513 Fiona Co Chan: Co-Founder & CEO of Youthforia

Pandemic Launch

Launching a business during the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges and opportunities for Fiona Chan, co-founder of Youthforia. Stuck in Asia, she found the isolation a perfect time to pursue her long-held dream of starting a makeup brand, despite having no industry contacts or experience. "I remember just feeling like I'm on the other side of the world. I might as well just start this and, you know, kind of see how the pandemic will play out," she recalls 1. The initial product lineup included a blush that surprisingly outperformed expectations, while a safer bet, a lip gloss, did not fare as well 2.

   

Trust Intuition

Fiona emphasizes the importance of trusting one's intuition in entrepreneurship. She advises founders to rely on their gut feelings, as no one knows their business better than they do. "I would advise people to, like, just always trust your gut because no one's going to know your business as intimately as you," she says 3. Her appearance on Shark Tank, where she secured an investment from Mark Cuban, further validated her approach and provided valuable exposure for Youthforia 4.