Gloss Angeles · Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan

Vicky Tsai Wants You to Think About Your “Joyspan” and to Fight Burnout With Balance

·52 min·5 clips

Vicky Tsai admits her Zen image was often dissociation from workplace harassment and 9/11 trauma.

This episode of Gloss Angeles features hosts Kirby and Sarah interviewing repeat guest Vicky Tsai, founder of the skincare brand Tatcha. They discuss Tsai's personal journey with burnout, her leadership philosophy, and the evolving beauty industry landscape. Tsai reflects on her past career intensity, including working 80-100 hour weeks for 25 years and traveling 90% of the time. She describes selling Tatcha to Unilever in 2019 and then returning as CEO during COVID-19 to execute a turnaround while covering 9-11 different jobs. Tsai explains she launched Tatcha to share Japanese healing rituals after overcoming acute dermatitis, despite being told Asian beauty was not aspirational in the U.S. market. She details the high-stakes logistics of selling on QVC, where brands must hit sales goals of $8,000-$15,000 per minute on consignment. Tsai credits Sephora executives like Artemis Patrick and Cindy Diley as incredible mentors and advocates for Tatcha's growth. She reveals Unilever executive Vasiliki Petrovic created a protective "firewall" to shield Tatcha from corporate integration after the acquisition. Tsai shares that 90% of her non-grocery purchases now come from TikTok Shop or are influenced by it, citing items like a Stitchy clothing tailor and a mini vacuum sealer. A key insight is Tsai's admission that her perceived "Zen" energy in her early career was often dissociation, a survival mechanism from workplace harassment and trauma. She connects a transformative 2018 trip to Okinawa, a blue zone, with the development of Tatcha's new Longevity Serum, which features three Okinawan herbs. Clinical tests for the serum showed a 55% reduction in aging senescent cell markers for both prevention and repair. Tsai advocates for redefining beauty around "health span" and "joy span" rather than anti-aging, and she personally avoids foundation to show her real, 47-year-old skin. She began hormone replacement therapy for perimenopause a few years ago, which resolved night sweats and restored her mental clarity and energy. The episode has a conversational and reflective tone, blending personal storytelling with practical business advice. Listeners interested in founder journeys, the inner workings of the beauty industry, or personal wellness will find this episode compelling. Those seeking purely product-focused beauty content or quick tips might find the deeper personal and philosophical discussions less engaging.

As heard by us

Beauty talk with perspective, burnout, and a steadier pace.

Vicky keeps the conversation tied to longevity, moving from an old 4:30 a.m., travel-all-the-time pace to something more livable. The best stretches are the ones about beauty being shaped by burnout, filters, and the norms people absorb over time, especially the work of undoing…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want beauty talk that turns into longevity, filters, and doing less.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Gloss Angeles