Founder Spotlight: Ada Hsieh (Fluency Beauty)
Meet Ada Hsieh:
Modern plant-based makeup colored from superfoods.
Location:
New York, New York, USA
When did you launch the business?
May 2024
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Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
What led you to where you are today?
I worked in Trading and Operations on Wall Street for over 10 years and fell in love with special effects and editorial makeup as a creative outlet. After learning the stats that 595 cosmetics manufacturers reported using 88 chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm in over 73,000 products, while also contributing to over 120 billion units of waste per year - I left finance and built Fluency Beauty, a modern plant0-based makeup brand colored only from superfoods sourced from regenerative agriculture that is healthy for the consumer and for the planet.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
I wish I had understood earlier that entrepreneurship is more about mental fortitude and flowing with the everchanging landscape, recognizing that the most challenging moments are often the most transformative opportunities for personal and professional growth. Building Fluency Beauty has taught me that success isn't just about the destination, but about embracing the unpredictable journey, staying true to your vision, and having fun in the process of creating something meaningful.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
Knowing when to step away from a dead project after investing thousands. Costly mistakes will remain costly, but if you push forward anyway it'll end up costing you even more.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
Spreading the word about events and also I'd love to volunteer to host a speaker panel be on a panel, or be a sponsor.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Spreading the word :)
Fun fact about you:
Did makeup for a Netflix show while still working in finance.
Anything else you want to share?:
Becoming a founder will push you, pull you, and test you in every way you never thought possible. You always come out the other side elevated, transformed not by the success of your business, but by the profound inner growth that emerges from confronting your deepest fears, challenging your perceived limitations, and discovering the extraordinary resilience that was always waiting silently within you. The box you subconsciously built for yourself and everything you thought you were will be blown wide open. Hold onto your pants! Bringing a thought, a dream into reality is no easy feat, but it is more rewarding than any amount of money will bring.
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