Harvard Business School recently conducted a video interview of Shahnaz Husain, the quintessential entrepreneur, who has become internationally renowned for her brand of Ayurvedic beauty care and unique business strategies.
The interview was conducted by Harvard Professor Sunil Gupta, from Boston. He was accompanied by senior researchers of the Harvard Business School Research Centre. The Shahnaz Husain interview will be a part of the Harvard Business School teaching curriculum.
The interview is a fascinating portrayal of an evolution, from a dream to a legend, a transition from a conservative upbringing to becoming the best-known face in the cosmetic world in India. Indeed, an interview of a first generation entrepreneur is always fascinating……more so, when it is about a living legend. The Harvard interview provides a rare insight into the individual qualities that make Shahnaz Husain stand apart from the rest. It is also a reflection of the times four decades ago and the existing social climate, which make her success even more phenomenal. It tells the story of a woman who fashioned the way the world looks at beauty care. There is no doubt that Shahnaz Husain not only set the trend for herbal cosmetic care, but single-handedly created a market for Indian Ayurvedic beauty products.
The interview takes us back in time, when Shahnaz Husain, a teenage bride and mother, emerged from a sheltered and secure life, to venture into a totally different world of entrepreneurship, armed with just a dream; and how she had to wage a lone battle to fulfill her dreams. It tells us of her early years in Tehran, how she surmounted the odds and worked her way to the leading beauty training institutes of London, Paris, New York, Germany and Denmark. The lack of a college degree did not deter her. She wrote articles for the Iran Tribune, typing furiously on manual typewriters, completing assignments and meeting deadlines, till her fingers literally bled, to the despair of her doctors. But, she did not give up and this trait has seen her through four decades of achievements. “I never give up; if you never give up, you cannot fail,” she says.
The interview focuses on Shahnaz Husain’s search for a better alternative, her discovery of the Indian herbal heritage; how she translated the aura of mysticism into practical Ayurvedic beauty care. She takes us through the unique concepts and strategies she adopted, basing her treatments on a new concept of “herbal care and cure,” recapturing an ancient herbal system and making it relevant to modern life. We learn of how she started her journey of making Ayurveda popular worldwide. When India was not even represented, she attended international beauty congresses, like CIDESCO, to speak on the Indian herbal heritage and holistic beauty care. She managed to take Ayurveda and Brand India to every corner of the globe, speaking from every rostrum and holding press conferences. z
We also learn about her unique business strategies, relying on “word of mouth” rather than commercial advertisements; how she followed a clinical system, diagnosing skin and hair problems and writing prescriptions. She extended her salons through a unique franchise system, which became outlets for her products and treatments all over the world. She relates how she followed a unique method in India and abroad of inaugurating franchise salons and other ventures, like spa, beauty training academies and retail outlets.
The viewers follow her on her journey to the Festival of India, when she first entered the international market, where she stood up alone and sold “India’s 5000-years old civilization in a jar.” There was no looking back after that, when her products stormed international markets, breaking cosmetic sales records. Shahnaz Husain became a global brand name, so much so that today, Shahnaz Herbal is the only Indian beauty brand selling in Selfridges, the famous London store.
We also learn that she rules with her heart too; helping people in distress and in need, as well as her contribution to social causes, benefiting the under-privileged. She has also supported protection of the environment and no animal testing.
With recollections of personal anecdotes and unique business strategies, interspersed with interesting incidents and experiences, some humorous and some touching, Shahnaz Husain reveals how her work became the sole purpose of her existence. The interview is a montage, not only of rare personal qualities, but her pursuit of excellence, her driving force and spirit of enterprise. It also provides an inspiring view of her relentless determination, her iron will and sheer hard work, not to mention her vision and foresight. It tells us how she fashioned a herbal empire out of just a dream, becoming a legend in her own lifetime. Today, she heads the largest organization of its kind in the world, with a global network of franchise salons worldwide and ranges of natural formulations for skin, hair and body care. Indeed, Shahnaz Husain’s interview is an inspiration to women to fulfill their dreams with faith and courage.
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