The Heart of Innovation with Beau Wangtrakuldee: A Journey from Science to Safety

In our latest episode, we journey alongside individuals who've courageously navigated transformations for alignment with their deepest values and sense of self. Ang, an executive coach with insight into leading with 'who you be' rather than 'what you do,' shares her perspective, while Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD, founder of AmorSui, narrates her switch from scientist to innovator. Together, our stories emphasize the profound impact of infusing personal core values into professional endeavors, ultimately crafting careers that are not just successful, but deeply fulfilling.

Beau Wangtrakuldee's leap from the lab bench to launching a protective wear brand illuminates the path from personal experience to entrepreneurial innovation. Her creation of AmorSui is rooted in a harrowing lab accident, underscoring the acute need for quality safety gear, particularly for women in scientific fields. Beau's narrative is a beacon for those inspired by problem-solving and community impact, reminding us that our pasts can be the catalyst for meaningful business ventures that go beyond profit to protect and empower.

As we navigate the universal challenge of finding equilibrium between work and personal life, the episode takes an intimate look at how parenthood redefines our priorities and shapes our business strategies. We discuss the delicate art of delegation and the power of self-belief in surmounting hurdles. Echoing Dan Sullivan's advice, we underscore the significance of harnessing one's unique abilities, serving as a reminder that authenticity and trust in one's self are the cornerstones of not just surviving, but thriving in the entrepreneurial landscape.

About Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD:
Beau Wangtrakuldee, Ph.D., is a multifaceted innovator who has taken a technical approach to radically drive global impact in health and safety. As the founder and CEO of AmorSui, the first global protective wear brand for circular personal protective equipment items and subscriptions, she is on a mission to protect the health of people and the planet. Beau led AmorSui to serve over 30,000 global customers and leading R&D institutions such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dupont, and Amgen.

Connect with Beau:
Website amorsui.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/amorsui
Instagram instagram.com/amorsuiclothing

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Transcript

Announcer: 0:00

The following programming is sponsored by Marc J Bernstein. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of this station, its management or Beasley Media Group. Entrepreneur, author and financial consultant, Marc Bernstein helps high-performing entrepreneurial business owners create a vision for the future and follow through on their goals and intentions. Ang Onorato is a business growth strategist who blends psychology and business together to create conscious leaders and business owners who impact the world. Founders Forum is a radio show podcast sharing the real stories behind entrepreneurship as founders discover more about themselves, while providing valuable lessons and some fun and entertainment for you. Now here's Marc and Ang.

Marc Bernstein: 0:46

Now here's Marc and Ang. Good morning America. How are you? I know that Ange is in the southeast of the country, in Florida, as am I, although we're on different coasts of Florida and our guest today is actually so it's often us in Philadelphia and our guests are elsewhere. Today, our guest is in Philadelphia and we're elsewhere, so it's a beautiful day in Florida. I hope it's a nice is in Philadelphia and we're elsewhere, so it's a beautiful day in Florida. I hope it's a nice day in Philadelphia as well. Bo, and we'll introduce Beau in a minute. But before we do that, ang, I know you have a topic on your mind from your work this week that I thought would be a good way to start, so why don't we get into it?

Ang Onorato: 1:19

Yeah, absolutely so. As an executive coach, I work with high-performing leaders, you know, every day, and a topic that keeps coming up is many of them are learning how to pivot or thinking about a second act in their career, and they're grappling with that question of when people say, you know, what do you do, which is typically followed by you know, follow your passion. And what I coach them on is really saying, actually, let's think about offering you know, who do you be Meaning, what's your origin story, what's your personal core values and beliefs? Because I think when you pursue them, then it's a natural, authentic extension into you know, your work and the impact that you make. So I'd love to get your thoughts on that, Marc, and I know it's really going to be tapping into our guest today. So I was thinking about that and love your thoughts.

Marc Bernstein: 2:08

Well, I'll tell you my story real quickly on that. So, as you know, I started out as an attorney and what occurred to me as an unconscious competent at that time is that I didn't really like who I was being as an attorney. It didn't, this didn't suit me. Nothing against attorneys, because some, literally some, of my best friends are attorneys, but I um, I just it just wasn't me. So I went through a heavy duty search in my late 20s about you know what I wanted to do from there and of course I ended up.

Marc Bernstein: 2:35

I had this vision of being a financial planner. It took a while to get that, to actually be that and to do things the way I'm doing today, because the industry was just evolving. But I um, you know, it just suited me much better. And as I've done a lot of work with myself I've talked a little bit about this on the show coaching over the last few years, etc I really feel like I fully grew into who I want to be in this business and it's something I see doing forever, you know, even though I'm like typical retirement age, because it's a part of who I am. So it's really, you know. So for me that's very pertinent what you're saying. I'd like to ask Beau her thoughts on it, because I know this works into your story as well, and then I will officially introduce her after that. Good morning, bo.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 3:27

Good morning Marc, Good morning Ang. I think that's a really good things you brought up. I feel like a life of entrepreneurs. You know it's really meaningless unless you will follow something that you believe in, whether that is a way of doing business or you know the business that actually make an impact that they believe in. You know it's really funny because I you know, as we dive into my background, I've been a scientist by training over a decade and you know, as I look back in my backgrounds, I believe what really brought me into science is, you know, as I look back in my backgrounds, I believe what really brought me into science is you know the nature of problem solving.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 4:09

Right, I think being a scientist is like you know you try to solve a problem, whether it is to cure a disease or to, you know, bring any new technologies to your market. And as I transition into, you know, being entrepreneurs, that's what I do on a daily basis and I think, in the nature of things is my love of solving a problem and working on a problem that make an impact to everybody around me, that keep me going, and I think that's my passion. That's who I am. I'm a problem solver, I'm a's my passion. You know that's who I am. You know I'm a problem solver. I'm a solution solver. So you know, really excited to share more about what I do. And you know my passion and who I am.

Marc Bernstein: 4:57

So Beau. That's a perfect introduction to your introduction. So I appreciate that. So Beau is Beau Wangtrakuldee .

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 5:07

You got it right, Marc, I know.

Marc Bernstein: 5:10

I practiced that Wangtrakuldee, I'm getting very good at it is a multifaceted innovator who's taken a technical approach to radically drive global impact in health and safety. In health and safety, she's the founder and CEO of AmorSui, the first global protective wear brand for circular personal protective equipment, otherwise known these days as PPE. When you say PPE, everyone knows what we're talking about items and subscriptions and she's on a mission to protect the health of people and the planet. Beau bow led Amore suite to serve over 30,000 global customers and leading R&D institutions such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, dupont and Amgen. So, bo, tell us a little bit about your story, where you come from, how you grew up, what you did prior to founding your company and um. You know we'll ask you some questions along the way, but it's a very interesting story.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 6:12

Yeah, Marc. So some people might be able to tell, based on my last name, that I'm not from here originally. My last name is Wangtrakuldee. I'm originally from Thailand. I grew up there. I lived there for 17 years before, you know, coming here for college. You know, at the time my dream is to become a world renowned scientist. The time my dream is to become a world renowned scientist, and in my household, you know, it's full of entrepreneurs, people who started their own business, people who started their own companies. And I, you know, at a really early age, I have seen, you know, my grandparents, my parents, start their own venture and I see what it's like for a business that have a mission and purpose and when they do so well, they could like create a positive impact to community. You know. So I feel like when I, as a young age, I understand that one day I want to have my own venture, I didn't know what I just want to say Go ahead.

Marc Bernstein: 7:13

I'm sorry, I didn't know what it was. I just want to say go ahead, I'm sorry, go ahead. Yeah, I don't know what it was.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 7:18

I don't know what it was, but I have a positive impact on entrepreneurs and you know starting an adventure of my own.

Marc Bernstein: 7:27

I think I mentioned this to you, but Ange and I have been involved in a conversation about this. We had a guest on a few months ago, Tina Hamilton, who talked about entrepreneurialism being in her DNA, and I think we talked about that a little bit. And you know, is it in your DNA, or is it culture or environment, or is it just accidental that people are entrepreneurs? But I think you and I talked about it. It sounds like that was a definite influence on you, even though you didn't start out as an entrepreneur. It ultimately was in your blood or in your environment. It sounds like.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 8:07

Yeah, well, Marc, I know it could be done and if done well, it could create a positive impact in the community. I feel like that's what I learned in an early age, but you know I fell in love with chemistry in high school and throughout. All in all, you know, I came to United States to go to the best school, to become a scientist, and that took me in the journey of over a decade or more. You know, being in a science in college, going to finish my PhDs, working at, you know, one of the best laboratory in the world and on track to, you know, create my own lab or create my own ventures in biotechnologies. Well, one day, when I was trying, when I was on the track to finishing up my PhD, I had a chemical spill accident when I was working alone in the lab one evening and at the time I have a lab coat on. I follow all the safety procedure. I have goggles, closed-toe shoes, but my lab coat was such a low quality that the chemical spill just basically go through it like burn, right through it, and my right side of the body which is completely burned. I was out commissions for a week. You know it was a scary experience to try to revisit and go back to the lab and think about how could I prevent that from happening again. So of course my first thought is to look for better products that I could trust. On that I will go and go back to work with and feel safer.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 9:44

But what I found is that you know the whole medical supply and PPE industry and I don't just say PPE, because medical supply and PPE overall is a big industry you know does not set up to really deliver values to consumer. You know majority of, I think, um, the players in the market are supplier and manufacturer that their intention is to sell as many sheep item, low quality item and sell as many as they can and turn it around as fast as possible and it it's not, you know, an intention to protect the people who was wearing it. So you know that it's always on the back of my mind that why is it that there's no product like that. But later on you know like I had an opportunity to really revisit you know this idea when I came to UPenn after finishing up my PhDs and I was having conversation with my girlfriends around at lunchtime about different experience in the lab and it turns out, you know my accident was not the only one that occurs in the lab.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 10:54

Everyone I think there was a 10 or 12 of my girlfriends who I had lunch with had had some sort of experience one way or the other. That's due to either the lab code that does not fit, you know, like the lab code that were too big or too small, that caused them to have an accident in the lab. And that's when I really thought that this could be something and I think that if I don't do something about it, I don't think anyone is going to be able to solve that problem. So there comes, you know, the first iterations of my company, amrsi. I did talk to over 100 women scientists before I started the business. We created a prototype with a fashion designer who I met here in Philadelphia, and we did a crowdfunding campaign to run the first production, and that was six years ago, you know, until we are today Happy to share more.

Marc Bernstein: 11:53

By the way, there was some space of some years between your accident and when you actually got started.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 11:58

Oh, absolutely. I had an accident in 2013. I sit on the idea until 2015, until I had that lunch with my girlfriend. And between that, 2015 and 2018, that was another three-year gap until I actually started the business. 2018, that was another three-year gap until I actually started the business. We had this conversation together, Marc and Ang. I like to share the timeline. That entrepreneur look different For myself. Even though I have a background, I see my family as an entrepreneur. I didn't think that I was going to get in the business of apparel. I didn't think that I was going to get a business of apparel. You know, I didn't think that I was going to be a PPE company. I thought I was on a track to be a scientist. I was going to start a biotech company and it took some convincing on myself to really go in on this business. But sometimes it's good because you know it creates validation points along the business that there's people who actually want this product for me to be able to pursue the business full time.

Marc Bernstein: 13:04

So obviously that was a challenge convincing yourself. Since you were a scientist becoming an entrepreneur. What other challenges did you face in starting the business?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 13:16

I think you know it's really hard, but I'm going to be really transparent that I feel like I shared this in conversation with other entrepreneurs a lot. I feel like the biggest challenge is for me to believe that I can do this.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 13:33

You know I believe in myself and because this business has grown leaf and bound since we started, unexpectedly and more than I could anticipate. For this business, every time we reach a milestone I have to be a different person. I have to grow up quite a lot, whether that as a business person, whether that's a leader, whether that is a speaker, communicator. It pushed me to the next stage every time we hit the milestone. And because of that I struggle to believe in myself every time we hit another milestone, because I have to grow with it and I think that you know that's a challenge and if I can be better with it, I think my business will be better also.

Ang Onorato: 14:27

You know Beau that's a really interesting point that you bring up and I hear this from leaders all the time which is the things that got you here. They're not the same skills or same mindset that gets you here to the next level right, absolutely. But I think what people don't talk about enough is, as you're doing that and you're focused on that is, with those challenges and a founder, what do you do to keep yourself also grounded right, because you kind of have that true north and developing and growing with the company, but for you as a leader, how do you keep yourself grounded so that you're not kind of meandering and going in different directions?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 15:03

I think, with all of the unknown of the business, what provides me security is a very routine. You know a very routine activities that happening in the background. You know like I probably have the most boring life you could imagine in the background, everything is on schedule.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 15:32

You know, like I go play tennis every Wednesday, I go work out this time, I go pick up my son at this time, I wake up and I eat at this time, and, and that I think for me, for why you know that grounded feeling? Because every part of my life is secure except my business and that's why I can take a list on. I think it's a balance. I think you know I am, you know I kid with my girlfriends. You know all along that. You know if some part of your life is boring then you go find drama somewhere else and that's pretty much this Very true.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 16:14

This is pretty much. This is it here.

Ang Onorato: 16:16

Like every part of my life is really boring, except my business well, that's actually amazing, because you're taking all the energy that you don't have to think about, because everything is scheduled and operated and you can put all of that into solving the problems and my husband handle everything else in the household.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 16:32

I don't that's great.

Marc Bernstein: 16:35

we have some great insights of all your honesty and transparency about your belief in yourself. While Anne said, we hear things like that all the time in terms of having to grow to the next stage of the business grow along with the next stage of the business. Yet I know that that's there for all entrepreneurs at different times, so I really appreciate that. And then also your observation about how drama finds itself if you allow space for it or not, which is also a great observation. I love that. I'm going to ask you quickly, before our break, which will be in about a minute, a little bit about I'm going to take Ange's question, but I'll let her expand on it about your company culture. Tell us about your employee base and what that looks like and what kind of culture you're trying to build within the company.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 17:28

Yeah, obviously we have a lot of company that's based in Pennsylvania, new York, but our team is all over the world. We work virtually. I truly believe in flexibility and working. You know like people work differently and I want to give that flexibility. But the most important thing for me and I think my team will agree with this too, and I come back to this who? I am?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 17:57

Right, I'm a problem solver and I thrive with having people who are believe in solving the problem with me, and sometimes that looks differently. Sometimes it's me looking outside the box. Sometimes that means never say no to the problem when it hits you. You know like people look at a problem like, oh, this cannot be done, then that's the end of it. And our team doesn't do that. Every single one of us look at problem and said maybe it could be done. Let me think about it and come back to you. That's, that's the nature of everyone, our team, and I feel like that's what make us work well together. It's, you know, like we never say no. We say how could it be done and we decide if we're going to tackle it or not. And so my team is full of problem solver. My team is full of passionate problem solver, and that's that's how we work well together how, just very quickly, how do you find those people?

Marc Bernstein: 18:57

I mean, how do you discover if somebody up front is that type of person?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 19:02

um, frankly, I said you don't know until you start working together. But there's a passion, sorry, there is a pattern matching that for me. I have learned to identify that through just working together. You know, you know through your experiences and knowing yourself.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 19:21

It sounds like too yeah and anyone who we work with, we usually engage in, you know, 30, 60, 90 days period of just trying out working together if it fits. You know, like I almost say after after their personality of being a problem solver. There's some, you know, other personality matching that you have to do also, but I feel like that's number one. If you can't be a problem silver, if you say no to a problem even before you take a look at it, I don't think you fit well within our organization that's great.

Marc Bernstein: 19:55

That's a. That's a great insight and it's great. Um, you know exactly who you're looking for, so that's wonderful. With that, we're going to take a quick commercial break and we'll be back in 60 seconds.

Announcer: 20:06

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Marc Bernstein: 20:55

Visit silencerdevicescom to learn more about the winter of 2024 and if this were the winter of 2027 and the three of us are sitting here again together, what would have to happen in your life personally, professionally for you to feel that that was were successful? That was a successful period, three-year period, in your life.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 21:46

I mean from a business perspective. We are growing quickly, tremendously in the US and also North America right now and we are currently in conversation with partners who would allow for international expansion for Amazoo in our company, and so specifically, I can see our product being used widely in Europe, middle East and China and a big team to support that. I think that's a really next step for us in terms of this growth and you know, at that point I'd probably be growing personally too you know at that point I'd probably be growing personally too, right?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 22:37

um, yeah, so I think you also mentioned. Yeah, I see our company in three years.

Marc Bernstein: 22:40

You also mentioned to me that, um, your life is changing as a mom and that that was important to you over the next three years. Tell us a little bit about that.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 23:01

Yeah, so I have a son that will turn two in two weeks here. Yeah, and I think being a parent and you know, having a son, really changed my perspective on you know, I think what is important to me and you know a piece of that, you know I really truly grateful for the opportunity to be an entrepreneur, to follow the things I care about, to work on the things I believe in every day, to be a problem solver every day. But the same time, majority of my time outside work, which I share, is boring. It's just with family. But you know that's that's, you know, what I value the most if that means going to the zoo every two weeks or you know, like going to the playground every evening.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 23:48

I mean, that's, that's the part where I, you know, values the most about life so balance sounds like part of the equation for you, for your future success oh, absolutely yeah um.

Marc Bernstein: 24:01

So, given that and given the you know the major growth that you're looking for over the next three years, what kind of challenges might you have? What might you face in regard to that vision, along with the balance in your life?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 24:13

you know what challenges in regard to that as well yeah, I think the next step, which I'm working on right now with everyone the company, is to delegate the work better. I think we just getting past, you know, a point in a company where I cannot be everything for a company. I think that's so hard as a founder and someone who see it from zero and is getting to a one, and then, once you get into a one, you start. You need to start handing off things and I think the most important thing I can be in a one you need to start handing off things and I think the most important thing I can be in a company right now is to be a visionary, to be a strategic thinker and not a problem solver out, a doer for everything, Dan Sullivan.

Marc Bernstein: 25:06

That's where I took that three-year question from. There's a book called the Dan Sullivan Question. He asked that question and one of the things he says for entrepreneurs is focus on your unique abilities and delegate the rest. And that's really what you're talking about.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 25:21

You're a problem solver, you need to focus only on that, yeah, it's easy to say, but it's actually really hard to do, it's really hard to implement, it's really hard to implement effectively. And this is what my team and I are currently working together. You know we talk about it on a daily basis. You know how can I take things off both plates?

Marc Bernstein: 25:42

Yeah, that's wonderful, that's right. It sounds like right where you should be, and we've all been there as entrepreneurs. You know, let go.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 25:51

You know, yeah, it'd be going to be a global company. I cannot be doing everything for sure.

Ang Onorato: 25:57

You know. I think you're bringing up another great point too, bo, is that you know, while the advances in technologies are very helpful for us to maybe do more in less time and all of that less time and all of that but even with technology, if the mindset and the company's processes are not built around that delegation and you know, effectively differentiating the tasks and the work between different people and leveraging all of their unique abilities, you know, I've I've been inside corporations for over 30 years and it's amazing to see the hierarchy where people say, no, I can't do that because I'm not at that level, versus they may be a junior person, but that's their unique ability. So you having that vision to know this, to figure out how to delegate that and in that way, I think is a huge part of helping you reach your three-year company vision.

Marc Bernstein: 26:47

Bo, as I promised, our 28 minutes goes quickly on the show, and so we're almost finished. Sure is One. One last question for you, which is if you're giving advice to your younger self, what advice, looking back, would you give you?

Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD: 27:07

I mean, I'm going to bring it, bring it, you know, to a close loop. I think I would just tell myself to believe in myself, right? What I don't know today doesn't mean that I don't know like. I have the capability to figure it out when it happens. And if I don't figure it out, then I learn how to figure it out in the future. Part of it is as Ann started today.

Marc Bernstein: 27:34

It's be you right. Yeah, just believe that you have within yourself to figure out whatever it is that's going to happen and you're going to move past it. Well, it's been delightful to have you here today. You have a great story and you have a great company company and I think there's great things ahead for your company. So we appreciate you being here today on Founders Forum and for everyone listening. We look forward to seeing you or hearing you or you hearing us again next week. Have a great day.