LSA100: Tastemaker Han Pin Ma breaks into the beauty space as the master of confidence

Entrepreneur and lifestyle guru, Han Pin Ma is a true Tastemaker — shaping trends and redefining the meaning of confidence with Gote.

The Gote-father, Han Pin needs no introduction. A fashion scene mainstay and social media lifestyle personality, he seamlessly embodies the persona of a skincare, fitness, and fashion maverick. If it’s hip, chances are Han Pin not only has it but has probably rocked it. But, one thing has made Han Pin stand out as the ultimate tastemaker — his entrepreneurial journey through Gote. 

Jane Chuck and PWRHOUSE aside, Han Pin is in his own path as he continues to make big ripples with his own brand, and he’s proud of it! The super-cool lifestyle brand has consistently made waves in the cultural zeitgeist since its inception in 2020. First, it made headlines as the talk of the town with Please Endurance Wipes. Then came Sense Deodorant, Breeze Breath Spray, and most recently Goteskin. Odd mix? Not really. These Gote releases all share a common mission: boosting your self-confidence.

“I want people to remember me as someone you can always rely on,” Han Pin confides in me. “I want to be someone you can always seek advice from. I want to be a role model”. His eyes light up as he’s sharing this little peek into his hopes and dreams. 

Sitting down with the fitness instructor and entrepreneur, we dive into his brainchild Gote, his aspirations and what lies ahead for him.

How has 2023 been for you and what are some of your highlights?

A lot of things happened in the last quarter of the year. Jane and I went to Paris Fashion Week for the very first time — and that was something I’ve never done before. For Gote, we launched Goteskin, which is the biggest launch for us in the past two years. It’s been an exciting year nevertheless.

Congratulations on Goteskin! What motivated this expansion into skincare? 

I’ve always been very passionate about skincare. Back in the day, I used to have really bad breakouts. At the time, I was just using body wash as a facial cleanser. Then, I began researching how to take care of my skin. I discovered that skincare isn’t something that is confusing. I see a lot of people being confused about what to do with their face when breakouts happen, so that’s why I ventured into skincare — finding solutions to an everyday problem. 

What is the brand ethos behind Gote?

I founded Gote because I want to make everyone feel confident. Let’s talk about our first product —which I’m sure everyone knows — the Please Endurance Wipes. When you last longer in bed, it boosts your confidence. After the wipes, we released a deodorant, then mouth spray, and now skincare. Everyone wants to present their best self, so we came up with products that can enhance a person’s confidence. And when someone uses Gote, I want them to feel their best. So, that’s basically the ethos behind our brand, you know?

In a market saturated with various brands, how does Gote set itself apart, and what strategies have you implemented to create a unique brand identity?

When we’re talking about how unique a brand is, I feel you hardly see brands that delve deep into your lifestyle — Gote does. We don’t focus on a certain category — we even have a pet line! I want Gote to be relatable. I don’t want it to be a brand that just says, “We’re selling skincare or we’re selling deodorant!”. All our products have a story and these are stories that you can easily relate to daily life. 

 

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Can you tell me an example of a story behind one of your products? The breath spray, for example?

I’m someone who goes to a lot of events, right? Sometimes you want to approach someone, but you’ll think to yourself, “I just had chicken rice. Will I smell bad? Should I stand closer, or should I just talk louder?”. With that, I felt like we needed to create a product that tackles this issue and is also aesthetically pleasing to look at. Right before you talk to anyone, just spray a few sprays and you can approach anyone confidently.

What challenges and opportunities have you encountered while establishing Gote?

A lot. Like, a lot. Building a brand has been very challenging and very new for me. For a brand to succeed, you need to set the branding properly in the beginning. Product formulation has been another big challenge for me, especially with the release of Goteskin. Everyone has different skin, and we’re only coming out with three products, so we have to formulate for it to be suitable for all skin types. The testing stage was very time-consuming. We handed out samples to a lot of people of different skin types to ensure that it’s safe for everyone. Another challenge I’ve faced is staff management. That’s something very new to me because when I was in retail, everything was pretty much on autopilot. You just hire people and they execute. But when it comes to building a brand, you have to listen to a lot of people. Right now, I’m in a position where I have to direct the company while listening and learning to a group of people. Back then, people listened to me! So, it’s a learning path.

Entrepreneurship often involves overcoming challenges. Can you share a key obstacle you faced while establishing Gote and how you navigated through it?

The biggest obstacle would be finding that middle ground with your staff. You can’t always see eye-to-eye; what I think might not be how they’d think. I have a background in finance, so I’m good at budgeting and numbers. They’re good at branding, marketing, and aesthetics. So, it’s always hard to find that middle ground. Building something beautiful always requires a lot of money. So, I’m always asking myself, “Is it really worth it to build something so beautiful?”. You always have to find that middle ground between aesthetics and budget. That’s one of the toughest and most challenging obstacles I’ve faced to this day.

Entrepreneurial journeys come with highs and lows. What has been the most rewarding moment for you in building Gote, and how has it shaped your vision for the brand’s future?

We sell on Shopee, so we are able to see the product reviews from consumers. It really touches me when I read that Gote has helped them gain confidence. I’ve read reviews that mention that because of our deodorant, they feel more comfortable wearing sleeveless tanks while exercising, or our breath sprays make them feel more confident when they talk to people. From the very beginning, we’ve always wanted to help someone regain their confidence. So, it really touches me, and it makes me push for more. I want to spread this energy because it feels good when you feel in charge, when you feel in control, and when you feel confident — it’s more beautiful than anything else.

What advice would you offer to young aspiring entrepreneurs based on your own experiences?

You have to have passion. At first, you may feel like passion won’t always bring you money and it’ll waste a lot of your time. Trust the process. You have to find your passion and stick to it because a lot of people start something, they get distracted and they just leave it. You’ve got to set a time frame and set goals. Give yourself three years, if it doesn’t work out then you can pivot to something else. But, what matters most is passion.

What’s next for you in 2024, professionally and personally?

Other than Gote, I have another brand — PWRHOUSE — and we’re looking to open up two to three more studios next year. We’re targeting to open one in KL city centre and another in Petaling Jaya. We’re also in talks with someone in Korea as well; hopefully, we’ll be able to sell the master franchise in Korea. To have a business overseas has always been a goal for me. For Gote, we’ll be focusing on Goteskin since we just launched. Aside from that, we’ll be looking to venture into offline sales such as supermarkets. Hopefully, by this time next year, we’ll have our own store. Personally, I’m looking to focus on my family. I barely see my parents, so I hope to spend more time with them. For Jane and me, we’re looking to expand our family. So, let’s hope for that!

LSA100: 100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones

Lifestyle Asia KL introduces LSA 100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwether of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rising Aces, The Trailblazers, The Disruptors, The Tastemakers and The Navigators. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2023, HERE. 

editor-in-chief & creative direction MARTIN TEO | words MALLIE MARAN | assisted by PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA & RONN TAN | photography EDMUND LEE | videography SIMON TAN | video editing JACKIE MAH | makeup KF BONG using YSL BEAUTY | hair MEI CHOI | stylist AZZA ARIF | wardrobe MARC JACOBS