When Your Plan B Turns into Plan A with Susie Ma
10/25/22 • 42 min
Susie Ma is the Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare. She is a philanthropist with a focus on creating a healthier, greener, and more empowered world. Tropic Skincare has been recognized at numerous stages, including “Fastest Growing Skincare Brand in the UK” by the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 League Table. Most recently, it has been ranked the 14th best female-powered company in the UK by JP Morgan.
The company’s commitment to sustainability and disrupting the industry has also been recognized internationally with Marie Claire’s Sustainability Awards. In 2018, Susie was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Under her leadership, Tropic Skincare has funded a year’s worth of education for 4,000 children in rural Asia and a new forest with Forestry England in Hampshire in 2022.
At 15, Susie Ma and her mom moved from Australia to London. They struggled to make ends meet, so Susie decided to help her mom with the bills. That’s when she remembered spending time with her grandmother, who was a medicinal chemist, in tropical Nord Queensland, Australia. She taught Susie that our skin needs feeding with nourishing, healthy ingredients just as much as our bodies. Susie found her grandma’s recipe and began making body scrubs with natural ingredients.
This was her lightbulb moment for Susie. She would join her mom at London’s Greenwich Market to sell her body scrub. That Saturday at the market initiated a life-changing moment. She borrowed and invested £200 in the products and after an exhausting day of selling, Susie remembers counting her money— nearly £1000 —and realizing that “this was the beginning of everything.”
As a high school student, she wanted to do more. She headed off to college, where she majored in business so she could land a job where she could “make loads of money.” Right out of college, Susie landed a job as a foreign exchange trader at Citi Group. She achieved her dream of making lots of money. But by the end of her first work week, she felt something was missing. She quickly realized that she didn't just want to be working to earn good money. Instead, she wanted a job where she could enjoy herself daily.
She applied to the United Kingdom’s version of The Apprentice, hosted by Lord Alan Sugar, a hugely successful entrepreneur, and investor. Out of 73,000 applicants, Susie made the final 16 candidates. She did not win, but while she was on the show, she restarted her Tropic Body Scrub business, counting on the show’s publicity to drive sales. It worked. She sold out of products instantly, which garnered the attention of Sugar, who wanted to help her. Susie convinced him to invest £200,000 to become a 50% partner in the company.
While the investment helped, Susie built on her direct sales model, turning her first 400 customers into ambassadors who could generate up to a 30% commission on sales. That network of ambassadors has now grown to more than 20,000 around the UK and 400 full-time employees.
Susie has focused on positioning Tropic as a model for the beauty industry, using sustainable packaging, and donating 10% of its profits “to good causes to help towards that infinite purpose, which is to help create a healthier, greener, and more empowered world.” Susie wants to show the world just how much difference you can make and show people that no matter who you are or where you're from, and how old you are, you can make a difference.
Join us to listen to how Susie embraces challenges and opportunities, turns her Plan B into Plan A, and gives back to our planet and the underprivileged part of society.
Listen to Eudeshi Naidu, our special appearance from Dale Carnegie London, on how we can make a difference by applying the Dale Carnegie principles, going the extra mile, and creating a memorable experience for all.
Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.
Susie Ma is the Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare. She is a philanthropist with a focus on creating a healthier, greener, and more empowered world. Tropic Skincare has been recognized at numerous stages, including “Fastest Growing Skincare Brand in the UK” by the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 League Table. Most recently, it has been ranked the 14th best female-powered company in the UK by JP Morgan.
The company’s commitment to sustainability and disrupting the industry has also been recognized internationally with Marie Claire’s Sustainability Awards. In 2018, Susie was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Under her leadership, Tropic Skincare has funded a year’s worth of education for 4,000 children in rural Asia and a new forest with Forestry England in Hampshire in 2022.
At 15, Susie Ma and her mom moved from Australia to London. They struggled to make ends meet, so Susie decided to help her mom with the bills. That’s when she remembered spending time with her grandmother, who was a medicinal chemist, in tropical Nord Queensland, Australia. She taught Susie that our skin needs feeding with nourishing, healthy ingredients just as much as our bodies. Susie found her grandma’s recipe and began making body scrubs with natural ingredients.
This was her lightbulb moment for Susie. She would join her mom at London’s Greenwich Market to sell her body scrub. That Saturday at the market initiated a life-changing moment. She borrowed and invested £200 in the products and after an exhausting day of selling, Susie remembers counting her money— nearly £1000 —and realizing that “this was the beginning of everything.”
As a high school student, she wanted to do more. She headed off to college, where she majored in business so she could land a job where she could “make loads of money.” Right out of college, Susie landed a job as a foreign exchange trader at Citi Group. She achieved her dream of making lots of money. But by the end of her first work week, she felt something was missing. She quickly realized that she didn't just want to be working to earn good money. Instead, she wanted a job where she could enjoy herself daily.
She applied to the United Kingdom’s version of The Apprentice, hosted by Lord Alan Sugar, a hugely successful entrepreneur, and investor. Out of 73,000 applicants, Susie made the final 16 candidates. She did not win, but while she was on the show, she restarted her Tropic Body Scrub business, counting on the show’s publicity to drive sales. It worked. She sold out of products instantly, which garnered the attention of Sugar, who wanted to help her. Susie convinced him to invest £200,000 to become a 50% partner in the company.
While the investment helped, Susie built on her direct sales model, turning her first 400 customers into ambassadors who could generate up to a 30% commission on sales. That network of ambassadors has now grown to more than 20,000 around the UK and 400 full-time employees.
Susie has focused on positioning Tropic as a model for the beauty industry, using sustainable packaging, and donating 10% of its profits “to good causes to help towards that infinite purpose, which is to help create a healthier, greener, and more empowered world.” Susie wants to show the world just how much difference you can make and show people that no matter who you are or where you're from, and how old you are, you can make a difference.
Join us to listen to how Susie embraces challenges and opportunities, turns her Plan B into Plan A, and gives back to our planet and the underprivileged part of society.
Listen to Eudeshi Naidu, our special appearance from Dale Carnegie London, on how we can make a difference by applying the Dale Carnegie principles, going the extra mile, and creating a memorable experience for all.
Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.
Previous Episode
People First Culture and Owning Your Decisions with Fergus Williams
Fergus Williams is the CEO of Walking With The Wounded (WWTW), a UK charity that supports injured former members of the UK armed forces during their career transition from military to civilian life. Over the past decade, Fergus and his team have supported more than 15,000 veterans in the United Kingdom.
Fergus first served in the British Army for nine years as an infantry officer with the Welsh Guards, ending his career as a staff officer for HRH (His Royal Highness), the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. After leaving the Army, Fergus held several commercial positions, including running his own project management company in the banking and finance sector.
He leads WWTW with a culture that puts the customer first. This service culture was tested by the COVID-19 outbreak. But his team and he responded quickly and were able to contribute to the veterans online.
Fergus started using the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system to better manage his team remotely. He sets a goal for the team, and they pursue that goal without worrying about all the side issues. As a leader, he aims to create an environment where his team can grow and deliver quality services both in-person and online.
During his time at the Royal Military Academy and as a soldier, Fergus learned the values of leadership. He realized that service is a privilege of leadership and that humility is the other key element. For him, it's all about listening to others' perspectives and bringing out the best in people.
In this episode’s Thought Leadership Spotlight segment, Pete Burbidge, General Manager of Dale Carnegie London and Southeast UK, explains how Dale Carnegie's principles led him to make a life-changing decision and move into action with a positive attitude. Like Fergus, Pete reminds us of the importance of standing by our decisions, facing the consequences, and learning from our mistakes if they occur.
Join us and listen to Fergus’s leadership insights on taking command of our decisions, leading with a people-first culture, gaining humility, and having a service mindset.
Joe Hart’s Fundraising Link– London Marathon WWTW 2022
Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.
Next Episode
Define Your Core Values, Act Upon Your Dreams, and Care About Others with Dr. Vince Patton
Dr. Vince Patton served as the Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer (a combination of a rank and a position) of the Coast Guard for more than 30 years until his retirement in 2002.
As the service’s top senior-ranking enlisted leader and ombudsman during that period, Master Chief Patton was the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, his directorates, and the secretaries of Transportation and Defense. Dr. Patton’s primary focuses were on quality of life, career development, work environment, and personnel matters, which affected over 45,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel service-wide.
Dr. Patton received his Doctor of Education from the American University, Washington; a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University, Chicago; a Master of Theology from Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Pacific College, Angwin.
Dr. Patton set his eyes on becoming the Coast Guard’s Master Chief Petty Officer after two weeks in boot camp in Cape May, New Jersey. He drew strength and inspiration from Pelé’s words, the legendary soccer player, who said, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, but most of all, love of what you're doing or learning to do.”
In 1976, during his journey climbing the ranks, Dr. Patton took a Dale Carnegie class that helped him improve his confidence, communicate better, and discover his core values and vision. He is delighted that Dale Carnegie became a stepping stone to leadership and is still ongoing today. And he now understands what a good foundation this program is in helping individuals in their leadership journey & developing their personal philosophies.
Dr. Patton had a communication problem and overcame his stuttering by singing the Star-Spangled Banner every day. That gave him renewed confidence to sing out loud, to read articles and books out loud, and helped him become an influential leader in the U.S. Coast Guard.
When Dr. Patton finally reached his goal of becoming a Chief Petty Officer, he realized his job was a privilege and served multiple purposes. The best way to describe it is that he was a cheerleader, a consultant, an advisor, and a chaplain, and heard all kinds of things from people in terms of what's needed in the service.
The experience also helped Dr. Patton develop his core values centered on people, passion, and performance. Our capabilities and ability to handle responsibilities start with our core values. We are where we are today because we stood on somebody's shoulders. And wherever we are heading, we need to give back.
Join us to learn how to be better, do better, and excel in order to mentor other people to be the best they can be.
Listen to leadership and communication insights from Doug Escher, President of Dale Carnegie Rochester, NY, Boston, MA, and Buffalo, NY.
Please rate and review this Episode!
We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/take-command-a-leadership-podcast-248778/when-your-plan-b-turns-into-plan-a-with-susie-ma-28442331"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to when your plan b turns into plan a with susie ma on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy