Lani Doser is the owner of Skinwise Rx. Read our interview with Lani about her experience with Xcelerate Business Advising. 

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What inspired you to start your own business? 

As a Korean girl in a rural Oregon town, I was very aware I did not fit in with the landscape. Beauty was a tangible, palpable part of my childhood. Attractiveness was the entrance to everything from the playground to the prom. When I entered college and the workforce, I became even more aware that comeliness was a part of hiring, promotion, total compensation, and gave societal benefits of being trustworthy, competent and likable. I wanted to help others that were feeling inadequate. I built Skinwise to help people with darker skin tones, acne scarring, and those wanting to express their true beauty.

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What were some of your key goals that you worked with Xcelerate on this year? 

I wanted support with launching a website on a new hosting platform. 

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How has your identity as a woman and any and all other intersectional identities impacted your business?

As a women-owned and led business, we can help provide equity to our gender through our services. However, as a woman buyer and owner, I am often underestimated or patronized when it comes to negotiation for equipment and inventory.

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What were some of the challenges you faced this year and how did working with Xcelerate help you to overcome these challenges?

We wanted to try an online store and Xcelerate was greatly helpful in helping make plugins and coding to make this possible. While we have not activated it due to customs issues we have it online and live to view. This was only through the knowledge and help of their team.

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Are there any wins or achievements you have celebrated this year while working with Xcelerate? For example - hiring new employees, paying yourself, quitting a day job, achieving profitability, opening a new location, increase in sales, launching a new product. Please be as specific as possible.

I have successfully transferred an employee out and hired a new employee. We launched Korean skincare and our coach  helped us rewrite our website to include our new mission goals of inclusivity of skin tone and scarring.

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How do you personally define success for you and your business?

A team that can overserve our patients and each other, pay well, provide benefits, and grow.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your Xcelerate experience?

Everyone was so helpful and supportive. We come with disadvantages and Xcelerate helps ameliorate them for me.

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Find them: @skinwiserx