As the Co-founder of Soko Glam, Charlotte Cho helped bring K-Beauty cult favorites to the U.S. with her eponymous e-commerce site, which now curates more than 45 K-beauty brands. Now, the entrepreneur is focused on a new journey in beauty—her own three-month-old product line, Then I Met You. The line features two cleansers as a nod to the popular double-cleansing face washing technique used in Korea. But, this is not a K-Beauty brand or associated with the Soko Glam empire. It is, however, rooted in the Korean concept of jeong, which is cultivated by taking the time to develop deep emotional bonds with people, places and things that matter most – something Charlotte feels is needed in today’s digital age.

“What’s unique about Then I Met You is that it’s more than just a beauty brand,” explained Charlotte. “I’ve used jeong as a guiding principle for not only product development, but the consumer experience as well. My hope is that Then I Met You will not only serve as a turning point for skin routines, but also transform the way one lives and feels.”

To integrate the jeong concept into the brand, each duo-cleanser package comes with pre-stamped postcards with the hope that users will take the time to send handwritten notes to people they know. Additionally, the brand curates stories of how people forge connections with one another and shares it with its community. Here, Charlotte spoke to Beauty Insider about launching the independent brand, marketing strategies and her decision not to enter mass retail.

Beauty Insider: What factors did you take into consideration when developing the brand?

Charlotte Cho: We were intentional in that we didn’t want to call our line Soko Glam and do a private label model. We wanted to invest our time in building a completely independent line, that would be unique and separate from Soko Glam. While people may question why we wouldn’t curate Then I Met You to an existing platform that has millions of unique visitors a month looking for skin care, we knew we had such a special brand and story that had to be told and grow organically on its own independent site.

BI: Tell us about your marketing and brand-building strategy for the new launch.
CC: Then I Met You is all about creating real, meaningful connections, which takes time, so our launch strategy is to stay true to our beliefs and even embody our values through how we communicate and interact with customers. Our Instagram jumped to 18,000 in a few months organically, with no paid posts or ad spend, which has resulted in meaningful engagement. We focus on sharing the foundational elements of Then I Met You, and tell our story and what we believe in. We do not shy away from telling our community all the details of how we go deeper in the product development process, including the intentional way we create the slight scoop of our custom-made spatula, color match the perfect periwinkle blue and add the nostalgic touch to our scripted logo. We also connect with our customers by hand delivering packages in New York City, and creating an “off-the-record” discussion with Michelle Phan, who is not only a fan of our products but also really resonates with the concept of jeong.

BI: Where is the brand available?
CC: Then I Met You was always intended to be a direct-to-consumer brand sold online at thenimetyou.com. It was an important decision we made that would allow us to create meaningful connections with customers and bring premium quality formulations at a much more accessible price point.

One week after launch, we were approached by several of the largest beauty retailers who were interested in distribution. Although we had to respectfully decline, it was such a positive signal to know that Then I Met You was exciting to the largest beauty retailers in the U.S.

BI: What makes products unique?

CC: While many brands will actually make minor tweaks to premade base formulas, we made everything from scratch and went deeper in our quest for luxurious, innovative and effective experiences. For example, the Living Cleansing Balm combines a high concentration of sea buckthorn oils, which is a powerful antioxidant and leaves skin feeling buttery soft and clean. Our request for high levels of our particular sea buckthorn oil was so unique, that our cosmetic chemist warned us that this would need to retail for more than $100. We were able to keep the same quality for $38, by going direct to consumer.

An ingredient that makes Then I Met You stand out is actually one that is missing. We removed polyethylene, an ingredient that appears in many solid oil cleansers, but can feel waxy and synthetic. Pushing for its removal was a very difficult request for a cleansing balm and I was told that it could not be done by many chemists. That didn’t deter us. We were committed to our vision of developing something that would be silky and luxurious in consistency without polyethylene, to provide the very best for skin.

BI: How many SKUs are offered?

CC: We’ve launched with two products, starting with the Living Cleansing Balm and the Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel. Stay tuned—there will be several more skin care products launching in 2019.

BI: Who is funding/investing in the brand?
CC: We did not raise any money for Then I Met You. We have a start-up mentality, just like we have for Soko Glam.

BI: What is your best lesson learned so far?

CC: Never chase after trends or gimmicks. Stay true to your passion and people will notice.