Young Filipino businesswoman Anne Barretto of Hey Pretty Aesthetics is living proof that passion, hard work, and determination lead to success.
The 31-year-old entrepreneur has been making a name in the beauty industry after putting up one beauty clinic three years ago and expanding with 16 branches.
The Hey Pretty Aesthetics founder-CEO continues to conquer new milestones and has started her own skincare brand called Hey Pretty Skin. She held the product launching event on December 20, 2021, in a private resort in Amadeo, Cavite.
From Raketera to Milyonarya
In her recent interview with the magazine show Rated K, Anne shared how her family struggled financially when she was growing up.
She recalled the time when her family had only two cans of sardines for dinner after her father got sick and was laid off from work.
That moment became her motivation to strive in order to give her family a comfortable life.
During her college years, Anne took on side jobs to lessen her family’s burden. She would earn PhP200 to PhP300 from being the makeup artist of her classmates in various school and off-campus events. From there, she was able to save money and used it as her capital in her online selling business.
She pursued her passion in cosmetology and later on became an aesthetician.
In 2018 she opened her first own beauty clinic, the Hey Pretty Aesthetic Center in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Fast forward to today, Barretto has already established 16 branches in different parts of Luzon.
However, Anne’s business skill was put to the test when the COVID-19 pandemic strike in March 2020.
“Hindi talaga ako lumaki sa well-off na family. Nu’ng na-experience ko ’yong kumikita ako nang sarili ko talaga, talagang binibili ko lahat ng gusto ko. So, nu’ng nag-strike ’yong pandemic, nagulat ako kasi hindi ako ready,” Anne told the media.
“Doon ko nakita na, ‘Ay hindi pala p’wedeng ganu’n na porke’t may pera ka gastos ka nang gastos.’ Kasi darating ’yong mga pagkakataon na p’wede kang magkasakit o ’yong pandemic na ’to na hindi ka ready.”
But she is determined to keep her business up and running.
“Buti na lang itong business na pinasok ko, ito po talaga ’yong passion ko. Kaya sabi ko hindi ko ito bibitawan. Anuman ang mangyari, gagawa ako ng paraan, hahanap ako ng ibang paraan para mas lalo ko pa po s’yang mapalaki,” she stated.
Instead of closing her clinics because of the imposed lockdowns, Anne launched mobile clinics to continue giving service to their clients —and it worked for her.
“Hindi naman po ako pinabayaan ni God. Talagang lagi po S’yang nasa akin. Siguro dahil ang goal ko din po is maka-help din sa iba. Kaya wala po kahit isang branch ko na nagsarado kaya sobrang happy ko,” she said.
And in the midst of the pandemic, her Hey Pretty Skin product line was born. She already introduced it in her online selling business and clinic before but because of the positive feedback from her customers, she thought of fully introducing it to the market by holding a skin product launching event.
Her locally manufactured products include micro peeling soap bars, sunscreen, toner, night cream, snail soap, and more.
Vision and Expansion
Anne also shared her plan for this year and that is expanding her brand by launching a new skin product and putting up more clinics in Visayas and Mindanao.
“Sa 2022, may ilalabas akong another product po, ’yong another set po ng Hey Pretty Skin, ’yong mga lotion. Mga ganu’n…magtayo naman [ng clinic] sa Davao, Zamboanga, Cebu. Magtatayo po ako,” she shared.
Barretto said it is her way of giving back to her distributors for their trust and support.
“Kasi ’yong mga distributors ko po gusto ko naaabot ko sila. Siguro isang strategy din po ’yong mga distributors ko ginagawa ko po sa kanila, since nag-trust sila sa akin, ’yong products ginagamit nila, dini-distribute nila, in return, ang ginagawa ko naman po lahat sila sponsored ko ng clinic ko,” Anne told the media.
“Ganu’n po ang ginagawa ko. Sa mga province po ganu’n din ang gagawin ko. Sa Cebu, sa Davao, ’yong mga magiging distributor ko du’n, sponsored ko sila ng clinic ko.”
The Pinay CEO emphasized that she invests in human resources as she aims to penetrate the international market.
“Gusto ko po mas makatulong pa lalo na du’n sa mga distributors ko. S’yempre po, ngayon po kasi ang dami kong staff na talagang nakasandal sa akin. Kailangan ko talagang magpakatatag pa. Siguro, [pangarap ko na] mas lalo pang lumaki [’yong business],” Barretto added.
“Sa Luzon po halos nakumpleto ko na ang regional distributors na mga malalaki… Then ngayon maraming inquiries na papasok [galing] international. Siguro po, hopefully, this year po talaga, mas lalo pa pong lumaki, magkaroon pa po ako ng mga international distributors po.”
Family is the Top Priority
Despite her busy schedule running her business and the clinics, Anne still makes sure to have quality time with her family.
“Nu’ng umpisa sobrang hirap po talaga kasi s’yempre ang dami kong staff. More than 100 na po ang staff [kahit noong] wala pa itong Hey Pretty Skin. Kaya sobrang hirap po talaga,” she recalled.
“Pero nu’ng nagkaroon ng pandemic, nagkaroon kami [family] ng bonding lalo. Kaya nu’ng dumating na po ’yong Hey Pretty Skin, parang na-manage ko na,” the young CEO added.
“Kailangan talaga maging matimbang. Ngayon talaga, though binibigay ko halos kalahati ng time ko sa business ko pero binibigyan ko pa rin ng time ’yong family ko po.”
Passion and Business Lessons
If there’s one thing Anne could share about running Hey Pretty Aesthetics, it would be saving money because nothing is permanent in the business world.
“Siguro po, bilang nagbi-business, walang permanente. At saka dapat talaga mag-ipon. Kasi lalo na nu’ng nag-strike ang pandemic, talagang maski ako, kasagsagan ng business ko, kalakasan, nagulat ako, e. ‘Bakit may ganito?’” she said.
“Sa mga kagaya ko na maliit pa lang, walang permanente. Kailangan habang nagbi-business ka talaga nag-iipon ka. Nagsi-save ka para sa future. Para kung anuman ang mangyari ready ka.”
She also advised young people to find and pursue their passion, and turn it into a profitable one just like what she did and what she is doing now.
“Then, about naman po sa business siguro, hanapin lang po nila ’yong passion nila. Kapag nahanap nila ’yong passion nila i-pursue nila. ’Yon po ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila. Then, ’wag lang nila susukuan ang mga pangarap nila,” she emphasized.
“’Wag n’yo sukuan ’yong dream n’yo. Kasi kung nagawa ko from the start, s’yempre, magagawa din po nila. Kung ano ’yong passion mo talaga, gawin mo lang. Mahalin mo kung ano talaga ’yong gusto mo. Then I’m sure na magiging successful ka afterwards,” Anne concluded.
Filipina entrepreneurs who continue to inspire with their stories of success include Lazada Awards winner Georgianna Carlos, and World’s 50 Best’s Louise Mabulo and Cherrie Atilano.
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