Success Story: WeHitPan Beauty

Engineer Builds Beauty Business One Influencer Product at a Time

Location: Southern California | Los Angeles County | Rancho Palos Verdes 

Business Type: E-Commerce, Beauty Products 

CalOSBA Partner: El Camino College SBDC 

Assistance Received: Financial Planning, Marketing Strategy, and Accounting Systems 

California State Assembly District: 66 

California State Senate District: 24 

Visit WeHitPan Beauty online 

Sandra Rhee, a self-described beauty junkie, founded WeHitPan as an online site that sells the latest brands favored by TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram influencers. She has a background in civil engineering but decided she wanted to dive full-time into her business. 

The name ” WeHitPan” comes from a term used in the makeup community. “Hit pan” happens when a product starts to run out and you can see the bottom of the container, which primarily applies to shadows, blushes, and powders. It’s a badge of honor among beauty enthusiasts, signifying a well-loved product used to the very last bit. 

Sandra’s focus is on providing exclusive, hard-to-find makeup and skincare products that aren’t available in mainstream stores. She carefully selects each product based on its uniqueness, influencer endorsements, and customer reviews. But while her passion for beauty products was clear, Sandra needed help understanding the business fundamentals to make WeHitPan sustainable and profitable. 

That’s when Sandra connected with the El Camino College SBDC for assistance with her financials. Advisor Charlie Lowe worked with Sandra to create an accurate profit and loss statement to determine her breakeven point and establish a realistic sales goal. He also provided assistance with how to best market her brand, create an email database, and track marketing data to measure results from her campaigns. 

Sandra also received assistance with her website and social media. Advisor Chermelle Edwards helped Sandra with branding, content, and strategy which included creating themes for each month.  

Accounting advisor Maureen Thielen provided information on the synchronization of Shopify with QuickBooks Simple Start and explained how to use Wave apps. She advised Sandra on how to set up her accounting system and track cash flow and inventory. 

As a result of the SBDC’s assistance, Sandra’s sales have steadily increased and she is able to accurately determine her sales and profit. What started as a passion project has grown into a thriving e-commerce business, bringing hard-to-find beauty products from social media’s most trusted influencers directly to customers across the country. She has since opened a small storefront for customers to test perfumes themselves in Huntington Beach California.  

Check out Sandra’s blog about opening the storefront in the link above and be sure to explore her site at WeHitPan Beauty to discover exclusive makeup and skincare products you won’t find in mainstream stores.  

And, if you are inspired by Sandra’s story and looking for support in the South Bay, check out the El Camino College SBDC. As part of the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, they provide individualized consulting and training to new and growing businesses. Services include no-cost one-on-one consultations with business experts, assistance with financial planning, marketing strategy, and applying for business loans.  

1/27/2026