Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Kabul (BNA) The Shahnaz Husain story is the story of a living legend and one of India’s leading woman entrepreneurs. She has redefined beauty and revolutionized the entire scene of cosmetic care, so much so, that she is acknowledged as the pioneer and leader in her field. She must get the
credit of bringing out the therapeutic value of herbs from the mists of antiquity and legend, thus heralding the era of Ayurvedic beauty care. Indeed, there is no doubt that herbal beauty care throughout India is fashioned after the products and innovations of Shahnaz Husain.
Says Shahnaz, “I never planned it this way. My life was on a very different course. I was married at the age of 15 and by the time I was 16, I had become a mother. Life seemed perfect, but I was bored with the drudgery of endless routine. Then the mental upheaval began. I was always interested in beauty and in making others beautiful, so I decided on beauty as a career. I was determined to get the best training possible and decided to work my way to the prized institutions of the West, to learn cosmetic therapy and cosmetology. My husband was posted in Tehran at the time, as head of foreign trade with the State Trading Corporation of India. I was not a college graduate, but I loved to write, so I started writing articles for the Iran Tribune. Somehow, I was convinced that if I was highly qualified in my field, I could have the world at my feet. So gradually, I worked my way to leading institutions like Helena Rubinstein, Christine Valmy, Swarzkopf, Lancome and Lean of Copenhagen.”
While training in London, Shahnaz came across instances of damage caused by chemical treatments. There was a model who became blind after using mascara and later committed suicide. There was also an incident of a sun-protection lotion leading to severe burns on the skin. In a way, these incidents changed the course of her life and career. The study of Ayurveda finally convinced her that it could offer the ideal answers to modern cosmetic-care.
So, she returned to India and started her first herbal salon in the verandah of her home in New Delhi, in 1971, in a very small way. Translating her dreams and ideas into reality inspired her to become an entrepreneur. She knew that the only way she could translate her ideas was by starting her own herbal salon. In order to implement her ideas of natural beauty care, with an emphasis on the good health of the skin and hair, she established customized beauty care, with a personalized style, based on individual needs and problems. She adopted the concept of “herbal care and cure.” It was a totally unique, path-breaking concept. She rejected the existing salon treatments and devised her own. She also began to formulate her own products using plant ingredients and natural substances, based on the Ayurvedic system.
Says Shahnaz, “I used to make the products at night, filled them in jars myself. I wrote out the labels by hand and stuck them on the jars. It did not deter me at all. My relentless determination and iron will saw me through those days.” Today, the Shahnaz Husain Group has four factories.
Having pioneered the concept of “herbal care and cure” the first hurdle was to make people aware of herbal beauty care. Her task was how to go about it. Four decades ago, there was no social networking. Communication was not what it is today. So, she started by making it a point to reply personally to each and every letter seeking solutions for skin and hair problems. Even now, more than four decades later, she still maintains this practice, this personal touch. She started contributing articles and writing for regular columns, in which she provided home remedies as solutions for beauty problems. In the minds of the readers, this reinforced her philosophy that “nature is the best cosmetologist.” Thus, her faith in Ayurveda and herbal healing not only influenced markets and minds, but has become an integral part of the brand image.
Over the last four decades, the salon treatments and products have become breakthroughs in natural beauty care. Shahnaz Herbal has become known for therapeutic products and treatments for problems like acne, hyper-pigmentation, scars, premature ageing, dandruff, hair damage, hair loss, etc. Today, Shahnaz Husain heads the largest organization of its kind in the world, with over 400 franchise ventures worldwide and over 375 formulations for skin, hair and body care. Her journey, from one herbal salon to a worldwide chain of franchise ventures, is one of unprecedented success.
Her unique franchise system is at the core of the success of the Shahnaz Husain brand. The clinics have extended on a franchise system and a personal style of growth. In 1979, the first franchise clinic opened in Calcutta. Shahnaz attended the opening and addressed a press conference, speaking on Ayurveda and on the damage caused by chemical ingredients. She also gave free consultations. The Calcutta opening received a fantastic response and wide media coverage. This led to the setting up of the Shahnaz Husain beauty training academy, because the franchisees had to be trained in beauty and in the specialized treatments.
Soon she was flying all over the country, to every city and town, inaugurating franchise clinics, addressing press conferences and speaking to people. This way she was spreading her concept of care and cure. It was all based on a personal interaction, where she met people, listened to their problems and provided the solutions. Thus, she was answering a human need. Within the first year, 80 franchise clinics opened in India. The method proved so successful that later she adopted it for the openings of franchise clinics and other ventures abroad. The word was spreading and unknowingly, a brand was born. Today, the Shahnaz Herbal franchise has become a successful business model, with tremendous international goodwill and demand.
The most unique factor that has contributed to the success of her enterprise is that “Shahnaz Husain” is not a faceless brand name or corporate. The image that is foremost in the minds of people is that of a real, human, accountable person, who is herself trained in cosmetology and cosmetic therapy. Every label has become a symbol, not only of her own understanding of herbal beauty care, but of her vision and philosophy. Today, her name has become the brand and she, herself, is the brand ambassador.
Entering the international market was the biggest challenge. She participated in the Festival of India in London in 1980 and was given a counter in the Perfumery Section at Selfridges. In the face of fierce competition, to stand up alone and sell India’s ancient civilization in a jar was not easy. To everyone’s surprise, the entire consignment sold out in 3 days, breaking the store’s existing cosmetic sales records. From there, she moved on to Harrods in London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris, the Seibu chain in Japan, La Rinascente in Milan and El Certe Inglis in Spain. “I sold a 5000-year old civilization in a jar,” says Shahnaz. Today, the Shahnaz Husain Group experiences the worldwide demand for Indian Ayurvedic products.
During the last three decades, the Shahnaz Husain Group has acquired a tremendous global presence, having sold at prestigious international stores, as well as exclusive outlets and clinics worldwide. Shahnaz Herbals was the first Asian herbal care company to enter Galeries Lafayette in Paris and she is the first Asian to be featured in the 18-foot shop window of the famous Paris store. Currently, the Shahnaz Husain Group operates in more than 100 countries, where it has franchise salons, direct product distributors and beauty institutes.
The Group’s international presence gained further momentum when Shahnaz extended her base in the U.K. by launching the sale of her products at Lloyds Pharmacy at Selfridges, the famous London store. It was a significant step forward towards consolidating the Group’s leading position in organic beauty care at the international level. Within two weeks of the opening, the Shahnaz products posted record breaking sales, touching ₤1000 per day. The sales figures transcended all expectations and are an indication of the worldwide demand for Shahnaz Husain’s brand of holistic beauty care. Very recently, there was a record breaking sale of products worth ₤4334 from a single customer.
Shahnaz already has a wide base in the U.K., with several franchise salons and a beauty training institute. In fact, Shahnaz Husain’s Ayurvedic treatments were introduced on Harley Street in London, with the opening of Shahnaz Ayurveda Aesthetic Clinic. According to Shahnaz Husain, “Ayurvedic aesthetic treatments have become an important component of cosmeceuticals. Introducing our treatments on Harley Street is one of our biggest achievements.”
Known for product innovation, Shahnaz Husain has evolved formulations for beauty and health care comprising of herb, flower and fruit extracts, essential oils and even precious metals and gems. The Shahnaz Husain premium beauty product ranges, like 24 Carat Gold, Pearl Concepts, Diamond Collection, Plant Stem Cells, Nano Sun Protection Range and the ultra-luxurious Platinum range have stormed international markets. She recently introduced the revolutionary Nobel prize winning anti-ageing discovery “Telomere range of natural organics” for skin care. Telomere is a sensational breakthrough in skin care, which arrests the skin’s ageing process. An advanced therapeutic range called Chemoline has been formulated to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the skin and hair. It is specially designed to help problems like skin sensitivity, hair loss, moisture depletion, dehydrated skin, etc., resulting from chemotherapy and radiation. These products draw upon the soothing and healing properties of organic ingredients and are known for their beneficial effects on the skin and hair. They support the body’s natural healing processes and restore health to the skin and hair.
It is not only her franchise-based enterprise, but also her marketing strategies that are truly unique. Even at a time, when the demand for the product is sustained through advertising, she does not rely on commercial advertisements. In fact, she was invited by Harvard Business School to speak on how she established an international brand without commercial advertising. Recently she spoke to students at the University of Oxford on Women Entrepreneurs in India and London School of Economics on India’s rising global economic influence. Shahnaz also recently lectured at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) on 24th April 2013, on brand India, woman empowerment and the positive impact of innovative entrepreneurship. The audience comprised of graduate students, MIT faculty, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs. The Indian Consulate at New York held a press reception for her to announce her success at MIT.
Shahnaz also recently walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival 2013 for the premiere of the film Blood Ties. She also attended a formal sit down dinner to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema. While speaking to the press, Shahnaz said that she has promoted brand India with a crusader’s zeal. Indeed, according to Washington Post, “Shahnaz Husain has done so much for her country’s image abroad that she fully deserves the sobriquet of India’s beauty ambassador.”
One of Shahnaz Husain’s greatest achievements is representing India at President Obama’s world Summit for Entrepreneurs in Washington DC, where she spoke on unleashing woman power and received a standing ovation. Being selected for President Obama’s summit is recognition of her international achievements and spirit of enterprise.
Woman empowerment and social causes have been close to her heart. Early in her career, Shahnaz introduced a unique system of networking, by encouraging ordinary housewives to open salons in their own homes, so that they could achieve financial independence and yet, be close at hand to care for home and family. She trained them and gave them the opportunity to pursue a career. She also pioneered professional vocational training in beauty. More than three decades ago, when only apprenticeship training was available, she started her beauty training academy, to provide professional training, in keeping with international standards.
She has also been committed to social causes for over three decades through her free beauty training courses, Shamute and Shasight, for physically challenged girls, thus helping them achieve financial independence. In fact, Shamute was inaugurated in 1984, by the then President of India, Giani Zail Singh ji. Says Shahnaz, “Empowering lives has been the motivation for our endeavours. My philanthropic work has remained the nerve centre of my entrepreneurial success.”
Shahnaz believes that the family occupies a very important place in the life of every woman. According to her, “I always say that I could never have achieved what I have, without the support and understanding of my family. I would never have been a complete woman without being a wife and mother. I started my herbal salon in my own home. To that extent, I was always at home when my children came back from school.”
“I always made it a point to spend quality time with my family,” says Shahnaz. “We would go together for vacations, both in India and abroad and also spend weekends at our herb and flower farm near Delhi. When my business grew and I was travelling abroad frequently, I realized that my time was not my own. I remember an incident when my young son who I had left in Delhi had high fever. As a mother, I wanted to catch the next flight home and be with him, but my time had been sold, in terms of my commitments and I had no option but to fulfil them. My mind was not on my work or the different cities I had to visit to open salons or launch products. But, I could not go back on my commitments. I could not let down the scores of people who had already planned and organized the openings, product launches and press conferences. I had 1st class tickets, the world at my feet, but I was longing to go back to my son. I knew my place was near him. Even if I heard the sound of a plane, I would cry, but I could not go back. It was then that I realized that there is a price tag to everything in life. There is a mind boggling price to success. In skimming on the waves of success, you can miss the finer values of life. Very early in life, I realized and accepted the fact that the life you lead is the choice you make.”
Shahnaz loves going out for coffee with family and friends, either to Barista or Starbucks. “An excellent de-stress formula is just Decafe Starbuck Frappacino Lite Coffee accompanied with a hot Blueberry Muffin – the combination is just out of this world!” says Shahnaz. “It is the great international, caring, relaxing, funfilled Starbucks experience. Lucky for us in India – Starbucks has finally arrived. I also love Barista, sipping iced coffee, with almond muffins, I can relax and simply be myself.”
Shahnaz Husain has been honoured with several prestigious international awards. In fact, during the month of September 2012, she achieved the unique distinction of being honoured with THREE prestigious international awards in London, in one month including the “Outstanding Ayurvedic Innovation Award” in the British Parliament .
Shahnaz also received the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from Success, the U.S. based Business Magazine. She was recently recognized as the global face of Asian women entrepreneurs, when she received “Asia’s Leading Woman in Business” Award in Malaysia, as well as Outstanding Ayurvedic Innovation Award in Shanghai, from the China Chamber of Commerce. Shahnaz was also conferred the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India for exceptional service towards the country and distinguished achievement in her chosen field. She recently received the Golden Peacock Award in London.
Today, under Shahnaz Husain’s leadership, the Shahnaz Husain Group is positioned as the brand leader in both the domestic and international markets in Ayurvedic beauty and health care. It is also ideally positioned in all market segments in India. In fact, after developing as the brand leader in the premium segment, today the brand has a commanding presence in the middle segment too on the strength of brand identity.
The future plans include concentrated international branding, strengthening and widening the global chain of Shahnaz franchise salons, beauty training institutes, shops and spas.
Shahnaz says, “We are expanding our footprints across the globe. We will be taking Ayurveda and Brand India to more countries within the next year. By 2015 we plan to expand our presence in major countries like USA, Canada, Kazakhstan and Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South East Asia, New Zealand and Russia.”
Shahnaz Herbals also plans to open treatment and de-stress centres along with spas in hospitals where people going through treatment can relax and rejuvenate themselves. It also plans to supply the Chemoline products for skin and hair care to top Cancer hospitals all over the world, that have been especially designed to help alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
Shahnaz Husain’s career is a portrayal of how she translated her ideas into reality, living life by her values and unique philosophy. Her profound knowledge of natural care, her rare energy and vitality, as well as her faith in her own abilities, make it a story of a woman who dared to dream and succeeded beyond success. She fashioned a global network out of just a dream, starting in a very small way. Today, she has become a legend in her own lifetime, while her organization is a magnificent expression of her dreams, hopes and aspirations.
