Jen Wan, Co-Founder and CMO of Soteri Skin, is creating an modern skincare remedy for eczema and different continual pores and skin circumstances.
While navigating by her personal struggles with psoriasis, Jen teamed up along with her Co-Founder, Rafal, whose spouse and daughter suffered from eczema. Together, they launched into a journey to seek out options for the continual circumstances that affect the lives of these with delicate pores and skin. As a consequence, Soteri Skin was born, providing merchandise that present reduction and depart customers completely satisfied and glowing.
We requested Jen about what units Soteri Skin other than different manufacturers, how her previous experiences influenced the launch of her personal model, and the way she navigates self-doubt and obstacles all through her entrepreneurial journey.
Q: What makes Soteri Skin completely different from others?
A: For my Co-Founder and myself, continual pores and skin circumstances are deeply private. I battle with psoriasis, and my Co-Founder’s spouse and younger daughter battle with eczema. Like others that suffer from continual pores and skin circumstances, we all know the ache of attempting each treatment we might get our fingers on with no reduction.
With a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and chemistry from Harvard Medical School, my Co-Founder, Rafal, was already on a quest to discover a resolution. Meanwhile, I had years of startup advertising expertise behind me and had simply graduated with my MBA from Cornell. When Rafal and I met, we realized that we might construct one thing that will have a genuinely constructive affect on the lives of these struggling with continual pores and skin circumstances.
Unlike different merchandise that solely quickly relieve the signs of continual pores and skin circumstances like eczema, Soteri merchandise right the pores and skin floor surroundings for greater than 12 hours per utility to assist pores and skin naturally retain moisture and repel irritants, breaking the cycle of irritation earlier than it begins.
Q: Have you ever felt such as you’re “completely different”? If sure, in what methods has this contributed to your journey as an entrepreneur?
A: I undoubtedly felt completely different rising up. English was not my first language, and I struggled to speak with American classmates early on. I used to be one of many solely Asian college students in my group. I nonetheless bear in mind getting bullied for my seems to be and lunches, which had been “too international” for different youngsters to grasp. I additionally skilled continual ache from a bone situation. High college is already a bizarre time in a young person’s life, and I spent lots of these years having a number of surgical procedures, self-conscious about my scars, and on crutches. It was lonely at first, nevertheless it made me extra compassionate towards different “outsiders” and extra assured about creating my very own path, even when it’s the highway much less taken or is seen as much less secure or predictable.
I nonetheless bear in mind how impactful it was to see Lucy Liu in Charlie’s Angels. Lucy was one of many first Asian American girls I had seen in mainstream media. She was beautiful and “cool”—I used to be mesmerized! Since then, I used to be very conscious of the ability of the media to form our perceptions of what’s “cool” and accepted. Now, as a advertising skilled, I consider skincare has a possibility and accountability to showcase numerous magnificence. People are formed by the media, and it could have been so essential for me prior to now to have seen individuals who appear to be me and had scars like me represented within the media. This alternative is without doubt one of the issues that makes me particularly captivated with launching my very own skincare model—making a distinction for others by celebrating numerous magnificence, wrinkles, scars, and all.
Q: What’s the most important false impression that others have round entrepreneurship?
A: I’ve been connecting with many entrepreneurs who’re rather more achieved than myself, and have been discovering that nobody is as excellent as their Linkedin image makes them look. They battle with challenges of their very own and make errors. I used to suppose profitable entrepreneurs had been individuals who bought the whole lot proper. Rather, even the founders of probably the most profitable firms make errors—typically enormous errors. It’s only a matter of studying out of your errors so you can also make the fitting selections 51 % of the time. It’s about grit, not perfection. I’ve been attempting to be gentler with myself, and let myself make and have a good time errors.
Q: Have you struggled with self doubt as an entrepreneur? How do you navigate this?
A: All the time; particularly early in my journey, after I might inform that many individuals wished me properly, however didn’t consider I might do it. Looking for out of doors validation whereas having nothing to point out for it was arduous, and I didn’t even know if I might consider in myself. I want I might say I’ve a trick for overcoming that self doubt. However, to all the guy entrepreneurs on the market, if it makes your coronary heart sing, even when you don’t consider in your self but, hold at it. We overestimate what we will do in a yr, and underestimate what we will do in 5 or ten years.
Q: Have you felt like giving up? What made you persist?
A: Giving up would most likely be simpler. I really feel like each different day I’m throwing my fingers up and questioning how X or Y scenario might probably be taking place. What retains me going is my perception in my potential to make a distinction. While I can’t remedy eczema, I really consider in our model’s functionality to assist individuals reside life unhindered by their eczema—boldly, and with pleasure. I additionally see different skincare manufacturers’ alternative to signify numerous magnificence and pores and skin, and really feel a accountability to pay it ahead to future generations by my platform as a skincare founder.
Q: We dare you to brag. What achievements are you most happy with?
A: I’m responsible of being the kind of one who usually forgets to have a good time achievements as a result of I’m already trying to the subsequent purpose. However, the primary thank-you emails I obtained after founding Soteri Skin will ceaselessly maintain a particular place in my coronary heart. Suddenly, it wasn’t about assembly one other numerical purpose or goal. It was about the actual affect my work had made in somebody’s life; somebody who had been at her wit’s finish coping with her pores and skin feeling optimistic and joyful due to one thing I made. It could sound a bit foolish, however I truly hold a bit of PowerPoint file with among the good feedback I’ve obtained, so I can take a look at it on days after I’m feeling discouraged.
Q: What have you ever discovered about constructing a crew and a help community round your self?
A: When I used to be youthful, I assumed I might do the whole lot myself. However, I’ve discovered that as I transfer up, the issues get greater, to the purpose that nobody ought to face them on their very own. Work is essential, however we’re people first.
Q: What’s subsequent for you and your organization?
A: As a society, we don’t speak about our pores and skin circumstances a lot. But ever since I began Soteri Skin, I’ve been discovering that everybody is aware of somebody who’s fighting a continual pores and skin situation. Once I bought the dialog going, individuals divulge heart’s contents to me about how these circumstances affect them each day, conserving them from going out or sporting quick sleeves, for instance. This was a shock to me, and simply goes to point out how good individuals have gotten at hiding a situation that causes each day misery.
Recently, we obtained our first verify from Y Combinator, and we’re so excited to make use of this momentum to maneuver our enterprise ahead. We have some new product traces deliberate—hold a watch out for these launches!
Jen is a member of Dreamers & Doers, a non-public collective that amplifies the entrepreneurial pursuits of extraordinary girls by thought management alternatives, genuine connection, and entry. Learn extra about Dreamers & Doers and subscribe to their month-to-month The Digest for high entrepreneurial and profession assets.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the writer and don’t essentially mirror these of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/how-one-woman-is-reinventing-skincare-science-for-chronic-skin-conditions
