How did I enter the cosmetics industry?

Previously, I worked in my hometown of Hunan as an employee in the state-owned grain industry. At that time, I even held the position of deputy director of the office. Later, when the company’s grain division underwent restructuring, I voluntarily submitted my resignation. By then, my husband was already working in Guangzhou at Sun God Company, so I came to Guangzhou in search of a job. In fact, when I first arrived in Guangzhou, I also took a job at Sun God Company, where I worked in quality control, warehouse management, and many other roles. It was during one particular incident—when my face broke out in severe acne—that things really changed. By the time I started working, I was already 35 years old, and despite trying numerous topical treatments, my acne stubbornly persisted. Then I stumbled upon an online post about a company called “Baidafu.” The ad touted its acne-fighting products as exceptionally effective, yet they weren’t available for sale anywhere else at the time. So I headed straight to their office in Guangzhou and Dongguan to purchase their acne treatment line. At the time, I was also curious about the beauty and cosmetics industry. When I visited Baidafu, I found it to be a relatively small operation—over the course of three years, they had launched several product lines—and only a handful of staff were there to introduce the products, hand out brochures, and explain the pricing, which was quite steep. But after using their products, I quickly noticed they were remarkably effective; within just a few days, my acne cleared up. That made me realize: China’s economy has grown considerably, and the cosmetics market holds tremendous potential. Yet I knew next to nothing about this field. During my spare time while working, I began keeping an eye on developments in the beauty industry and learned that it’s a booming, fast-growing sector with bright prospects. So I made the bold decision to resign from the factory and personally fund my studies at a beauty school. I spent about six months—or maybe three, I’m not entirely sure—there, eagerly rising early each day to practice techniques and assist others with facial treatments. Through this experience, I gradually gained a deeper understanding of beauty products, skincare methods, and market dynamics. Eventually, I decided to take the certification exam for professional beauticians; I remember earning an advanced-level license, driven by the simple idea of opening my own beauty salon. However, running a salon requires a substantial investment—several hundred thousand yuan—which I simply didn’t have at the time. So I put that plan on hold and instead followed someone’s advice: start by working for a while to get a feel for the market and learn from the experiences of my peers. Following that suggestion, I joined Ailisu—a well-known brand in the beauty industry, renowned for its high-quality specialized beauty services. Its founder is Yue Hui. After hearing her story, I developed great admiration for her: she was a military doctor who, upon leaving the service, faced considerable skepticism—even from her own family. Military doctors typically enjoy secure government salaries and are hard to find comparable positions elsewhere. Yet Yue Hui resolutely chose to leave the military and enter the beauty industry, establishing her own factory and brand, Ailisu, which quickly became highly successful and expanded to multiple locations. I decided to work for her because I saw her as a role model. My initial assignment at Ailisu was as a beauty consultant, traveling across the country to provide on-site support to beauty salons. My first trip was to Yunnan, where I set off alone with my luggage, taking a bus to serve local salons. Over the course of a week, I visited nearly 100 establishments, canvassing each one. In the Kunming market, I observed that beauty salons there were thriving and charged premium prices. Back in 2000, the beauty industry was at its peak, making it an especially lucrative field. After spending about two months in Yunnan, however, I encountered some differences in management philosophy compared with what I’d experienced before, so I once again volunteered to resign. Shortly after I left, my husband happened to be involved in a partnership to run a raw-material trading company, focusing on sourcing ingredients and developing formulation recipes. But the three partners eventually fell out, leading to a formal split. With the business now divided, my husband planned to go solo, so I returned to help him manage the remaining operations.