AAPI Heritage Month: Strange Bird Beauty

by Sara Wennerstrom / May 01, 2023

May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and our team here at SENREVE is proud to celebrate the rich culture and contributions of the AAPI community. As an AAPI-owned business, we plan to honor this month by highlighting fellow AAPI founders and brands. To start off the series, our first feature is with Tina Chow Rudolf, founder of Strange Bird Beauty.


What inspired you to start your business?

Tina: I'm a selfcare junkie. I love all forms of it and could devote hours daily to it. Then, I got pregnant and had my first child. Then, I got pregnant again and had my second. Needless to say, gone were the days of two hour meditations and baths. However, washing my face and moisturizing was something I was still able to prioritize and I wanted to create a product that helped women deepen the time they actually took to look in the mirror, slow down, focus on themselves...even if it was just 4-5 minutes. Strange Bird's mission is to do just that. To take something women do daily and transform it from a routine into a ritual of true introspection, reflection and connection...we call our products meditation in a bottle.


How does your AAPI heritage influence your brand and products?

Tina: Well all of our products are rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and ancient beauty traditions passed on from generation to generation within my family. Growing up, my mother taught me very early on the importance of skincare and how certain herbs like gojiberry, ginger, and ginseng could help in improving complexion and maintaining a healthy appearance of the skin. We now use those three ingredients in all of our products—we call them our G-Team.


In what ways do you aim to celebrate and uplift the AAPI community through your business?

Tina: One of the most important reasons why I started Strange Bird was for my daughter. I wanted to create a brand that she could see herself in. Representation is critical to our mental health and I vowed that an asian face would always be front and center in our marketing and website. Of course Strange Bird is for everyone who feels aligned to our ethos and philosophy...we hope to inspire all people to embrace their strange and celebrate what makes them unique. However, as a Chinese American who never saw myself represented in the spaces around me growing up, I am making this a priority for my daughter.


What advice would you give to other AAPI entrepreneurs who are just starting out?

Tina: Probably the same advice I'd give anyone. Be gentle with yourself. Starting your own business is like anything on your journey in this life...it's a learning, unfolding, healing and reinvention. And, all that takes time. As you change, so will your business, create space for that. The more work you do on yourself, the easier it will be to honor your true vision and share your true gifts. Take your time and feel your way through.


We are so grateful for Tina Chow Rudolf's insights and contributions to the AAPI community through Strange Bird Beauty. We hope that her story inspires other AAPI entrepreneurs and encourages your continued support of AAPI-owned brands. 


Stay tuned for more blog features throughout AAPI Heritage Month!

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