Although the coronavirus-induced economic slowdown is hitting every sector, beauty mogul Michelle Phan has a plan.Â
âIâm starting a podcast this year, called âBaby Steps,ââ Phan said.
âItâs essentially to help people take steps into adulthood ⦠buying bitcoin, how to store it, what to do with it.â
The 32-year-old entrepreneur, who already has an estimated net worth of $50 million, is looking to work with crypto companies to promote educational content and spread such information on her own channels as well. With her 8.9 million YouTube subscribers and two million Instagram followers, Phan said she wants to use her platform to promote clear and helpful content about bitcoin.
âNow my viewers are hungry for more than makeup and skincare. They want to know how to protect their purchasing power,â Phan told CoinDesk on Wednesday. âToday I made an Instagram post telling my followers to buy the [bitcoin] dip, and then hold.â
Phan is looking to grow her empire, which started with an investment in the four-person music startup Thematic and the blockchain gaming startup Pocketful of Quarters, in addition to the 12-person direct-to-consumer brand Em Cosmetics, which she bought from LâOreal in 2015. So far Em Cosmetics orders havenât slowed down, she said, unlike brands that rely on retailers like Sephora to distribute products.
âItâs benefited us, being direct-to-consumer, because thatâs what weâre used to. Anyone in retail right now is suffering,â Phan said. âEven luxury brands are taking a huge hit. ⦠So far weâve been very lucky in having an immense amount of supplies before the virus.â
Indeed, the New York Times reported the beauty industry is in for a rough season. However, Phanâs brand revolves around do-it-yourself tutorials and direct orders. Although she said some of her ingredients come from Italy, South Korea, Japan and to a lesser extent China, manufacturing is often done in the U.S. and sheâs already selling out of some products.
Phan hopes supply chains will normalize in a few weeks. If so, sheâll continue with plans to launch several products this year. In the meantime, sheâll diversify her content and focus on building brand awareness beyond makeup tutorials.
âI want to use my platform to shine more light on bitcoin (BTC). Thereâs so much misinformation. I want to bring more clarity,â she said. âSituations like this are an opportunity for people to learn how to hodl.â
She said many of her followers didnât know they could buy a fraction of a bitcoin and store it themselves, off of an exchange. Thatâs about to change.
âHundreds of DMs came my way saying, âWe had no idea,ââ Phan said. âWith coronavirus ⦠when thereâs a distrust of authorities, thatâs when bitcoin shines the most.â