What A Mongolian Entrepreneur Taught Me About Scaling A Global Beauty Business.
Michael Lim
I help solopreneurs add $2-5k to their one-person business through Positioning + Limitless Writing System™ | Served: 1,000+ Customers | Generated over $100k+ client sales | 84,000+ Followers on Medium.com
Start small. Scale fast. Iterate rapidly.
Meet Khulan Davaadorj (middle).
She’s a Mongolian-born entrepreneur who’s transformed the beauty industry.
Here’s her story.
She experienced a painful problem.
After being raised in Germany and studying in the US, she returned to Mongolia.
While in Ulaanbaatar, she developed sensitive skin.
Every product she used would irritate her skin. She would break out into rashes or feel uncomfortable.
There was no product she could use.
So what did she do?
She created her own.
Now, her company is 10 years old and ships products worldwide with a loyal fanbase.
They have manufacturing factories in Mongolia.
They source all their local product from local nomads and farmers.
While doing so, the company:
They also have distribution centers in the US and EU.
This allows the company to process orders worldwide with efficient logistics and fulfillment.
This isn’t some tiny operation (more on that later).
Speaking to her was so inspiring.
She created a solution to her own painful problem.
And realized that others needed this solution, too.
This taught me an important lesson.
Most entrepreneurs fail because:
They try to solve a problem they haven’t experienced.
They have no idea how the problem feels.
What the customer is thinking.
Or how they will behave.
My first business almost failed because I tried to solve the construction company’s problems when I never worked in construction.
Even VCs and incubators like Y-Combinator require their founders to have direct experience with the problem they are solving.
Solve your own problems. And then scale the solution.
She has a burning desire.
Her company name is unique:
lhamour.
It’s a combination of her niece’s name and amour (which means to ‘to love’).
The value behind the brand is:
Love yourself, Love your environment.
Khulan's company is more than just a beauty brand that sells cosmetic products.
It’s her family. It’s her life mission.
This is what makes her brand different. She’s got such a powerful story that it attracts people to her values and mission.
People buy from emotion, not logic.
The takeaway for your business?
Become a missionary, not a mercenary.
A mission will help you attract and retain loyal customers.
She built a business based on her values and won’t compromise on them.
She started small and scrappy.
She produced her first products in her kitchen.
The first prototypes took up so much space in her house that she didn’t have room for her parents to eat dinner.
After she achieved a few sales, she started scaling.
She didn’t wait to have all the perfect conditions. She just got started. Tried something. Figured it out. And iterated on the process.
Too many entrepreneurs are trapped in perfection.
They want every condition to be 100% before they can take step 1. But they don’t realize that taking the first step is the perfect condition.
Nothing beats action. Imperfect, raw action.
Even as a 10+ entrepreneur, she still takes this approach. The problems are more complex. But the problem-solving mindset stays the same.
Think small, small, and small.
If you’ve got a business idea:
Start small. Scale fast. Iterate rapidly.
What can you do?
After speaking with Khulan, I was inspired.
I got to try her products (not sponsored) and fell in love with the story, mission, and values behind the company.
If you’re stuck, here’s what you need to do:
👉 I’ve previously sold a one-person business and I’m in the process of scaling another one to $20k per month. If you want my one-person business growth system, I’ve created a FREE email course for you to get started.