Meet Thai-ling Cahow

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Thai-ling Cahow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Thai-Ling below.

Hi Thai-Ling , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I grew up in a war-torn country, raised by a single father who faced incredible hardships while raising four children. Watching him navigate those challenges without complaint instilled in me a profound sense of resilience. From him, I learned to be driven by my goals and to keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles.

After graduating high school, I dreamed of studying in the U.S. With determination, I applied for the Good Neighbors scholarship and was thrilled to receive it, along with an acceptance letter from a university in the US. However, upon my arrival, I quickly realized it would be one of the hardest experiences of my life. I was young, my English was limited, and the pressure to maintain my scholarship was daunting. Loneliness and fear often weighed heavily on me, and there were moments when I considered giving up and going back home.

But I didn’t. I pushed through those difficult times and ultimately graduated at the top of my class. Along the way, I formed friendships that became my American family, offering support and encouragement during those early years.

My journey has had its ups and downs, but I’ve learned to focus on what lies ahead. Now, as a parent myself, I find a greater purpose in life: to inspire my children and create a better world for them. This motivation is at the heart of my brand, which aims to provide truly clean products that kids can enjoy without compromising their health or causing worry for parents.

My resilience is rooted in the lessons I learned from my father, the challenges I’ve overcome, and my unwavering commitment to my dreams. Each obstacle has only strengthened my resolve, reminding me that perseverance can lead to incredible opportunities for growth and success.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

When my daughter was born, I quickly realized her skin sensitivities meant I had to scrutinize product ingredients meticulously. It was exhausting but necessary. As she grew into a budding artist, her curiosity about color naturally led her to play makeup. However, finding truly safe options for her delicate skin was a daunting challenge.

Frustrated by the harmful chemicals lurking in kids’ products marketed as “clean,” I decided to take action. This passion for safe ingredients for kids inspired me to create Jovy. Our flagship product, the Berry Bliss Play Makeup Kit, is the first clean kids’ makeup brand ever certified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It proudly meets the highest health and safety standards, ensuring that parents can let their children explore makeup safely.

In a market saturated with potentially harmful alternatives, Jovy stands out as the only verified clean option for play makeup, proudly EWG Verified®.

Launched in October 2023, Jovy is on a mission to raise the standards for kids’ cosmetics. Our commitments include:
• High-Quality, Kid-Friendly Ingredients: We ensure our products are made with safe, effective ingredients without compromising quality.
• Full Transparency: We believe in complete transparency regarding our ingredients, including those not legally required to be disclosed, like fragrance.
• Rigorous Third-Party Certification: Every product undergoes thorough testing, giving parents confidence in their choices.

At Jovy, we’re here to help parents make informed decisions. We understand the responsibility of being a trusted brand and strive to make it easy to choose safe products for little ones.

As we continue to grow, we’re excited about new product launches that will expand our play makeup line and eventually offer hyper-clean cleansers and lotions for kids. We are excited to create a community where parents can find premium and proven-safe products for their children.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back on my journey, I believe the three most impactful qualities have been:

1. Staying True to Your Vision: It’s essential to maintain a clear vision of what you want to achieve and what you stand for. There will be pressures to compromise along the way, like cost, time to market. However, staying true to your values will help you build an authentic brand. My advice for those just starting out is to define your vision clearly and revisit it regularly to stay aligned with your goals.

2. Being Resourceful: Entrepreneurship often involves navigating challenges with limited resources. I’ve learned to be creative and resourceful, whether it’s finding cost-effective solutions or leveraging my network for support. For those early in their journey, focus on building a diverse skill set and think outside the box when faced with obstacles. Use what you have at your disposal and be open to learning from every experience.

3. Seeking Feedback Early in the Process: Before launching Jovy, I surveyed around 300 moms to understand their needs and preferences. This feedback became the foundation of our brand and products. For those just starting out, don’t hesitate to seek input from your target audience. Use their insights to refine your offering and ensure it resonates with your customers.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been my ability to make decisions faster. In the early stages of launching Jovy, I often found myself hesitating, wanting to analyze every detail before taking action. While thoroughness is important, I realized that in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, this can lead to missed opportunities.

I learned to embrace a mindset that views decisions as opportunities for learning rather than outcomes that need to be perfect.

Understanding that not every choice will lead to success has helped me to approach decision-making with less fear and more excitement. This has resulted in quicker pivots when things don’t go as planned, allowing me to adapt and innovate more effectively.

For anyone in a similar position, I recommend cultivating the ability to make decisions quickly while also being open to learning from the outcomes. This balance can drive momentum and foster growth in your journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jovyco.com
• Instagram: @purejovy
• Facebook: PureJovy

Image Credits

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