I was always told , “Failure teaches Success”. And if you have not failed at least once, you are not a true entrepreneur. Well, I believe life has its ups and downs, but what makes a true entrepreneur different is how he/she can get out from the failure and bounce back.
I’m so delighted to have Ms. Deborah Sims here, the founder of Face Magic Haven (“FMH”), a clinical spa that has been in Hong Kong for around 11 years, focusing on anti-aging with the use of products from USA, England, Switzerland, Australia etc. She is going to share with us her determination in building her business here despite there was a time she suffered from a big change of her personal life.
Let’s dive in and see how her personality and determination have made her success, that I’m sure would be beneficial to all of us.
Jane: Hey Deborah, can you tell us about yourself and your business, Face Magic Haven?
Deborah: I’m a very dedicated, disciplined, and loyal person. I look serious but actually I am a very happy person and young at heart. When I put my mind in doing something, I will be very much into it and go for it. I’m not those kind of persons who go for work just for the sake of doing something or making money. I also love to create things that can help people change for better, and this is one of the reasons I set up Face Magic Haven, (“FMH’), which helps people to look good and feel good.
What motivated you to start this anti-aging business?
Deborah: I was actually going through a big change of my life before I created Face Magic Haven. For that change, I left Hong Kong and went to Australia to settle down, but I was wondering, should I continue to work, or just take it easy not doing anything? However, my entrepreneur brain started to tick and said “NO”, I need to do something.
My passion is in the health and beauty sectors and we all know, our body and our face will age. Though many of us have a good body, very often we feel 40 and our face look 50. It doesn’t match at all. Whether you are men or women, we all love to look good and feel good. Hence I did a lot of research, read a lot of materials, and I found Botox which is a really interesting thing. I tried that out myself and I was amazed with the result. So I continued to study this miracle product which helps erase the lines so quickly and easily and most importantly, it is very safe. I decided to come back to Hong Kong where I was born and lived for most of my time, and set up a business with this product and treatments in the name of Face Magic Haven – “FMH”.
Oh Botox! I saw a lot of this treatment from USA magazines, but it wasn’t that popular in Hong Kong until the recent few years. How do you differentiate your company from the others?
Deborah: Right, it is very popular in the western countries because people there look age easily, possibly because of their living habit, they love outdoor activities very much. And when I brought these products to Hong Kong, I positioned my company as a medic spa or a clinical spa that offer face treatments. This is totally different from those regular beauty salons which offer facial and massage. At Face Magic Haven, we do fixing rather than pampering. We have a very stringent procedure in teaching our staff in selling and using Botox for our clients too. I would say I was the very first in Hong Kong to set up something like this.
What have you found to be your most effective way in finding new clients?
Deborah: We use some online banners, some keywords search, but I would say the most effective way for our business is by referrals. Since we have been in this industry for 11 years, we have quite a solid standing and a lot of referrals.
What is a day in the life of you like? Would you able to maintain a work-life balance then?
Deborah: I do have a very healthy lifestyle. I usually get up at 6:30 am and bring my dogs out (yes.. they keep me fit and I keep them fit as well!). Then I would go back to Face Magic Haven. And since the business has been for 11 years, I have a group of very good staff who can manage the daily routine and most of the things are on a good track already. In the past, I travelled quite a lot, but now if I travel, it is more for leisure while I could still remotely manage the business. I would say, at present, I’m having the happiest time of my life.
For sure every business has its challenges. What are they in your business and how did you handle them?
Deborah: For the first 3 to 4 years of business, staff turnover is our biggest challenge. I found that the mentality for the young generation is very different nowadays. They always want to work less but ask for big money. Also the politics. I always tell my management people that they should not get involved in politics/gossips (which are very common especially when we are in a business which have more women than men). You can manage it, but you should not be involved inside the circle. You can be friend with your juniors, but I always remind them that there is a very fine line between relationship and management. Luckily we have went through the difficult time and the business operation has been very stable now.
Very true… corporate politics is a very time consuming thing. How do you keep yourself motivated during the difficult times?
Deborah: Stay Positive! In my eyes, a half-filled glass is always full but not empty. I always tell myself, I can do everything! And it is this “Can-do” attitude keeps me go forward! If you only look at failure, you will always fail. It’s a learning experience, at least, I went through all that. And if you really able to learn from what you have been through, you will become a better person. To me, failure would only make me better and stronger. I didn’t regret for anything as it has no meaning to look back. And that’s why I love to stay with like-minded people who can always stay positive. I always try to help people who are suffering from failure, to help them look at this world from a different angle! That’s also how I teach my kids when they are young. You have to love yourself first because if you don’t love yourself, nobody will able to help you.
Your sharing is very inspirational. Do you have any suggestions for people who want to jump out from the corporate world and start up their own business?
Deborah – Firstly, you need to be a very organized person. Setting up a business and get it running is never an easy job. It involves a lot of details. During the initial stage, you will have to be very hands on too, but this would also require a balance so as not to upset your subordinates who may feel lack of freedom in managing their assigned works.
Secondly, you will need to have a good connection to people around. You might be a fantastic business person, but if you cannot get along with the good people around, you can’t do anything. Back to basic, you can’t do everything by yourself and you will need to depend on people for business. So go out and make your connection!
Thirdly, you need to have a work life balance. You need to know when is time to “switch off” your system and let your body and mind to relax. Love yourself, take good care of yourself and get away for travel is always a good thing to do!
Sounds Great! So what’s your upcoming plan for 2015?
Deborah: Continuous learning. Face Magic Haven is a lifestyle thing so to look good and feel good is very important. After all, this industry is so advance now, and you will need to keep yourself updated with the technology. I will need to continue and research what’s happening in the market, and bring the latest techniques to Hong Kong. For many times, I have to be the guinea pig myself before I introduce the new things to my clients. I’m a result-oriented person, so what keeps me going is their good feedbacks. I once received a big hug from my client who said, “You transform my life!” So I am committed in making more people to look better and feel more confident!
Hey, let’s talk about something less serious! What are your hobbies and interest?
Deborah: I’m a very active person. I love sports, and I love dogs. I have a few puppies and I train them myself. I love reading too. Though I was a born Catholic, I love to study Buddhism as it gives me a very peaceful mind that can calm down my active brain a bit. I trust no matter what religion are you, all GODS direct people for good so it is nice to have a religious belief.
Wow… I have spent over 1 hour here with Deborah and I personally learnt a lot. Thanks again to Deborah who has a great sharing with us at Executive-Lifestyles.com.
Folks, what has been holding you back? Be inspired and make a big jump! It’s the Power of Passion!
Interested to look good and feel good? Check out Face Magic Haven here:
