Angela Jia Kim is the inspirational force behind Savor Beauty, a natural skincare brand inspired by Korean beauty rituals, facial spas (Savor Spa), and a top leadership program and community for female entrepreneurs (Savor the Success). I’ve also enjoyed many amazing facials at Savor Spa in NYC that incorporate Savor Beauty’s organic skincare products. It’s been encouraging to hear Angela’s success story and how she draws inspiration from her Korean heritage and beauty rituals to her work in wellness and self care for women around the world.
Tell us about your personal background.
I’m Korean American and grew up in Ames, Iowa, a predominantly Caucasian environment. People were not used to seeing Asians so there were a lot of racist comments—not out of maliciousness but out of ignorance.
My dad was a math professor at Iowa State University, and one day he told me that a student had made fun of his English in front of the entire class. He was a proud man, and from then on, we spoke English at home, and my dad paid my sisters and me a nickel every time we corrected him.
This taught me that when someone puts you down, don’t shrivel—rise.
What inspired you to start Savor Beauty?
I was a concert pianist and while on tour, I put this “natural” lotion on before walking out on stage. I started to break out into hives in front to hundreds of people, and it was so horrifying! After the concert, I studied the list of ingredients and was shocked to find out how many chemicals were in the formula.
Koreans are obsessed with their skin, and my mom always had something new sent over by her sisters in Korea. When I came home from college, I would play with all of her creams—filled with ingredients like gold or silkworm cocoons—and I would “borrow” them from her.
I wanted something luxurious, organic and good for the skin. So at first I went into my kitchen just to make lotions and potions for myself and after about 1000 tries (as a pianist, I was used to practicing something thousands of times before being satisfied.) I added luxury ingredients with Champagne, Caviar, and Truffle, which have tremendous beauty benefits, and infused them with organic extracts for the best anti-aging results. I started to give them as gift to friends. They loved them and wanted to buy them as gifts for their friends. And I became the “accidental entrepreneur.”
Were there any challenges you experienced when creating Savor Beauty, and how did you overcome them?
My biggest struggle was shifting from solo artist to businesswoman. I had spent my entire life practicing piano alone for hours, touring by myself, performing on stage, and then going back to my hotel room to meet a TV as my company. So I have had the opportunity to learn communication and leadership skills that I had not developed until I founded a business. I have found that communication for most people is a constant challenge, and I love evolving as well as watching my team grow, too.
What is a typical day in your life like?
There really is no typical work day because it can be filled with meetings with the team, product development, PR desksides, and lately, we’ve been going to QVC a lot. I love the days when I work from home alone and create.
There is constancy with family. In the morning, my husband makes me coffee, and we help my daughter get ready for school. We finish the day with a sit-down dinner (that my husband usually cooks) together. And I end every night with my evening beauty rituals before tucking my daughter in to sleep.
What do you do to stay inspired and encourage creativity?
Lately, I have been carving out time for a lot of self-care: massages, aromatherapy baths, and pilates three times a week. I have also been going to K-town to visit one of my favorite Korean beauty gurus who teaches me so many amazing beauty secrets. She only speaks Korean with some broken English, and I only speak English with a tiny bit of Korean. It is total immersion of open ears, open eyes, open heart in order to fully absorb what is being said.
You recently expanded Savor Spa locations in the Hudson Valley and Manhattan’s Upper West Side, as well as selling products at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and on QVC. What were these experiences like? Do you see Savor Beauty + Spa expanding elsewhere and are there any new partnerships?
The buyers and support team at Neiman, Nordstrom, and QVC have been incredible to work with. The people we have met through these opportunities have made the experience enjoyable. As we keep growing, we connect with more people who are experienced and know their craft inside out. It’s such a pleasure to learn from them and listen to their stories of how the beauty industry has changed over the years and how it’s adapting in today’s world.
New partnerships are in the works and expansion is happening. I always tell my team that I don’t like to talk about it while it’s cooking, I just like to serve once it’s made.
Who is a notable Asian American (alive or deceased) that you admire most? Why?
I recently saw a picture of my mom with her sisters. Her oldest sister is a doctor, and as a child I didn’t like her because she seemed so severe. When I visited Korea, she gave me shots so I tried to avoid her at all cost.
But in this picture, I saw a different woman (far left). She looked so confident, strong, and stylish. Think about it, it was in 1950’s during the Korean war and when women rarely went to college, she was going to university to become a doctor. Then she got married, brought up three children and survived cancer. How bad-ass is that?
I also admire my grandfather (my father’s dad), Yong-shik Kim. He moved from Korea to the United States when he was 28 and became a prolific English author of numerous books, short stories, and articles published in places like Harper’s Bazaar and The New Yorker. To not only become fluent in a foreign language at the age of 28 but to also become a published author is such an inspiration and message of work ethic.
If you weren’t an entrepreneur, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t an entrepreneur, I would still be playing Beethoven and helping a charitable cause I’m passionate about.
Favorite words to live by?
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others.
Thank you for sharing with us, Angela!
Find out more about Angela and Savor Beauty here.
Tomorrow wraps up Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and I have one more great interview to share. With the close of another APAHM, may the push for awareness of Asian American history and progress continue through sharing stories, perspectives, and knowledge among our community and beyond.
Did you enjoy this series? Would you like to hear more about leading Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) creatives? Stay tuned!
Photos provided by Angela Jia Kim.
Audrey
Great work on bringing to the forefront these creative and talented Asian Americans!
Kasey
Thanks, Mom! <3