Following Their Footsteps

When a younger generation of entrepreneurs hop into the same niche as their parents, they breathe new life into familiar territory

- Chelsea Tang

ASHLEY YONG, 28

CO-FOUNDER OF TWO HALVES

The vegan skincare brand for sensitive skin was born from the roaring passion of Ashley, and supplemented by the rich beauty brand management experience of her mother, Jo.

There comes a point in life, usually in the mid-twenties, where “youngsters” — in Gen X speak — strike out on their own, making their own way from the family nest. Especially so in Asian households, where earnest feelings of independence blossom in the form of a clear wanting to-do-it-yourself ethos. Well, call her an outlier, but Ashley Yong, the co-founder of Two Halves, hinged her business on having her mother as her business partner.

To put things in context: Jo Yong, Ashley’s mum, has a rich history in the beauty industry. She started her career in 1989 with Aramis and Prescriptives, both defining pillars of the Estée Lauder Companies, and stayed till 1997. In 2001, she re-joined the company as the brand manager of Bobbi Brown and Origins until 2004, when she received a promotion to the role of brand general manager, leading the team that welcomed Tom Ford Beauty into Singapore in 2012.

As a teenager, Ashley wasn’t super clued into what her mother did for a living. “I had the perception that she held a fun and exciting job. She travelled a lot, and always had a cupboard full of products that she allowed me to pick out and try,” Ashley laughs, over the phone. “It was only when I started working part-time at the office during my school breaks that I began to have a clearer understanding of [what lay] behind the scenes of a global beauty brand.”