#MomCrush Monday: Meet Amy Chou Granger, Founder of M2Ü NYC
1.)You’re a mom, a prior business exec turned entrepreneur and business owner. Can you share some of the motherhood struggles you dealt with in your journey and tips on how you overcame those obstacles?
The main struggle I had while I worked for large companies was that my time wasn’t flexible. There were meetings involving so many functions and people all the time so I didn’t have the flexibility to accommodate my son’s schedule and needs during work hours. The way I overcame it was to have a good nanny who I trust and rely on. Now I have my own business, my time is more flexible and I can be more involved with my son’s day-to-day life. Even something as simple as picking him up from school makes me really happy.
In the first year of the pandemic when schools moved to virtual learning, my son was just in kindergarten and I had to not only manage my own schedule but also his virtual learning schedule, and that of course brought its own set of challenges. I actually color coded my calendar to try to manage two parallel schedules. The thing is, it’s so hard to keep track of two schedules so I ended up missing a few of my own meetings (but not his!) I remember people were actually very understanding (when I finally called in to my meetings and explained my situation), especially those who have young kids at home as well. I’m just glad schools are back to normal now.
2.) What motivated you to pivot from your career as a business executive to start your own company, M2Ü NYC?
Spending a decade working for some of the biggest beauty brands really gave me a unique insight on everything that goes into building a brand. Something that did not sit well with me was seeing millions of dollars go into stuff like high-end photoshoots and celebrity marketing deals, when I knew that consumers did not care about those things anymore. The sad thing is, those costs are embedded in the price of products so consumers are still paying for them.
I knew that with my experience and network in the beauty industry I’d be able to produce just as high quality makeup as those luxury brands but without the heavy markup they charge. So more people can enjoy buying high quality makeup without stressing over the prices AND truly experiment with different products and shades to find what works for them.
3.) Working for such well-known companies that were focused on mainly products for women such as L’oreal and Estee Lauder – you must have worked with many women over the years, many who were growing their families and also, building their careers…What tips can you share about how they learned to have successful careers and also, a successful home/family life?
Lean on others in your family and community! I’ve spoken to so many working moms throughout my career, and the struggle for work/life balance is real. I saw so many moms sacrifice their time with their family in order to build their careers. For example, I remember one Senior VP had to cancel her trip to see her daughter’s special performance at school because of a last-minute business trip. I still remember the pain and guilt on her face while she called her daughter to deliver the news. I also know a C-level mom, because of her crazy work schedules and demands, her husband quit his job as an attorney so he could take care of their kids (because they didn’t want the nanny to be the one to raise their kids). There is really no easy way to balance work and family. It becomes a choice one must make – which one to prioritize and how much you are willing to sacrifice for the other. And the ones who manage to have a successful work/home life require a good support system for sure.
4.) Through your business, you state how important it is to provide high quality makeup at affordable prices. Why is this important to you? What motivated you to be able to provide this?
Growing up in Taiwan and coming to the U.S in my 20s, I didn’t start to wear makeup until my friend brought me to Macy’s for a beauty makeover. And it was not a great experience. I remember the makeup artist put layers and layers of makeup on me and in the end, I didn’t even recognize myself. And the products were so expensive that if I’d purchased everything she showed me, I would have spent hundreds of dollars. That experience stuck with me as I set out to create M2U. I made sure our products are highly pigmented BUT lightweight and buildable, so everyone can decide how little or how much to wear. And I made sure we eliminate every unnecessary expense so we can pass on all savings to our customers, to keep our price affordable. So everyone including students who are just starting out with makeup can afford buying them and experiment and have fun.
5.) What is your favorite song lyric and why?
Flashdance soundtrack – What A Feeling
I actually didn’t see this movie until after I got married in the late 2000. My husband was from Pittsburg, and he was showing me this movie. This song stuck with me and the lyrics come to my mind from time to time especially now I’m building my own brand.
“What a feeling
Being’s believin’
I can have it all, now I’m dancing for my life
Take your passion
And make it happen”
Growing up in Asia, and moving to the U.S in her early 20’s, M2Ü NYC founder, Amy Chou Granger has seen all of the different makeup trends and consumer needs across the board. She founded M2Ü NYC after a decade working as a beauty executive for big companies like L’Oreal & Estée Lauder. Through her professional and personal experience in beauty she became passionate about providing people with high quality makeup at affordable prices, so everyone can experiment with different products and looks without stressing about the cost. After paying close attention to customer feedback, in 2021 Amy pivoted the brand to include skincare-infused elements. M2Ü NYC features an incredible assortment of skincare-infused beauty staples including fan favorites like the signature Eye Crayons and award-winning Cream Blushes and Liquid Lipsticks, all ranging in affordable prices from $5 to $12.
Amy currently resides just a hop and a skip away from the big apple in Hoboken, New Jersey with her husband and six year old son, James.
