Beauty with Grace: Demee’s Tale of Resilience and Reinvention

• Demee Koch’s childhood experiences and early work experience laid the foundation for work ethics and made her resilient. 
• Her prosperous journey spans from customer service to achieving her true calling as an activist and an entrepreneur.
• She realized that despite progress, challenges persist for women in the beauty industry, which fueled her commitment to smart beauty solutions.
• Demee believes in conscious beauty, social impact, and moving forward to create systemic change.

1. What was your childhood like, and how did it shape who you are today?

I’m from the Philippines, specifically from the island of Cebu, which is the country’s second-most industrialized island. Within Cebu, I grew up in a small town called Liliw. I always introduce myself like this: I was once the girl who dreamed in flip-flops, wandering through a quiet village, barefoot in ambition. Today, that same girl walks with purpose, shaped by the journey that began on those village roads. No dream is ever too big. Everything is possible.

I came from a normal family with no special connections or wealth. I just worked my way up. I was lucky to have supportive parents, and grateful to have studied at the best university in my country. I was a state scholar from high school all the way through university. After that, I started my career in Dubai.

In the Philippines, opportunities are limited and often dominated by the same families. I realized I had to go somewhere else to build a future. Influenced by our Americanized culture, I dreamt of going to the U.S. and even wrote in my high school yearbook that I wanted to be the best CEO or entrepreneur. I did not do this for status, but because I knew that with power and money comes the ability to create meaningful change. That dream is what kept me going.

Looking back now, I believe our dreams and talents are deeply tied to our purpose. I was always stubborn; people told me to be a lawyer, to follow the usual path, but I refused. I took a job in customer service in Dubai, which at the time felt like an insult to my intelligence. But I stayed. And I now know it was my inner voice telling me to stay put because that was exactly where I needed to be.

Working in customer service was foundational to my success; it gave me ground-level insight and introduced me to both, the allure and the darker sides of the beauty industry. That experience planted the seed of my dream to create my own brand. I saw how the industry sold unnecessary products just to drive sales. It didn’t feel right. Therefore, I wanted to do something different and meaningful. That’s how the dream of building a brand with purpose and leading the conscious beauty movement was born.

2. What inspired you to join the beauty industry?

It was actually by accident. I hadn’t applied for the job. In fact, I was asked by a neighbor to help with filtering applicants for a company. These were employers from Dubai who were visiting the Philippines and looking for customer service executives. I was just there to screen candidates based on their English skills- an important parameter for the role at hand. 

This group of employers really liked me.I was friendly, energetic, and—most importantly, I spoke fluent English, a skill they urgently needed. They asked me, “Do you want to work for us? We love your energy.” And that’s how it began.

I ended up working for the Paris Gallery. This was in the early 2000s. At the time, I didn’t even know it was such a prestigious company; the largest luxury retail chain in the region, selling cosmetics, perfumes, and accessories. That was my first real exposure to the beauty industry, and I fell in love with it.

As you know, beauty can truly uplift. It feels like magic. But there’s also an evil side to it, which I later discovered, and that journey is part of what brought me to where I am today.

It was never planned. People were confused because I graduated from the University of the Philippines as a state scholar. People from my university usually end up as senators, doctors, presidents, or in leadership roles at big corporations. And there I was, entering the beauty industry in customer service, which was considered one of the lowest positions in the company at the time.

I’ve always been someone who likes to help people and make them feel happy. And beauty does that. I found it fascinating. When someone is feeling low, and they put on lipstick, and you can see how their whole energy shifts instantly. That intrigued me deeply. Although it was unplanned, once I was in it, I found the purpose and passion I was seeking.

3. Could you tell what your typical day or week looks like?

The moment I wake up, I have my “five minutes of gratitude” practice. And then I take an hour-long walk while listening to uplifting songs. Then, I talk to my team and I perform my tasks according to their updates.

Mainly, DE MOI is my main priority. I deal with my business mostly over WhatsApp. I communicate with clients, and I carve time to write because writing is my way of reflecting on my day. And then, in the evening, before I sleep, I repeat my gratitude practice. My gratitude practice is structured as such: I would say three little things-  Thank you, I’m sorry, and Guide me. I also listen to podcasts until I fall asleep.

Apart from DE MOI, I also sit on various advisory boards and boards of other charity organizations and companies, and I am an investor. I connect with people from all over the world across different industries.

Everything I do has meaning and goes back to my conscious beauty movement. It is about ensuring that I make every day count. Because we are the change. From the moment you wake up, everything you do has a ripple effect. And because I am in a position of power, I ensure that I maximize my impact in everything I do.

I do all this in more than three time zones, because I’m constantly moving and traveling. I don’t have a typical week. The older I get, the more adamant I am in making sure that my day counts.

4. How do you define ‘conscious beauty,’ and why is it important in today’s world?

DE MOI’s conscious beauty movement has four pillars. We want to change the narrative around beauty, shifting from vanity to values, because I want to define beauty not just as how you look. It’s how you treat yourself through self-love and self-care, and how you treat others.

This is becoming even more important because I do volunteer work for survivors of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and gender-based violence. The common denominator among survivors is that they lack self-esteem. That’s the first pillar: The conscious beauty movement encourages women to recognize their value and heal through the art of self-love.

The second is that we create smart beauty solutions. That means we offer multifunctional products, because no one has time for 10 steps. We want to honor the hard-earned money of our customers and help them make the most of their time. The beauty industry generates 120 billion plastic waste every year, which is atrocious. Our products are designed to deliver real results while also minimizing waste.

The third pillar is that we normalize social impact. This aligns with the work I do with various organizations, where we support talented young men and women. We also have “Dream, Believe, Do”, a program for underprivileged students. 

And the fourth pillar is the belief that we are the change, and it applies to everyone in any industry. The moment we wake up, everything we do creates a ripple effect. But we forget this. We keep talking about change, but the question remains- are we really doing our part?

The most visible, long-term impact we can have is through our money. Right now, you can already start making a difference by being mindful with your expenditure; where you put your money is where you put your vote for what happens next.

5. What challenges, if any, did you face in launching De Moi, and how did you overcome them?

DE MOI used to be called Demee, which is actually my name. We had hired a naming company, and when I talked about the brand and what I was trying to do with it, they told me, “It should be Demee because that’s who you are.” In the industry, I had already created a bit of a reputation since I had been around for a while. I got sued by a German company, with a valuation of €100 million. They claimed I was copying them, and I was so shocked. It was a harsh realization that people can be ruthless.

I dealt with it by humbly stepping back and changing the name. This is a lesson I always share with others: sometimes, even when you know you’re right, you need to choose your battles. I could have fought it as Demee was gaining traction. I had a strong chance of winning. But I would’ve wasted so much time and resources fighting them. Even if I’d won, the damage would have been done.

Sometimes it’s better to reinvent yourself or recalibrate, instead of fighting. It turned out to be a blessing. It’s still a beautiful name. DE MOI is French; it means “from me.” It’s my offering to the world. It’s my legacy.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t license or trademark “demoi” on its own because it’s a common word and of French origin. I couldn’t use just “Demee” either, because of the lawsuit. So that’s the story behind my brand name. 

Since DE MOI is a Swiss Brand and I’m not ethnically Swiss, I faced discrimination. I call discriminatory comments noise. Of course, it affected me. I could have let it get to me. I could have fought it. But I just said, “You know what? It doesn’t matter what people say about me. I know who I am. I know my intention behind this brand. I know what we’re offering to the world.” And so, I just focused on what I needed to do.

Because at the end of the day, in life, there will always be noise. Sometimes even from the people you love. There are just so many challenges. Anyone you talk to will say the same thing: challenges are part of life. We have to take into account that the bigger we get, the bigger the challenges will be. 

6. Your philanthropic efforts and initiatives against gender-based violence are truly inspiring and commendable. What drives your commitment to these causes?

Growing up, I witnessed many unhealthy family environments where children were exposed to violence and assault. It really impacted the way I saw my own status as a woman. From a young age, I was a little different in the way I saw things.. I genuinely believed the world was my oyster, that I could do anything. People thought I was delusional, and maybe I was, but I believe it was a kind of delusion that takes many great people to conquer the world. I didn’t want to be “normal” if it meant I had to sit passively and let injustices happen. 

When I was in high school, I used to commute 45 minutes from my town into the city. At one of the stops, I would see many beggars sleeping on the road. My heart went out to them. I’d share my allowance with them and made a vow: one day, I’ll be rich and build houses for people like them. When I was young, I was helpless. I could not do anything for people. Now that I have the power to do something, I’m using it to benefit others.

7. How do you believe your leadership methods have helped you become the multipreneur you are today?

I always tell people: the moment you define yourself according to some external definition of anything is the moment you lose who you are.

I just show up as myself, and my intention guides me. I’m not perfect as I am still learning. I’m chaotic, but I think the beauty of it is that I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses, and I try to lead by example. I also empower my team to call me out when necessary. That’s my style. It allows me to build good relationships and to meet people who genuinely want to work with me.

I know there are leadership definitions in science and textbooks, but I refuse to box myself into that. This is also something I teach: yes, you can refer to what academics or books define as leadership, but at the end of the day, we are human beings, and we often forget the obvious, which is, you need to know who you are, and that requires being brutally honest about your strengths and weaknesses.

Being a leader means showing up authentically, being open to learning from your team, and being very clear on what you want and where you want to go, because that becomes your anchor.

If you are not clear about that, it’s so easy to get lost, especially with so many distractions and challenges in life. Even when you are clear, the path isn’t always straight. But what keeps me focused is my mission. I do a lot of things, but at the core is the impact that my conscious beauty movement brings.

8. How do you build and maintain authentic relationships in the business world?

I’m an ambivert, which means I’m both an introvert and an extrovert. I can be quite social, but if you put me in a crowd, you won’t see me going around socializing, I’ll observe and allow connections to happen naturally.

People usually come to me, and then I engage. When I feel a genuine connection, I allow it. I always show up as myself, because in networking, the most important thing to build and sustain relationships is to be yourself, not to pretend or perform. If someone likes you when you’re pretending, they’re not really liking you. But if you show up as your true self, they’ll like you for who you really are, and that’s how you sustain authentic relationships.

I stay open. I allow people to come to me. Sometimes people say, “Be proactive,” and that’s also great advice, but I get overwhelmed easily. So, when I go to a big event, I focus on connecting with just a few people, and I give those connections my full attention.

And it’s true what they say: your vibe attracts your tribe. The people who are meant to connect with you will come naturally if you’re just being you- staying cool, and staying open.

I never come into a room thinking, “What can I get?” I always ask, “What can I bring? How can I contribute?” And when you come from that space, it becomes easy to attract blessings.

9. What advice would you give your younger self about navigating the entrepreneurial journey?

“Don’t be too cocky”. When you are young, you tend to be cocky. You learn a little bit and think you know it all. Well, I didn’t think I knew everything, but I thought I knew a lot. And life will teach you harshly when you do that.

One must also learn to filter the noise. Among the biggest problems is that a lot of people don’t do what they’re meant to do because there’s so much negativity around them. If you’re too weak or too sensitive to the noise, you’ll never progress. You’ll be too afraid to act because someone told you you would fail, and you will believe it.

Whatever you allow into your subconscious will determine your actions. Humility and protecting your mindset can make a huge difference. Looking back, I think I had to go through everything I went through to become who I am today, and to be this wise.

10. What are some passions or interests outside of work that fuel your creativity or give you joy?

I love to write. I love music. I love to dance. I love my wine and good food, and I love to cook. This is funny because everyone says, “Oh my God, you travel a lot. It must be tiring.” And yes, it is tiring, and I do work a lot. But there’s always one request I have: I need good food. That is non-negotiable.

I also love churches and temples. So, wherever I go, I make time to go, even just to sit down and pray. I’ve gone to temples in Japan, in Bali… I would even go to a mosque.

What also fuels me and makes me excited is that whenever I go to different places, I always help the local economy and support local artisans who inspire me. I look at their artwork, and it’s full of passion. Passionate people fuel me. I always try to find local artists who are truly passionate about what they do. That kind of energy feeds me. I buy from them, I talk to them. And for me, this is one way I recharge my creativity and reconnect with my passion.

11. What inspired you to write your book, Becoming Miss Right? What do you hope readers take away from it?

Becoming Miss Right came from hearing people always looking for “Mr. Right,” thinking a man will complete or fulfill you. But the truth is, you are the only one who can fulfill you.

Yes, we need men. It’s beautiful to fall in love, but at the end of the day, we are responsible for our own happiness. Becoming Miss Right is understanding that you have the power to make your dreams come true. You can have it all, maybe not at the same time.

I get judged a lot since I’m a mom of two boys, and I travel a lot. People say, “You’re not a good mom.” I realize that there’s no perfect way to live. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, and because I pursue my dreams, I’m a better mother.

But my boys are amazing. I involve them in everything. My business may be a legacy, but my biggest legacy is them. I teach them to give from overflow, to be grateful, and to serve others. Even as kids, they’ve helped with my charity work and scholarship program.

I have been crucified for not being the “typical mom.” People called me superficial, materialistic, despite all the charity I do behind the scenes. It used to hurt. But I learned that in life, you have to make sure you’re happy and at peace with your choices.

That is one of the superpowers I’ve gained. I still get affected, but I don’t let the noise control me. I used to waste energy proving people wrong. Now, I just listen to myself: What do I want, and why?

That’s what Becoming Miss Right is about. I want readers to ask: Who am I? What are my dreams? I want them to believe they’re capable of anything, and to be brutally honest about their strengths and weaknesses. Because at the end of the day, you are the only one who will answer to your choices.

12. Is there any quote or mantra that you live by?

Here’s an old one that I love: “From confidence comes courage, from courage comes change.”

Remember, confidence means knowing, loving, and accepting who you are. It is all about remembering who you are and just being you, because it is always between you and your God.

A social impact entrepreneur and a phenomenal author, Demee Koch represents the true value of beauty with principles. As a woman of color, she has faced numerous challenges and glided through them with a smile. Demee believes that as a cosmetic brand owner, it’s her responsibility to uplift women. This dream was the central impetus behind her conscious beauty movement, which encourages smart beauty solutions via self-love. Hence, the tale of DE MOI’s rise under the graceful watch of Demee Koch is truly iconic.