Blanka is powering and accelerating the disruption of the beauty industry by enabling anyone to start and scale an independent beauty brand. With high-quality products manufactured in North America and with no minimums, Blanka takes care of product procurement, branding, and fulfillment all through technology.
Tell us about yourself?
I started my career in a suit as a management consultant. It was a great starting point, teaching me how to break down problems and communicate long-term strategies. But after a couple of years in consulting, I realized it wasn’t going to be a long-term fit for me. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, and I was always super excited about start-ups, so I decided I was finally ready to take the plunge and join an early-stage company. After joining my first start-up, I never looked back!
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
If I could go back in time a year or two, the advice I would give myself is to remember that entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to practice self-care, and for me, that means eating healthy, taking breaks, exercising, and spending quality time with the people who matter most. At times, I found myself so immersed in building Blanka that I forgot about my own well-being. Looking back, I realize the importance of taking a step back to recharge and prioritize self-care. Taking care of myself ultimately fuels my creativity, resilience, and ability to navigate the challenges of running a start-up.
What problem does your business solve?
Launching an independent beauty line has traditionally been a daunting endeavour, fraught with challenges. Aspiring entrepreneurs are faced with vetting suppliers, a time-consuming task that demands exhaustive research and evaluation. Moreover, independent brands have to make a substantial upfront investment in inventory to meet the minimum order requirements set by manufacturers. Compounding matters, entrepreneurs are then confronted with the logistical challenge of securing sufficient warehouse space to store their inventory. Furthermore, managing the intricacies of product shipping, including packaging and timely deliveries, poses further obstacles.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
The concept of Blanka emerged a few years ago when I started my own independent brand of SPF products. After weeks of researching the process, I learned that this wouldn’t be an easy endeavour. This was a lightbulb moment when I realized thousands of other entrepreneurs face the same issues when launching their brands.
What is your magic sauce?
Blanka’s technology makes it easy for independent brands of any size to source and customize the highest quality beauty products – with no minimums. Blanka is a platform that enables an independent brand to select products from Blanka’s catalogue, add their logo, and sell the products on their online store, all without ever having to order or hold inventory upfront. Blanka’s comprehensive platform provides an integrated solution to launching a beauty line, sparing entrepreneurs from the complexities of warehousing and inventory management. With Blanka, a process that used to demand months of time and over $5,000 US of investment can now be accomplished in under an hour and for less than $200 US. Today, Blanka works with independent brands around the world to help them launch their branded beauty lines.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Over the next five years, our vision at Blanka is to solidify our position as the leading platform for launching and scaling world-class beauty brands. We are committed to empowering entrepreneurs globally by providing a seamless and innovative solution that simplifies the complex process of creating and growing beauty businesses.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far at Blanka has been building and scaling the company with very limited financial resources. For the first two years of our journey, we operated on a bootstrap budget, which presented numerous challenges and forced us to be extremely resourceful and strategic in our decision-making.
Operating on a tight budget meant we had to prioritize essential expenses, make calculated investments, and find creative solutions to accelerate growth without extensive financial backing. We had to rely heavily on our own skills, determination, and the support of our team to overcome obstacles and make progress toward our goals.
Despite the challenges, operating under these constraints taught us valuable lessons about fiscal responsibility, lean operations, and the importance of prioritizing initiatives that deliver the highest value to our customers. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to leveraging these experiences to build a sustainable and successful company that positively impacts the beauty industry.
How can people get involved?
Check out Blanka at www.blankabrand.com or connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram (@kayleexblanka).