“I launched my business when I was 13, and I had no clue what was going on,” said Jungmin Kang. Jungmin is the founder of Snoopslimes, and she made this statement in a recent interview with PEOPLE.
Starting a business can be chaotic, especially for someone as young as Kang. Now 18, Kang runs Snoopslimes, a trendy slime toy company with almost 2 million followers on Instagram. The company also makes millions of dollars in annual sales.
Following the Trend
Just by checking out Snoopslimes’ social media, you’ll understand why they have so many fans. Kang Jungmin’s slimes mix crafts and food, the two are big hits on Instagram.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
Even though you can’t eat Kang’s slime, their Instagram is packed with colourful slime that looks like yummy desserts. Kang Jungmin basically made art out of slime.
Kang Jugmin’s Inspiration
Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamt of being an entrepreneur,” Kang, a high school senior, said in her interview.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
“I experimented with different things like making craft videos online and selling stickers to friends. Then, in 2017, I stumbled upon an inspiring video on Instagram’s Explore page.” “I knew about Silly Putty and Slime, but I didn’t realise people sold it or made it themselves to sell,” she said.
Slime by Kang Jungmin: The Grueling Process
I wanted to see why it was highly hyped. So, I decided to try making my own slime at home. “At first, it was messy and didn’t turn out well. But after trying different recipes and making lots of mistakes, I finally found one that was good enough to sell.” Kang explained.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
When Kang was 13 years old and in seventh grade, she asked her parents for $200 to kickstart her business idea.
A Satisfying Result
She started by making and selling slime on Etsy. She then utilised her social media skills to expand her brand. Kang Jungmin started by sharing satisfying videos of herself playing with the slime.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
She recorded and posted these videos with her iPhone. Within a month of posting these videos, she made her first sale. As her videos gained popularity, she amassed over 1 million followers within the first year. This led to increased sales for her business.
The Power of Social Media
In her words during the interview with PEOPLE, Kang said, “After a month of posting, I got my first sale. Soon after, my videos just continuously became viral. I’m pretty sure I gained over 1 million followers the first year just by posting. I got a lot of sales from that.”
Source: Snoopslime/YouTube
As the Snoopslimes brand, inspired by Kang’s pet bunny “Snoop,” began to grow, Kang turned to social media for ideas.
The Strategy Adopted by Kang Jungmin
“I noticed I needed to come up with unique concepts to make cool videos. I believed it would help me sell better products than my competitors,” she says.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
“Being part of Gen Z is a good thing. I could spend a lot of time on social media, and I started exploring viral trends to incorporate into slime.”
“For example, on TikTok, there was this popular trend with feta cheese pasta. I decided to recreate it using slime textures and ingredients, and it turned out to be a hit,” Kang explains.
Studying the Trends
“Following viral trends works well. This is because everyone is interested in them. I look at trending songs, hobbies, and desserts and then try to replicate them with the materials I have.”
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
Even though Kang’s successful business started on social media, she believes her parents played a crucial role. She believes they both ignited her interest in entrepreneurship from a young age.
“It’s interesting because my dad used to be into investing,” Kang explains.
Parental Guidance
She reminisced about her childhood in South Korea and her current life in Texas. “When I was 6, I didn’t understand the numbers. However, I always asked my father about them when he returned from work.”
Her father always encouraged her to pursue her own business ventures rather than working for someone else. Now, she not only employs her parents but also many others.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
“He always said that being a CEO or entrepreneur allows you to grow your own business and bring your own ideas to life,” she remembers.
Kang Jungmin and Her Cultural Heritage
Kang would be heading to the University of Texas at Austin for college soon. She uses her slime-making hobby to showcase her Korean heritage. At first, she stuck to making basic slimes, but she worried people wouldn’t be interested in her culture.
Source: Snoopslimes/Instagram
However, she soon realised the value of embracing her background and drawing inspiration from it. One of her slime designs is based on a Korean candy called Dalgona. The movie gained attention from the TV show Squid Game. Despite some thinking it’s from the show, Kang Jungmin explains it’s actually a traditional Korean snack she enjoyed while growing up in Korea.