Want to Be a Millionaire in a Day? Learn How This CEO Sold a $530 Million Company

CEO Kim So-hee of StyleNanda
From Dongdaemun to a global corporation
Now a multi-billionaire

Kim So-hee, CEO of StyleNanda, is receiving significant attention as a female CEO.

Her achievements are remarkable.

She proudly put her company name in renowned surveys such as Cosmetic Brand Most Loved by YouTubers and Korea’s Top 10 Brands selected by CNN. She achieved a revenue of 167.5 billion won (approximately $142 million) 2017.

And at the young age of 30, she has now become a multi-billionaire.

This is thanks to the world’s largest cosmetics company, France’s L’Oréal Group. They purchased StyleNanda for around 600 billion won (approximately $530 million).

Kim So-hee revealed that her key to success was not clinging to success and profits but rather dedicating herself to what she loved.

So, what kind of life has she led after achieving such repeated success?

The first-generation online shopping mall, StyleNanda, was founded by Kim So-hee in 2005 when she was 22.

She had started working as a secretary initially but realized that the job did not suit her and decided to start a fashion business, thinking, ‘Let’s do what I like.’

Even as a fourth grader, she had shown extraordinary interest and talent in clothing, making her own clothes with her mother’s sewing machine. And Kim So-hee, the CEO, had a great interest in business.

Her interests and talents combined led her toward clothing sales.

At first, she sold clothes she bought from Dongdaemun Market through a humble open market. She received a good response. 2006, Kim started Nanda Co., Ltd. and fully jumped into the fashion business.

Although recognized for her unique style, she did not record high sales from the start. Gradually, she gained popularity among young women who wanted reasonable consumption while pursuing unique designs.

And in 2009, she even ventured into the cosmetics business.

She directly approached the cosmetics manufacturing company Hankook Kolmar, planned products, and launched her own cosmetics brand, Three Concept Eyes(3CE).

Afterward, StyleNanda grew rapidly, riding the K-Beauty and K-Fashion waves. They started to thrive, showing strength in color cosmetics.

She visited more than 50 places to find the lipstick she wanted and made more than 10 revisions when launching a single lipstick.

‘Until I am satisfied’ was another secret to StyleNanda’s success.

Currently, 3CE operates hundreds of stores in Korea and overseas through the global cosmetic distribution channel SEPHORA.

As the company’s size grew and the expansion into overseas markets became active, CEO Kim So-hee could not help but think about the next leap.

She needed professional managers and global partners to capture the overseas market fully, so she started selling StyleNanda in 2016.

The company that joined hands with her was the L’Oréal Group, which was sold for around 600 billion won (approximately $530 million).

Thus, 13 years after its founding, CEO Kim So-hee came to hold millions of dollars.

“What we create is not a product, but a sentiment, and what we sell is also not a product, but a culture,” was the conviction of CEO Kim So-hee. It seems that thanks to this conviction, StyleNanda was able to grow into a trend-leading company.

StyleNanda expanded into the food and beverage business by opening the Pink Pool Cafe.

CEO Kim So-hee announced her intention to return to being a housewife by leaving the company in 2021. She recently became the mother of three children through her third childbirth and is known to focus on childcare while enjoying rural life.

She has contributed to the global success of 3CE and StyleNanda for the past 17 years. Her future moves are attracting attention.

By. Yeon Min-Woo (minnnu3@newsaid.kr)