How a Liberating Feeling on a Brazilian Beach Inspired a Beauty Brand That Connects with Consumers
As co-founder and CEO of Sol de Janeiro, Heela Yang has grown along with her mega-hit brand over the past 10 years. Inspired by Yang’s time living in Brazil, the body care line’s cheekily named Brazilian Bum Bum Cream was a sensation from the jump, becoming a best-seller at Sephora just a few months after its launch. Here, she highlights handling fast growth, the importance of brand DNA and customer expansion, the winding, unexpected path of her career, and how her personal practice of Transcendental Meditation improved her health.
BY Kate Sullivan | PUBLISHED April 18, 2025
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