THEY SAY CONFIDENCE EXUDES POWER. WHOEVER COINED THIS SENTENCE WAS NOT WRONG. JESSLYN HO, THE FOUNDER OF BUBBLE GUM X GIVES OUT AN AIR OF SUPERIORITY WHEN SHE FIRST WALKS INTO THE STUDIO. FROM THE GET-GO, SHE LOOKS TOO YOUNG TO BE A BUSINESSWOMAN. HOWEVER, WORDS THAT SPILL FROM HER MOUTH ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT, SHOWCASED HER AS A CAPABLE BUSINESSWOMAN. A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE AS WELL, TO BOOT.
Many might not know, Jesslyn Ho is the founder and Managing Director of Bubble Gum X, a beauty and wellness establishment focusing on providing waxing services, eye lashes related solutions, nail care, and a wide array of other beauty services. Bubble Gum X has left its footprint in the beauty industry since 2011, and the name ‘Bubble Gum’ originated from the signature wax used in its waxing treatment. Speaking to Ho, the idea to start the company was indeed an interesting story. According to Ho, her passion in the Asian beauty industry and the importance of a whole-body hygiene is the spark that led to the inception of Bubble Gum X.
“I believe that beauty is a market that brings well-being, joy and beauty to people, and it delivers an opportunity to foster society and human development. Self-esteem is fundamental to people’s lives. Through this industry, I have made many life-time friends. In this sector, the transformational power of self-care has been more important in these uncertain times. It’s a creative and innovative sector. In addition, the universe of beauty gives women and men the opportunity to collectively share their skills.”
Having been in the industry for almost a decade, Ho considers her biggest achievement is starting the business from zero. Now, Bubble Gum X has 26 stores nationwide, located across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Ipoh, Pahang, Sabah, Penang, Malacca, and Johor Bahru. Nevertheless, starting a business is just the first step for every aspiring business owner, which is why Ho considers being able to sustain her business over the course of 10 years another one of her biggest achievements, besides managing over 200 employees. Currently, out of the 26 stores under Bubble Gum X, there are a total of 20 Bubble Gum Wax stores, four Bubble Gum Lash, one Bubble Gum Nail and one Bubble Gum X-Thetic.
As Bubble Gum X is such a successful business venture, it is needless to say that the competition in this industry is fierce as well. However, Ho is not bothered by it as she believes in the competitiveness that her business has to offer, which sets her apart from the rest. According to Ho, three main qualities that sets Bubble Gum X apart from the rest of the competition is the quality and affordability; passion and commitment; and diversity and innovation. “Two things that should go hand-in-hand are quality and affordability. A company does not need to sacrifice one for the other. So, at Bubble Gum X, we believe in beauty that does not break the bank and we pride ourselves on being wallet friendly and easily accessible to all,” Ho said.
She added that passion drives her teams to continuously improve and move forward. In Ho’s words, “Passion is at the heart of the company. This isn’t just a job – it’s a calling, and we love it! We live our mission which is to advocate self-care and to empower people to look and be their best selves.” In addition, Ho continued by saying that diversity is the key driver of innovation, reiterating the importance of diversity and innovation in a company. “Knowing that beauty is an endless quest, we are constantly expanding our offerings and we strive to understand our customers and give them only the best,” Ho remarked.
Having a total of 26 stores over the span of 10 years is definitely a feat to pride on. Having said that, the young businesswoman let us in on her company’s primary goal, which is to expand more stores across more locations in the country. “We are targeting to reach over 50 Bubble Gum Wax store locations by 2023. This means that there will be an additional 30 more locations.”
Ho was amongst the few young businesswomen to receive an accolade from Women of Excellence Awards 2021/22. Being a recipient of this exclusive award is no easy task, as she has put forth herself as one of the lead examples in the beauty and wellness industry. Commenting on her winning, Ho said that she hoped that this award could inspire more people to be an entrepreneur. “Seeing the growth of local business owners, especially during the pandemic, I hope that this award could be an inspiration to them and inspire more people to have the desire to own their own business. Stay determined and put 2,000 percent commitment into your everyday life. Never think about ‘STOP’ or ‘QUIT’.”
