Taneesa Williamson Unveiling Tammy’s entrepreneurial path in the industry, and what led to her decision to leave her old career behind.
A remarkable entrepreneur in the beauty and spa industry whose journey is fuelled by passion and a drive for female empowerment, Tammy Hee decided to leave her previous career path to become the exclusive distributor for Aromatherapy Associates. Now, Tammy has expanded her portfolio to include renowned brands Codage Paris and ESPA. Her decision to bring these brands under her wing stems from a deep appreciation for their premium ingredients, visible results, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
As an entrepreneurial woman, Tammy cherishes the solid relationships she has built with her customers, valuing their feedback and maintaining a sterling reputation. She has overcome challenges, such as the pandemic, by adapting her business and experiencing remarkable growth in online sales.
We sat down with Tammy to learn more about her career journey and what it’s like running a distribution business in the beauty and spa industry.
Tell us about what led to you entering the beauty and spa industry from your existing background?
Aromatherapy Associates co-founder Geraldine Howards inspired me a lot in the process of entering the industry, not just her brand but also her passion and values for aromatherapy and beauty. Geraldine is my career idol, and instills a strong message about female empowerment. Ten years ago, I know I should start venturing my dream to create my own business that I will enjoy and feel rewarded for every day. This is how I started with Aromatherapy Associates, I quit my full-time Chemical Engineering role, started the business from scratch, and became the exclusive distributor for the brand 10 years ago for the Australian region.
Amongst the large variety of skincare ranges, what led to the decision to take Codage and ESPA under your wing?
I believe every person’s skin is unique and we deserve something, such as skincare, to be fun. I like to focus on products that include premium ingredients and that are visibly effective and results-driven, which Codage Paris has it all!
Codage Paris is taking the idea of a chemical periodic table to create ‘beauty elements’ to help tailor to customer needs for their skin all year round. Another reason that drives me into the business (not just about the brand) is Codage’s co-founder Julien Azencott and Amandine’s vision and brand values that they hold. They treat and respect their business distributors highly, this is very important to make our business more sustainable. Codage Paris has an incredibly strong eco commitment to the planet. Same as ESPA from the UK, the multi award-winning brand has been in the spa industry for more than 30 years, it is one of the well-known natural brands in the spa industry, and I believe people nowadays are looking for wellness moments in their daily life.
Prior ESPA coming to Australia, I have already heard a lot of favourable feedback about the brand, so I cannot wait to share these beautiful ESPA products and award-winning treatments with Australian customers.
What have been some successes and challenges throughout your career to date as an entrepreneurial woman?
My success is not just weighed by money, it is the solid relationship with your customers that matters to the business. Nonetheless, a good reputation and a “follower” mentality from your loyal customers, alongside favourable feedback (constantly receiving 5 star rating from customers about our services especially on training, order delivery etc) are equally important. I absolutely enjoy receiving compliments and constructive feedback from all customers in Australia, this is a key part of my success measures.
The most challenging part is how to overcome challenges, such as the pandemic; and making business more sustainable during that time. All spas and salons were closed down during the pandemic, and just thankfully, I rebuilt our e-commerce platform a few months prior to the lockdown – therefore, our online sales have increased by 350% during that lockdown period!
My business vision is simply that I will never rely on one thing and always have a backup plan, alongside safe guards for the business. I do my own risk assessment when investing in other brands, this will lead me to think what other ways we could do to make business better and stronger. Today, I still enjoy learning about new brands, new products, new treatments etc. Never let age or family commitments stop you from where you want to be. I believe that if you have a dream, you should pursue when you are 100% ready, don’t underestimate your power; because you never know how far you can go!
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