>
FEATURE
10 MINUTES WITH
DEB FARNWORTH By Louise May
Serial entrepreneur and the founder of the world-leading medi-aesthetic franchise Australian Skin Clinics. Born in Kenya and raised in the UK, Deb’s remarkable story is one of moving to the other side of the world to retire - only to build a $70m business which she sold in 2019. Having spotted an opportunity to build a successful franchise model, Deb moved her family to the Gold Coast in 2007 and got down to work. She launched the franchise in 2011 and five years later, she had grown the business to 60 clinics across Australia and New Zealand and reshaped an ailing skincare brand, scooping up multiple awards in the process. She was named Gold Coast Woman in Business of the Year 2017, and was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2016. Deb’s career has been punctuated by ‘firsts’. She was the first non-doctor to become a partner in a UK medical practice, and her group were the first non-pharmacist to own a UK pharmacy. She also opened England’s first drive-thru pharmacy. It’s a testament to her incredible vision and passion for the aesthetics industry that she continues to push the boundaries of business to this day. In 2020, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Deb purchased Issada Cosmetics an Australian mineral makeup company. In December 2020 she launched Issada Clinical Formula skincare range - a clean cosmeceutical range which had been in development for two years. Beauty Biz Editor, Louise May, spent time with Deb recently to find out more about how the journey with beauty and aesthetics all began.
Can you tell us how you got started in the industry?
My interest in beauty and aesthetics started in the UK. At the time, I co-owned several health businesses with my eight business partners, who were doctors. At the time, laser hair removal was relatively new, and Botox was still something only movie stars did. I was keen to add a cosmetic clinic to our portfolio, and we started a fledgling clinic in our multidisciplinary centre. However, my husband Shaun decided it was time for both he and I to “retire”. I was only 43, and him 39, but he wanted us to retire to Australia! Almost by chance, I discovered a cosmetic clinic for sale on the Gold Coast and also that the easiest way to get an Australian visa was to buy an established business. We purchased what was the original Australian Skin Clinic in Ashmore, and I planned to spend my days 12
Beauty Biz Year 15 Issue 3
on the beach while running the clinic under management. I didn’t anticipate falling in love with the industry and building a franchise of 60 clinics that I eventually sold in 2019.
What drew you to aesthetics in the first place?
After nearly 18 years working in various health businesses, I’d become weary of the UK health system, and I was attracted to the idea that therapy/aesthetics could have an uplifting effect on people at a psychological level. At the time (and still), there were so many new advances in technologies, new cosmetic ingredients and, of course, injectables. I realised that beauty therapy would not remain a predominantly home-based industry forever and that there were many more opportunities to explore. I was drawn to the belief that, eventually, high-end treatments such as laser resurfacing, Botox and fillers would eventually be just as common as having a hair colour and I wanted to be part of that growth.
How did your business Issada come to be?
Although I sold the ASC franchise, I did keep the original Ashmore clinic (now called Ultimate Skin and Body) and set about reinventing the business and changing the model again. Initially, the clinic had offered a diverse range of treatments, but to franchise it, we scaled this down to just 7. The rebrand was an opportunity to return to a more complex range of treatments. I no longer wanted to stock the ASC skincare range, so I started developing a new skincare system. By then, I’d worked with around a dozen ranges, and I had a clear idea about what I needed for my business. I had been friends with Fiona Neale, the founder of Issada Cosmetics, for around 1012 years and during that time came to know the business well. I was also a dedicated and loyal user of Issada mineral makeup, having become hooked on it when Fiona gave me a
