The founder of Hero Cosmetics, the skincare brand that vows to be your savior in the wake of acne problems, describes her career path as definitely not being \u201cstraight and linear.\u201d Rhyu recently told Fortune<\/em> it wasn\u2019t until she was recruited for a job in Seoul, South Korea, that she stumbled on the big business idea that would launch a skincare line focused on a positive approach to troublesome acne.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Mighty Patch allows wearers to embrace their zits and forgo the shame commonly associated with a bad breakout. The small patches\u2014approximately 0.47 inches in diameter\u2014have a transparent appearance, allowing for wearers to cover their blemishes at night or even in public. They\u2019re a discrete alternative to other solutions for covering acne, such as makeup which can draw more attention to the face.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI always joke that I worked at some of the world\u2019s biggest brands\u2014Kraft Foods, Mondelez, American Express<\/a>, and Samsung<\/a> Electronics\u2014and then ended up starting an indie skincare brand,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n At 35 years old, while working at a corporate marketing job for Fortune 500 giant Samsung, Rhyu was suffering from a bout of bad breakouts when she noticed something odd: Her coworkers were wearing hydrocolloid patches plain on their faces\u2014in the office.\u00a0<\/p>\n Puzzled, Rhyu asked why her colleagues were brazenly sporting Band-Aid-like squares and rectangles on their cheeks and chins, something she\u2019d never seen in the United States. Their simple explanation? Taming a pimple.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI went to a pharmacy, I tried one, and it changed my skincare routine because it works so much better than anything I had used before,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI put it on at night, and by morning, it got all that gunk out.\u201d<\/p>\n That gunk\u2014a combination of bacteria and dead white blood cells\u2014is often what gives pimples their prominent appearance on the face. Being able to get rid of it overnight is a game changer for those who deal with acne, as it often leads to negative effects on self esteem<\/a>.<\/p>\n The experience jumpstarted the young entrepreneur\u2019s \u201ceducation\u201d in skincare. After trying \u201cevery single possibility out there\u201d for acne relief\u2013including dermatologists, toothpaste, and sticky pink creams\u2013Rhyu set her sights on revolutionizing skincare, starting with the Band-Aid aisle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Capitalizing on her corporate background, Rhyu began strategizing how to bring her idea to market alongside her two co-founders.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the consumer behaviors I noticed was that the hydrocolloid-patch format was actually already around for quite a long time, but they were in the Band-Aid aisle,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was nothing, at that time, in the beauty section.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2017 the trio decided to bootstrap their business, combining $50,000 of their own money instead of looking for investors\u2014something that was \u201cvery against the grain\u201d at the time. However, after a successful launch of the Mighty Patch on Amazon\u2013 in which their original inventory sold out in just 90 days\u2013Ryhu and her team were ready for mainstream success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n By 2022, the brand had garnered over $100 million in sales, and agreed to be acquired by Arm & Hammer, Nair, and OxiClean parent company Church & Dwight for $630 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI never in a million years thought that Hero would be as successful as we are,\u201d Rhyu said.<\/p>\n Exposure to cultures around the globe not only inspired Rhyu\u2019s business, it\u2019s been a constant theme throughout her time as chief executive officer of Hero Cosmetics. After leaving Seoul in 2014, Rhyu eventually relocated to Paris for six years, where she continued to run her New York City-based company.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been traveling a lot for the past six to seven years,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I was living in Paris, I was doing three weeks in Paris, one week in New York, so I was definitely a pro.\u201d<\/p>\n The CEO recently decided to move back to the U.S., settling in Los Angeles. While she\u2019s still living in a different timezone than Hero\u2019s HQ, it doesn\u2019t make her any less involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n She says her key is not work-life balance, but work-life integration.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really just about finding a schedule that works for you. It\u2019ll be different for everyone,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we can expect anyone to be on all the time, 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n The founder gave Fortune<\/em> an exclusive look at her daily routine, which kicks off bright and early at 6 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n With good skin care, comes great nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n 6:00 a.m.: <\/strong>As soon as she rises, Rhyu prioritizes breakfast \u201cno matter what.\u201d Her typical morning meal includes two eggs and a piece of toast alongside a cup of coffee. Following breakfast, she completes her morning skincare routine, which involves a quick rinse off with water followed by a Vitamin C serum and sunscreen.<\/p>\n Since the work day has already started for her colleagues in New York , Rhyu journeys to her desk and jumps straight into work, catching up on emails and preparing for the day. <\/p>\n 8:00 <\/strong>a.m.<\/strong>: <\/strong>Now well-caffeinated and caught up on the news of the day, Rhyu begins taking Zoom<\/a> calls with colleagues, which vary by day.<\/p>\n \u201cTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, I could have anywhere from three to five meetings a day,\u201d she said, adding that Mondays and Fridays are \u201ca lot more clear.\u201d<\/p>\n 12:00 <\/strong>p.m.<\/strong>: <\/strong>Around noon, Rhyu breaks for lunch, a meal she always prefers to prepare for herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n Post lunch if she doesn\u2019t have meetings, the CEO dedicates this window for catching up on work or personal needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s when I\u2019m doing my thinking work,\u201d she said, adding she typically reserves the time for tasks that are \u201ca little bit more annoying, but I have the time and I have the silence to focus on it.\u201d<\/p>\n 3:00\u00a0 <\/strong>p.m.<\/strong>: <\/strong>After lunch, Rhyu heads out to exercise with a personal trainer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The entrepreneur recently purchased a reformer pilates machine, which she uses on her off-days.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI try to incorporate walks because we live in LA and the weather is really great.\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 6:00\u00a0 <\/strong>p.m.: <\/strong>After finishing up the rest of her work day, Rhyu eats dinner and spends time with her husband.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-11-at-8.33.02PM-1.png?w=1440&q=75\"\/)
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