After conquering the skies, David Wongk decided to become a mogul in natural skin care. David started Pure Tropix, his all natural skin care company, while working full-time as an aircraft mechanic and pilot for an engineering company. In the first 6 months, he was able to do $100K in sales using only Instagram. As Pure Tropix stayed steady at $50K a month, David was able to leave his job and dedicate himself to entrepreneurship full-time. Now, Pure Tropix is pulling in $200K a month in sales and has been featured in top publications such as Vogue, Glamour, Allure, Vanity Fair and GQ.
In addition to Pure Tropix, David also heads LUXURIA ELIXIR, another skin care company that is on the luxury high end. Both companies have been featured in Vogue, Allure, and Glamour.
David just launched his “6 Figure Beauty Brand Course”. This allows students to start their own beauty brand, whether it be hair, skin, or lashes.
“I always had a drive and passion for business but The path to developing a skincare line was very interesting. Everything I’m doing right now is in the beauty sector. I’m trying to take over one of the highest grossing markets in the world and I plan to dominate it,” says David.
His drive for success has brought David to where he is today, although his drive is also his biggest obstacle. As he grew his business and reputation, the hardest part was losing friends that didn’t understand the commitment behind starting your own business.
“It’s a long and lonely journey, especially in the beginning. My social life became nearly non-existent because there’s nothing that was more interesting or exciting to me than getting my company to the next milestone. Family called me crazy and wanted no part of it. I was broke and re-investing the little money I had back into it. I was my first and only believer at the time. It was one of the lowest lows I’ve ever experienced,” David recalls.
Luckily, all the persistence pays off. Through his journey, David realized that real friends will support you from day 1, and not abandon when things get tough.
Now, Pure Tropix is wildly successful, differentiating itself from the competition because of the care, research, and most importantly, the travel that goes into the product. David travels to study how products are made around the world, paying special attention to the ingredients used. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and dig into the nitty gritty of different cultures and customs.
“I differentiate myself and by brand by being innovative to what’s next and what’s coming down the line. It’s always been important to me to travel and be a part of a culture and part of an idea – that really sets us apart. After I travel and come back home to my lab, I have a drawing board that’s full of ideas that nobody else is doing!” David explains.
His introduction to the beauty world came from his own experience with it’s failings. Suffering from ingrown hairs, David was unable to find a product that worked for him.
“My face would get burnt up from some products on the market. Other products simply wouldn’t work, and so I decided that I needed to figure this out.,” David recalls.
Businesses that start out of necessity have a strong WHY and mandate. This, David believes, is what makes them so strong.
“I was never thinking this would end up being a business – it was just a problem that I needed to solve. I simply got tired of waiting for someone else to have a solution, so I was going to fix it myself. That’s the best reason to start a business.,” David explains.
Even with a strong WHY, businesses still have challenges. For David, the biggest challenge was combating negative feelings and mixed input from those around him.
“People implanting their fears or ideas on us when you’re already battling our own thoughts. That holds us back! Once you cancel out the noise and realize that everything is on you, you’re able to take things to a whole new level. You’re able to grow, you’re able to build, and you no longer see things as a problem – instead, you automatically look for a solution. The biggest challenges I faced personally was getting over my own mindset and realizing that nothing is impossible,” says David.
Despite a pandemic, David’s sales are strong at 2 million dollars. In the near future, he’ll be heading a new skincare line that focuses on supplements and vitamins.
“I see huge growth in that market and sector, yet I don’t see the big companies really on it yet. It’s the perfect time to go ahead and take over that field,” David explains.
Check out Pure Tropix’s product line on their website and make sure to follow David on Instagram.
