Conociendo a Katia Beauchamp, una súper emprendedora

Katia Beauchamp es el 50% de la marca Birchbox que ya sabéis que me gusta muchísimo.

La semana pasada tuve la oportunidad de tomarme un café con la recién llegada de NY antes de que visitara sus headquarter en Barcelona. 

Katia fundó Birchbox hace tan solo 3 años junto con su amiga y compañera de MBA en Harvard Haley Barna. Un ejemplo de empresa triunfadora en la red con sus cajitas y web de venta online de quienes inspirarse y preguntarles de todo.

Empezaron la empresa planteándola como el proyecto final de Máster… ¿Curioso no? No hay que escatimar esfuerzos. Lo que se hace se hace bien desde el principio. Detectaron la necesidad de encontrar algún lugar en la red donde hablar de cremitas, de lanzamientos y, sobre todo, de probarlos antes de comprar los full size. Así dieron con la idea de este negocio que ahora vale millones de dólares. ¡Olé! Plantearon su business plan, ganaron el concurso de Harvard y encontraron un business angel que hizo posible ponerlo todo en marcha. A pesar de encontrar impedimentos, como toda start-up, me cuenta que todo se solventa al ver la ilusión con la que las clientas suscriptoras reciben mes a mes las cajitas que preparan de forma súper cuidadosa. Cada suscriptora reciba una cajita a medida de sus necesidades: si tienes la piel grasa, el pelo liso, si jamás te pones un rouge à levres… Cuidan todos los detalles para que sea una experiencia. Como si cada mes llegaran los Reyes Magos.

Además de hablar de su negocio, que me encanta, nos tomamos un café con leche y té verde hablando sobre Barcelona y NY. Katia es una enamorada de España tras estudiar en Sevilla y una apasionada gastronómica.

El día perfecto de Katia Beauchamp en Barcelona

Empezaría desayunando en la Boquería, plan que no se pierde cuando viene a Barcelona a disfrutar. Continuaría su jornada con un largo paseo hasta la playa donde alquilaría una bici (según ella la mejor forma de visitar una ciudad), comería junto al mar, disfrutaría de Gaudí, nos iríamos juntas de shopping por mis tiendas favoritas de la calle Santaló y se abandonaría con una larga siesta a la española para coger fuerzas y darlo todo durante una cena en un restaurante de comida local para terminar bien tarde bailando toda la noche.

Sus restaurantes favoritos

• Bocagrande – Bocachica
• Cornelia and co
• Cal Pep

Marca que más le gusta y dónde va de shopping:

• Philip Lim
• &Other Stories
• COS
• JCrew
• Madewell

Sus imprescindibles al visitar Barcelona

• Pasar todo el día en la playa
• Pan con tomate
• La Boquería

¿Te ha gustado la entrevista? ¿qué opinas de las superemprendedoras como Katia?Katia Beauchamp is one of the two founders of Birchbox trademark. You already know I love this brand! Last week I have the chance of having a cup of coffee with Katia, when she had just landed from NY before she visited her headquarter in Barcelona. 

Katia founded Birchbox 3 years ago with Haley Barna, a friend of hers that was also her colleague at Harvard University. Both of them were studying an MBA . Birchbox is an example of a successful business webpage that sells little boxes with cosmetic samples. You can get inspiration when navigating across Birchbox and also ask all the questions you may have on the products.

Katia and Haley launched their business as their final MBA Project… It’s interesting, isn’t it? Good for them to economize efforts. When you start a project, it’s good to start it properly from the very beginning. Katia and Haley realized that there was a need for women on the internet of a site to talk about lotions, new launches and also very relevant there was a need for women to sample products before buying them in full sized format. That is how Katie and Haley came up with this idea of this business that is worth millions of dollars now. Bravo! They created their business plan, won the Harvard competition and found out a business angel that helped them to launch their Project. In spite of encountering some obstacles, like all start-ups, Katia tells me that all issues are solved out when the two founders see how all clients receive the boxes that Birchbox prepares so carefully.  Every subscriber receives a small tailored-made box. All details are carefully observed to satisfy their clients’ needs. For instance, if the client has oily skin, straight hair or if she never applies rouge à levres… All the details are carefully taken into account by Birchbox so that clients can feel a unique experience. It’s like if you receive Xmas gifts monthly.

Katia and I discussed about Katia’s business, that I love, and also about Barcelona and New York, while I was having a white coffee and she was having a green tea. Katia is in love with Spain after she studied in Seville and she has a real passion for gastronomy.

The perfect day of Katia Beauchamp in Barcelona

Katia would start her day having breakfast in the famous market, la Boquería. She never misses the opportunity to have breakfast there when she comes to Barcelona to enjoy. She would continue walking to the beach. Once she arrived at the beach, she would rent a bike (according to her, this is the best option to visit the town). She would later on have lunch near the sea. She would enjoy Gaudi’s famous masterpieces. Then, Katia would meet me to go shopping on my favorite shops in the Santaló Street. Afterwards, Katia would have the typical Spanish siesta to recover herself and be great for dinner at a local restaurant and end up dancing the whole night.

Her favorite restaurants

• Bocagrande – Bocachica
• Cornelia and co
• Cal Pep

Her favorite brands and where she goes shopping:

• Philip Lim
• &Other Stories
• COS
• JCrew
• Madewell

Things to do in Barcelona

• Spend the day on the beach
• Bread with tomatoes
• The typical market so-called La Boquería

Did you like the interview? What do you think about the entrepreneurs like Katia?