Latest / Skin Anarchy / Gigi Goldman and Kiana Cabell, co-founders of KOPARI Beauty

Transcript

Gigi Goldman and Kiana Cabell, co-founders of KOPARI Beauty · Skin Anarchy

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hi guys, welcome back to Skincare Anarchy.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: This is your host, Ekta, and today I definitely have a fan favorite line with us today, the co-founders of it.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure all of you have heard of Kapari Beauty.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I have with me today Kiana Cabell and Gigi Goldman, who are the co-founders of this wonderful line.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: So welcome, Kiana and Gigi.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so, so thankful for your time and that you made the time to come onto our show.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, of course.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_03: We're so excited to be here and uh can't wait to uh have a great talk.
• 0:37
  unknown: Yeah, thanks for having us.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's my pleasure.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I actually uh want to get started um and talk about each of your journeys in beauty and how you guys um came to this partnership and what really led you here.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe, Gigi, you can get us started on that.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, perfect.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I was a stay-at-home mom for 12 years.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: I've got three kids, um, and I was really passionate about clean beauty products because I was using them on myself, on my kids.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: And what I discovered is that there wasn't a lot in mainstream beauty around clean.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I also was obsessed with coconut oil.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: I used it on my kids, on myself.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: I used it as a body hydrator, hair mask.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I used it for everything.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: It was my go-to solve.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that's when I had the idea of starting a clean-based beauty brand that really centered around coconut oil's natural benefits and ability to be used in so many different ways.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: And while I didn't have any experience in the beauty industry, my husband was in a family beauty business and they had this beauty company um in San Diego for three generations.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: So we teamed up um with Kiana and pursued our dreams.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that's amazing.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: I love that you're um you mentioned the coconut uh as the one of the main ingredients in your line.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: I want to talk about it later.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: But Kiana, can you tell us um from your end how what got you started in beauty and um the whole journey?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: So I have you know a similar experience with coconut oil, but I grew up in Hawaii.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I was surrounded by it.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_03: And um, it's been used in cultures for years, and I was using it, you know, all over my body.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_03: I was drinking coconut water, and I actually attended a natural culinary school out of New York.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: And when I went into the program, I knew I wanted to launch a product.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_03: I just thought it would be a food product because I'm so passionate about food.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: And I was taking my coconut oil from the kitchen to the bathroom and you know, using it as a hair mask, putting it in the bathtub, slathering my body.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: And I felt like a boom when I went into Whole Foods, like it was starting to like be in like the checkouts, and I would buy it, and it would be like next to the olive oil and mayonnaise.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: And that's when I had my aha moment.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_03: And then we um teamed up through a mutual friend, and you know, I think the rest is history there.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: But we have all our stories and you know, just come from different backgrounds and uh just had a similar idea that connected us.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you have a mutual love for coconut oil.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: Both coconut obsessed, and we went into business together without even knowing each other.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um lucky it worked out, and I think what's even more interesting is that with um Kiana and I, I think we both have different strengths and weaknesses that really complement each other.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I think it worked out perfectly, and now we probably see each other more than we see anyone else.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Did you guys talk about that, by the way?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know a lot of times, and I'm just curious from my end, as a as a you know, fellow female entrepreneur, I know that a lot it's hard for women to like really connect and get on the same page sometimes.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: So when you guys first started, was that you know, were there like growing pains or anything in the partnership, or was it just like click and it works?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think we just figured out each other's stride and strengths.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I think naturally we embody you know different strengths and weaknesses and we kind of just fell into our roles.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, for us it really worked out, and I think we kind of try to help each other out where it needs to be and um you know empower each other at the same time because we're both learning and we're both, you know, we're going so fast.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: So I think we're just like, in a sense, drinking through a fire hose at the times.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, honestly, there, you know, there's always growing pains, and that's okay, right?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: Whether it be with your friends, your family, your co-workers.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: But I think what Kiana and I have done since the beginning is always communicate open and honestly.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: So those growing pains, we're able to get through them, you know.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: And we, like Kiana said, figured out how our personalities work, how um we each work within the work environment, etc.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's all about that communication and open, you know, and honest, you know.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: No, I love it because I, you know, and that's why I'm asking you when I see true um female partnerships, I get very, you know, very happy seeing that.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why I brought that up because it's it's a beautiful thing.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think women, when we come together, we can make great things happen.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I'm glad.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really glad that you guys, you know, have a wonderful partnership.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: I want to actually dive into the line and I want to talk about how um, you know, you guys have really taken over the body care um sector, in my in my opinion, as a consumer.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: I know when I first saw Kupari, it was on you know, Instagram and I was seeing a lot of my friends who are influencers talking, you know, just raving about your body care products.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, wow, you know, I have to I have to check it out.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So as a bot, you know, as a brand that we as consumers know you guys is for body care, what are some of the the challenges that you faced um you know coming into that space?
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think, you know, when we first launched our vision for the brand was that coconut oil is such a multitasker, so it can be used in so many different ways.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: And we really wanted to mirror that in our pipeline.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: So when we launched six years ago and brought this clean beauty company mainstream, we launched with body care first.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, actually, we called it a multitasking category.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we were really one of the first clean beauty brands to launch with body care.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we came out shortly after that with the skincare line and a specific body line focus.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and since then we've launched deodorant, etc.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think, you know, people were so focused on their face for the past couple of years.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: But I think what's great now is they're really extending those routines, those regimens below the neck.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um where we're really seeing, you know, the company starting to skyrocket.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: But I think anytime you fill a white space, it's a good thing, but it's also a challenge, right?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it's plus minus.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're taking not only coconut, but we're combining that with active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, um, etc., to really bring that routine and that treatment to your body as well.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Interesting.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and I don't think here's the thing, you know, I also grew up with coconut oil.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be honest with you guys.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm, you know, I'm Indian by ethnicity, and my I grew, I was born in India, I grew up there for a while.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: And my mother, I remember, used coconut oil every single day for her hair mass, a scalp massage for me.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: And to this day, my hair is healthy, and I credit that to my mom using that coconut oil on me.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: So my point is like, you don't need a plethora of ingredients, you know what I mean?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Like the ingredients you guys chose to get behind and get it really standing behind one ingredient, like coconut and coconut, you know, extractions or whatever.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's to me, that's a great sign.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: That means that you're focusing on you know what you know works.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I I really love that.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think that's you know why we're so passionate about it because one ingredient, it was a clean ingredient and we knew it worked, and you could use it for so many things, like in my culture, too, is like growing up in Hawaii and Polynesian and you know, a lot of Asian influence, like so many people you know, use coconut oil um for centuries and centuries.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, it is so powerful and it's a nice ingredient because people understand it and know it.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's not like you have to overly educate.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, exactly.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: But to your point, you know, like earlier about you know, all these other brands getting into body, it's like crazy to see, you know, I was actually just uh messaging someone on our team the other day because uh I've been seeing so many uh skincare brands launch body care, and for so long, people were saying, like, oh, you can't do both.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it's just nice to see like how you know things change and transform and you know things innovate.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because yeah, but you know what?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's can I don't want to interrupt you, but I really want to say this for everyone listening out there.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think you need to stick to brands who do what their their niche is well, you know, and so I'm glad, like you said, you know, I'm not I'm completely with you when you say, you know, you're it's good to see that, and it's good to see all of these skincare lines coming out with body care.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: But it's like at the end of the day, if I want body care, who am I gonna go to?
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Kapari or like a brand I know does facial skincare.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go to your brand because I know you guys stand for that.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's your that's your niche.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's something you're great at.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, when I look at it as a consumer and I look at it from a business perspective, I just think it's a little, you know, jumping on a bandwagon that you didn't don't really know much about.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's how I see it as a consumer, you know, so with other brands.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, well, I it's hard to do everything well, you know.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's good to be the leader too, like you to be, you know, the kind of forerunner in the industry, in this space, right?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: So we saw this opportunity in body care, we saw a white space, we saw um, you know, no one was really building a brand around coconut oil like we were.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, again, you could find it in the grocery stores or natural food stores, but we wanted to bring clean mainstream and do it in a fun, playful, colorful way.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I think it's good to be at the forefront of innovation.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: No, it definitely is.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: I I think go ahead.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I'm so sorry.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say you saw that with our our deodorant too.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: We were one of the first beauty companies, not a personal care company, to launch an aluminum-free and baking soda-free deodorant.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: And now you'll you'll see almost every um, you know, beauty company, skincare company has a deodorant, but we were the one one of the first to launch it.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, see, that's what that's what I want to know about.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, go ahead, Kelly.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: No, no, and you know, for us it was a natural trajectory.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_03: We weren't like trying to fit, you know, a square peg into a round hole.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like people use coconut oil as its own, as a deodorant.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: So we're like, how can we add other natural ingredients and just enhance the benefits and properties?
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: So it was really like true and fitting for us.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: So just naturally evolved to that.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: See, I love that.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: I really love that you guys are at the, you know, like you said, Gigi, you're at the at the forefront in the leadership role for innovation and body care.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: But it's like I just wonder from a marketing standpoint, from a business standpoint, um, how you deal with that as entrepreneurs in terms of like, you know, there's so many dupes out there, right?
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I use the word dupe, but in my mind, that's what it is.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if I know that you're the first one who came out with an aluminum-free deodorant, I'm gonna go to you, and then I see another company do it.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, how does that interfere or does it interfere with your sales and your um your success as a company?
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know what's weird?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if this is the right answer or the wrong one, but I don't really worry about the competition.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think Kiana and I have such a clear vision.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, you know, there's been products that we launched that didn't take off like we expected either.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I really focus on us and I tell my kids the same thing.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Don't worry about what everyone else is doing.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: You be your best you.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's exactly the philosophy we have for Kapari.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I think of Kapari as a person, and I'm like, you do you, do your best, and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, another thing is like it's all for the good, right?
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: Like transitioning someone off aluminum deodorant to good deodorant, whether we're as a brand doing it or another brand's doing it, like, you know, more the power to you because anything you're doing to like put clean beauty like in changing things out is great, you know?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think also like makes more awareness around uh, you know, the industry and you know, the options out there.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_03: So I think you know, all in all, it's good.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_03: So I think there's you've definitely opened doors, you know.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's been so great.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think, especially in COVID, it's like collaboration, not competition.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: There's enough people in the world to buy all of our products.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you know, the beauty industries really come together in a way during these tough times to support one another versus focus on like, you know, competition.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, but I you know, I think competition is a part of business, and that's really why I asked.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: And because I'm I know nothing about the beauty business in terms of being a brand owner, right?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: So in terms of like selling a product.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I've always wondered, you know, how uh companies deal with that.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I want to shift focus again a little bit.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I really want to dive more into um the pillars of Kopari.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, can you guys talk to me about um what you know your mission and what you guys really have at the heart of the brand?
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, just to kick off, you know, we've always been based around the ingredient coconut.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what a lot of people don't know is that not only do we use the oil, but we use the water, the shells, etc.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we use every part of the coconut, and it's so incredible how much this coconut has to offer.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's about coconut kicking up that coconut ingredient with other um natural superfoods and active ingredients.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing, like I said earlier, is that we were thinking about clean before it was mainstream.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: So support and have their clean seal.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: There weren't all these clean um shops, you know, that are specifically dedicated to selling clean beauty.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we really envisioned bringing clean beauty mainstream.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we've got a no list of more than 200 ingredients, we're vegan, cruelty-free, phalate-free, you know, the whole nine yards.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so those were our two main pillars when it came around products.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing that was really important um to Kiana and I is showcasing where the brand was born.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we're both based in sunny San Diego, and I think you can see that lifestyle and really like embracing your natural beauty, um, like that California glow come through on our social feed and on a lot of our packaging, you'll see palm trees, et cetera.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_03: So just making it fun and approachable, and you know, like you know, somewhat minimalistic in a sense.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, as of now, we're looking to be more sustainable and how that, you know, 360s from our packaging being recyclable, you know, and different things we do, like terror cycle.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and you know, we were in the Philippines not too long ago where we get all of our coconut oil from, um, and you know, just start giving that component, which is so important to us.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_03: So Gigi and I were out there and we, you know, help build uh and fund homes for people that lost their homes and natural disasters.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: So all of that is so important to us as a brand.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, it gives us the platform to do that and really like do it with passion and you know, care about what we can do and how we got here, you know.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_03: So we're so grateful for all of that.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: I love how you guys are giving back.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's a very unique way and initiative.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, most people just donate to a charity, you know.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, and it was such an incredible experience to be there and really like firsthandly see, you know, how we can, you know, give back to it's just so important.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: No, I want to ask both of you, um, because I feel like this this question I have in almost all my episodes, um, when I interviewing a clean line, what in your like, you know, when you guys wanted to you wanted to make it a clean brand and vegan, like what are some of the considerations that you had in mind to make sure you fall into those categories?
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, is there like a checklist or is there like a, you know, certain things that you definitely have to have to be a clean line?
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Can you tell us a little bit about that?
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, of course.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's a you know a bit of a moving target in a sense, is like when we first came to market and prestige beauty, like clean wasn't really quite the category as it is today.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_03: So I think, you know, from a retail perspective, like their guidelines are all changing and evolving as everyone's becoming more educated.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, from the netgo, we kind of set out with a black list of, you know, I'd say just throwing it out there, like, you know, 20, 30 ingredients.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_03: And now, as you know, everyone's, you know, developing their own list, we definitely, you know, stick to those standards and try to be as clean as possible, um, you know, where we can, but still have products that perform um and last and all that sort of thing.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but we have like the Sephora's clean seal, so and Nordstrom and all the retailers clean seal.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: But like I said, we were at the um forefront and doing this prior to all those lists being, you know, established.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_03: And now our internal list has grown like tremendously.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um and how was that?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: How was that when you compared notes with like Sephora and like Nordstrom?
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: When you compared notes with what their standard of clean was, how was that process?
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like um, it was it like something that you all felt like, well, we already have these checked off, you know, like we're already doing this.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: We did, we already did have them checked off, and we're trying to be, you know, one step ahead.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: So we're constantly um, you know, working with manufacturers and chemists to always make sure that we're, you know, ahead of the curve.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Love that.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, because it it's interesting for me, clean.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: I I've never understood it.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, especially since you guys had that from the get-go, you know, for me, clean and vegan, um, there's a huge overlap, I think, in my mind.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so can we talk about the vegan aspect of your brand?
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, how did you decide on that?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Was that something also from the get-go that you knew that you were gonna do?
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Or yeah, it was really important to us from the get-go.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: We made some mistakes and didn't realize certain things weren't vegan.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I think it was just always one of our pillars um since we launched that that was gonna be a priority for us cruelty-free, vegan, and that clean positioning.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think that's a trend in California, right?
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like people, most lines I've seen that are California based have this um vegan and clean kind of into them.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I I always wonder if it's just the culture out there or, you know, um, people are just more forward-thinking, but I love it.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that it's starting to, you know, kind of trend across the country, but for us again, it wasn't a trend.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: It was just where um, you know, our passions lie and how we wanted to start the brand and establish it.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: No, what about hair care?
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, Keanu and Gigi, what about like expanding into hair care, especially with coconut?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, everybody asks us about that.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_03: And uh definitely any, definitely like on our uh awareness, um, we want to do it.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's just hard, like you said earlier, like it's hard to do everything so fast.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I think we want to kind of own what we're doing and then when the time's right, but it is so amazing for hair care.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_03: And we just have our hundred percent organic coconut melt, which is one of our heroes, and you know, we kind of still market it as a multitasker because you can do so much with it.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I love, love, love using it as you know, a scalp massager, like you were saying, or a hair mask.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, it's definitely one of my favorites for that, but you know, it does go so well with coconut.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so it's just a matter of time.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you guys really do come out with that because I will be definitely behind that.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think one of the challenges with having such an amazing multitasking ingredient as coconut oil is we could do everything.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Right brands.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and we've tried that.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we've also learned like you really have to pace yourself.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this is one of the most important lessons Kiana and I have learned.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's like for every product that you launch, you've got to have the manpower, the marketing budget, et cetera.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_03: And when you do too much too soon, um all the good ideas start turning into bad ideas, but when you can't get behind it, you're like, oh my gosh, like it sounded like a great idea, and then you just lack the resources to like really like make it something it should be and amazing.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, yeah, yeah.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_03: Well we still love every product we've launched.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's so hard because you know, we like have started to like discontinue some things, and like everyone has so much like passion towards it.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: We don't want to get rid of it, it's like so hard to let it go.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's like our babies, you know.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: No, actually, one of my it's the one of the hardest things I know as a consumer when a great brand discontinues anything.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, no, why?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and then there's like people that reach out and you're like, oh no, should I have discontinued that?
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, but it's like such a small percentage.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, I, you know, looking look looking back, I really want to get some advice from both of you because you're just, you know, strong business women.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I want this podcast to also be like kind of a learning experience for all the young entrepreneurs out there, especially the female entrepreneurs that you know you don't really know where to go and what the first steps of a business are.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: So is there any advice or key pointers that you can give us, you know, to really help anyone?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Out out there that's listening and wants to start a squeaker line.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, of course.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_03: I mean it's funny because Lebe and I have like a the same thing we say.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it's like you kind of just got to do it, you know, like especially if you're younger, it's like what do you have to lose in a sense?
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_03: Like you gotta hustle and you gotta go for it and you have to do it right, but like you know, you never want to regret it, you know, you never want to say, Oh, I wish I could have.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_03: And I have so many friends that will be like, Oh, I want to do this, or I'm gonna do this, or I'm gonna do that.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_03: And they never really get started.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, don't be intimidated by what you don't know because you learned so much along the way.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, I didn't come from this sort of background.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I've never started a business.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_03: I wasn't really into beauty besides like just being passionate about it.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_03: And you dive in, and you know, now like you have the internet and everything's right at your fingertips.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: Like you just start learning.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's you know, also what I have valued the most out of Kapari is just how much I've learned along the way and how much I've grown as an individual.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, we're lucky enough where it's successful and you know, that sort of thing, but um to really just like go for it and you know, do what you can, but um you know, at least start exploring and investigating and diving in.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: I started this business in my 40s too.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: So after staying home it for 12 years, I mean, I you know, it was a big leap, but I think trust yourself and don't live by fear.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think also, you know, you learn anything, you can do anything.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're our own worst enemy and we prevent ourselves from you know living our dreams.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: But as Kiana said, we always look, you know, back and say, oh, what if?
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I didn't want to like have my life be a what if, right?
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: I want to say, what's the worst?
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: You fail.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's okay.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: And then maybe what you learn through that process, you'll launch else.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: But I think really I've realized that anything is possible when you set your mind to it, you work hard, you surround yourself with smart people.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I think even though Kiana and I didn't come from the beauty space, that was kind of why we were able to come up with something really unique.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like we had those on, or we weren't stuck in a box, like we were able to think totally outside of the box, create something that was totally authentic to us with no handcuffs.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: So I just like that is what gave us the opportunity not having all that experience, and then we were smart enough to bring in people with experience that filled our weaknesses, right?
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: So it all worked, yeah.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_03: And that's so true because it's like, you know, people will say, like, don't do it, like that's not normal or whatever.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_03: And if you just go for it because you believe in it, like you can make it work, you know.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, like we both had failures business-wise, and you learn from it and you go and you grow, and you know, that's how you continue on.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that people are so scared of failing, and I think failure, and I always tell my kids this too, it's part of life, but it's how you recuperate and how you stand up and how you move forward and learn from it, right?
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think that once mistakes okay, making the mistake, you know, multiple times, then you're like, okay, wait, what's going on with me?
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: Right?
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: Right, yeah.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think it's just learning from your mistakes and getting you know better, smarter um every step forward.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing I oh, go ahead, K.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_03: And at Kapari, we encourage, you know, making mistakes because that's how you learn for a bit and that's how you like test the boundaries and like you can be innovative.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: Like to be innovative, you have to be, you know, taking risks and yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: No, I mean honestly, that's why your that's why your coconut body milk is is perfection.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna, you know, throw that in there for everyone listening.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't bought this uh body, you know, milk, you really need to because I I am genuinely telling you it's one of the best uh body care products I've ever used.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's the best, like just all-over body hydration.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: No, but I love everything that you guys said, and I'm I'm so thankful that you provided that um, you know, incredible insight because you know, I know as as an entrepreneur, as all of us know, it's it's very, you know, tricky in the beginning and also the aspect of not giving up, you know, it's it's a lot of people I see just give up after the first try.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Gigi, you were really addressing this with the whole, you know, you you gotta go for it.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I see so many young people that are like, well, it didn't work, you know, I'm not gonna do it anymore.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just like you can't do that.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: Or take what you learned from that failure and do something different, right?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I think one thing that a lot of people don't touch on as entrepreneurs is really leading with your heart and empathy and understanding.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I think, you know, you can still be a go-getter, hustler, um, and successful and have those important qualities.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I think through COVID, um, that's never been more important and through the times that we've experienced.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Just be a good person and a kind person, and that will help a lot in your journey.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: And be kind to yourself too, because like we're putting in long hours, we're raising families, and like sometimes you just need a break, and that's okay.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where self-care comes in, right?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: With skincare.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's like you know, I think I think people don't talk about that enough, to be honest.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, you have to, like you said, be kind to yourself, absolutely.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think self-care, like every time I open our coconut melt or like one of our products, like I automatically get this kind of calm and I take that moment of self-care and it just makes such a difference in your entire day and week.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's really, you know, it's important.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: We all need that.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, right now for me, I can tell you guys, and I don't know what your opinion is about this, but a lot of people on social media are kind of you know coming at skincare.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I keep echoing this concept that skincare is more than just this medical thing, you know, it's like, yes, there's a side to it that's you know, medicinal, but then there's a side to it that is what we just talked about self-care, self-love, taking time out for yourself.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's you know, it's one of my big pet peeves, I should say, you know, in the industry is is that much scrutiny about products that are revolved around self-care because I think it's it's making people shy away from that, thinking, well, it is this medical grade, is this dermatologist backed and all that?
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I love that you said that, Gigi.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, self-care is everything, right?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you can't care for yourself, you can't care for others.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this has been amazing.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you both so much for your time and your amazing insight.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I can't thank you enough for making the time to come onto our show.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you for having us, Edge.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's my pleasure.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: And everyone listening, please, please, please go check out Kapari Beauty if you have not already.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, just show a lot of love because it's an amazing brand.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm, you know, I want to congratulate you guys as much as I can on that.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: You've made a phenomenal line.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: So everyone go check them out.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: Leave us some feedback, some comments, let us know what we're doing, good or bad.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have any questions for Kapari's team, uh let us know and we'll pass it along.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
• 29:23
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• 29:28
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• 29:30
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• 29:45
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• 30:00
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• 30:02
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• 30:06
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• 30:11
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• 30:16
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• 30:23
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• 30:28
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