About this episode
Julie Chung is an ophthalmologist and the co-founder of the hair-tool company T3. Even while in med school to become a glaucoma and cataract surgeon, Chung always put effort into her hair in the mornings. However, her go-to hair dryer was ineffective and heavy. As a gift to Chung, her now-husband Kent Yu took it upon himself to create a lighter, sleeker model with innovative technology to combat frizz. Realizing the white space in haircare, Chung then designed a marketing strategy that positioned the hair dryer as a beautiful, luxe item. Thus, T3 was born and was an immediate success. The brand sold out multiple times and eventually had retailers who’d shunned it at first calling to stock its product. In the years that followed, Chung and Yu designed flat irons, curling irons, and other products, all in T3’s signature polished style. This year, they celebrated 20 years of T3 and launched their first hot-air styler, the T3 Aire 360. Chung still practices medicine but is increasing her time with T3 as she looks to the future of her independently owned brand.