Meet Winged Woman: Lin Chen of Pink Moon
This week we had the pleasure of interview Winged Woman, Lin Chen, founder of the retail, wellcare + community oasis, Pink Moon.
We always want to learn about how incredible female entrepreneurs got their start. What was your career before opening Pink Moon?
My foray into the natural beauty industry began right after college at 100% Pure, which is a global vegan cosmetics brand and one of the first to bring natural beauty to the masses. From there, I had a brief stint in tech and healthcare at a global PR firm, where I really honed my skills in marketing and brand positioning.
Fast forward two years later, I made the trek from California to NYC, where I worked in a leadership role at Bottega Organica (a luxury Italian organic skincare brand). It was a small company so I was doing a bit of everything from operations to managing their West Village store, to PR, D2C sales, and retail distribution network growth. I also launched the brand in new markets throughout Asia and Europe. I was at Bottega for a little over 2.5 years.
Having the experience of growing a small brand into a global brand, I realized I wanted to launch my own consultancy so I could help others achieve this growth. I wanted to work closely with brands that are, most importantly, eco, sustainable, female-founded, and philanthropically oriented. I launched Pink Moon in 2017 with the goal of empowering brands that share my vision for a more mindful beauty industry.
Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to work with almost 20 brands in different stages of growth. I’ve helped these brands do everything from PR, brand development, rebranding, and both domestic and overseas expansion. I’m also currently in the process of expanding Pink Moon into a retail, wellcare, and community space in NYC
What experiences along the way shaped what you want to do differently with Pink Moon vs conventional beauty outlets/ messaging.
Truthfully, the way the mainstream beauty industry speaks to women is nothing short of deplorable. We are constantly bombarded with messaging that is intended to make us feel inadequate in every way possible. We are then met with an overwhelming selection of products that promise to help us achieve an impossibly narrow standard of beauty.
Pink Moon strives to counteract this harmful messaging by working with brands that empower women, not shame them.
By working to change the face of beauty standards, what do you anticipate being the biggest challenge?
I think the mainstream beauty standards that women are encouraged to adhere to are really a deeper message about womanhood. These messages are meant to make women believe that most of their value is derived from their physical appearance.
My hope is to slowly undo this messaging. For us at Pink Moon, self-care isn’t about beauty, it’s about holistic wellbeing. I hope that we can help women strip these deeply limiting beliefs and help them bloom into their best selves. The biggest challenge is, and will continue to be, our rewriting of the beauty and self-care narrative. We want to create a self-care space that incorporates beauty in a way that is empowering, not shame inducing.
If you could say one thing to your younger self, what would it be?
When I was younger, I didn’t understand the power of my own agency. In a sense, I thought that life was something that happened to you. I’ve come to learn that I have the power to design my life in a way that brings me joy. I wish I could let my younger self know that she has the strength, intelligence, and tenacity to create positive change for herself.
What is your favorite piece of advice you’ve given or gotten relating to inner beauty?
You are enough, just as you are.
Is there one woman who inspired you in your life or career?
My mother. Her generosity of spirit, diligence, and perseverance taught me to be a resilient and independent woman that values giving back to others. Her guidance has inspired my growth as a woman in ways that I am eternally grateful for. She has also had a direct impact on how I’ve structured Pink Moon – both as a consultancy and soon to be retail/wellcare/community space.
Regarding Pink Moon as a consultancy: My passion for empowering female entrepreneurs arose from seeing how much my mother gave of herself. I know that many women, like my mother, are in a position where they feel required to give of themselves endlessly, and I want to lessen their burden while helping their businesses bloom.
Regarding Pink Moon as a retail and wellcare space: I want to manifest my vision for Pink Moon in a tangible way that can be easily experienced and shared with other women. Particularly women like my mother, who deserve the opportunity to indulge in the regenerative power of self-care
Thank you so much, Lin Chen, for sharing what makes you a Winged Woman and how you've become an unstoppable female entrepreneur. To learn more about Lin and Pink Moon, follow @pinkmoon.co.