The beauty industry is dominated by women and continues to be a strong choice for business ownership. Tracey Hordern looks at the way ABIC is supporting its powerful leaders.
It’s no surprise that the beauty industry is dominated by women. In fact, the latest survey shows that the beauty and aesthetics industry workforce is populated with 97% of female workers.
Quite simply, women know what women want, including how they want to feel and look. Since the pandemic, the industry’s revenue has risen by an extraordinary 10.9% in 2022, quickly recovering from the devastating blow of the Covid-19 pandemic.*
But it’s not just the workers and clients that are overwhelmingly represented by those that identify as female, beauty therapy remains a fantastic choice of business ownership and a pathway for wealth creation for so many women. There is simply no comparable industry that is so populated by women, servicing the needs of women.
Taking that understanding to the next level, the industry custodians of today, the ideas shapers, the movers and makers of are also statistically dominated by increasingly powerful cohort of influential women.
ABIC supports women
The Aesthetic Beauty Industry Council (ABIC) was created for the industry, by the industry, to unite as one powerfully strong voice – and that voice is an almost uniquely female voice.
While ABIC does have some wonderful male Board and Council members, as the peak body, representing the vastly female- populated Australian Beauty and Aesthetics sector, it is the women of ABIC and their achievements that should be acknowledged in this special edition of Professional Beauty.
By providing an expert voice to government, advocating for benchmark standards, self-regulation, all while supporting the advancement of a united Australian beauty industry at every level, ABIC are helping other women to be and perform their best.
Why collaboration is key
Before the establishment of the Council, many of ABIC’s Board Members relationships would have best been described as competitors. Today, they share many hours every week working on the betterment of the industry as a whole.
As industry experts and with a committed and united board, ABIC Board and Council Members are committed to advancing the industry and by definition; they are working predominantly for women, across all segments of our diverse industry.
In ABIC’s short time since taking on the mantle, the female dominated board achieved an earlier reopening for the Australian aesthetics industry following the devastating pandemic lockdowns, they have raised awareness in government, while attracting the endorsement and the backing of industry leaders.
But for ABIC CEO Stefanie Miller, she rightfully claims that this is the beginning and not the end of a journey of ABIC to reform and advance the professional beauty industry.
Network, network, network!
This year, ABIC kicked off 2023 with the Inaugural ABIC 2023 Educational Conference – and it was a resounding success! This event looks set to be the annual centre stage event for the industry and was pulled together and powered by the dynamic Nicole Montgomery, ABIC’s General Partnerships Manager.
Like so many in our industry, Nicole Montgomery is one of those women that you simply wonder how they do it all. Nicole is a mum of four, has been a Registered Nurse for over 10 years, and has been working in the marketing and event space for the last six years within the Beauty and Aesthetics sector.
“Without doubt, my most recent event, my pride and joy has been the ABIC 2023 Educational Conference, where I organised everything from the logistics to ticket sales, marketing, sponsorships, audio visual, speakers – even the bathroom amenities!”
The ABIC event attracted more than 450 delegates, 30 recognised iconic speakers, 25 sponsors and 10 new companies became a member of ABIC just to attend the event. The event surpassed all expectations and was organised in two months, across December and January the most difficult time of year!
“I am very passionate, I believe in the importance of networking, collaboration and supporting others – especially women,” explains Nicole. “I am determined to always deliver more than expected in every role I do – and like many women, I also wear many hats.
Equally, like most women today, Nicole works tirelessly to be financially independent and to be a role model for her children. “I strive for excellence in everything I do, I never settle, and I also make a point of always learning, both professionally and personally.”
“My heart and soul truly believe in the beauty, aesthetics, cosmetic industry. It is life changing, it’s empowering, its meaningful and I am honoured to be a part of it.”
Beyonce got it right when she answered her own question in her hit song, Run the World, “Who runs the world? It’s girls.”
*Statista, Women’s Agenda
This article was produced in partnership with ABIC.
This article was originally published in Professional Beauty’s March-April 2023 print issue.
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