When Les Balibat (MBA 24) was initially accepted to PLNU’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) he planned on using the degree as a stepping stone toward a promotion.
“Being born and raised in the Philippines meant that success for me was choosing the safe path,” Balibat said. “So I studied IT and moved into logistics after college. I figured I would climb the corporate ladder and the next step in that journey was to get an MBA.”
But after his first few class sessions, Balibat noticed his perspective starting to shift.
“When you’re doing something because you have a purpose it completely shifts everything,” Balibat said. “I started seeing the program from a completely different point of view.”
Balibat’s original goal for returning to higher education transformed completely when he realized he would be able to take measurable steps toward starting a skincare brand that he had previously been researching.
“I was used to doing things by the book and thinking that’s the best way to do them,” Balibat said. “When my classmates started sharing their experiences, I started noticing business is way more nuanced.”
As classes progressed, Balibat learned there was a strong community aspect to his program. From the professors to his classmates, everyone was committed to making the experience as valuable as possible. Their investment went beyond merely earning another degree.
“Everyone was sharing their experiences so I felt comfortable sharing mine as well,” Balibat said. “We all had challenges and takeaways and things to relate to.”
The further Balibat got into his program the more his goals, leadership skills, and business philosophy continued to grow and change.
“Something that someone in my cohort said that really made an impact on me was, ‘If you have to choose between the right thing and the kind thing, always do the kind thing’,” Balibat said.
“Something that someone in my cohort said that really made an impact on me was, ‘If you have to choose between the right thing and the kind thing, always do the kind thing’.”
“That really stuck with me. There were so many takeaways from people like that and the network you gain from a program like this is invaluable. It’s immeasurable, I couldn’t put it into words how much value there is.”
As he entered his second and final year of graduate school, Balibat found the motivation and partners he needed to start building out the business plan for a skincare brand focused on simpler routines and better price points.
As a part of his entrepreneurship course, Balibat and his classmates were asked to create a business plan. Frank Marshall, DBA, professor of management at PLNU, suggested he use his previous research on skincare to his advantage and create a business plan around the work he had already done.
Balibat’s earlier investigation into the skincare industry came as a result of his first visit back home to the Philippines for his sister’s wedding in 2022.
Balibat’s mom always loved skincare when he was younger, but as her usual products continued to go up in price, she decided to stop using them. When Balibat returned to the Philippines, he noticed she wasn’t following her regular regimen.
“I decided to try and find her something to use before I left town,” Balibat said. He started driving around town trying to find good options.
“I remember thinking, ‘these are all so bad — they’re so expensive and they’re in these tiny bottles,’” Balibat said. “That sparked my research into skincare. I remember telling my sister that maybe I could do something with a brand and launch in the Philippines.”
Balibat held on to that idea as he returned to the U.S. and enrolled in the MBA program at PLNU. At the time it seemed like a very heavy lift to take the idea from concept to reality.
“I started doubting myself during this process,” Balibat said. “There was a lot more research to do and Dr. Frank [Marshall] became my go-to person if I had questions about specifics.
“On the day I pitched the final concept to my class, I had two people in my cohort approach me. They said, ‘If you’re going to do this we would like to participate,’” Balibat said.
From there, Balibat and his two classmates, Dalton Kinney (22, MBA 24) and Valerie Guerrero (19, MA 24) started working through their final semester of classes while putting together all the assessments on supply chain, operations, finances, return on investment, and more. It became the focus of all their assignments in class. As they learned a concept, they applied it to their growing business plan.
With the full support of their professors and the opportunity to use their classmates as tester groups, Balibat and his team achieved their target satisfaction percentage and were in the assembling phase by midterms.
“We had our first official meeting as a company at the Starbucks in Mission Valley,” Balibat said. “We had everything filled out and we were a few clicks away when the doubts came back and we started asking questions again.”
They started to rehash numbers and figures, and the legal ramifications, when Guerrero asked a single question: What is our purpose?
“That’s when it was like, ‘OK, this is not just all about the numbers, we have a reason for doing this and it goes back to the story — the idea of being confident about yourself.’ I want others to feel that,” Balibat said.
“That’s when it was like, ‘OK, this is not just all about the numbers, we have a reason for doing this and it goes back to the story — the idea of being confident about yourself.’
After a quick selfie to mark the occasion, Balibat and his team submitted their information to start You C & Skin.
“We wanted to build a community where skincare gives back — not just in the U.S., but globally,” Balibat said. “Since we’ve started, we’ve been able to partner with some great organizations that we feel good about pledging to.”
As a fairly new company, Balibat and his team hope to continue growing You C & Skin by reaching out to individual estheticians in the San Diego area and meeting their target market in unique locations.
“We have a partnership with a local gym and we do pop ups with coffee shops,” Balibat said. “Any place where you might find urban professionals.
“It’s unconventional, but that’s part of profiling our target market. We’re asking ourselves how we can show up where they already are.”
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned through this journey is to share the story rather than sell the product. If you can share something that resonates with people and something they can relate to, you’re going to be a great entrepreneur.”
In keeping with their philosophy as a company, Balibat, Kinney, and Guerrero are continuing to expand their product line slowly and intentionally. By building thoughtful, science-backed products and understanding their spending needs and capacities they hope to continue to scale their presence in San Diego.
