Launch Date: October 2018
Geography: New York City, NY, US
Founders:
Executive Team: Nicole Koski, Executive Director
2025 Full Year Projected Revenue: $8M - $10M, according to industry estimates
Primary Category: Skincare
Funding: Self-Funded
Primary Distribution Channel: Prestige
Other Distribution Channels:
Key Retail Partners:
2025 Projected Offline Distribution Points: 480
Then I Met You is sensorial Korean skincare from esthetician and co-founder of Soko Glam, Charlotte Cho. Uniting gentle and innovative Korean ingredients with potent actives, Then I Met You delivers an immersive skincare experience designed to cultivate a deeper connection with your skin.
Insights: Charlotte Cho, Co-Founder
Why now and why you?
Then I Met You has steadily charted its own path—built not on fleeting trends, but on uncompromising product innovation, intentional branding, and a deeply rooted, grassroots community. We’ve prioritized thoughtful formulations over virality, drawing on my expertise as an esthetician and years immersed in Korean skincare. By merging the sensorial excellence of K-beauty with the performance expectations of the Western market, we've created a brand that’s both distinct and enduring. Our time is now because we've laid the foundation—and the results speak for themselves.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
My Korean beauty expertise and credibility, with over 15 years of experience.
What are you most proud of accomplishing to date?
Building Then I Met You organically through the Soko Glam community.
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you?
To be less precious about joining Amazon earlier.
What would you tell your past self before starting this journey?
Then I Met You is different in color, branding, story, and product formulation, and that is my advantage. It'll be six years before you'll be on the shelves at Sephora US, and it'll be worth it.
What does success look like in the next 3-5 years?
Then I Met You ranking as the #1 skincare brand at Sephora!
What's one industry trend that is overhyped, and what's being overlooked?
Retailers are betting big on Korean beauty, but they're also bringing in every brand under the sun that I personally do not think can survive the competitive US space. Korean beauty brands rely on a discount model, the price is unstable, and is found everywhere from T.J.Maxx to discounted international retailers. It is important to be selective on what Korean brands to bet big on. Then I Met You definitely has its opportunity due to this Korean wave, and we intend to stay and be here in the long term.
How do you think the industry needs to evolve?
Stop relying so much on discounts to drive sales. There was a time when beauty was never discounted. With the TikTok Shop discount model, it's headed into unsustainable territories.
If you could wave a magic wand, what one wish would you make for your business?
To be able to carbon copy my team. Who you bring onto this journey is equally as important as timing, good product, and hard work. My team is the definition of rockstars. Passionate, smart, and hardworking—they're what makes Then I Met You what it is today.
