Ep 129 | Karen Young

Written By Yasmin Nouri

Turning $1500 Into a Multi-Million Dollar Business & Using Therapy to Create a New Future

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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. 

Show Notes:

  • 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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Yasmin Nouri
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Ep 128 | Mona Vand