I was taking a little trip through my various job entries on LinkedIn yesterday and realised it’s 20 years since I first met Ere and Juan Perez in Sydney and started working with them and their fledgling natural beauty brand – Ere Perez Natural Cosmetics.
Over the following 12 years, I played a key role in the growth and international development of the business, primarily as their first PR Manager in Australia. I worked closely with Ere as the brand evolved from a small independent venture into an internationally recognised natural cosmetics company, expanding into the United States, Mexico and Europe.
My responsibilities spanned public relations, communications and digital marketing. I established the brand’s early social media presence as Facebook and Instagram emerged, managed content creation and community engagement, and developed the original Ere Perez Naturally Beautiful blog – now a much more sophisticated website that I had nothing to do with other than initial proof-reading and copy editing!
After returning to the UK, I worked with Ere to create the role of UK & European Manager, introducing the brand into key European markets. By the time I handed over the business in July 2018, I had successfully established distribution and retail partnerships across the UK, France, Benelux, Spain, Italy and Ukraine, with around 25 active retail accounts and a strong pipeline of new opportunities.
I am hugely proud of my friends for what they’ve achieved, and today, I remain a passionate supporter of the brand and continue to enjoy a close relationship with Ere and Juan, their family, and the wider business.
It is particularly rewarding to see the next generation involved too – my stepdaughter, Freya Thompson, is now part of the Sydney headquarters team, contributing to the brand’s creative direction, branding and social media presence.
Being part of the Ere Perez story (and family!) from its earliest days through to its international success remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
The Word Bird 