From sleeping in makeup to owning a makeup brand that lets you do just that, Fiona Co Chan’s innovative beauty brand, Youthforia, is taking the beauty industry by storm.
When the pandemic hit, many of us were forced to adapt to a new way of living. For Fiona, it was a chance to create something truly innovative. The founder of Youthforia has been making waves in the beauty industry with her bio-based formulas.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Fiona recently appeared on Shark Tank, where she wowed the Sharks with her BYO Blush and nailed the negotiation process. Fiona let us dive deeper into her mind during the biggest pitch of her life.
Fiona revealed that she practiced a lot for her pitch, but changed it at the last minute to include a demo of their BYO Blush. “I was really nervous about doing that because normally when I do makeup at home, I have a lot of time to apply my makeup on – but for the Shark Tank pitch, I applied it in seconds,” she said.
She admitted to feeling nervous up until the point she applied the BYO Blush, “You can see it in the clip – but I can see myself in the mirror and I crack a big smile – that’s when I felt really confident and decided to have a lot of fun with the experience.”
But the real highlight of Fiona’s Shark Tank experience was her fierce negotiating skills, she was determined to make a deal that she was comfortable with. “The entire time I kept thinking to myself, ‘Is this something I want to do?’ and I kept countering until it was something I’d accept,” she said.
Fiona’s negotiation skills did not go unnoticed, Mark Cuban offered her a deal and she was over the moon. When asked what was going through her head at that time, she said, “So much – it all went by really quickly. There are parts of it that, watching it back, I didn’t even realize happened!”
The entire time I kept thinking to myself, ‘Is this something I want to do?’ and I kept countering until it was something I’d accept.
-Fiona co chan, youthforia
Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Fiona’s husband has been a constant source of support, “When we first started Youthforia, he was the only person I was interacting with because it was lockdown,” she said. Having someone by her side during this challenging time gave her the strength to keep pushing forward.
Launching a company in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t easy., Fiona had to create formulas that no one had done before, using bio-based ingredients instead of fossil fuels. Finding manufacturers willing to work with her was a challenge, but with determination and hard work, she made it happen. She told herself, “If it’s never been done before – you don’t need imposter syndrome.”
Looking ahead, Fiona is excited about the future of Youthforia and has plans to deepen the brand’s relationship with its existing retailers. She said, “My dream is to make a full face of Youthforia products!”
To other entrepreneurs just starting out in the beauty industry, Fiona’s advice is to share your authentic story, “My biggest advice for brand founders is to share your authentic story – of why you’re starting a company or why you created a product.”
Fiona’s journey with Youthforia is one of determination, hard work, and a passion for changing the beauty industry. With her innovative approach to makeup and her commitment to bio-based ingredients, she is sure to make a lasting impact.
