Pl
ease give a brief background on yourself and your career.
After graduating from Wellesley, I worked as a credit derivatives trader. Being at Ground Zero for 9/11 made me reevaluate my life, and I enrolled at Harvard Business School and interned at a global skincare brand. While testing products on my skin, I developed acute dermatitis, which took a year of oral and topical steroids and antibiotics to control.
I began working for Starbucks in China, flying back and forth between Seattle and Asia. In Kyoto, I found myself drawn to the original blotting papers sold by gold-leaf artisans. I asked how they learned that this byproduct of the gold-leafing process could lift away excess oil, and they responded that I should ask a geisha. They introduced me to one, and TATCHA Beauty was born.
How has your career changed since you originally envisioned it at Wellesley? What other careers did you consider as a student?
I went to Wellesley with the intention of working on Wall Street. I wasn’t sure what exactly that meant, but I knew I wanted to go into finance. My mother is an active investor and I grew up in that environment; I found everything about business fascinating. I did become a credit derivatives trader on Wall Street, but I realized that while it fit my interests, it didn’t fit my personality. Being at the World Financial Center next to the World Trade Center on 9/11 made me reconsider what I wanted from my career.
How has Wellesley contributed to your career?
Being in an all-women’s education environment was amazing—among other things, there’s no fear of speaking up because of the men in the room. Also, the alumnae network and friends I made at Wellesley are unlike any other. Some of the most inspiring mentors that I have met, like Lulu Wang and Mei-Mei Tuan, are Wellesley women. And that’s to say nothing of the academics. The economic foundation that I learned there continues to serve me today.
What is a typical work day or work week like for you?
As an entrepreneur, there is no typical day. Sometimes I am in the lab in Japan with our chemists or walking with geisha; sometimes in New York speaking with editors, sometimes in San Francisco working with the team. The only constant is that I am up by 5am to check emails, get my daughter ready to school, and have a day so busy I have to beg people to bring me lunch. I’m asleep like a child by 8:30PM every night.
What piece of advice would you offer students looking to get into your area of interest and expertise?
For those interested in beauty, I highly recommend training at a big beauty company or anywhere with classical marketing training (like Proctor&Gamble, Starbucks or Pepsi). You will never regret having world-class training. For those who are interested in starting your own company: Do your homework and just go for it!
What do you wish you had known as a student?
Everything is going to work out. It doesn’t matter if you have a 3.5 or a 3.7—have fun and know that it’s all going to be okay.
If you could come back and take one class at Wellesley what would it be?
Chip Case was the person who made me fall in love with economics. I would love to take any of his classes again.