There has never been a more opportune moment to dive into the beauty industry, and Wilson Lee knows this all too well.

“Beauty, aesthetics and wellness will take precedence in the coming years. It has proven to be resilient despite global economic crises and in a turbulent macroeconomic environment. (Global management consulting firm) McKinsey predicts that the beauty market will reach approximately US$580 billion (RM1.26 trillion) by 2027, with Asia and North America topping the growth charts.”

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the industry?

“Don’t fear the burnout. Young people always want the perfect work-life balance and while it is important, you need to push yourself towards a potential burnout to learn your limits. Once you understand your limits, only then you will know how to balance work and play. And once you’re comfortable with that, then it’s time to experiment further towards a newer, healthy and possible limit to having the perfect work-life balance.”

When Wilson initially embarked on his journey with EMAX Beauté about nine years ago, his vision was to make it a prominent beauty and skincare brand in Malaysia. However, he never anticipated that it would evolve into a comprehensive beauty destination, encompassing skincare, hair, aesthetics, slimming, and body wellness services. In essence, EMAX Beauté now offers a complete spectrum of beauty solutions, catering to all your needs from head to toe.

Its four unique brands include Beauté Library and Venusde, which excel in beauty services, including facials and non-invasive laser treatments. Venusde also offers scalp care therapy and hair growth treatments. Curvena is all about slimming and wellness, with a focus on healthy curves and personalised weight loss. Then there is B+ Clinic, which provides advanced treatments like fillers, botox, platelet rich plasma, and thread lifts.

“We are still working our way into expanding out of the Klang Valley and will start the expansion next year.”

At press time, he and his team have their hands full with the launch of four of their outlets in a mall in Bukit Jalil. “Along with the outlet launches, we’ve got a couple of product launches ahead too, primarily a new cutting-edge anti-ageing treatment at Beauté Library and the latest cellulite and muscle building treatment at Curvena. Besides those, we are looking to open more in the Klang Valley as well as opening our first few outlets in Johor Bahru and Penang. Every outlet will have a distinct theme and pull factor. No two outlets will be the same. Stay tuned!”

In the fiercely competitive beauty and wellness industry, Wilson employs several strategic approaches. 

“We prioritise creativity and innovation in our marketing efforts, investing in productions, talent, and collaborations, exemplified by our RM1Mil Raya campaign starring TV actress Riena Diana, setting us apart from local beauty brands. As CEO, I encourage my teams to push boundaries, resulting in increased customer loyalty, engagement, and overall growth.”

He adds that there is strong synergy among the R&D, Training, and HQ departments, with a focus on sharing market insights, trends, and customer needs. “We encourage regular knowledge sharing sessions and meetings to enhance our services and offerings, staying attuned to customer demands. We actively seek out the latest innovations and technology, like no-needle treatments, advanced weight loss equipment, and high-tech hair care. We stay updated by attending beauty expos and visiting wellness and beauty centres in different countries, including recent visits to major beauty expos in Vietnam and South Korea.”

As Wilson approaches his 29th birthday in December, he expresses his satisfaction with the Curvena and Venusde outlets located in Tropicana Gardens Mall. “I find that Tropicana is a very well-structured brand and company be it in terms of operations, marketing support, and safety measures. Each department is helpful and engaging. I think we have a great relationship, there is always room for sharing and discussion in growing our brands together.”

EMAX’s ESG and CSR efforts

EMAX Beauté International Sdn Bhd is committed to Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives this year after a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Our first post-pandemic community initiative was organising the Ooh-mazing Raya B-Oooh-ka Puasa Charity Dinner, which proved to be an excellent opportunity to continue where we left off in giving back to society towards causes that we care about.” 

In line with getting out of their comfort zones and collaborating with charities that they are unfamiliar with, EMAX chose to work with Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-Kanak Malaysia (SUKA Society) because of the diverse underprivileged children they work with. We donated RM20,000 and the funds were used to buy essential supplies for those in SUKA’s care.”

In conjunction with breast cancer awareness month in October, EMAX successfully organised their second installation of The Pinktober Festival & The Pinky Run 2023 which continues to spread awareness about the early detection of breast cancer and raise funds for the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) which enables underprivileged women to access free breast cancer screenings. The Pinky Run began with Beauté Library's commitment to empower women through job opportunities and career development.

Choosing breast cancer as their fundraising cause, the run attracted over 3,000 participants and raised RM20,000 for NCSM. EMAX's Environmental, Social, and Governance initiatives include transitioning to paperless systems, loaning laptops and recently initiating zero paper invoicing across all outlets. Additionally, they actively reduce energy consumption by conducting monthly energy audits. Wilson believes that ESG is crucial for long-term resilience, attracting like-minded customers and partners, and making a significant global impact. 

They have big plans ahead in 2024 such as subsidised beautician certification from EMAX Academy, sustainability workshops, recycling and waste management initiatives by the company and tree planting among others.