Today we’d like to introduce you to Dror & Diana.
Dror & Diana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
DROR: One winter I was visiting my (now) wife in Canada. Her Mom is a veteran hairstylist of 30+ years, and over dinner, she began talking about “this new hair product made with quinoa”, and how she loves it. She actually got it from the bathroom for my wife to try and said “Oh yeah, and it’s made in Israel! How coincidental is that?”
I happen to be Israeli. Like countless others, I’d visited the United States in my 20’s and fallen in love with the opportunity this country offers. Living the proverbial American Dream. That night, Google told us Biotop Professional had yet to arrive in the United States. We knew we couldn’t pass up this chance. After meeting with the manufacturer in Israel two months later, that fall our first container of 911 Quinoa products arrived at the Port of Miami!
DIANA: I came into the picture a little later. As a young Mom, I worked in hair salons while raising my two adolescent daughters. As the girls became older, I sought more responsibility and was promoted to Management in a prestigious Coral Gables salon. I worked there many years, honing my skills and learning everything there is to know about the industry. Now my girls are grown up, and representing Biotop is my new venture. It challenges me in the perfect position, taking my career and people skills to the next level.
DROR: So humble. Diana is really a star. She’s a big part of Biotop’s unfolding American story, our blend of class and professionalism and your best-friend-forever. Funny, when we advertised about hiring a Sales Rep, Diana wanted us to interview her daughter.
DIANA: Yea, true. (Both laugh).
DROR: But I said, “Actually I want YOU to apply”. Diana has talent in spades. So she did. The rest is history.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
DROR: In the grand scheme of a new business journey, we have been very fortunate and it’s been a steady positive growth. But challenges, I can count quite a few. For starters, I am not American so getting a business visa was necessary, but not a walk in the park. In the beginning, we were a two-man show, and since the majority of our clientele is Spanish speaking, I had to pick it up quickly. English isn’t my first language either for that matter, so I was at a disadvantage all around. Prior to starting this venture, I had zero experience in the beauty industry and no basic understanding of hair care; while this was not an obstacle, it was another learning curve to master.
There are other challenges that come with building any successful business, such as operating within financial budgets and finding the right people (this one is tough). Probably the biggest challenge was/is penetrating a market (professional hair care) that is oversaturated, meaning there are hundreds of other really good products already out there. Our huge advantage is that Biotop is truly salon exclusive. Once Salon owners come to understand this, that we are 100% behind them and support them in small business growth, the relationship transforms and we all succeed together.
DIANA: I’d have to agree. There are so many reputable and well-established beauty products in place at salons. It’s a challenge to introduce a new brand into the market, even if it’s cutting-edge like Biotop. First of all, Salon owners don’t believe me that Biotop is “salon exclusive” because it just doesn’t exist anymore. Literally, every other product from Kerastase to Paul Mitchell is online for cheaper, and as a small business, they can’t compete.
And secondly, people like what they’re used to. They are hesitant to try something new. With all that said, it’s a fairly easy and very fun obstacle to overcome. Anyone who tries Biotop loves it. And once salon owners and stylists see Biotop sell, and that customers come back and buy it FROM THEM again, they’re excited. It’s so gratifying for me to help our clients re-grow the business they lost when the internet came along.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BIOTOP PROFESSIONAL story. Tell us more about the business.
DROR: Our company, BiotopUSA (www.biotopusa.com), is the US distributor of Biotop Professional salon-exclusive professional hair care. Biotop’s best-selling line is the 911 Quinoa Series, which contains quinoa protein to heal dry, damaged hair of any type.
What sets Biotop apart from other hair care brands, from a salon perspective, comes from the top: the creator and owner of the Biotop Professional brand, Yehoda Levi, is also the manufacturer. This is unique to our industry. His team is really committed to building Biotop as a salon-exclusive product. (That means we don’t sell on Amazon or in Walgreens or at Sally Beauty. We support stylists and salons to grow their small businesses. We have strategies in place to prevent diversion – diversion is how products that are supposed to be sold only in salons, come to be sold online). We love Mr. Levi’s leadership because he truly sees the opportunity for our salon clients to be Ambassadors for this brand. For us, all growing and succeeding together.
On an end-consumer level, Biotop products use high-quality ingredients and the latest technology to deliver awesome results, plain and simple. We use the term Hybrid Hair: these products use resources of nature to heal damage, but they aren’t organic (neither is the bleach and dye we use so it’s a fit). They’re made in Israel, products are sodium-chloride free, paraben free, SLS & SLES (sulfates) free, certified Kosher and not tested on animals. Ingredients are carefully sourced, fragrances are allergen-friendly. Biotop sells in a couple dozen other countries around the world (including obviously Canada!).
On a BiotopUSA team level, we try our best to put people first in all we do. Richard Branson said, “The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers”. We really consider our staff a family and treat them that way, to go above and beyond. We strive to create a culture and work environment where people love what they do, and it is important to us that staff make more money as time goes on. We value autonomy, integrity, and wine at special staff meetings. Seeing how committed our team is, is the biggest achievement and compliment for me, and assures me that we are on the path for greatness!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
DIANA: I personally don’t believe it has anything to do with luck. But persistence and the willingness to go the extra mile for your customers… that’s what will always make you successful in any line of work.
DROR: Luck has definitely played a part for us in presenting opportunities. For example, coming across Diana.
DIANA: ohhhh geez. (both laugh)
DROR: To me, lots of luck is being in the right place at the right time. But ultimately what determines success is the ability to capitalize on it. We have definitely been dealt a few good hands, and I am proud of the way we played our cards so far! Diana definitely makes a strong point and I completely agree on her recipe for success.
DIANA: Touché (both laugh again)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.biotopusa.com
- Phone: 1-800-380-9091
- Email: hello@biotopusa.com
Image Credit:
Samy Suarez (Celebrity Stylist, from Samy Beauty Lounge)
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