Joanna Kimla, CEO of JKop Trade & Founder of INVERAY

What does it take to build a premium global beauty brand when market research explicitly warns you that it will fail? 

In this feature, PIECES speaks with Joanna Kimla, CEO of JKop Trade and Founder of INVERAY. Overcoming severe logistical crises—from defective packaging and stolen shipments to misguided expert advice—she shares how she scaled her brand to over 40 countries by looking beyond market data and staying true to unwavering product quality and personal conviction.

Q1. Before starting INVERAY, you requested a professional market analysis. What were the results, and how did you react to them?

Before INVERAY even existed, I paid a reputable market research company to tell me whether my idea had a realistic chance of succeeding. I was particularly interested in international expansion and the Gulf region, so I wanted experienced professionals to analyze the market objectively.

Their conclusion was clear: they advised me not to do it. According to their analysis, the market was not ready for another premium professional nail brand, and pursuing it would likely result in financial losses.

I was genuinely scared. When experienced analysts tell you that the business you are preparing to invest your own money in is unlikely to work, you don't simply forget about it. For some time, I kept asking myself: "What if they're right?" But there was another question I found even harder to ignore: "What if they're not?"

Q2. What gave you the conviction to move forward despite such discouraging market research?

My conviction came from something much more personal than spreadsheets or business plans. For generations, the women in my family have been connected with natural healing methods, skincare, and an understanding of ingredients. Growing up around them gave me a straightforward principle: a product has to work. It can be beautifully packaged, but if what is inside does not deliver, none of that matters.

Looking at the professional nail industry, I was frustrated by the amount of mediocrity—products priced as premium without the formulation or performance to back it up. I wanted to create the kind of brand I was looking for myself. Our simplest test became: "Would I genuinely want to use this myself? Would I give it to my own daughter without hesitation?" If the answer was no, it wasn't good enough for INVERAY. So, despite the market report, we decided to start.

Q3. How did the market initially respond when you launched the brand?

I was prepared for resistance, but then the first potential partner said yes. Someone outside our organization looked at what we had created and wanted it in their market. Then another partner said yes, and another. Instead of spending months persuading people, we met partners who understood the concept almost immediately. With every new conversation, the fear created by that original report became a little quieter. Within the first six months, INVERAY was present in more than a dozen countries.

Q4. Rapid growth often brings unexpected operational hurdles. What was the first major challenge you faced?

Our early expansion created immense pressure—we had orders to fulfill and international partners waiting. Then we discovered that a huge batch of bottles we ordered was defective.

When thousands of defective bottles stand between you and waiting customers, packaging suddenly becomes the most important problem in the company. We had demand and finished cosmetic products, but no reliable packaging. It made me understand the enormous difference between creating a product people want to buy and building a company capable of consistently delivering it. Customers only see the finished bottle; they rarely see the supply chain chaos behind it—and that’s how it should be. Those problems are ours to solve, not the customer’s.

Q5. You also mentioned learning hard lessons about relying on external experts. What happened?

As we grew, we hired specialists in IT, SEM, and SEO, trusting that they knew far more than we did. We invested significant money and, more importantly, time. Months later, it became clear that much of the work had not been delivered as expected.

Losing money was painful, but losing time was worse—time is the one investment nobody can refund. It was an interesting contrast: at the beginning, experts told me not to start and I ignored them; later, other experts told me to trust them and I trusted too easily. This didn't teach me to distrust specialists, but it taught me that expertise should never replace your own judgment. A founder still has to ask questions, understand what’s happening, and take ultimate responsibility.

Q6. Is it true that one of your most successful trade shows started with a stolen shipment?

Yes, we were preparing for an international trade fair that represented a major financial and strategic investment for us. Right before the event, we received news that our entire shipment had been stolen. We were a cosmetics company at a beauty fair with no cosmetics to exhibit.

We could have stayed home, but we decided to go anyway. Without products, there was little left to do except talk. We talked about INVERAY, our philosophy, why we created the brand, and what was missing in the industry. People listened. By the end of the exhibition, an event that began with a stolen shipment brought us several new distributors. It taught me that while products matter enormously, people are also buying the vision and their belief in the team behind it.

Q7. How did INVERAY transition from knocking on doors to becoming a globally recognized brand?

In the beginning, we were always the ones reaching out, knocking on doors to convince distributors. But over time, as we expanded across Europe and eventually to Dubai, Bangladesh, and Mexico, independent recognition started to follow. We received international beauty awards in Bologna and Dubai.

The biggest turning point, however, wasn't an award—it was a shift in our conversations. Companies started contacting us. Instead of us saying, "Let us introduce you to INVERAY," we began hearing, "We want INVERAY in our portfolio." That was one of the most meaningful milestones, showing that INVERAY had built a reputation of its own.

Q8. Today, INVERAY is in over 40 countries. Looking back at that initial market report, what is your key takeaway for entrepreneurs?

Today INVERAY is present in more than 40 countries, but the number matters less than how we got there. We don't want rapid expansion just to add flags to a presentation; we want long-term partners who share our philosophy.

I still think about that first market report. Had I treated it as a verdict rather than an analysis, INVERAY would have ended before the first bottle was produced. I still believe in data and research, but building INVERAY taught me this:

Research can tell you what already exists. Experts can tell you what has worked before. Data can show you how a market behaves today. But data cannot always tell you what you are capable of creating tomorrow. Entrepreneurship is about making decisions before anyone can give you absolute certainty.

"Data can tell you what a market looks like today. It cannot always tell you what you are capable of creating tomorrow." 

Joanna Kimla’s journey shows that while research and advice are valuable, true entrepreneurship lies in taking responsibility and trusting your own judgment. As INVERAY continues its global momentum, her story serves as a powerful reminder that authentic value and execution will always stand out in a crowded market.