Angela Jia Kim, On Being Concert Pianist:
"I was always supposed to be a concert pianist. My mom plopped me in front of the piano at the age of three, and that was it-- I never looked back. Rigorous training and strict discipline became a way of life, and although I would often fantasize about doing other things, I never thought I would ever really do it. Well, who knew that a rash right before a concert would change my life forever?"
A Good Business Idea From a Bad Experience:
Before stepping out on stage for a concert in Chicago, Angela applied a "natural" cream on her body and started to break out. After the humiliating experience, she read the cream's list of ingredients - a long disconcerting list filled chemicals and preservatives.
At the time, her cousin, aunt, and two friends (still in their twenties) had been diagnosed with cancer. Angela thought, "Even though I knew that a cream was not the cause, I wanted to make a lifestyle change, and for me, it began with a new beauty regiment."
Applying Her Discipline as a Pianist to Create a New Product Line:
Angela was determined to find a luxury cream that did not contain toxic chemicals. "I was paying attention to what I was eating; shouldn't I pay attention to what I was putting on my body?" Finding none on the market, she rolled up her sleeves, and started to experiment in her Manhattan kitchen on her own.
It was hard work but Angela refused to give up; "My discipline as a pianist kicked in, and I became obsessed to find 'perfection.' I experimented 1000 times before being satisfied to give them as gifts to friends. It was an instant hit, and they began to buy the creams as gifts for their friends."
About Om Aroma & Co.:
Om Aroma & Co. (a limited liability company) manufactures and sells luxury organic spa and skincare products to five-star spas and resorts. A young, up-start company launched in August of 2007, Om Aroma & Co. has already established a solid market relationship in private upscale spas as well as in retail stores throughout the United States.
Angela offers, "We take our ultra-sensual ingredients — Caviar, Champagne, and Truffles — and fuse them with organic ingredients to create products that are deliciously sexy and naturally great for the skin."
About Savor The Success:
Launched on July 29, 2008, Savor the Success connects female entrepreneurs and professionals to help women build dreams in a real way. There are two components to the model: a boutique online social network (think Facebook meets LinkedIn tailored to women) and in-person workshops, tele-seminars, networking events, and cocktail minglers.
Angela’s Advice to Other Women Entrepreneurs
The biggest lessons that I have learned through business, I actually learned as a concert pianist. When memorizing and perfecting thousands and thousands of notes, it's really the same concept as building a business. In music, if you don't have a strong concept of how you want it to sound-- and I mean every single note-- you are not going to reach your potential. In business, if you don't know exactly what your goals are-- and I'm talking about exact goals-- you, too, can't reach your potential.
The other thing that I have learned is that so many people leave before seeing the success. I am convinced that success is sometimes just around the corner, and yet people don't turn that corner, they turn around and walk away. As a pianist, I had developed a system of making things happen through a cycle: there's a problem, come up with imaginative solutions, act on it, and then Savor the Success. It's a cyclical ball that will become bigger and bigger as you build.
I take at least ten steps a day to reach my goals. Others take ten a month. Some take ten a year. What do you do? It’s all about how you play your game.
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