IAM1679 – CEO Helps Her Clients Build their Confidence through Her Skin Care Products

Daisy Jing Teaser 00:00

So I actually formulated my own products and I just use them on myself. I had no intention of starting a business, but people on my YouTube channel noticed the drastic change on my skin and they were like, Daisy, I wanna buy whatever it is you're using. And that is how Banish was born.

Intro 00:19

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I am CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:46

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I appreciate you listening to this episode. And if you've been listening this year, we're doing something a little bit different where we're repurposing our favorite episodes under certain categories or topics that we think are gonna be extremely impactful for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

This month is going to be about not forgetting about the human part of business. Often we forget about the human part of life. We often forget about the human part of business. So look forward to self-care tips, fitness, burnout, purpose, biz and personal, personal branding, motivation, drive success, understanding your why, and of course, how important customer service is. But at the heart of it, it's all about remembering the human part of business. So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I am CEO podcast.

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Daisy Jing of Banish. Daisy, it's great to have you on the show.

Daisy Jing 01:42

Thank you, Gresh. I'm glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 01:44

Yeah, super excited to have you on as well too. And before we jumped into the interview, I wanted to read a little bit more about Daisy so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Daisy is a YouTube vlogger and a mompreneur who founded and bootstrapped a now multi-million dollar beauty product line named Banish.

She has knowledge and experience in business and marketing, and her business is ranked 150 second fastest growing company in the Inc. 500. She was also included in Forbes 30 under 30 in manufacturing, and just recently she had an opportunity to share her passion for authenticity at a TEDx Talk. Daisy, super excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I am CEO community?

Daisy Jing 02:21

Yes, I am. Thank you for that great introduction.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 02:24

Yes. Thank you for doing all the awesome things that you're doing. And what I wanted to do to kick us off was rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you got started and what I call your CEO story.

Daisy Jing 02:33

Yeah. So I had acne my entire life starting when I was nine years old. And you know, I tried to use every single product to get rid of my acne. I went to dermatologists, pathic healers, tried drugstore products, everything, and nothing seemed to work for my skin. And when you have a skin condition like acne in your teenage years, you have mental health side effects from it. So I was very depressed. And I decided to document my journey of treating my acne on my YouTube channel. So during this time, I was studying pre-med and I was reading the ingredients in the labels of the skincare I was using.

And I was asking myself, why are there so many ingredients in skincare? You know, why are there so many ingredients I can't pronounce? What's the purpose of all these? And I realized that a lot of ingredients in skincare are there to make the products look good, smell good, feel good, but it doesn't actually provide any benefit for your skin. And my skin being very, very sensitive, I actually developed a lot of acne because it was sensitive to all the ingredients I was putting on. So I actually formulated my own product and I just use them on myself.

I had no intention of starting a business, but people on my YouTube channel noticed the drastic change on my skin, and they were like, Daisy, I wanna buy whatever it is you're using, and that is how Banish was born. So it was truly organic. It started by accident and I wanted to solve a problem that I had personally, and then I realized, hey, it helps other people too.

Gresham Harkless 04:00

Yeah, absolutely. As one of those people that in his teenage years struggled a lot with acne, I personally unfortunately know that pain, but I love how you took that true entrepreneurial form and decided to create something. Because I think so many times we forget that as we solve our own personal problems, we also are a lot of times solving other problems. And a lot of times that's what entrepreneurs do and are able to create some really phenomenal products and services.

Daisy Jing 04:23

Yeah, for sure. I think the biggest thing for entrepreneurs is being able to solve a pain point, right? And if you have a pain point, most likely other people do too.

Gresham Harkless 04:32

Yes, absolutely. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more. Could you tell us a little bit more on what we can find through Banish and what you do, and how you serve the clients you work with?

Daisy Jing 04:42

Yeah, so our products are all fresh to order. We don't actually sell on Amazon or a sophora or whatnot because our products have as few ingredients and few preservatives as possible. So if you think of it almost like ordering fresh food versus packaged or canned food, it's much easier and more gentle on the skin and the active ingredients have a better time of working because they're not processed or have gone through the preservation process.

Our products do not contain any fragrance or added colors or mineral oil or silicones. Every single ingredient in the product is there for a reason and it has a beneficial property to the skin. And if you order a product, for example, if you order them today, our team will go in either today or tomorrow and whip up the batch of products and send it to you right then and there, so you're really getting fresh products. You're getting the most active ingredients, and that is why our skincare is the best that it's been around for over eight years.

Gresham Harkless 05:44

Nice. Well, I appreciate you so much and sharing about that process. And I always heard, and granted I don't know a lot about skincare, but I've always heard that the skin is just like your biggest cell. So to put those natural products and the care it sounds like from the process you and your team work on, is something that's big and it's something we should definitely appreciate that and as much as possible because it is our largest organ.

Daisy Jing 06:07

Yeah, it definitely is our largest organ. And you know, when you're breaking out, when your skin doesn't look great, it's because it's signaling to you that there's something that it doesn't like. And so instead of trying to put more and more products on, which I think is what the skincare industry is selling us, it's really less is more. Right? So eliminating a lot of stuff that's gonna irritate our skin will help us.

Gresham Harkless 06:30

Yeah, absolutely. And you start to hear that a lot more in all aspects of health, where a lot of times, like you said, less is more. Sometimes the things that are added in and all of the preservatives and all those things that I don't really know much about, end up doing more harm than they do good. So I love that you've been able to create that product that helps people at the end of the day.

Daisy Jing 06:47

Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 06:48

Absolutely. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. And this could be for yourself individually or the business, or a combination of both. But what do you feel sets you apart and makes you unique?

Daisy Jing 06:58

In terms of the products or the business, or you said any?

Gresham Harkless 07:01

Oh, anything like from the business or yourself personally.

Daisy Jing 07:04

I think one thing is I'm very curious. I'm a very curious person and I love learning for the sake of learning. Because of that, I'm able to adapt and be flexible with change and things that are coming out. I think that's really important when you have a business, the ability to change and also knowing when to adapt and be flexible, right? Because if you're always adapting, you're all over the place, but you also can't be too stubborn. Because the environment changes and I really think being an entrepreneur is all about adaptation. So yeah, I would say that's probably my secret weapon, being able to change with the times.

Gresham Harkless 07:45

Yeah, absolutely. And I love how you mentioned that curiosity plays a big part of that, and I think as you mentioned, and said so well, the adaptability, I can't even say that word that you have to have. And of course, being able to pivot and change like during times of change, during times that are sometimes less than ideal is so important to be able to not just build a company for today, but build a company that continues to have legs in the future that continues to grow.

Daisy Jing 08:07

Yeah, for sure. And I think it's important for entrepreneurs to realize that just because you have an amazing year, one year doesn't mean it's gonna happen the next year and vice versa, right? So it's constantly an evolution.

Gresham Harkless 08:17

Yes, absolutely. It is a journey, that's for sure. So absolutely appreciate that. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, it could be a book, or it could be a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Daisy Jing 08:34

Ooh, I love that. I think when I ask people to present information to me, I have a hard time following along when there's too much information. I think a lot of entrepreneurs have a little bit of a short attention span. So I ask people to tell me the conclusion first. Always like, give me the headline, right? The TLDR of what you're saying. And then break it down into pros and cons. So I've devised that for meeting structure so that way we can get through meetings quickly. Because, otherwise someone will talk for like 15 minutes and I'll be like, okay, what were you saying? Like I got lost. So I think just having very precise communications and meetings has really helped me.

Gresham Harkless 09:15

Yeah. I love that. And I love the TLDR of course. And then to break that down with the pros and cons as well too. Because I think that's something, obviously, you can use in meetings, but I feel like that's a good kind of exercise to go through internally to make sure that you are actually being as simplistic and being as effective as possible. Whether we're talking about building a product or we're having a conversation, or even sometimes pitching what we're doing is so important to be succinct and to the point about how we're making that impact happen.

Daisy Jing 09:40

Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah, I definitely think having and using fewer words is always better. Also in the age of social media and stuff people get bombarded, right? With messages and captions and all that. So you just wanna be as succinct and concise as possible.

Gresham Harkless 09:57

Yeah, absolutely. And I think Steve Jobs has a quote where he talks about how to get to simplicity, actually you have to work to get to simplicity. So it also shows that you really know what it is that you're doing if you're able to break it down as simple as possible, which is you know, counterintuitive. So absolutely appreciate that hack.

And I want to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice is something you might tell a client or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Daisy Jing 10:23

Yeah, so this is something I've actually realized now. I used to be very indecisive and indecisive leaders are not the best leaders, right? You don't wanna be following somebody who's like, not making a decision. And for me, it was because I didn't wanna make the wrong decision. But in reality, you're going to make the wrong decisions.

But the thing is, you just have to make that decision with the information you have at that time, and just move forward and not beat yourself up and understand that a lot of decisions are not gonna be the right decision. You don't have the foresight to know what's gonna happen. So, basically making a decision is better than not making a decision because you really have to move the team and company forward. That's part of the risk of being an entrepreneur.

Gresham Harkless 11:07

Yes, absolutely. And you know, definitely of leadership as well too. And I think when you start to understand that, and I think one of the things I love and I realize as I told my younger business self is that a lot of the most successful people are those that did not not make mistakes. They actually made mistakes, but they moved sometimes quickly. They were able to pivot and be like water, as we talked about before.

Awesome. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question and touched on this maybe a little bit, but it's the definition of what it means to be a CEO and we're hoping to have different quote and quote, CEOs on this show. So Daisy, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Daisy Jing 11:41

Being a CEO means being able to create your own universe in a way that's most authentic to you. And have a vision behind something and being able to lead a team behind that in the most authentic version of yourself.

Gresham Harkless 11:59

Nice. I love that definition and perspective. I often say if you run your own race, you can't lose, but I feel like I should say, if you could run your own universe, you can't lose. Because I think so many times we're looking at what other people say or what other people are doing, and we forget about the uniqueness and the authenticity that's within us and the gifts that we have. So to be able to lean into that and create the world that we see and create products and services that help to serve, I think it's one of the most powerful things so I love that definition.

Daisy Jing 12:26

Yeah, for sure and never compare yourself or think that, oh, I have to do this because this company did this or this competitor did this, blah, blah, blah, blah. Right? You can write your own narrative, you can write your own story, and you can run your own business, right? That's what being a CEO is. So it's really stemming from what is the most authentic version of yourself and having the leadership be able to communicate that.

Gresham Harkless 12:51

Yes, absolutely. And I love how that kind of permeates through everything that you're doing and everything that you've been able to build and create. That we often forget that we can create something new if something all the ways that exist, all the things that are out there aren't serving us how we need them.

And we serve, that's our opportunity to run that race, to create our own universe and really create and be the narrative that so many others are trying to be. So the best way we can do that is lean into who we are. And a lot of times our story and sometimes our pain points, as you said, so well.

Awesome. Well, Daisy, truly appreciate that definition. I appreciate your time as well. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best they can get ahold of you and find about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.

Daisy Jing 13:37

Ooh, anything else that I was tell. I would also say that advice is out there, but be careful of whose advice you take. Just because somebody has a more successful business than you or is like the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, they don't necessarily know what is best for you. And I used to think that, oh, because they're a coach or a mentor or somebody more successful, they know what's best for me. And that's not always the case.

So, just understand that not everyone is on your journey, right? And not everyone has had the same experiences and not everyone is looking out into the future the same way you are. So you really have to look deep within yourself and figure it out. There's no blanket right answer to being a CEO. I think that's probably the biggest challenge of being a CEO is, making decisions and trying to figure out like, what is the right thing for me, for my company to do. So listen to yourself, listen to your gut, and move forward.

Gresham Harkless 14:40

Yeah, I absolutely love that. It's just so powerful because I think so many times like you said, there's so much advice and information on what to do and what not to do, that we can lose sight of our mission and lose sight of our goal and what we're trying to do.

Daisy Jing 14:51

For sure. And the second part of your question was where can they find me?

Gresham Harkless 14:54

Yes, absolutely.

Daisy Jing 14:55

Okay. So my product line is Banish.com and our Instagram handles are at banish acne scars. And we have a secondary account at Banish, and my personal Instagram is daiserz89 and that's my YouTube channel as well.

Gresham Harkless 15:08

Awesome. And to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can get ahold of you, find out about all the awesome things you're doing. But I appreciate you so much for running your own race re reminding us of how important that is because I think so many times there's so much noise telling us to do A, B, and C or X, Y, and Z, that we sometimes lose sight of our race and our voice and what we're ultimately trying to do.

So thank you for staying true to that and reminding us of how important that is. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Daisy Jing 15:31

Okay. Thank you so much, Gresh.

Outro 15:35

Thank you for listening to the I am CEO podcast, powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I am CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Subscribe and leave us a five Star. Grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I am CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

[/restrict]