May 3, 2013
Originally posted by Little Jack Marketing on April 26th, 2013
Once you’ve devised a great brand for your small business, you need to go into action mode and spread that message as best as you can to give your small business a fighting chance at success. When marketing guru’s worldwide say “live your brand”, we get what they mean is “care about your brand”. Few people actually undertake the task of living their brand (when they do they tend to be very successful). Leah Chavie is one of those people.
Of course, living your brand is easier when you’re the owner of a luxury skincare boutique. Leah lives her brand by showing her face around town, socializing with power players, and generally looking fabulous all around. She puts care into her appearance, and it shows. Whenever anyone sees her or her friends looking good around town, that is living proof of her brand. She is literally representative of her own customer base: outgoing, fun-loving people who work hard and play harder.
Leah started her skincare boutique in 2010, after 20+ years experience in the makeup artist industry. Since its opening, Leah Chavie Skincare has been a mainstay of Chicago’s luxury scene.
The uniqueness of the Leah Chavie brand, according to the woman herself, stems from exclusivity. Product choices are very specific, credible, and align with the the high end brand appeal. Her belief in always growing carries on to her team, who are encouraged to get additional education about the latest skincare methods. In the world of luxury spas, where trends come and go with the seasons, it’s important to stay on the cutting edge and offer the latest technologies. That is why Leah’s boutique features the detoxing body wrap that comes from Spain, and reportedly burns up to 1800 calories per treatment! That is also why she is the exclusive provider of CryoStem Cell Therapy facials (if it sounds rejuvenating, that’s because it is) in all of Chicago.
Despite having the technological upper hand over other spas, Leah instists that skincare is above all a business of personal connections. “I have traveled the world in search of beauty and healthcare and have discovered one thing:”, she says, ”that is it not the items or the treatments offered, it is the people who are there at the salon providing the care.”
Asked about how she communicates her unique brand to the world Leah stresses word of mouth, asking for referrals, and not being afraid to ask for the job. Even today, after all her success, Leah builds contacts everywhere she goes. And she never forgets to ask for the job or that extra referral.
When we asked her how she does it, Leah shrugs it off: “You have to be your brand — always.”