Right Here Right Now by Natalie Isaacs

Author:Natalie Isaacs [Isaacs, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460714614
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-05-30T05:00:00+00:00

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In this commercially turbocharged world, every brand is competing for the best shelf space.

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Decades later, I see nothing has slowed down. The cosmetics industry today turns over in excess of $US511 billion annually (2021).48 According to recent beauty industry statistics, not even a weak economy can hold this industry back. It is predicted to exceed $US716 billion by 2025.49 You need look no further for proof of marketing triumphing over reality.

So in my quest to grow as a small business owner, I’d been seduced by department store chains and the fast fashion industry. I was asked to manufacture Christmas lines for just about every department store chain in Australia, and I can tell you I was ridiculously excited at the time. Creating fast-fashion Christmas brands for department stores is potentially a huge money-making business, and I was hooked.

For me, the conflicts piled up faster than I could cope, and my values were sacrificed. On one hand, I was still manufacturing my beautiful, very boutique ‘true beauty comes from within’ honest brand, with minimal everything – including sales. On the other hand, I quickly became a fast-growing player in perpetuating consumerism with fast fashion crap. I justified doing one to support the other.

As this side of the business took off, the only thing I became concerned about was how quickly my products in the department stores sold. Not the quality of the product and not the longevity of the product – just if it jumped off the shelf and into your trolley and through the checkout. I knew when you bought my products they would probably end up in the bin quickly. I was numb to that. I was too busy selling you cheap products fast, exhilarated at the speed at which you took them home.

Manufacturers of consumer goods want you to believe you are a consumer first, and that your consumerism defines who you are and shapes your personality. I contributed to this whole engine of marketing, making you believe you needed my product to be happy.

The fast fashion brands I created were the perfect recipe for the quick sale. Tween girls were my target market. I sold them the dream: that if they wore my swizzle-sparkled, triplecoloured lip gloss and whatever else was in the pack, they’d stand out in the crowd. The packs sold like hot cakes. Who wouldn’t want one? They were bursting with colour and fun, and at $9.99 they were sold at a magic price point for spontaneous purchases.

That’s all a long time ago now, before I got the point about climate change. I eventually stopped being a cosmetics manufacturer to start 1 Million Women. My learnings from my manufacturing and marketing days came with me too. I understand the psyche of the consumer.

I was in the business of selling you happiness, and every time you purchased my products you validated that what I was doing was right. Instead, if you had left my product on the shelf, it would have sent a message directly back to me that you didn’t want it.

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