#MCCOTInterview {16}
Emma S. Wiklund, the Swedish former supermodel turned into a successful business woman
For some people, success happens once in life. For the most luckiest, like Swedish Emma S. Wiklund, it happened even twice. From supermodel of the Nineties to successful CEO, co-founder and female entrepreneur. Together with Naomi, Cindy, Claudia, Linda, she has been one of the most famous and requested models worldwide for 12 years. She appeared in some musical video as Too Funky of British Singer George Michael in 1992 and Tandem by French singer Vanessa Paris and also had a short career as an actress (ex: Taxxi). In 1999, she went back home in Sweden to build a fresh new life and start from scratch. She worked for Swedish Fashion Brand Lindex and at the same time, went back to school to learn business economy. As she was a member of the board, she met Nora Larrson, her future business partner. In 2010, they both co-founded the Emma S. Skincare, an effective, safe and beauty made personal skinscare series, based on new, effective ingredients, that are professionally tested with proven results and made in Sweden. Let's chat with a hard worker who has built her second successful career step by step. Slowly but surely. A fullfilled woman, happily married and mother of two young adults, Tyra and Elis, who has succeeded her professional retraining. A woman who hopes to help other women make their skin look even better and feel even more good looking thanks to her own experience and the good tips the best dermatologists gave to her as she was modelling.
By Hélène Battaglia
Who are you?
I´m Emma S. Wiklund. One of the founders and CEO of the Swedish skincare brand Emma S. During the 90s, I was working as a model and since 12 years, I run my own business.
You were one of the few lucky super model of the nineties’? How was it?
It was fantastic to be part of that era in the 90s. At this time, there was a lot of focus and interest in models and I am so grateful for the years when I had the opportunity to work with all the amazing creative designers and photographers. I guess when I was in the middle of it all, I didn’t really realize how unique it was. It is really something I have learnt to appreciate even more when I got older and looked back on those years.
Which memories do you have of these glorious years of your life?
There are so many fantastic memories, but to mention a few ones: the first time I flew to New York and saw the amazing sky-line. Beeing from a small town in Sweden, I really remembered that feeling of “everything is possible”. I also remembered the first time I got do do the Gianni Versace's show in Milan. He was really one of the designers that actually created the “supermodels”. His show was such an amazing experience. My first Elle cover for the British edition of Elle was also something I remembered. It was unreal to see myself on a cover and, as it happened in 1989, I had no idea that I would be working as a model for the 12 coming years ahead.
When did you decide to start a second career as a business woman and a co-founder?
I moved back to Sweden in 1999 and I knew I had to do something else. As a model you know your career is limited, so I started working for a Swedish fashion brand called Lindex and, at the same time, started studying again and took a diploma in business economy. I was on the board of Lindex and there I got to know my business partner Nora Larssen and the idea of launching a new Swedish skincare brand started. I left Lindex in 2009 and, in 2010, we launched our first 12 products. During my years as a model I have saved money so that I had the possibility to invest in my company. Today Nora and I still own our company. After 12 years, it has grown and we have launched about 40 products.
How did you train for this big step of yours?
I think there was a combination of situations. As a model, I had created a brand name and an obsession about skincare. I got to study economics to get the tools and the self confidence to take the next step. I got to know my business partner Nora who has a different background and I had the capital to start my own brand.
Who does what in the team?
I work daily with Emma S. as the CEO and Nora is the ChaIrman of the company but she works daily at Nordstiernan, a Swedish investment company. When it comes to Emma S., we are both involved, but our different backgrounds and experiences, has made this journey possible: Nora is a real business woman with a lot of experience and together with my passion for skincare, product development, marketing and PR, I do know we are a great match. None of us could have built this company without the other one. We work great as a team and today we are 15 people on the Emma S. team which is fantastic.
We started to talk about it in 2007 and did our homework. In 2008-2009, we started to look for producers and the company was founded in 2010 and the first 12 products were launched at Ahlens, one of Swedens largest department stores.
How difficult it really was to impose your brand on the market?
It was a lot of work. The market is full of amazing brands and we could see that outside of Sweden, there were a lot of personal brands like Laura Mercier and Bobbie Brown, but, at this point, there were hardly no Swedish personal brands. Here we saw a possibility in the market.
How has your international fame really helped and pushed your brand’s growth?
Of course, it has helped a lot. Having a brand name or being known creates possibilities. But the one thing that I always knew, was that, even if, you have a known name your products HAVE to be good because you won't get a second chance. So even if I had a known name, I always has put my products first. They have to work otherwise your clients definitely won't come back.
In your twenties, you daily worked with your face and your body. Decades have passed. How has your relationship with your face and your body changed?
No not really. I know I have changed. We all do and I do not look the same, but who does? I´m happy and proud with everything that I was in my twenties but I am also happy and proud with myself in my fifties.
What is your daily beauty routine to stay in a good shape?
Always make sure to spend a little of time with your skin and adapt your skincare a bit to how your skin is doing that certain day. In the winter time, for example, my skincare routine is different from the summer. I always clean my skin properly, add some vitamin C booster in the morning and follow up with serum or niacinamid, eye and day cream with spf. In the evening, I always take time for a good double or triple cleans. Apply my retinol facial oil and continue with night cream or a night mask. Once or twice a week, I also do my so called “ Sunday routine” with my 1 minute enzyme peel, mud mask, treatment niacinamid ( wich I also use once a day ) and my repairing overnight mask. This little treatment makes wonders to my skin an keeps it in shape.
You are a mum of two. What did you teach them?
I do hope I have taught them to understand how wonderful they are. Because they really are! To love themselves and be proud of who they are and to understand that everything is possible!
If your daughter or your son would one day decide to follow your steps into the model industry, would you be happy?
If that´s what they really wanted, I would support them, but with Tyra now being 20 and Elis 18, they have other plans and both want to go to university, which I am happy for. The fashion industry has changed a lot and it´s not the same. It´s hard to make an career as a model.
After many years travelling all around the world and experiencing the star-spangled world of fashion, you have chosen a slow family life in Sweden, your home country. What do you love of it?
Ha ha ha. I wouldn’t call my life slow at all! To build a company from scratch has taken a lot of hard work. I would say that the model life was fun and so easy, but not that challenging. Building my own company has been so much more fun, but in a different way. And I have definitely worked so much harder these last 12 years that I ever did as a model. Also, that life as a model was fun for 10 – 12 years, but it was really time to move on to something different after that. I was really done.
Three tips you would give to a young woman who intends to start her own business and become a successful female entrepreneur as you are now?
Do your homework and challenge yourself to understand why your idea, product or favour would be better than anyone elses. Team up with people that don’t know the same things you know and be prepared that it will take much longer that you expect to get your business up and running.. Also, make sure to team up with an equal partner. My husband Hans and I have really shared the responsibility of the kids, cleaning, cooking, shopping… All those things that is part of raising a family. If you want to be an entrepreneur you will have to love to work. A lot.
All the pictures are Courtesy of Emma S. Skincare
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