The Ripple Effect

I recently came across a powerful quote.

"While it may seem small, the ripple effect of small things is extraordinary."

Regardless of who said the quote, the word extraordinary keeps popping into my vernacular. Most recently, it's made its way into our purpose at Sephora: "Expand the way the world sees beauty by empowering the ExtraOrdinary in each of us." Peeling back the layers of its meaning further, one can describe extraordinary as very unusual or remarkable or unusually great. 

It got me reflecting on my career in beauty, the extraordinary opportunities I've had and the importance of building relationships with colleagues and brand partners. It's these relationships that foster trust, challenge our organization, nurture our business, and bring new and innovative products to our clients every day. Our work at Sephora is truly extraordinary because we get to play in a sensory wonderland brought to life through our partnerships. When I meet new brand founders or partners, it's a unique opportunity to help them evolve their brand on the Sephora stage while helping us meet our client's needs. We go together like foundation and primer. 

Having worked on both the brand and retailer sides, our brand relationships at Sephora make Sephora a differentiator in the beauty industry. Why? Because we value and practice our partnerships with brands. 

Two weeks ago (after three years virtually), we did just that, hosting our annual Brand Summit – IN REAL LIFE. Brand Summit is a unique event (some might even say tradition) within our Beauty community. We celebrate our success with our brand partners and share strategies supporting our positioning as Canada's leading beauty retailer. Over the years, these partnerships have created a strong sense of community between our organizations that thrive in seeing each other develop and grow but ultimately help our clients in their extraordinary beauty journey.  

I love the energy of being together in the room. Seeing the energy between our Sephora team and the brands, and the connections our partners have among each other are also extraordinary and highlights the value of relationships in our industry. Returning to that quote - each small ripple reflects our investment in our brands (the big ones, the small ones, and the tiny but mighty ones born at Sephora.) The dedication to building these relationships and evolving them as they grow and develop has contributed to the growth of Sephora over the last 20 years in Canada. And last week, coming together again made me genuinely appreciate our extraordinary beauty community.