini on all digital platforms? So Spotify, iTunes, you yeah, okay. 570 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 2: They can find I'm sorry, skincare. 571 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, both skincare. 572 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 5: You can find it on our website, Bergdorf Neiman Sachs. 573 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 5: We actually also just got accepted to the Sephor Accelerate program. 574 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 5: Oh okay, yeah, so we'll be launching at Sephora in 575 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 5: the next year, which is like a total dream come true. 576 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 5: And that's another accelerated program that champions black and brown founders. 577 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 2: So thank you so much, and we'll have more of 578 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 2: you and wealth Wednesdays for Entrepreneurs Facebook group, which is free. 579 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 2: I'll be talking to you on Stacy Tuesday dot com 580 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 2: about mindfulness and money. You're incredible and thank you so 581 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 2: much for having me Wealth Wednesday. 582 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:31,719 Speaker 4: Well deserved. 583 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: And guys, make sure you listen to the music Beautiful Tragedy, Yeah, 584 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: Beautiful Tragedy and also Katini Skin. 585 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 4: Thank you, thank you,