The story of how Jean Yip built her eponymous empire out of a modest hair salon is well-known among beauty and wellness insiders. During this interview, however, she prefers to talk about her daughters, Cheryl and Rachel Wee.
With more than 70 outlets across Singapore and Malaysia, Jean Yip Group owns spas, aesthetic centres, an aesthetic clinic, a hair care line, and a weight management centre. The last, Cheryl W Weight Management, was founded in 2016 by Cheryl, the elder of the two sisters and a certified health coach.
Says Jean, “Cheryl spent 10 years building her career as an artiste in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, so she understood the stress of having to look good all the time, and developed an interest in wellness. When she decided to join Jean Yip Group, I tasked her with the group’s slimming department.”
According to Cheryl, a mother of three, losing weight is easier than maintaining it. Rebound can occur in women for several reasons, including water retention. These symptoms may be a sign of broader health problems or issues with well-being.
In developing Cheryl W Weight Management, she focused on a holistic and sustainable approach. Her mother’s encouragement to “create her own thing” pushed her to work hard as she felt she had to live up to her expectations. In retrospect, the lessons she learnt from following her parents to their salons since she was nine proved useful.
“Building strong relationships with my team, for instance, is essential. My mum would cook delicious dishes for her staff,” says Cheryl. “I can’t cook, so I bake and deliver the cakes to the outlets. I want them to know that I appreciate them.”
Meanwhile, from offering fat freeze treatments and body detox, Cheryl expanded her business to e-commerce, launching Company of Wellness products. These supplements, she says, help to boost immunity, detoxification, and skin health, and can be purchased from the website.
A subscription-based 1-2-3 Exercise Plan is also available from Company of Wellness, with workouts suggested for women of different fitness levels. The 30-Day Better-Self Programme, which includes a DNA test and nutritionist consultation, gives them an option to push themselves further.
“I didn’t just want to create a brand,” Cheryl says. “In creating an ecosystem through the Company of Wellness, we aren’t limited to brick-and-mortar stores. Customers these days are too busy to go to the malls.”
When Rachel, her younger sister and a pharmacist and skincare formulator, joined the company, the momentum picked up. Her Oh Hello Bae skincare line, which includes the bestseller Acne Eraser Blemish Treatment, is also available at Company of Wellness.
Along with overseeing marketing, Rachel—who has three children of her own—teaches people how to use the products and garners social media buy-in. “Our marketing strategy has evolved,” she explains. “Engaging or funny videos generate more views, consequently leading to more leads and customers.”
As for working with her mother and sister, she says, “Even though the learning curve is steep, it has brought us closer. In the beginning, I avoided disagreements and kept quiet, but I’ve learnt to talk things through with others.”
With plans for a customer wellness retreat underway, all three had time for one more question: will Jean’s granddaughters be joining the business when they grow up? Laughter erupts from the trio.
It seems Cheryl’s six-year-old Emma Fong and Rachel’s five-year-old Ellery Chen have already considered their futures: “They’ve decided to work together as doctors!”
Photography Cher Him
Art Direction Ed Harland
Makeup Keith Bryant Lee & Wee Ming, using Chanel Beauty
