Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lindsey Martin, founder, and CEO of Kiramoon, located in Austin, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Kiramoon is a clean zillenial skincare brand on a mission to inspire joy in self-care. We make skincare and skin tools that are as effective as they are cute and encourage our customers to practice self-love in their daily rituals, what we call “working your magic.” Our customers are beauty lovers who value quality, design and appreciate our philosophy of skincare as self-care. We are vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and manufacture our products in Dallas, TX.

Tell us about yourself

I was inspired to start Kiramoon as a burnt-out tech executive who found solace in my skincare routine after a long, stressful day. I felt there was joy and playfulness missing on my shelfie, and the idea for Kiramoon was born! As a first-time entrepreneur with no beauty experience, I started out on google, educating myself about the industry, manufacturing, product development, etc. Slowly but surely, I put it all together, and now we just celebrated our first birthday as a business! I find motivation every day through my passion for the brand and what we are creating. Because Kiramoon was inspired by my own connection between skincare and mental health, I am sincere in my effort to spread this philosophy to our customers. My goal is to help put a smile on their face at the end of a long day, which feels like a superpower.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Honestly, every day that we are still standing feels like an accomplishment. As a first-time business owner, I am really in awe of how far we’ve come in just over a year. If I had to pick one moment or milestone so far, being sold in Nordstrom would probably be my proudest moment!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing for me has been my sole responsibility. When things go wrong, you don’t have a boss, or in my case, even a business partner to turn to. It’s easy to be hard on yourself when you are the sole employee, and something goes wrong. But, I’ve learned to be gentle with myself because problems are inevitable, but how you handle them is what will determine long-term success.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just start! I got in my own way a lot in the beginning, I didn’t want to launch or pitch our products until I felt everything was perfect, but this can really delay growth. One of my favorite business quotes comes from Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, who says, “The secret to growing a business fast is never to wait until you’re ready.” I use this advice to fuel me daily.
  2. Be gentle with yourself. As I mentioned before, problems will arise, and overcoming them is one of our primary job functions as a business owners. Try to look at problems as opportunities and not be too hard on yourself when things go awry.
  3. Stay true to your vision. I found that after launching Kiramoon, I was constantly bombarded with ideas and advice from other founders, which is always appreciated but not always aligned with my own goals and dreams. We should definitely take advice and seek mentorship, but try not to compare and stay focused on the vision you have for your business and your future.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I hope anyone reading this will take a look at our products and social media! Even if you aren’t a skincare lover, we have an engaged community of kind and inclusive individuals, and we have a lot of fun on TikTok :)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.kiramoon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiramoonbeauty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiramoonbeauty/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseymichellemartin/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.