How I Built This with Guy Raz Birchbox: Katia Beauchamp
Mar 16, 2020
Katia Beauchamp, co-founder of Birchbox and a trailblazer in the beauty subscription industry, shares her journey from skepticism to success. She reveals the struggles of launching Birchbox while navigating investor challenges and a rapid growth trajectory. Katia emphasizes the importance of personal well-being and adapting business strategies, particularly for women entrepreneurs. In a related postscript, Athena Staton discusses her venture, SheCar, which empowers women in the used car buying process, showcasing innovation and community service.
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From Desert to Woods
- Moving from El Paso to Vassar for college was disorienting for Katia, going from a desert landscape to the woods of upstate New York.
- She felt a sense of being closed in by the trees, contrasting with the open horizon she was accustomed to.
Estée Lauder Internship
- Katia's first internship was with Estée Lauder, not in New York, but at Vassar as part of a training program for executives.
- Drawn by the program's competitiveness, she secured a coveted spot.
Embracing the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster
- In an entrepreneurship class at HBS, Katia had a unique reaction to the professor's honest portrayal of the struggles involved.
- Instead of being deterred, she was drawn to the challenge, seeing it as a way to discover her capabilities.
