6 THINGS WITH EUNICE BYUN

It took me many turns through different industries to come to where I am today. But I think it's because I'm definitely one of those individuals who is a jack of all trades, yet a master of none. I started my career in finance at Goldman Sachs, then spent a few years incubating new businesses in the intimate apparel space, then ventured into consumer start-ups only to end up back in corporate America leading digital in the beauty space at Revlon.

Along the way, I learned how deeply people connected with products when they found "the one" - like that one shade of lipstick you wear every day - or how marketing, design, merchandising, sourcing and forecasting all work together to create a best-in-class customer experience. I collected these learnings piece by piece and find myself drawing upon them as the co-founder and CEO of Material Kitchen. We design beautifully functional kitchenware for the modern home cook, often thinking about how to design "that one" thing that we can't live without in the kitchen.

3. Most treasured home decor item?

I recently shared in our Material Object Series a story about these two serving utensils that my mother-in-law gave us when she was moving. She was the consummate party thrower and host, filled with so much life and energy, until she began suffering from Alzheimer's. The serveware pieces that are now in our home, left unpolished and tarnished, are meaningful to me in their rawness and beauty because they remind me of her and the many joy-filled moments sitting around her kitchen table, hearing stories of how her and my father-in-law met or how my husband wore a superhero cape for one month straight when he was younger.

4. What’s the best advice you've ever received?

Often times we count ourselves out before we even put ourselves in the running. We think about the sting of defeat and it stops us dead in our tracks. My mom always said, growing up and yes even to this day, "The worst that happens is they say no. The best that happens is they say yes." I think about this constantly as we're building our business. Instead of talking myself out of the reasons why something might not work or why someone may turn us down, I think how the worst that can happen is simply a, "No." It takes the fear out of the equation.

5. It's 5 o'clock at home. What would you be pouring?

If it's during the week, I would crack open a can of Halmi which is a delicious take on a Korean traditional drink called SuJeongGwa with a cinnamon, ginger and jujube flavor profile. If it's the weekend, I'm a sucker for a glass of a white burgundy or better yet, an extra brut glass of champagne!

6. What are your favorite 6 accounts that you follow for inspiration?

@hanaasbrink for delicious recipes

@judy.kim for recipes and drool worthy pictures of food
@lovemenotfloral for gorgeous, artistic floral arrangements
@evachen212 for everything from mom life to fashion to ways to support community efforts
@heartofdinner for the amazing work they do for the AAPI elderly here in NYC
@kateberryberry for her impeccable table settings - and her NYC garden in the sky!

"My mom always said, growing up and yes even to this day, "The worst that happens is they say no. The best that happens is they say yes." I think about this constantly as we're building our business. Instead of talking myself out of the reasons why something might not work or why someone may turn us down, I think how the worst that can happen is simply a, "No." It takes the fear out of the equation." -Eunice Byun