#58 - Overcoming dark times, taking risks, & betting on yourself w/ Liah Yoo (@liahyoo)
Aug 15, 2024
auto_awesome
Liah Yoo, a trailblazing entrepreneur in the skincare industry, shares her captivating journey from a corporate career in South Korea to founding KraveBeauty. She discusses taking bold risks and overcoming self-doubt while addressing societal pressures on career choices. Liah reveals her emotional battles during dark times and emphasizes the importance of resilience and supportive relationships. The conversation also touches on minimalism in skincare, sustainability initiatives, and prioritizing self-care for better creativity and authenticity in life.
Liah Yoo's journey illustrates the courage it takes to leave a prestigious corporate job in pursuit of personal fulfillment.
Her candid discussion about overcoming self-doubt and mental health challenges highlights the importance of vulnerability and support in competitive environments.
Through her brand, KraveBeauty, Liah advocates for sustainability and minimalism, empowering consumers to adopt a respectful relationship with their skin.
Deep dives
Navigating the Journey of Risk and Success
Leah Yu shares her inspiring journey of leaving a prestigious corporate job at Amore Pacific to pursue YouTube content creation full-time. Her decision came at a time when success in South Korea was largely defined by traditional career paths, creating a considerable amount of pressure. Despite only having around 20,000 subscribers, Leah was driven by her passion for beauty and a desire to connect with a global audience. Her leap of faith not only marked the beginning of her successful career as a content creator but also challenged societal norms around success, proving that personal fulfillment can come from taking risks.
Overcoming Dark Times and Internal Struggles
Leah candidly discusses her experiences during particularly dark periods filled with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, particularly as she compared her progress in the beauty industry to others. This deep-seated pressure to succeed often led her to isolate herself socially, resulting in feelings of shame and worthlessness. Leah’s journey highlights the harsh realities of mental health challenges, especially within competitive environments, as she struggled to reconcile her self-worth with her career success. It wasn’t until a pivotal moment with a friend in Singapore that she began to confront these emotions, embracing the idea that it is okay to not be okay.
The Transformative Power of Curiosity
Following her curiosity has been a powerful driving force in Leah's life, leading her to redefine her approach to skincare. As she experienced personal struggles with acne, Leah made it her mission to understand her skin on a deeper biological level rather than relying on a complex array of products. This inquiry not only informed her personal skincare routine but also laid the groundwork for her brand, Crave Beauty, which promotes the philosophy of 'less is more.' By advocating for a respectful relationship with one’s skin, Leah inspires others to embrace minimalism and enhance their skin health without excessive product use.
Creating a Movement with Crave Beauty
Leah launched Crave Beauty with a mission to challenge traditional beauty industry practices, emphasizing sustainability and mindfulness. Understanding the imbalance in how products are marketed versus their actual efficacy, she aims to empower consumers with knowledge about their skin's needs. Through campaigns like 'Waste Me Not', Leah addresses not only the environmental impact of beauty products but also educates her audience on the often-overlooked waste generated during production. Her efforts to create a transparent and responsible brand resonate with many consumers, igniting a movement toward more ethical beauty practices.
Reflection and the Need for Balance
As Leah reflects on her journey, she emphasizes the need to slow down, not just in skincare but in life itself. She recognizes that her health has taken a toll amid the hustle and bustle of running a successful company and being a public figure. Physicians have recommended prioritizing rest and self-care as essential steps for recovery and creativity. Leah dreams of fostering a season of creativity and balance, seeking fulfillment through a more sustainable pace of life while cherishing her connections and experiences.
Voice Hugs fam, please give the warmest welcome to our second guest of the season: Liah Yoo!! 🌴🍇🍵🥳 Liah started her career at one of the biggest South Korean beauty conglomerates, went on to become the first YouTuber in Korea (!!), and built a literal skincare empire, KraveBeauty, while simultaneously taking on the whole beauty industry.
From sharing her journey of taking significant risks in a society where there’s only one path to success, leaving a comfortable job to commit to YouTube full-time, to navigating her darkest days and eventually founding and becoming the CEO of her own company, which of course came with its fair share of risks, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome, this episode was incredibly inspirational, vulnerable, and heartbreaking in the most beautiful way—a true testament to her resilient, grounded, and badass nature.
We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we loved chatting with Liah :’)
