Stepping Up - Interview with the two winners of the Eideal Santi Leadership Programme (ESLP) Ruksher Malik and Valerie Reynaert
NAME: RUKSHER MALIK, JOB TITLE: CO-FOUNDER, SALON NAME: PASTELS SALON
Why did you decide to join the ESLP?
I have never undertaken a detailed business programme before and I felt that if I wanted to take the salon to the next level and ensure the brand’s continued and enhanced success, I needed to do this. When EIDEAL offered me the chance to do this programme, I felt it would be a perfect match to meet my requirements and enable me to achieve my goals.
What key learnings did you take away?
Through it, I have been able to forge a more effective business strategy for Pastels Salon. I have learned about planning and forecasting, sharper budgeting, branding and marketing, loyalty schemes, the client journey, net promoter score, mission statement and so many other things that until this programme came along, I hadn’t been able to fully master.
How does it feel to win?
What changes will you make as a result? I am so proud to have been named a winner and I hope to continue the journey that I have started on this programme – that is, to make Pastels Salon the best it possibly can be while sticking to our ethos. We have penned out a priority list and this will take a while to implement. Susie has mentored us to start one thing at a time and perfect it, before moving on to implementing another strategy.
Thanks to the programme, I have learned to work both in the business and on the business simultaneously and one key change that we have made as a business so far is the implementation of detailed staff appraisals, which have helped identify the strengths individual staff members have as well as the areas with which they need help to improve.
NAME: VALERIE REYNAERT, JOB TITLE: MANAGING DIRECTOR, SALON NAME: SISTERS BEAUTY LOUNGE
Why did you decide to join the ESLP?
I am extremely fortunate and honored to have been chosen by Eideal to participate in this fantastic leadership programme. I was very eager to know where I stand as a leader today and how I could build on my leadership skillset. The most enjoyable part was connecting with colleagues from the industry and having the opportunity to share some of my learnings with them and get their feedback. I strongly believe that we can only grow as an industry by learning from each other and striving to improve the overall industry for our clientele.
What key learnings did you take away?
I always jump on the opportunity to learn and this programme was a great refresh to the business strategies I usually implement within my work. It has certainly shed some light on some of the best standards and as a result, it got me to re-think my own operations manual as well as our employee’s evaluations. Negotiation has always been my strength, but I thoroughly enjoyed being pushed by Susie even further!
How does it feel to win?
What changes will you make as a result? I am extremely humbled and honored to have won this award as I have dedicated my life to continuous learning and leading by example. I am a big believer that great leadership is the only way to achieve results for my key stakeholders. An inspired team can move mountains.
The ESLP is mentored by industry expert Susie Santiago and is a year long programme spearheaded by both Santiago and EIDEAL.
For more information on joining this year’s ESLP contact +971 (0) 4 259 4665
