Indie Beauty Profile
Amanda Matsui, Yuyo Botanics
Here wellness entrepreneur Amanda Matsui shares a profile of herself and the brand.
Name: Amanda Matsui, Co-Founder
Indie Beauty Company: Yuyo Botanics
Launched: February 2018
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
Cash flow: Yuyo Botanics is self-funded. The brand is a 3-way partnership; and we all own equal shares of the business. We have not received any [outside] investment or funding.
And, we have successfully scaled our business despite the financial setbacks that most hemp companies encounter.
Indie how? I believe an independent brand refers to companies that are independent from the support of a larger brand or organization.
Team work: just the 3 founders
Distribution: Yuyo Botanics is sold globally through our own ecommerce site and at select retailers across the US, Europe, and China.
Years in beauty: 2
Years at Yuyo Botanics: 2
Entrepreneurial experience: This is my first company.
The business: We are a farm-to-bottle CBD company with a focus on sustainability in the farming industry.
The wow-factor: We are working hard to make our mark in the cultivation of hemp and to inspire cleaner practices in a new industry.
The consumer: women between the ages of 25-50
Milestone moment: We have brought awareness to organic and biodynamic farming practices to the hemp industry in spaces that wouldn't normally entertain these discussions i.e. Neiman Marcus.
Advice for fellow beauty entrepreneurs: Be passionate and don't sacrifice your value system for the fast track. In the end, you want to maintain your value of self. A brand is just a brand, what customers connect with is the story [and] you as a person.
Just one: A good moisturizer or oil! My brand changes all the time depending on who makes it and how clean it is.
---
Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.