“One of my earliest memories in the US was my mother banning beauty magazines from our house. She thought the language was too demeaning to women. She was right about that,” says Karen Young, CEO of OUI People. “My mother didn't want the world to decide who we were. She wanted us to decide who we wanted to be.”

Young launched OUI the People, her beauty brand, with $1,500 in her bank account. The original products – the razors – were a nod to her grandmother and uncles in Guyana. As a child, Young was fascinated by them skin care routines and the joy she witnessed in these moments at the bathroom sink. Her uncles would focus on shaving and her grandmother would pay attention to her body care routine.

“My grandmother made sure I was doused in coconut oil,” says Young. “My family was obsessed with body care. It was an expression of self-love and caring for others as well. OUI the People is a celebration of that gentleness and strength.”

Image credit: Maria Be

Young remains committed to creating products that nourish the “you AND your body, instead of making you feel less—than with marketing terms like ageless and flawless,” like the magazines her mother once shielded her from. On her journey to disrupt the industry of beauty, here are three lessons Karen Young shares.

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1. Persist in the face of obstacles

it's august National Black Business Month in the US, a time we celebrate and long support 3.5 million businesses that are black owned. In 2004, Frederick E. Jordan collaborated with John William Templeton to turn August into National Black Business Month. Jordan and Templeton wanted to highlight black founders and encourage communities to support their businesses. And support for black-owned businesses can't be a control exercise just for this month; must be one engagement throughout the year.

in 2010, Jordan said Black Enterprise“It's very difficult for black businesses to survive. Their obstacles are huge.” Two decades later, Jordan's comments still ring true.

Unfortunately, the decline in funding for black-founded companies drastically outpaces the overall decline in seed capital. “While total US venture dollars fell 37% last yearfunding for black-founded startups fell by an impressive 71%.” according to Crunchbase data. In 2023, total US investment in black-founded startups hit the lowest amount since startups raised just $582 million in 2016.

“There's a marked recession within a recession that black women founders in particular are facing,” says Young. “The turning point of the capital has been visible and painful for many of us.”

As the founder of Black Woman, Young also shares her experience confronting stereotypes when meeting with investors.

“There's an underlying disbelief that a black woman can build a company that appeals to all consumers. There's an undertone that only other black people will find what we're building valuable or that it's not big enough for a market,” says Young. “Thankfully, our data proves this wrong. And it can be difficult when someone comes to the table with a deeply held false perception and we persevere.”

Related: After an unexpected layoff, the founder's love of fragrances and self-care helped her cope. Now she is disrupting the fragrance industry.

2. Rely on the power of packaging

Young spent four years at Estée Lauder in packaging design the team. She put her hand up for a multitude of projects, always asking questions and studying everything she could.

“I poked my nose in wherever I could to learn as much as I could as quickly as I could,” says Young. “I fell completely in love with the brand at Lauder, and especially with the packaging. It's the last and final step of the story, and it's sometimes overlooked.”

OUI the People packaging across product lines is bold, eye-catching and refreshing. It is clear what the product does and why the consumer will buy it. Young advises founders to rely on packing power; not to overlook or dismiss it.

“You may only have two to three inches of surface to work with,” she says. “A consumer receives your package and that's the moment of truth. What's in that package can determine at that moment whether they buy your product or not.”

3. Avoid the trap of launching too many products at the same time

““One of the mistakes I made is launching too many products at the same time,” says Young. “I reminded myself that customers can only consume so much. As a founder, every product I bring to market is an act of love and dedication. But the customer journey usually starts with just one product.”

The young man is amazing the beauty industry; how fast it is and how many innovations enter the market. And as a brand that sells directly to consumers, Young says it's become easier to get an amazing concept to market relatively quickly. She recalls launching many body scrubs based on market trends. A popular influencer named one of the scrubs as her favorite, and sales soared at Sephora. Young had to make the difficult decision to discontinue one of the products; it was not profitable.

“Don't be afraid to do one thing really well,” says Young.

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Now, OUI the People is projected to grow 2x this year and the brand will go from 260 retail doors to over 600. Young has raised venture capital in the past, but timing is everything and it has been challenging to meet distribution opportunities with no additional capital infusion.

“As we've had incredible growth through retail, the doors have been slammed shut on funding. We're pacing ourselves, including not taking on some opportunities that could put too much strain on the business. Despite the current climate, I know that we will persevere,” says Young.