What’s it like to be the president of a global beauty brand? Singaporean JuE Wong lets us into her glamorous world.
What’s it like to be the president of a global beauty brand? Singaporean JuE Wong lets us into her glamorous world.
On the future of Elizabeth Arden
A large part of communicating this message falls on the brand’s beauty advisers. Training is crucial and the beauty consultants go through the “Red Door Experience” to learn more about the products where a consumer’s interest is the top priority instead of the emphasis to make a sale.
On life and loss
Just three weeks after moving to atlanta in 2009, JuE’s husband died unexpectedly. Thinking back, she drew strength from the experience and learnt to accept help even from people she just met. “I told myself never to take anyone for granted. I took my husband for granted in many ways. We went on many holidays when the children were young, but I would always put off the ones where it was just the two of us, thinking we could always go another time,” comments JuE. “You need to live for the moment with your friends and loved ones. Nobody on their death bed would say: ‘I wish I'd spent more time at work.’”
On work-life balance
Rather than thinking about work and life as separate entities, JuE thinks that the duo will always mingle and overlap – preferring to coin the term as “work-life integration” instead. “[Tell yourself ] that you’re not going to be doing work and it will not be the end of the world. Understand that work is going to be there for the rest of your life, but children and loved ones are growing older every year.”
That said, when work does take precedence on occasion, JuE suggests we don’t feel too guilty about it. “Women carry a lot of guilt with them when they have to answer a work email during their vacation, but look at men, they don’t feel guilty. Take a few tips from them,” she quips.