Robin Tolkan-Doyle, longtime beauty publicist and entrepreneur based in Woodland Hills, owns businesses spanning World of Oils (WOO), Beautyologie.com and Charmed PR. Her first business venture came early, fueled by creative instinct rather than business training – and she discovered early success in the beauty retail world. But that momentum also led her into common startup traps – expanding too fast and drifting from her original vision.
“I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my life, even before I really understood what that meant. I always say it started when I was 24, working as a beauty editor, completely immersed in that world. I was interviewing all these beauty founders who were launching brands and changing the industry, and something in me thought, ‘Well, why not me?’
So, I created this hair-accessories brand called Wrap Star. No business degree, no mentor, no roadmap – just an idea and the kind of confidence you have when you’re young and everything feels possible. And shockingly, it worked out quite well. I was selling around the country. I was in big stores, like Henry Bendel and Fred Segal. It was the most amazing thing in the world. My headbands were simple: soft fabric with a little comb underneath to keep them in place without giving you a headache. People loved them. It was a hit right out of the gate.
But here’s where my mistake came in. I didn’t know how to stay the course. I had no sense of (the fashion business), as far as how the seasons worked, as far as how the business worked. I had no idea about … creating a ‘collection.’ I (just) was so passionate and excited about it.
Someone would say, ‘Hey, you should do this, or you should do that.’ And so, I thought, ‘Oh how fun. Maybe I should make a spa-brand collection, or I should make these barrettes.’ Then, I created a whole private-label shampoo and haircare line. I didn’t know anything about haircare production…
Looking back, that was the demise of my brand. I was all over the place … creating so many things … and creating too quickly, with no research and strategy. I basically let outside voices take me off my own vision. And because of that, I lost focus. I lost momentum. Eventually, the brand just fizzled. You really need to do your research, and you really need to be methodical with everything you do. Don’t just follow the trends.
Honestly, I don’t regret it now. I know more today because of the mistakes that I made back then. It stings, sure – because who knows what Wrap Star could’ve become if I’d stayed true to what worked? But that failure taught me everything I needed to know. It taught me that ‘more’ isn’t better. It taught me not to chase every opportunity just because it sounds fun, or because I’m afraid of missing out.
Now with WOO – this beauty oil line I’ve built so carefully – I operate from those lessons every day. It’s all about simplicity. One product, one purpose, executed well. People (still) come at me constantly saying, ‘Make a balm,’ ‘Make a fragrance,’ ‘Do this, do that.’ And I smile and say, ‘No.’ Because I know exactly what my biggest mistake was: I let the noise drown out my own voice.
I won’t make that mistake again. Not ever.”
