Donna Smith has been one of the industry’s strongest and most loyal supporters and in 2018 celebrates 20 years of being serious about skincare with Professional Skin & Beauty (PSB) Ltd, the company she established in 1998.
What a journey it has been. Originally from a dental background, Donna took a complete change of direction into beauty therapy in 1994 and has never looked back. The entire business was originally housed in two cupboards in the back room of her Beauty Therapy Salon in Meadowbank. After she sold her salon and bought her partner out of the Environ distributorship, she moved the business home – this time to one large cupboard and a spare bedroom. She travelled the country introducing stockists to the benefits of the Environ skin care range, as well as doing everything else – orders, packing and despatching, marketing.
The business grew so rapidly that within two years her husband Dean, a builder, designed and built a separate custom-made wing off the house, with offices, a small training room and a warehouse. This was intended as a five-year plan. However, two years later, in 2003, the product range increased with the addition of Jane Iredale Mineral makeup, facilitating a need for larger premises again, and in July 1998 PSB moved to Onehunga where the company still currently resides.
The building is over 700 square metres, with customer services, warehousing and dispatch at street level and offices for management, accounts, technical educators, territory managers, training centre and board rooms located upstairs. The African feel and design prevalent throughout the building pays homage to Donna’s original beginnings with Environ. And because 2018 heralds the 20-year anniversary, the premises have recently undergone a complete refurbishment and upgrade – while still maintaining the stunning African design and feel.
Alongside Environ and Jane Iredale, Donna introduced her own NZ-made body products range NZ Spa in 2010, a product range incorporating the beauty and feel of NZ which she is very proud of.
When asked what has helped her to make such a success of this last 20 years in business, Donna’s answer is immediate. “It’s the people. I not only have the most incredible team around me who give their all but I also have the most amazing stockists in the country. And of course a very supportive and much loved group of friends and family.
“Starting PSB 20 years ago has been one of the most rewarding professional experiences for me. When I began there was no internet or social media, or even emails – the way we do business has changed so much since then. My goal was to build a very professional company, a company which partnered our stockists to support them in being the best they can be and to help them to become financially successful. I didn’t always get it right and we have made mistakes along the way, but we have grown and learned from them, become wiser, more flexible and made relevant changes when required, and I believe that is why we have endured for 20 years. It’s all about adapting to change in order to survive and thrive.” υ
