Being the head of a global brand in New Zealand is not an easy job, so when Natasha Bourke, CEO of Two Hundred Doors, took up the role in the beauty industry that is male dominated, she learned so much that she hopes to pass down to budding female entrepreneurs.
For most people interested in beauty, Dermalogica is a brand nearly everyone has heard of.
A globally-loved brand, Natasha Bourke has the challenging position to be at the helm of the brand, amongst other beauty brands in New Zealand, as CEO of Two Hundred Doors.
Sitting at the top of the ladder, Bourke has undergone a number of challenges in her years of experience.
What makes her experience different, is that Dermalogica as a brand is comparably unique to the industry. Bourke, alongside the team at Two Hundred Doors are often left approaching business in ways others would not.
Like other beauty brands, they are finding themselves in a tough economic climate where she is constantly tempted by ‘quick wins’ that don’t align with the brand.
Most of the time, Bourke says that the solution to these challenges is cultivating a team of creative and innovative people who align with the brand.
This way, with everything the brand exports, from products to social media presences, the message and brand is delivered.
These types of challenges are learning experiences for Bourke that she finds herself saving as valuable advice to give to other budding female entrepreneurs.
“This provides me with an opportunity to share the knowledge I have gained from years working in the beauty industry as a CEO and an entrepreneur and assist other women to succeed in business through mentorship and financial support,” she says.
Read more: Kiwi businesswomen team up to champion female entrepreneurship
Based on all these challenges, one tip Bourke wants to give to others is looking after their wellbeing.
“Being a CEO or an entrepreneur is very demanding on your time,” she says.
“Eat well, exercise regularly, prioritise sleep and do things outside of work that make you happy and bring you joy. Optimising your wellbeing will equal a much higher level of productivity. And find great mentors that can guide you along the way.”
From her own learnings, Bourke is supporting the EmpowHER scholarship, alongside business incubator firm, The Icehouse and Founder of apparel company, SABEN, Roanne Jacobsen, championing female entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of both of our businesses and something we all champion as female CEO’s in a heavily male dominated arena,” adds Bourke.
“We both wanted to be able to support more female-founded business owners and share our knowledge to be able to help them develop their business acumen and financial skills.
“So many brave women go into this area and don’t always have the support of a mentor to soundboard ideas past or further their experience in specific areas such as digital marketing or sales. Quite often they are doing everything themselves and need advice on how to scale their business.”
Through this scholarship, Bourke hopes to encourage small female-led businesses to get their start in their respective industries and elevate the community of women entrepreneurs.
