Business Chicks Latte Mag – our CEO Stephanie Shepherd!

Stephanie Shepherd, 44

Position: Founder and CEO

Company: Stephanies® Luxury Spa Group

Website: stephanies.com.au

Must Have: My Kerstin Florian Neroli Water and my Payot AOX – the Rolls Royce of Facial creams.

Fave Fragrance: At the moment i’m all about Tom Ford, Black Violet. It’s a warm comforting scent and it’s not over powering. I also love Jo Malone.

True Beauty: Vintage Glamour. I admire the classic style of Audrey Hepburn, Grace kelly, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Lauren. These women are iconic and their style is timeless. To me, they epitomise natural beauty and class, whilst also being empowered, strong and confident.

Spa Star: I’m biased, but I have to say any of my own 5 spas. Unfortunately as a business owner i rarely have time to indulge in my favourites…but when I do I savour every moment!

Finish This Sentence: Beauty is… about feeling balanced, calm and happy. e true to your beliefs, dreams and goals and you will exude confidence and class – this is the measure of true beauty.

Face time with Jane Iredale …

We don’t often read the ingredients of our makeup, yet generally have no hesitation applying it daily. If we knew what we were actually using on our skin we would be repulsed…tar, petroleum jelly, chemical fillers, icky parabens, synthetic colour and fake fragrances. More and more nasties are being used in cosmetic brands and in the long run skin will suffer.

Be conscious of the ingredients you are using on your face and explore the renowned skincare and makeup range by Jane Iredale – a proud creator of natural, mineral skincare makeup that has won the hearts of women and celebrities across the globe.

Stephanies Luxury Spa Group is proud to offer the range throughout all of the Queensland spas. Jane Iredale differs from other cosmetic ranges as they use pure mineral pigment with no fillers such as talc.

Foundations and concealers give exceptional coverage that requires minimal touch-ups and the nature of high quality minerals interacts with light, giving them a celebrated soft-focus effect. Where preservatives are needed, the range uses a combination of natural preservatives and ingredients, never using parabens and phenoxyethanol, which are common in other makeup brands.

Visit any of Stephanies Luxury QLD spas and test the product for yourself! You will be pleasantly surprised and your skin will thank you…

Image: Jane Iredale for Vogue.

Up Close and Personal with Stephanie Shepherd – ISPA Pulse Magazine

Up Close & Personal

Years as a CEO: 20

‘Me’ time: Shopping and travel.

Can’t-live-without gadgets: I always have my iPad in my hand, and my iPhone is usually attached to my ear – I’m a walking advertisement for Apple.

Favourite spa treatment: Exotic Sole Ritual and Opal Rasul Steam.

Humble beginnings:

At the age of just 26, with 10 years of experience in beauty therapy under my belt. I took a leap of faith and opened a modest two-room beauty therapy salon. A loyal and expanding base of clientele saw me quickly outgrow the space, resulting in a relocation to the up-market suburb of Bulimba, Brisbane. I have since grown the business to five luxury destinations, which includes Stephanies Spa Retreat, located at the Sofitel Brisbane Central. It opened in June and offers eight treatment rooms, including individual suites and a couple’s suite.

Hardest part of the job:

Not enough hours in my day! (Managing) five spas demands a lot of attention. When you have grown something from he start, it can be challenging to hand over responsibilities to managers and delegate. It’s a weakness I am working on…slowly.

Dealing with personnel issues:

We have a clear policy and HR codes of conduct for spa managers, which allow them to deal with frontline issues. I become involved if there are any major problems. My CFO also advises me regularly on the Australian Federal Industrial Relations Laws and makes sure we are 100 percent in compliance to all laws and guidelines.

Worst thing a CEO can do while managing a business:

Taking your eye off the ball within financial areas is a big mistake, which is why I liaise closely each day with my CFo. I also try to spend time on marketing and PR, and have an agency that assists with helping us stay on top of media inquiries and publicity opportunities. When you are in the service industry, you need to ensure your business is in the spotlight – for the right reasons! Also, be involved in the recruitment process. Your people can make or break your business.

Geting to a visionary mindset:

ISPA is a wonderful resources, which definitely assists with inspirational business strategies. Researching other spas and the internet, understanding industry trends, and speaking to key people – my spa directors, suppliers, CFO, managers and clients – is also important and inspires me on a daily basis.

Most recent successful strategy:

We have a specialised VIP locals club, which is popular at our destination spas. Local residents can sign up, and for a small membership cost, receive instant rewards, such as discounts, annual promotions, and members-only invites to spa events. The club helps us build our local clientele and reward our regular customers.