TROPIC BY ALLEN

MY JOURNEY

I think we can all agree that when we heard on the news about some new mystery virus that we wouldn’t be affected by it. Oh boy were we wrong! Fast forward to 2021 and here we are, still in lockdown. It’s almost a day to the year I’ve been in lockdown and out of work that I’m sitting writing this, and I can hardly believe that my normal day to day job is PR & Entertainment Manager for Anthology NI (Kremlin Nightclub & Union Street Bar) which I absolutely love. I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things full time, see all my co-workers and all our amazing customers and entertainers. But I’m not the type of person who can just sit about and do nothing for a year.

2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for all of us and I was no exception to that. I’m a very social person and not being able to go to work or see my friends and family hit me in a way I never expected. My anxiety was through the roof and my mental health took a nosedive through the floor. Couple that up with not being able to get to the gym and there you have a recipe for disaster!

I couldn’t exercise the way I wanted to. I stopped watching what I was eating, and I essentially stopped looking after myself and fell out of love with myself. I was completely lost in a world where I felt like I had no purpose. I had nothing to get out of bed for and like so many others, I just let myself slip further and further into this Covid hole that I had dug for myself.

I desperately needed to feel that my life had some sort of value. I needed something to occupy my mind but also help me care for myself again. Welcome to the picture, one of my best friends, Dannielle. I remember going to see her one evening and she sent me away with Tropics ‘ABC Collection’ to try, along with a seed planted, that I could become an Ambassador for Tropic. The thought that I could represent this brand seemed absurd to me at first but within a

few days I was hooked on my new skincare regime. Plus, I was noticing my complexion begin to change and improve. My skin was smoother, brighter, fresher and dare I say it, looked younger!

A few days later I signed up as an Ambassador and began my own journey with Tropic. It was a very strange turn of the tides, but it was a perfect fit for me. Tropic Skincare CEO, Susie Ma, is nothing short of a revolutionary and it seemed that our aspirations for a greener planet aligned perfectly. Over lockdown I had the chance to really evaluate my place in the world and what I could do to make it a better place right now and for generations to come. Tropic Skincare offered me a chance to be a part of something so much bigger than just a skincare brand. It allowed me to be part of a company that is vegan friendly; a company that is animal cruelty free; a company that promotes natural products; a company that is double off-setting its carbon emissions… the list goes on! Something that really struck a chord with me was Susie's vision for a more empowered world. She believes that education is a human right and not a privilege. Now, being an ex-teacher myself, this was a very deep connection for me. Every single product purchased helps to support children across the world alongside ‘United World Schools’. Tropic even has its very own school in Cambodia and another on the way in Nepal. It’s amazing to think that myself and my customers are part of building a better world, as well as looking after our skin.

I began my journey with Tropic Skincare in January 2020. My only regret is not starting it sooner, but better late than never, I guess. I signed up and my initial thought was, “oh my, what have I done!”. But it wasn’t long before the support came flooding in from my teammates and I felt incredibly welcome and part of the team. This camaraderie was just what I was looking for over lockdown. It was such a lift for my mental health having those daily interactions with my team and building new relationships with my customers. started to reach out to people and build my business. Within days I was hooked! I was speaking with people again and I had something to look forward to every day. I set myself goals and targets to give me a focus and a purpose each day and gradually I started to find myself again. I started going out for walks again, I started to do my skincare routine night and day, and day by day I started to find love for myself again. I had a purpose, and I had a smile back on my face at a time when life just didn’t seem to be very enjoyable.

As my love for the brand, products and overall vision grew, so did my selfconfidence and self-esteem. I was starting to see flashes of the Allen I know come

back to life. I set myself short term and long-term goals and shared these with Danni who has been an amazing source of inspiration and support. January went by in the blink of an eye and I couldn’t believe that I had earned myself the famous ‘white bag’! It was at the end of that first month that I knew I had made what would come to be the best decision of 2021 - without a doubt!

Going into February there was a real fire and a passion in me to share Tropic. Not just the products but also its vision “to create a healthier, greener and more empowered world.” Normally, we as Ambassadors would be out doing pamper nights and meeting you all face to face and having a laugh with you whilst showing you our products and sharing Tropics core values, but alas, lockdown. What did we do before social media? For now, we are doing all of our interaction through social media, which has its own set of challenges, but it has been a fantastic tool in helping to spread the word about Tropic. I can't wait to host my first pamper, you better believe it will be the best nights craic!

In February I ended up surprising myself the most when I ended up in the top 40 across the whole of the UK, which has 20,000 Ambassadors. I was absolutely gobsmacked and couldn’t believe the

support from my customers, but what was even more amazing was that my team and I had been able to provide 266 school days for those less fortunate. That blew my mind and has only inspired me even more on my journey to spread the Tropic Love! Then in March I made it into the top 30 and I was just in awe of the support from everyone. That opportunity comes every day when I interact with my customers, but it also came in the form of an existing customer becoming an Ambassador and joining my team. I just love seeing people fall in love with this brand and its vision and then taking a leap of faith into building their own business and spreading that vision even further afield. My focus now for 2021 is to build a phenomenal team of likeminded people who share my passion for Tropic and all its values.

Using these fantastic products and becoming an Ambassador was easily the best decision I will make this entire year. Even when I go back to work full time, I have no plans to leave Tropic by the wayside, in fact my only plans are to continue as I have started. It sounds so strange to even say this to myself, but Tropic really was a lifeline for me that a friend threw to me when I needed it most. Who would’ve thought that starting with the ‘ABC Collection’ would have led me to where I am now? Tropic Skincare really is a force for good, beyond beauty!

2020 was horrendous and forced us all into a life we didn’t see coming, nor did we know how to handle it. It forced me to reevaluate several aspects in my own life, but it also offered me opportunities and I could either sink or swim. Given the chance I will always swim. My point being that yes 2020 has been hard but there is light at the end of this tunnel. Tropic gave me a torch to find my way this far. I encourage all of you who have taken the time to read this to find

what your torch is. What is it that you need to do to get over this past year? What is it that you need to do to allow you to move confidently into 2021? We have all been given the chance at a fresh start and a clean slate, don’t waste that! Find what it is for you that gives you a torch to carry, for me it was Tropic. Each of us will have something quite different and that’s what makes the world a beautiful place to live.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and be part of it