There’s nothing more inspiring than women who build empires from scratch! I was lucky enough to get a chance to sit down with multimillionaire makeup and fashion guru Toni Ko last year and learned some incredible things from her.
Fashion and makeup mogul Toni Ko.
If you’ve ever heard of NYX Cosmetics, then you should know who Toni Ko is. She created the affordable makeup line, which you can pick up at Target, drug stores, etc. and then sold it to L’Oreal for a whopping $500 million. Talk about a woman in power!
NYX Cosmetics is both affordable AND a great quality product.
Toni’s story is actually really inspiring. She came to the US from South Korea when she was a teenager, and according to her, had the “typical immigrant story” growing up. Her parents ended up working in the beauty industry, first as retailers and then as wholesalers, and Ko worked right alongside them every day. She eventually went on to start her own makeup line after learning the business day in and day out, and created NYX Cosmetics, which is all about “department store beauty at drugstore prices.”
Not only did Toni create one of the most recognized makeup brands in the world, she also created sunglasses line Perverse, which I’m absolutely obsessed with! I actually was able to interview her again about the line, which you can watch below.
After being able to chat with Toni about business and what being an entrepreneur really entails, I learned some of the most important things about running a successful business.
Know Your Audience
Toni knows her audience in and out, up and down. She knows who her audience is, and targets them successfully.
Be a Perfectionist
She perfects her product no matter how affordable the product is — there’s literally no room for error. You HAVE to stay on top of the product and always look for ways to make it absolutely perfect.
Live and Breathe Your Work
Toni literally works around the clock and is always trying to grow her brand. The most successful entrepreneurs are glued to their phones and are working nonstop to develop, grow, and nurture their business.
Be Sure of Yourself
Instead of asking yourself, “Is this going to happen?” Tell yourself, “This IS going to happen!” Create your own future by believing in yourself — not doubting yourself.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
This is so important! It’s rare to be extremely successful the first time you do anything, whether it be running a marathon or running a business. It’s okay to fail! Instead of thinking of failure as a setback, think of it as a learning experience, then go from there!
