and herbs—directly from our neighbors.”
The team started building up its community and customer base
through word of mouth. Since then, the company, Purity Cosmetics,
which started with three people, has grown to 150 employees.
Its flagship brand, 100% Pure, features more than 500 products,
including skin care, makeup and hair care. In addition to its 8-acre,
solar-powered San Jose headquarters, it also has 12 retail locations,
including stores in Berkeley and San Jose, and at San Francisco
International Airport. Since its humble beginnings in 2005, it has
doubled its revenue almost every year and is currently bringing in
over $25 million in sales.
Wang, Kostick and James Wang have taken on different, complementary
roles in building the company. Kostick says Susie Wang
From left: James
Wang, Ric Kostick
and Susie Wang with
her beloved dogs.
is extremely creative and comes up with ideas easily. “She never
runs out,” he notes. “When she describes an idea, she uses detailed
stories. This draws you in immediately and keeps you engaged and
interested from the start.”
For his part, Kostick likes organizing the business and helping
its employees grow. James, who is very fast and efficient, oversees
manufacturing and facilities.
Wang says her brother and Kostick have played critical parts in
growing the business.
“James and Ric’s roles were and continue to be vital and absolutely
necessary,” she says, adding that, without them, the company would
probably remain just an idea. “They executed everything to make
an idea grow into a huge, thriving success,” she said.
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