By Karen Thompson, CEO of Beauty Secrets Spa
Some places never really leave you. No matter where life takes you, they remain part of who you are.
For me, Chichester has always been one of those places.
My family’s connection with the city goes back many years. I attended school in North Street, and my mother, Beryl Martin, worked for the Shipham family at the famous Shipham’s Paste company, one of Chichester’s most iconic employers. I often wonder whether the values she learned there, hard work, pride, kindness and looking after people, helped shape the business she would later create.
In 1985, Mum founded Beauty Secrets with a simple vision: to make people feel welcomed, cared for and valued. Twenty-seven years ago, I joined her in the business, learning not only how to run a successful company, but also the importance of building lasting relationships and becoming part of the communities we serve.
Today, Beauty Secrets has grown to five locations across Sussex and Surrey, but those values remain unchanged. Opening our Chichester salon never felt like expanding into a new town. It felt like coming home.
Being invited to become a Director of Chichester BID has strengthened that feeling even further. The BID brings businesses together, champions our city and helps create a vibrant place for people to visit, work and enjoy. In today’s changing high street, that spirit of collaboration has never been more important.
Looking back, there is something rather special about Mum’s journey. She began her career with one of Chichester’s best-known family businesses before creating another family business that is still thriving more than 40 years later.
Her story became my story. Today, I hope Beauty Secrets has become a small part of Chichester’s story too. Sometimes life really does come full circle.