Korin Korman Built the First Aromatherapy Spa & Reimagined Beauty in America

In Episode 14 of Uncorked: Wine, Business, and Life, hosts Bill Green and Gerald Colton sit down with visionary entrepreneur Korin Korman — founder of the first aromatherapy spa in the U.S., creator of the iconic 3000 BC brand, and the powerhouse behind Body + Beauty Lab, a trailblazing med spa now partnered with Jefferson Health and expanding across the country.

Korin shares her remarkable journey — from pitching her business at Wharton and launching with just $108,000, to reinventing the wellness space, pioneering aromatherapy in America, and now leading a national med spa brand with plans for 30+ locations.

Introduction of Korin Korman

Welcome to Uncorked Wine Business and Life with Bill Green. I’m Jerrold Colton, the co-host, and we are here in the barrel room at his beautiful winery, Saddle Hill in Voorhees, New Jersey. It is a little bit chilly, so we are bundled up over on this side of the room.

Bill, introduce today's guest. I know you've been so excited. I have known Korin Korman for a zillion years, probably north of 30 or 40 because of my relationship with her husband Larry and their family business.

Korin has been so impressive to me because she is one of those busy people who gets things done. She runs a business, has three awesome kids, and has built a cool business that has pivoted over the years. Korin has been in the beauty business for approximately 32 years.

She isn't just in it because she’s beautiful; she actually has a line of products and services. Korin, why don't you talk about the business and how it has evolved?

The Origins of 3000 BC

It started back when I was a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton. My undergraduate years were at Duke University, and that’s where I met my husband. Then I went to Wharton, got my MBA, and had an idea for a holistic health and wellness concept that I presented to the entrepreneurship department.

At the time, it was the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center. It’s changed over the years, but I won an award there. It was actually the last investment made by the trustees at the University of Pennsylvania. I didn't know that.

It was the last investment made by the Wharton School. After me, I must have done something crazy because they didn't invest in any students after me. It became more like a Shark Tank, where now it is a grant.

I took the money and opened up a small boutique in Chestnut Hill. The original brand was called 3000 BC, based on the concept of ancient Egypt. I created it on the concept of aromatherapy.

It was back at a time when the culture utilized essential oils in all aspects of life. It was the ancient Egyptians—holistic health and wellness utilized in ancient rituals, religion, and obviously in beauty.

We went into the archives in the museum at the University of Pennsylvania and looked at the beauty of the jewels and how they structured things. I had never been to Egypt and still haven’t to this day, but I looked even at the museum up in New York.

We saw the beautiful colors of the lapis, the gold, and the onyx, and we incorporated that into the boutiques. Because everything is so precious, it looks like jewelry.

I’m so blown away. This is called entrepreneurship. I’m blown away by the concept and the fact that it wasn't a Cleopatra movie that motivated you. It’s just fabulous.

Entrepreneurial Challenges and Early Innovation

I am curious what the world was like 30 years ago for a woman starting out a business like that. As a young lady, it must have been a little bit different than it is now.

It was very difficult for me, honestly. It was a family and friends round and Penn. I had $108,000 that I started with. I opened an absolutely beautiful, stunning location in Chestnut Hill that looked like it came out of Manhattan.

Two or three years later, I knew that initially the products were from leaders in the world of aromatherapy. Back then there was no internet, so I had to look at the backs of books to find who the leaders were in botanical skincare. They were in Europe.

Eventually, I realized I could do it myself. I needed to figure out how I was going to know what products to make and how to make them the best botanical products in the world. I realized I was going to have to experiment on people.

To do that, I created a small little day spa. This was the beginning of day spas. I opened up a little aromatherapy spa, the first in the United States. After that, it just became a journey.

I experimented with a lot over the years. I was the first aromatherapy body line, first aromatherapy day spa, and first aromatherapy baby line. We were the first botanical line on drugstore.com in the beginning of the internet.

I rolled out more than one location back in the day and experimented with a lot of different things in Chestnut Hill. Being in Philly, it’s not New York. I think had I been in Manhattan, I would have been on a different trajectory.

My family was in Philly, so I took my time. It was a different growth model. Eventually, I was wholesaling my products everywhere I went. I was in Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue and some big spas across the country. I’d gotten into some of the Disney properties.

This went on for years. You have had a series of pivots, and I think that’s the greatest lesson that our listeners are going to want to hear about. When things weren't working, you changed the growth pattern.

The Transition to Medical Aesthetics

Eventually, I realized as I was aging, my demographic and client base were aging. I realized I had to get more involved in the medical end of this. I brought on a medical director and relocated to downtown Philly.

I rebranded under a new name called body+beauty lab. It was a handshake deal with the chairman of Jefferson Health. It said body+beauty lab, powered by Jefferson Health. I was the first med spa that ever collaborated with a medical center.

When I think med spa, I think Botox or a medical massage. We actually stopped doing massages; it became much more medical-based. We do skincare, lasers, chemical peels, and all types of injectable services.

We brought in nurse practitioners, PAs, and collaborated with facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons at Jefferson. What was different about body+beauty lab—and I don’t even know how I trademarked that name because it’s such a generic name—is that I brought over some of the holistic components.

We diffuse essential oils in the lobby and utilize some of them in the services. There is still an element of that there. I didn’t abandon all of it.

Do you make your own essential oils? I have an extraordinary botanical lab in Northern California. I do have a lab, a private label skincare brand, and state-of-the-art clinical products that we sell.

Do you do lavender essential oils? Is that too basic? It’s very basic and too much of a commodity. I used to carry over 100 essential oils back in the 3000 BC days, but I don't do that anymore. You can buy essential oils online or at Whole Foods.

I am going to be relaunching some body care products soon for the brand that I have now. And you have some things in the pipeline we can't talk about yet?

Strategic Partnerships and Expansion

About two years ago, I did collaborate with a private equity fund. We have two locations in the Philadelphia area, one in West Palm Beach, and we are opening a body+beauty lab in the Bal Harbour area. The goal is 30 new locations.

So I don't have to go to the mall to get my Botox anymore? Do not go to the mall. You have to get great providers. That is so critical. There are too many people out there doing that now. It is super important that you have the best providers because you can get injured.

Wine Tasting at Saddle Hill

We’re going to take a little timeout here because we are wine, business, and life. We're going to interject the wine part. Our first wine is the first reserve wine we made here at Saddle Hill. It is the 2022 Saddle Hill Vintners Reserve.

It is a classic Bordeaux blend of five different grapes. I want to hear what you have to say about it. It’s very delicious. That’s a Jersey wine made right here in Voorhees. It smells good and has a great nose.

As people have been commenting to Bill, it is getting better over time. Bill thinks in 10 years it is going to be at its premium point. I definitely won't have any left by then. I just got back from Capri, and this would have been great with that pasta.

Amy and I talk a lot about Italian wine. Almost any wine from Italy with the right pasta is good, whether it’s ten bucks a bottle or a thousand. Speaking of which, would you like to try the next one?

This is Quilceda Creek from Washington, and it has a very similar profile to our wine. It will be interesting to get your viewpoint on a wine that sells for about $150 a bottle compared to the Saddle Hill wine, which is $69.

Keep in mind this wine is a 2012, so it's 13 years old. Bill is really dispelling the prejudice against Jersey wines. As you try that on the heels of the first, is there a big difference to you?

It’s not really that big of a difference. It’s good, but I think Saddle Hill holds its own very much so. You happen to live next to a winery called Karamoor Estate in Pennsylvania.

Living in an Architectural Masterpiece

Larry and Korin live in a home that has amazing history. Architecturally, it was designed by Louis Kahn. It was the last project he completed before he died in 1974.

He is known worldwide. The house is visited from all over the world constantly; we have architects coming to see it. We have lived in that house since 1998 and raised our family there.

The really cool thing about it is it was built for Larry's father. It’s super contemporary and timeless. It’s art. She lives in a piece of art.

The Evolution of Female Entrepreneurship

I’ve watched a metamorphosis of women in a lot of ways. You were this intelligent young lady, Duke and Wharton educated, going into the business world as a female entrepreneur. You said that was difficult, and I think there are still certain difficulties. I want to hear how that has progressed through the years.

It’s challenging. I was the speaker at Drexel University's graduating class for the School of Entrepreneurship a few years back, and that’s what I talked about. I based it on Winston Churchill’s speech about never giving up.

You cannot give up. You have to stay focused, visualize, and stay very true to your vision. It is an extra difficult thing if you're a woman, though maybe it’s gotten a little bit easier.

Philly is challenging in that they really look for technology-based companies. It might be less challenging in Manhattan where there are more companies based on fashion and consumer products. But you just have to stay true to your vision.

If there is still prejudice against women out there, people are missing the boat. It’s been great to watch that change from my mother’s generation where she was an extremely brilliant woman, but she didn’t think of going into business. I think if she had one regret in life, it was that.

There’s a saying: select, project, expect, collect. You just have to stay true to that vision and stay on that path. Just curious, what was the makeup of your Wharton class? Was it a split, or were there more guys?

There were more guys. We've come a long way. I had some fun people around me; the Warby Parker crew was after me, but there were some interesting people in my graduating group.

Resilience and Personal Motivation

Let’s flip back to business. Your business model had to change a few times. Larry’s family business is big and he works a lot, and you have the kids. Was there a period where you felt kicked down? What made you not give up?

I don’t know. Something inside of me kept pushing to just keep going. I believed deeply in what I was doing, and I think our patients loved what we were producing. They were happy and enjoyed what we created for them.

The people who worked with me enjoyed their jobs, and we created a lot of jobs over the years. That’s the true entrepreneurship. You have issues, you pivot, and you fix it. The spirit was head down, keep going.

You have a very successful husband and married into a successful family. How did you stay motivated when you didn't necessarily have to work so hard? How were you able to balance marriage and raising kids with two busy entrepreneurial parents?

I came to our marriage with a vision and the motivation to succeed and have my own thing. I came from a family of very hard workers. My father was a successful orthopedic surgeon and my mother worked her whole life, too. It was just inherent in me.

I managed the balance and was always around. I never sacrificed and never felt like I had to choose. I managed to handle that somehow.

Exceptional Vintages and Personal Tastes

We are going to toast. This next wine is one of my favorites. 1989 was a classic year for this vineyard. This is called Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1989. It is an amazing Bordeaux wine. It’s going to be a lot different than the last wine.

That’s pretty special. Am I taking this one to dinner? When you go out to dinner and order a glass of wine, what do you typically order?

Typically, I like Chardonnay. There you go. The production guys were betting on it. I saw your grins over there!

Future Innovations and Final Advice

Korin, Duke basketball in the 80s—you must have had a lot of enjoyment rooting for them. That was when Coach K first came to Duke, and the Duke we know today was really born then.

Your story is so fabulous. I saw how you lit up when you started talking about what you do for your customers. Making them feel good must drive you just as much as the economical part.

It’s never really been about the money. It’s always been about what I can do for the next step. There is a new chapter I’m working on right now for women’s health, and I think this is going to be a massive game-changer.

It involves a utility design patent and it is going to help women of all ages. When you're ready to talk about it, we’ll have you back.

Bill, I know you feel the same way about Saddle Hill. You get so much satisfaction from people. I went into this knowing there were going to be a lot of moving parts. Sometimes I get overwhelmed.

But when I get an email or a message on social media about how a customer felt when they came here—how they drive into Voorhees and feel like they're in Napa—it matters. People coming from Philly, 12 miles away, saying "holy smokes, look at this place."

It is our little slice of paradise. Even when I get discouraged, I look at those messages and look at the vision. I just keep going. It’s incredible what you’ve built here.

In raising your kids or any others, what advice would you give them about a career path based on what you’ve learned? You have to love what you're doing. If you don't love what you're doing, stop and find a path that makes you happy.

You are still obviously loving what you're doing. Bill loves what he’s doing, and both of you continue to drive forward with new ideas. We look forward to hearing about that next chapter.

On behalf of Bill Green from Saddle Hill Winery, I’m Jerrold Colton. We really appreciate Korin Korman joining us. We’ll see you next time on Uncorked.