For many entrepreneurs, the spark to build something extraordinary begins with a personal story. For Amy Liu, founder and CEO of Tower 28 Beauty, that spark was ignited through decades of hard work, cultural experiences, and a desire to change how beauty is defined and delivered. Today, Tower 28 is one of the fastest-growing names in clean beauty, known for products that are not only skin-friendly but also culturally inclusive. But Liu’s road to success was anything but traditional.
From Wrapping Paper to Boardrooms
Long before she became the face of a trailblazing beauty brand, Amy Liu was a teenager learning life lessons in unexpected places. Her very first job was at a stationery store, where she wrapped holiday gifts for busy shoppers. That simple role taught her something she still values today: presentation matters. Later, while working at a payroll company during college, she faced the daunting task of cold-calling small businesses. Rather than relying on scripts alone, she brought in a toaster oven, baked cookies, and offered them to prospects. The strategy worked—people listened.
Looking back, Liu credits these early jobs with giving her a core skillset: empathy, creativity, and persistence. More importantly, she learned that people respond to solutions that make their lives easier, not just products on a shelf.
The Turning Point: Believing in Herself
Despite spending nearly 20 years working in the beauty industry, Liu hesitated to start her own brand. She knew the market was competitive, and like many professionals, she struggled with self-doubt. The breakthrough came when she read Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, a book that encouraged her to stop questioning her worth and instead ask why she couldn’t be the one to lead.
This mindset shift was transformative. For Liu, entrepreneurship stopped being a distant dream and became a challenge she was ready to embrace. With Tower 28, she committed herself not only to building a company but also to redefining what beauty could look like for people of every skin tone and background.
Family Roots and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Liu’s courage wasn’t formed in isolation—it was shaped by her family. Her father, an immigrant who built his own business in the U.S., demonstrated both the excitement and struggles of entrepreneurship. She saw firsthand that success comes with risks and resilience. Her mother, on the other hand, took a quieter approach to work, rarely discussing her job as an auditor. Between the two, Liu inherited a strong work ethic and a desire to create something that truly mattered.
Representation as a Mission
As an Asian American woman, Liu felt the weight of underrepresentation in the beauty space. Too often, the industry upheld narrow standards, ignoring real skin concerns or treating inclusivity as an afterthought. Liu wanted to change that.
Her philosophy became simple but powerful: “You have to see it to be it.” Tower 28 wasn’t just about cosmetics—it was about creating products that reflected diverse faces, ages, and skin types. This mission resonated with customers who were tired of being left out of mainstream beauty conversations.
Building With Intention, Not Perfection
Like any entrepreneur, Liu faced countless opinions—on packaging, branding, and product launches. Even her own brother, an architect, once criticized her logo. But Liu learned an important leadership lesson: feedback is valuable, but not all feedback applies. By filtering advice through the lens of Tower 28’s core mission, she built a brand identity that was authentic, not trend-driven.
Her ability to balance listening with decisiveness has become one of her hallmarks as a CEO.
The Reality of Leadership
Behind the glamour of running a beauty company, Liu’s daily life is far from flawless. She admits her email inbox is rarely at zero. Instead of striving for perfection, she uses tools like Superhuman for efficiency and leans on Slack for team communication. For Liu, leadership isn’t about micromanaging every detail—it’s about keeping her focus on the bigger picture.
Creating Color for Every Face
One of Tower 28’s most exciting collaborations came when Liu worked with Toni Bravo, a content creator celebrated as the “CEO of blush.” Together, they created blush shades that were bold, wearable, and truly inclusive. Every shade underwent meticulous testing to ensure it didn’t look ashy on deeper skin tones or overly warm on fairer ones. This collaboration embodied Liu’s mission: beauty products that feel good, look good, and work for everyone.
Living the Dream—with Honesty
Today, Liu calls her role her “dream job,” but she doesn’t sugarcoat the reality. Entrepreneurship is demanding, unpredictable, and often overwhelming. Yet, it also gives her the chance to create products that help people feel confident in their own skin. That purpose, more than profits, fuels her journey.
The Legacy She’s Building
Amy Liu is not just building a brand—she’s building a movement. Tower 28 represents accessibility, inclusivity, and authenticity in an industry that often prioritizes perfection over reality. Her journey from a gift-wrapping teen to the CEO of a multimillion-dollar beauty brand proves that success is not linear—it’s about persistence, courage, and a willingness to rewrite the rules.
In Liu’s own story lies a message for every aspiring entrepreneur: the most powerful businesses are born when you dare to bring your truest self into the world.
