From a Kitchen Experiment to America: How One Conversation Became a Global Brand

Featured on GoGo.mn

When I started experimenting with tallow oil in my kitchen to help my husband's thinning hair, I never imagined it would become a passport to the American beauty market. But that's exactly what happened over the last six years.

Last month, I sat down with GoGo.mn to share the behind-the-scenes story of building OYU Botanica—a clean botanical skincare brand rooted in Mongolian heritage. And honestly? Seeing our journey on the front page was surreal.

The Accidental Beginning

Let me back up. Before OYU Botanica, I was deep in venture capital banking. I worked for Netcirq, a firm that managed IPOs for companies like Salesforce and Uber. It was a prestigious career, the kind that looked good on paper. But it wasn't sustainable when I became a mom.

When my son was born, I stepped back from the banking world. I had time—for the first time in years—to breathe, to think, to experiment. That's when I discovered intermittent fasting and became genuinely obsessed with understanding how it worked. I documented my experience, wrote a book (FitFast: The Power of Intermittent Fasting), and self-published it on Amazon. It landed on the bestseller list in the nutrition category.

That book taught me something crucial: I could learn something new, master it, and share it with the world. That belief became the foundation for everything that followed.

The Hair Oil That Started It All

My husband's hair was thinning. We tried expensive products from major brands, but he kept having allergic reactions. I started researching the chemical compositions of these products and realized they were full of synthetic ingredients that his sensitive skin couldn't handle.

So I did what I always do when faced with a problem—I researched, learned, and experimented.

I learned about Ayurvedic oils. I studied traditional Mongolian remedies (hello, tallow and sea buckthorn). I enrolled in Formula Botanica's cosmetic formulation program. And I started making products in my kitchen.

The first thing I created was a beard oil. Then a shampoo. Then more products specifically designed for sensitive, reactive skin. My husband's hair started growing back. And slowly, friends started asking for their own bottles.

That's when I realized: I wasn't just solving a personal problem. I was solving a real market need.

Building the Brand in San Francisco

OYU Botanica officially launched in 2020. We started small—hand-making products in a facility near San Francisco, selling mostly online. But I had bigger ambitions.

The challenge? Most people in America had never heard of Mongolia, let alone Mongolian skincare ingredients. When I approached retailers, I didn't just walk in with a product. I walked in with a story.

I told them about Mongolian nomadic culture. I explained why tallow oil—rendered from grass-fed animals on the Mongolian steppe—was different from mass-produced alternatives. I showed them the certifications: USDA Organic, EWG Verified, cruelty-free. I demonstrated the results.

Today, we're in over 50 beauty retailers and boutiques across California, including Westfield shopping centers and specialty stores like Atlas. We produce 20+ products, with several bestsellers:

• Bakuchiol Firming Booster Serum — a retinol alternative that's gentler on skin

• Steppe Tallow Lotion Bar — our hero product for eczema and reactive skin, which went viral on TikTok

Every product starts with one principle: clean ingredients that actually work.

The Difference Between Building in Mongolia vs. America

One question I get asked a lot is: what's the difference between starting a business in Mongolia versus the US?

In America, the system is transparent. Laws are clear. Taxes are understandable. Distribution channels are structured. You know what you need to do, where to get permits, and how to scale. It's bureaucratic, but it's predictable.

In Mongolia, businesses often operate more informally—through personal networks, direct relationships, smaller retail channels. It's harder to distribute products to multiple retailers simultaneously.

That said, I'm thrilled to see more Mongolian entrepreneurs building businesses in America. When I first arrived, most of my peers worked as delivery drivers or in service jobs. Now, more and more Mongolians are launching their own ventures. The opportunity is there—you just have to be willing to learn the system and adapt.

My advice: Study the laws, tax systems, standards, and market of wherever you're building. Master those fundamentals, and the sky is the limit.

What I Wish I Knew (And What I Know Now)

If I could go back and talk to the version of me who was nervous about starting OYU Botanica, here's what I'd say:

You don't need to be perfect to start. I didn't know everything about skincare, business, or scaling. I learned as I went. I made mistakes. I fixed them and kept moving.

Ten minutes a day changes everything. When I was writing my book, I committed to just 10 minutes of writing daily. It seemed small, but over time, those 10-minute sessions became a finished book, which became an Amazon bestseller, which became the confidence to launch a brand.

Your background doesn't limit you. I was a finance person, not a beauty expert. But I was curious, willing to learn, and committed to solving a real problem. That was enough.

Embrace the "iterate and improve" mindset. With OYU Botanica, we launched products and improved them based on customer feedback. We didn't wait for everything to be perfect. We got feedback, adapted, and got better.

What's Next

Right now, we're expanding. New York and Washington D.C. are on the horizon. But more importantly, I want to do something bigger than just selling skincare.

Every product we make uses Mongolian ingredients. Every sale is an opportunity to introduce people to Mongolian heritage—our nomadic culture, our traditional wisdom, our craftsmanship. I want OYU Botanica to be a bridge between two worlds.

As for my personal brand (@tugsood), I'm continuing to share about founder life, clean beauty, and building with intention. I'm also exploring game development (because yes, I'm building a Roblox game in my "spare time"). Life is too short to do just one thing.

For Anyone Thinking About Starting

If you're reading this and thinking about launching a business, creating something, or pivoting your career:

Don't wait to have all the answers. You won't. Nobody does. What you need is curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to learn.

Start with 10 minutes. A blog post. A product experiment. A business plan. Just 10 minutes. That's how empires are built—one small consistent action at a time.

Your past doesn't define your future. I went from banking to beauty. From finance to formulation. From corporate to founder. The skills I learned in one world became the foundation for the next.

Build something you'd use. OYU Botanica exists because I needed products that worked for sensitive skin. We build for people like us—people who want clean ingredients without compromise. That authenticity is what resonates.