Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivien Shi.
Hi Vivien, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
How I went from a hopeful Finance graduate to moving to Spain to starting a six-figure Hair Accessory Business.
Since I was a child, I loved walking into stores to curate what I’d sell if I were the owner. My instinctual interest for Business led me to a Finance degree from San Diego State University. Upon graduating, I was interning as a Junior Analyst in a private equity firm but when an opportunity to work in Spain for one year arrived, I said yes and spent the year traveling, working, and learning Spanish. While traveling in Austria, a chat with a friend led to the realization that when I returned to the US, I’d like to give a career in Retail Fashion a shot.
A few months after returning to the US, I began working at Guess in downtown Los Angeles, starting off as a contract-based Assistant Buyer to a full-time Allocation Analyst. Working in a fast-paced environment like Guess helped me gain experience and insight into how a business works from the inside. When the pandemic came in 2020, I found myself with extra time to clean and sell old clothes from my closet. This is when Acrasia began.
Contrary to the Asian stereotype, I have extremely thick and coarse hair. When I began selling clothes in my free time, all I wanted was an accessory to hold my hair while I modeled the clothes. To my surprise, I couldn’t find a clip to support my hair. This led to hours of research and brainstorming to design a clip that combines functionality and aesthetics. When I realized there was a gap in the market for women with thick hair, I began the process to bridge the barrier between strength and beauty into one hair accessory.
Since then, Acrasia has expanded to an inclusive range of clips, pins, and combs. We ship in eco-friendly packaging, with our boxes made from post-consumer products. Our accessories are designed to last, leading to less waste in the landfill, and we are proud of the strides we take to be an environmentally conscious company. We’ve received hundreds of five-star reviews from women of all backgrounds, but especially from mothers, nurses, and teachers. Women who are on their feet all day love our clips since they support their hair while they are on the go.
I’m extremely grateful for all the success we’ve had so far and am so excited to see what the future holds for us here at Acrasia. Hopefully, you will see us in retailers in the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The beginning of Acrasia was the hardest when my days were filled with only work, commute, and sleep. And the occasional snacking, of course.
My commute to my day job was 1.5 hours one-way (LA traffic is a beast of its own). This meant I would leave my house at 6:30am and return for dinner at 7:3opm. Sometimes, it would be later if I was working late. I’d quickly eat dinner and start working on building Acrasia. Being a slight perfectionist combined with being a natural night owl, I’d work until the late am hours, sleep until my alarm rang, and start the day again. During this time, I lost a lot of weight from stress and found myself distancing from friends and family, consuming only business-related content. Looking back, I wish I had focused more on my health and balanced my work hours more.
Now, I make sure to allocate time to reset and include fitness in my life. Though sometimes I may still have days where I can’t break away from my work desk, I still find time to include friends and families in my calendar which has led to a healthy balance in my work and personal life.
We’ve been impressed with Acrasia, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Acrasia, we blend aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability in hair care, specializing in thick, long, and coarse hair. Women with hard-to-manage hair love us because they are finally able to rely on a hair accessory that not only supports their hair but also elevates it to look their most chic and polished self.
Our #1 seller is our claw clip with two springs, providing optimal support while maintaining an elegant look. Our colors range from beautiful marble textures to seasonal collections such as our Cherry Blossom Collection. Our products are designed to last a lifetime, leading to less waste in our landfills. We also ship in eco-friendly packaging, with boxes made from post-consumer products.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love listening to Morning Brew to stay updated with current business and retail news.
Pricing:
- #1 Best Selling Clip: Supernova Clip with Two-Springs at $24.00
- Largest Claw Clip: Hypernova Clip with Two-Springs at $29.00
Contact Info:
- Website: shopacrasia.com
- Instagram: @shopacrasia
