Working alongside her mother June Jacobs, the entrepreneur’s goal is to share the brand’s luxury natural skincare approach with women around the world.
Working alongside her mother June Jacobs, the entrepreneur’s goal is to share the brand’s luxury natural skincare approach with women around the world.
“From my first job out of college on Wall Street to each and every day, my mother has been a driving force in my career,” says Rochelle Jacobs-Silpe when asked about the impact her mother June Jacobs, founder of her eponymous skincare brand, has on her career. Referring to Jacobs as “my mother, my boss, my mentor, our CEO”, Silpe was basically born into the industry, in which her mother has been a pioneer for more than 30 years.
After an initial career in finance, she officially ventured into the beauty world and joined the family business 17 years ago. Working in a family business has its perks – for Silpe it’s the scheduling flexibility – though it can nevertheless be intense at times. “I am fully accountable for every aspect of the business. That means I am always expected to be ‘on’, even if it is in my own head. Nobody is tougher on me than I am!” she shares, adding that working with her mum is fun and challenging at the same time.
While the mother-daughter duo “can’t seem to have a simple exchange without disagreeing on something,” Silpe’s admiration for her mother is undoubtable. “She’s pretty much in my face either literally or figuratively, pushing me to do more – to never be satisfied with ‘good’ and always strive for continued excellence,” she says of Jacobs. Perhaps this is what has led to June Jacobs Spa Collection’s international success. “She doesn’t accept no for an answer,” Silpe adds, recalling how her mother insisted on obtaining ingredients that would make their products natural yet effective, at a time when the current natural preservative system had yet to be fully developed.
“She was on the phone with all our top suppliers explaining what she was trying to achieve in her products, and why they weren’t providing her with what she needed. She did this and continues to do this until she gets exactly what she wants. It’s amazing to witness. I think we all learn from her.” Now with a global presence in over 40 countries, Silpe, as the company’s managing director, has made it her goal to share the natural skincare brand’s philosophy and to “make a difference in these markets – not just list them as a place where we can sell”.
On top of working closely with local distributors, she travels frequently to fully understand customer needs. In the past few years, she has been to Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, India, Dubai and the list goes on. “We are most successful when either my mother or I spend time in a local market prior to launching,” she says. “You need to see the women in action to understand their needs.
The Thai lady and the Malaysian are both Asian and both beautiful, but the way to touch them emotionally, to strike the right chord, is a bit different. Skin type, culture and weather all play a part in the success of a product.” “Today, you must continue to reinvent yourself while staying true to your heritage to stay relevant with such fierce competition,” continues Silpe. Having completed a full brand makeover, she has no plans to slow down.
“June Jacobs as a brand is incredibly passionate about what it does and who we are. I love telling our story – sharing our family heritage – educating anyone who will listen that you can be natural and deliver long-term benefits. I want to give women the confidence to smile all day long because they know their skin is beautiful – and that they are beautiful inside out.” www.junejacobs.com.
“You must continue to reinvent yourself while staying true to your heritage to stay relevant”
