Tuesday 17 July 2012
From The Apprentice to the Beauty Industry - Interview with Alex Epstein
There are many different ways people get involved in the beauty industry, some being less conventional than others.
I recently interviewed Alex Epstein who owns Concoction, a hair product company based in Manchester. After working as a marketing executive and participating in the TV show The Apprentice, he finally started his own company in the British beauty industry.
When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I have always loved marketing and from a young age knew that I wanted to follow that career path. If I think about it, I also feel like I've always wanted to be independent and start my own business. After participating in the Apprentice I felt spurred to take the leap into entrepreneurship and that is how Concoction was born.
Did you start your company straight after you finished studying?
No, I didn't. After getting my degree at Manchester Business School, I took one year to travel abroad and visit many countries such as Australia and Thailand. When I came back I found a job as a marketer in Leeds. It taught me a lot about marketing and really prepared me for the challenges you face when you run your own company.
What happened then?
Well, the company suffered from recession and had to reduce its workforce. After this, some of my friends suggested that I apply for The Apprentice. I passed the two auditions and was chosen out of 70,000+ applicants to participate in the show. I feel like this event stood out as a key milestone in my life thus far.
What did you learn from your experience on The Apprentice?
I feel very lucky that I’ve actually already had that opportunity of learning from a very successful entrepreneur like Lord Sugar. It was a great experience, it taught a lot about very different industries and a lot about myself too!
How did the show impact you?
If I’m being honest, this show completely changed my life. Taking part in The Apprentice was certainly the most amazing experience I have ever had, and has given me a significant profile throughout the UK. It also has allowed me to become very focused in what I want to achieve next. When it was all over I decided it was time for me to do my own thing.
Why did you choose the Beauty Industry?
I had this idea about creating Concoction a few years ago when I was at uni. I have always thought that hair products companies should offer more personalized experiences to their customers. Every salon is different so why would they all have the same standardized products? We worked with very clever scientists for 2 years devising the formulas and we finally launched a few months ago.
What is Concoction and how does it work?
Concoction is all about mixology technology. It’s about making a cocktail and creating your own product, the one which will represent your salon the best. To do that, you need to choose a fragrance depending on what you like and then add up to two superserums depending on your needs (curly hair, coloured hair, straight hair..etc.). Our wide range can allow you to create more than 700 combinations, making your shampoo unique.
Are you only selling in the UK?
For the moment we are focusing on extending our activity throughout the UK but we have already received orders from abroad and are confident that we’ll soon be able to penetrate new markets.
So if some of you are interested in the concept and looking for some personalized hair products to use in your salon, have a look at Concoction website.
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