Christine Ly and Olivya Soth: Inside the Multi-Million Dollar Quest to Turn Viral ASMR Slime Into a Global Gen-Z Empire

As a part of our series called “My Life as a TwentySomething Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christine Ly and Olivya Soth.

As first generation, Gen-Z slime creators, they are proud of the unique slimes they’ve created and shared with the world. Their passions have allowed them to incorporate parts of themselves into the work, resulting in unique slimes that reflect their interests and personalities. They are grateful that they can create a space of joy and relaxation where others can tap into their inner child and simply enjoy the moment.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?

It was 2016 and I was binge scrolling through Instagram one night. I came across a video of someone playing with a weird slime. It was a Thai slime account so I didn’t understand anything they were saying, but I just knew I wanted to poke at it. I immediately googled “slime recipes” and started to experiment with different textures. I continued this for months until one day I created, what I thought, was a really pretty glitter slime. Naturally, I made an instagram account to post photos of it. This is where it all started. Slime was relatively new at the time, so my account blew up really quickly. A few months later, I created the first ever butter slime texture, which I called “Butter OG”. I began to sell slimes from my room and the restocks sold out in minutes. Shortly afterwards, I quit my job as an Accounts Payable Specialist, dropped out of college and rented out my first warehouse. From there, the demand for slimes grew and we continued to expand into a multi-million dollar business.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company? What lessons or takeaways did you take out of that story?

Our Instagram was hacked a few years ago. I tried to log in one day and the entire account was deactivated! Luckily, we were in contact with someone from Instagram and she helped us get our account back within a few days. It was so scary. Key takeaway from that story: two-factor authentication! Always!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our name “Slime OG” was initially inspired by a strain of marijuana. When we first started out, our slimes were only named after marijuana strains. We quickly had to transition into more PG friendly slimes. However, more recently we’ve released adult and unconventional themed restocks. For example: dirt scented slimes, cleaning supply scented slimes, sunblock scented slimes, cocktail inspired slimes, etc.

Our aesthetic also makes us stand out. I have a specific style to the way I film and edit video content. Everything has to look (and sound) aesthetically pleasing including the background, the slime, the lighting, the asmr, etc.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

We would not be where we are today if I had never met my now best friend and OG Slimes co-owner, Olivya Soth. We met on a spontaneous trip to Japan in 2019. At the time, I was struggling as a small business owner because I was juggling a dozen things on my own. She stepped in and helped me grow the business to where we are today plus more.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

Yes! We’re currently working on releasing slime subscription boxes. This is a first for us and we are excited to release unique, limited edition slimes monthly.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Our products and ASMR video content help both adults and children to relieve stress and anxiety, heal their inner child, and more. There are a lot of slime benefits that people tend to underlook. Through our success, we are also able to employ and take care of similar women (our employees) who make up the OG Slimes team. At just 25 years old, we’re proud to say we operate a successful company that offers healthcare, dentalcare, PTO, free lunches, a safe and relaxed work environment, etc.

Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?

A book that has made a notable impact on my life is called “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I’ve read this book throughout different phases and ages in my life and have always received a fresh perspective on the universe and human nature.

Can you share 5 of the most difficult and most rewarding parts of being a “TwentySomething founder”.

1 . Rewarding: Being able to buy a house at 22

2 . Rewarding: Being able to provide for ourselves and employ/help others

3 . Rewarding: All of the life and business learnings

4 . Difficult: Not having a normal life compared to others our age; having different struggles

5 . Difficult: Older men (and sometimes women, but especially men) not taking us seriously

What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty year old who is looking to found a business?

Always believe in yourself. Be willing to accept help because it’s impossible to do everything on your own. Prioritize your mental health because your company can’t be successful if you’re not taking care of yourself.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

We are so blessed to be included in a space where big names will read our story! However, we don’t have one particular person in mind, since there is an opportunity to learn from every person you meet. What’s meant for us will find us (and we love brunch).

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

https://ogslimes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/slime_og/

https://www.tiktok.com/@ogslimes

https://www.youtube.com/@slime_og

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.