The video tells a compelling rags-to-riches story of building a successful e-commerce business, which resonates with aspiring entrepreneurs. It uses a native mention approach, showcasing the brand's growth and milestones organically rather than through a direct sales pitch, making it feel authentic and inspiring.
Summary
The creator shares their journey of building a successful e-commerce business selling Japanese skincare, starting from a stressful corporate job to achieving significant financial success and brand growth.
Structure
1Introduction: Making $10M at 29
2Background: Burnout in corporate job
3Idea: Starting a Japanese skincare business
4Setup: Creating a Shopify store named KIYOKO
5Early days: Building the website and initial products
6
Original caption
#howtobuildabusiness #founderstory
More from @hi.itsgillian
Their other posts in the index, biggest breakout first.
Social Media: Creating an Instagram account
7Initial sales: Slow start with few orders
8Traction: Gaining social media attention
9Growth: Shipping from basement, expanding products
10Scaling: Hiring content creators for TikTok
11Explosion: TikTok success driving sales
12Expansion: Moving to a larger warehouse and office
13Branding: Updating the KIYOKO brand identity
14Team growth: Hiring a video editor and social media manager
15Milestones: Flying business class, featured in ELLE Canada
Product placement
The video promotes KIYOKO, an e-commerce store selling Japanese and Korean beauty products. It showcases the brand's journey from inception to growth, including website development, social media marketing (Instagram and TikTok), and expansion into physical office and warehouse spaces. The brand name and website are clearly displayed.
On-screen text
How I made $10M at 29 yo
In 2019 I was working a super stressful corporate job & feeling VERY uninspired / burnt out
One day my friend and I decided to try selling Japanese skincare
Never run a business before, but thought it would be a fun project
Set up a shopify store and named the store "KIYOKO" (Japanese girl name)
I did the illustration!
Spent 3 months making the website & only had like 20 products on the site at first
SHOP SKINCARE
SHOP OUR
FALL COLLECTION
www.kiyokobeauty.com
Kiyoko | Japanese Skincare
Health/Beauty
Japanese beauty and skincare online store
Follow for skincare tips from #japanesesincare
ships to Canada & US
visit our store
Made a social account - I had NO experience in socials/content 😭
Got a few orders! Like 10 a month... then got ~10 orders a week...
THANK YOU
so much for your order!
We hope you enjoy - you deserve to
pamper yourself.
XOXO,
KIYOKO
Follow us on Instagram
@kiyoko.beauty
Prettywrinkles
9h
Cotton baby face by sasha_soul_art
Thank you @kiyoko.beauty
for sending me these cult
favourite stuff. Just in
time since my Melano CC is
running low 🥺💛
Picked up a bit of traction
on social media... 🙂
Still shipping from the
basement but getting more
products now!
Kiyoko Beauty 🌸 🌸
they/them
170
Following
50.000
Followers
1.0M
Likes
Edit profile
Shop Japanese & Korean Beauty
Proudly founded in
Ships to
Our TikTok EXPLODED which really shot up our sales 😳
The basement where we
shipped products was
getting crammed...
Updated our website to
have more features / easier
to use
Filter By
Best Selling
ON SALE
ON SALE
ON SALE
(300ML)
CAD $9
Started shipping so many orders- we HAD to get
OUT of the basement
Moved into our first
office!! Felt like such a
pinch me moment 🥺❤️
introducing
a new
look for
Kiyoko
Updated our branding!!
Kiyoko
asian beauty
NEW LOOK,
SAME KIYOKO
@kiyoko.beauty
Decided to go all-in on
CONTENT, hired a full time
video editor and socials
manager
We outgrew our first
warehouse, so we moved
into our second (2x the size!)
Flew business class for the
first time- felt so surreal to
have experienced this in
my 20s
Got interviewed for ELLE
CANADA article..
ELLE
Summer's Top Skincare Trends,
According to a Japanese & Korean
Beauty Expert
These Asian beauty-inspired summer skincare trends will be taking over your social media feeds-
and shelves.
Open on TikTok
