Lisa & Kayla: Soon Skincare
We’re thrilled to feature Lisa and Kayla, co-founders of Soon Skincare.
It all started when Kayla bought Korean beauty masks on a girls trip to Puerto Vallarta. They were excited to try the masks, but...well, they weren’t great. The masks didn’t have clear directions, they didn’t fit well, and they didn’t know what ingredients they were putting on their faces.
They believed they could do better, so they set out to create something revolutionary. After hours of measuring each other’s faces, countless trips to Korea to meet with skincare chemists, and dozens of nights testing products, Lisa and Kayla were proud to announce the creation of the most innovative sheet masks on the market.
That’s a big statement, and they mean it.
Soon Skincare has the most forward-thinking skincare made with the highest-quality ingredients, from biocellulose face masks to hydrogel eye and lip patch masks. The masks fit perfectly, and they’re super easy to use.
The name comes from Lisa’s Korean grandmother—the name “Soon” translates to smooth and pure, and it’s an homage to how your skin will feel after using their products. It was her name, and is it Lisa's middle name.
Lisa and Kayla
How did You both meet?
We met through a mutual friend, who came to visit Kayla right after she moved to Orange County. We all met up at Sprinkles, and we have been friends ever since.
Where are you both from?
Lisa: I was born in Utah and grew up in Southern California.
Kayla: Born in Canada. Grew up in Utah
Describe each other in 3 words.
Lisa: Kayla is hardworking, intelligent, and loyal.
Kayla: Lisa is positive, dependable, and loyal.
Who were your biggest advocates before you launched?
We are both very fortunate to have really supportive families. Our husbands have been our biggest advocates, along with many other family members who believed in us and what we are creating. From Kayla’s sister giving us incredible product feedback, to my grandpa translating for us in meetings, their help has been invaluable.
How did you deal with self-doubt?
When it came to self-doubt we have been lucky that we have so much confidence in each other and our abilities. So on days when I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed, I know that I have an incredible partner to help navigate whatever issues arise.
How did your previous roles in the corporate world prepare you for starting your own business?
Working in fashion is similar to skin care in the fact that things are always changing. You want to stay ahead of the curve, and make sure you are bringing your customers not only the latest, but also the best your industry has to offer. It has also helped in creating the branding and overall look of Soon Skincare.
Cash flow, expenses, income, and budgeting are essential to assessing the financial health of a company, growing it, and innovating. By spending a decade advising companies of all sizes in these material financial areas, Kayla was able to immediately assess our standing and project the type of decisions we needed to make to ensure we were financially healthy and on track to grow at the rate necessary to achieve our company goals.
What surprised you most about being entrepreneurs?
We have had to get out of our comfort zone a lot. You become a really good listener because you are always given advice. Have to learn to be very patient and everything takes longer than you think it will.
What roles do you each have in the company?
For now we are both doing everything.
What happens when you don’t agree with one another?
We are on the same page most of the time, but we are both pretty open-minded when it comes to things we disagree on, so we can talk about why we think one way or another and can usually come to a decision pretty quickly from there.
What has been some of the most rewarding moments of Soon Skincare?
Definitely when we found out that Nordstrom was going to carry our products. That was a majorly rewarding moment. Having our product in Nordstrom was one of our goals from the beginning, so to have it happen so quickly after launching was amazing.
How do you manage and cope with stress?
We spend a lot of time together, and even when things get stressful we still end up laughing a lot. Laughing doesn’t take away the stress, but it definitely helps us cope with it. Splurging on an occasional massage helps too, haha.
How do you balance work and personal time?
Blocking off time when we work and when we are with our families. We are flexible if changes come up but we try to stick to our schedule.
What have you learned from working with international vendors/suppliers?
Everything takes much longer than you think it will.
What advice would you give someone looking to start their own business?
Make sure you are passionate about and/or like doing the business you start. You will be spending a great deal of time working on it.
Words you live by:
If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.
