“I’m proud of what my parents have accomplished.”
CEO James Park of Lisa Young in Georgia
We met the second son of President Nam Kwon Park, CEO James Park, who keeps the store energized in a work vest. James joined the family business after college and is now at the forefront of the business, running five stores. He is very close to his family, describing his father as “funny and always inspiring” and his mother as his “best friend,” and he says his greatest joy is when his parents believe in him. We spoke to James who still remembers how his parents cherished the time spent with children even when they were busy about what it means to be in the family business and where he sees the business heading as the second-generation running the business.
How did you get started with beauty supply?
My family has been in business for a long time. My father started the beauty supply business in 1999 after working in other industries. At that time, most beauty supplies had a limited selection of merchandise, but my father envisioned a big store with a wide variety of products in one place.
Your parent’s approach to business was unique.
Rather than selling things at a low price, he wanted to offer something different and contribute to the community. Retail stores, especially beauty supply stores, are challenging because of the complexity of managing staff, dealing with customers, and communicating with salespeople, but he focused on providing the best service to the customers who walked into his store. He always emphasized the importance of reaching out, asking what they need, and being kind. There’s a negative perception in the beauty supply industry that Koreans don’t blend in with the local community, but I’d like to believe that’s not true. If anything, I think such a perception can create a division.
What is your personal motivation for following in your parent’s footsteps?
I loved writing and reading. My parents have always been supportive of my interests and emphasized the importance of finding true happiness and passion, no matter what you do. I studied journalism in college and graduated, but I thought, “If I don’t do this, who will?” and that’s what led me to the family business. My current passion stems from growing a business with my family and continuing the legacy my parents built. In retrospect, it was the right decision.
What’s your father’s leadership style?
My dad is always positive and never afraid of a challenge. A lot of people don’t know this, but he also has a great sense of humor (laughs). When I was younger, we would go on vacations and explore all the sights and historical places from sunrise to sunset. Coming from an engineering background, he loves problem-solving and has shown himself to be very hands-on in solving problems as they arise. I always looked up to him for that. He rarely said “no” and always encouraged me to “go for it, try it.” But he emphasized that you are responsible for your own decisions and should never blame others.
What role did your mom play in the business?
Mom plays as important a role in your business as my dad. Maybe her role is more important in a sense. My mom is always there when an employee is absent or needs help in the store. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women in this industry don’t get the recognition they deserve. That’s a disappointment for me.
CEO James Park is organizing the store. He personally travels to five stores every day and manages them himself.
How do you see the current business environment as a second generation?
On the positive side, the first generation of beauty supply businesses revolved around Koreans: Korean business owners, Korean managers, Korean salespeople, Korean products, and so on. But now it’s a much easier environment for the second generation who natively speaks English to enter the beauty industry. We’re seeing a convergence of cultures, with Black-owned products being represented by large Korean companies. There are concerns that Korean identity will disappear, but I think it can be positive and complementary to each other.
Of course, there is a downside. The economy has changed a lot, and the business environment is more challenging. As e-commerce became more mainstream, it became easier for anyone to start a business, and platforms like Temu and AliExpress accelerated it. These changes aren’t necessarily negative, but they do present a lot of challenges for our generation. It is now about who could do it better, approach it a little differently, and deliver more value, and I think the biggest challenge is to evolve the business in a new way in a changed environment, beyond the first generation’s achievement.
As you mentioned, e-commerce is growing fast, do you have any specific strategies to keep up?
My focus is on people rather than products. Anyone who simply looks for a product can buy it cheaper on the internet. We’re still working on a lot of things internally so it’s hard to go into detail, but we’re looking at how we can provide better value to our customers through inventory management and competitive analysis. We’re also focused on creating an experience that inspires customers to share our store on social media.
Can we hear more about your plans to utilize social media?
I felt that social media operations weren’t as effective as they were thought to be. So rather than investing directly on social media, we’re focusing on creating experiences that people want to share on social media. I think it’s more effective when customers naturally share their experiences and thoughts about our store on their own. That’s because recommendations from trusted friends, family, and followers carry more weight than the seller’s word. Thanks to this, we often hear “I saw it on TikTok” or “I saw it on Instagram” despite the fact that we don’t have an official TikTok or Instagram account. We are promoted by our customers.
What do you think is the most important factor for business success?
I think it’s building the community. From the community inside and outside of the store to the community of the employees, all are very important.
Is there anything in particular that you pay attention to when it comes to fostering a healthy community?
I emphasize mutual respect and strict time management. We train our staff to always be friendly and do their best. We want to instill trust in our customer service. This is what differentiates us from online. We work face-to-face with customers to answer their questions, provide advice, and make every effort to save their time.
The same goes for the in-store community. We adjust schedules based on what employees like to do and what time of day they’re most efficient, rather than just filling hours. We want to give people the opportunity to grow by giving them challenging tasks, not just a role. We believe in empowering people, letttng them make mistakes, and learning from them. I also believe that proper compensation is essential for hardworking employees.
James enjoys golf and rock climbing on his days off.
Do you participate in meetups or networking activities with other second-generation beauty executives?
I don’t engage much. Instead, I often meet people who have businesses in other fields. For example, talking to people who work in other industries, like real estate management or automobile services, gives me new perspectives. Surprisingly, I find 1.5 generations who were born in Korea and came to the US with their family really interesting. I think it’s a good mix of the hard-working traits of the first generation and the creative and passionate traits of the second generation. By talking to them, I share different cultures and experiences and learn new ideas and perspectives.
What are your plans for the short and long term?
In the short term, we want to be more competitive in e-commerce. While many companies are aiming to survive in an uncertain economy, I see it as an opportunity to thrive. We’ve been through several recessions in the past, and we’re trying to figure out how to move forward this time.
In the long run, we want to establish a more stable and solid foundation for the business. We don’t want to make business expansion a goal, but rather focus on deepening our relationship with the community. We’ve been here for over 20 years and have developed deep bonds with our customers over the years, so we want to build on those relationships for sustainable growth in the future.
I’d also like to hear about your personal goals.
It’s to be healthy and happy with my wife. I grew up watching my parents always make something out of nothing, so I always feel the burden to make what I have into something better. Ultimately, I aim to personally grow to the point where I can run all of our stores.
