Tiffany: Hey, Supakan. Thanks for chatting with HHM. Tell us about yourself. Who are you?
Kate: My name is Supakan Apiratanapimonchai. People on social media know me as "Kate". The name Kate was given to me by my uncle when I first moved to the US. I personally like to introduce myself as Supakan, but at the time I created my social media, my client knew me as Kate, so I decided to go with it.
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to the US at 12- Year-Old to live with my grandma in Kissimmee, FL, a small town about an hour outside of Orlando Area. Like many other foreigners, I didn’t speak much English and was very new to American Culture.
Tiffany: Is being an Asian woman entrepreneur in America different than you imagine it would have been in Bangkok?
Kate: I started an import and export business in Bangkok while getting my undergraduate degree in America. I believe in America. It is much more challenging due to the larger market and more competitors than in Bangkok. Different marketing strategies work in Bangkok versus in America. It’s also essential to find someone to help run the business because you are in America and cannot manage and oversee everything. Regardless, I enjoyed doing business in Bangkok, and if I had the opportunity, I would love to do it again.
I am currently a 28-Year-Old medical school dropout who created her dream life. As I grew up as an Asian-American immigrant in the United States. I did not have a lot of self-confidence when I first moved here. My family strongly encouraged me on the path to become a doctor and I dutifully completed my Bachelor's in Biology at USF in 2016 and my Master's in Biomedical Sciences at Liberty University in 2020. During my gap year before starting my medical school journey, I began making make-up tutorial videos on social media and my videos went viral with over 1 million views. I also began to grow my Instagram following in order to collaborate with many major beauty brands and fellow beauty influencers. However, when medical school started, I was struggling with balancing medical school and creating makeup tutorials. As much as I want to continue my journey as a beauty influencer, I know my family would not approve my decision as it’s difficult to make sustainable income and partnership were never guaranteed. A year after dedicating my time and effort toward studying and finishing medical school, I continue to develop a strong passion for the beauty industry where I started seeing myself as a future entrepreneur rather than practicing medicine and this is where my journey as a beauty entrepreneur started.
Tiffany: Your parent's approval is super important in your culture, right? What is that like? Loving something that doesn't please your parents? How did you navigate those feelings?
Kate: You are correct! As Asian immigrant children, we were taught to give back to our parents for everything they have done for us. Many Asian kids also follow their parents' dream of becoming the highest degree seeker. This includes being a doctor, engineer, and lawyer, which makes them feel accepted by the family and that it will fulfill their parents. It was challenging to be in a position where I had to choose between what I truly wanted and what would please my parents. However, I asked myself one question before quitting medical school: "Will I be happy doing this for the next ten years?" and the answer was no. As an only child, it's even harder for me to go against my family's expectations. Still, I know that they genuinely want me to be happy and be able to take care of myself if something were to happen to them. I decided to communicate with them regarding my decision because I believe that they will not want me to be stuck being miserable for the next ten years. Still, at the same time, I also propose my career path choice, the duration of the risk I am willing to take, and how I will be able to take care of myself from this decision to help them see things from my perspective and support my decision.
Tiffany: What was that moment like? The moment you made up your mind that against all odds you were going to do what you love? You had to be a little scared right?
Kate: To be completely transparent, I thought it was a joke. There is no way I would choose this route over medical school, as I have worked so hard to get into medical school, yet I was unable to let it go. I remember I would make time to film makeup videos after studying all day. I was very distracted and could not get the idea of becoming successful in the beauty industry. This moment is when I could relate to the quote that says, “if you can’t stop thinking about it, it is probably worth going after.” Being so passionate about beauty and feeling out of place in medical school helped me choose the right direction. It was scary, but I was very excited and fulfilled.
Tiffany: How did you reveal your decision to your parents?
Kate: I still remember this moment. I felt like I was about to break off a relationship. The guilt, the nerves, and everything were scary. I have doubts that maybe I should continue and finish school to satisfy my parents. However, I knew that if I did that and decided to follow my dream instead of practicing medicine, it still would not fulfill my parents'. I then decided to call my parents and tell them how miserable I have been living and that I didn't want to become a physician if I could not be a good one. Other people's lives rely on me, and I should be passionate about what I do. Can you imagine yourself or your loved ones being in the hands of a physician who hates their job? I never want to put anyone in that position, and every time I do something, I go all in. I never half-ass anything I do. It either worked out, or I walked away knowing I did everything in my power. I know I was too creative to be a physician. I also know that I will never be able to fulfill my parents, so I might as well satisfy my dream (haha). Asian parents always want more from you, and nothing is enough just because they like to compare their kids to their relative's kids or their friend's kids. It's an unfortunate truth that I have to admit that it's genuinely unhealthy. I am ending this behavior in my generation and not passing it on to my kids.
Tiffany: Have your parents "come around"? Do they accept your position as a beauty influencer?
Kate: My mother has fully come around and supported me on this journey. My father and my grandma are not one hundred percent on board with me. They are very old-schooled and value education much more than anything. I never used this against my current career. Instead, I found it encouraging and motivating me to reach my next level of success and achievement.
Tiffany: Do you think you'll ever revisit medical school?
Kate: No! I am thrilled and fulfilled in my career path at the moment. I have a much bigger vision for this journey to reflect on what I have left behind. However, my nerd side couldn’t resist not having to study, so I went back to school and am currently getting my Ph.D. in Leadership and Sciences. I made this decision as I have completely transformed myself into a leadership position. I found the importance of learning to become an effective leader because you have to lead an entire company, and everyone’s stability depends on your decision. I also get to refresh my scientific knowledge during this program. This will enable me to develop safer and more innovative beauty products that impact the beauty industry and other beauty lovers. I believe that a good leader is a good learner. I never feel like I know everything and am always eager to learn new things from others. Thus, if leaders think they know everything and are not open to listening to others, they are already leading their team in the wrong direction.
In the near future Moshika Beauty, I want to create more unique innovative products that continue making makeup and beauty routines easier for all beauty lovers. I want Moshika Beauty to continue staying true to our value and mission, which is being vegan and cruelty-free. I am also super proud of our packaging! Every detail on this packaging is coming from my sketch. I also included Moshi sketch in all our packaging as we are a pet lover-inspired beauty brand. We are also giving back by donating every $1 spent to a pet charity.
At MOSHIKA BEAUTY, we value affordability, efficiency, and top quality. We believe that makeup should be flawless and effortless. So, we created MOSHIKA BEAUTY products to fit all types of lifestyles by make it easier for our customers to express their best features since #UniqueIsTheNewBeauty!
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