Progressive Choices Magazine
Ontario Women in Business
May/June/July 2003
By Heather Campbell
Women go Beyond
Meeting Demands
Profile:
Julianne Bien
Company: Spectrahue Light & Sound Inc.
Industry: Manufacturer Alternative Healing Arts
Location: Toronto, ON
Number of Employees: Seasonal
Category: Color Therapy / Color Healing Equipment
Countries Export: US, Mexico, Holland, England, Germany, Switzerland
Phone: (416) 340.0882
What happens when science meets alternative healing? The market potential explodes! Spectrahue Light & Sound Inc. of Toronto manufactures and distributes colour light therapy products and educational materials in many parts of the world. "Our mission is to be a global leader by empowering people to use colour light therapy for good health and well being." Says company owner Julianne Bien.
In its simplest form, colour therapy involves applying a specific colour light beam to encourage the body’s ability to self heal. Colour lights are applied to specific locations of the body to alleviate discomfort and symptoms of blocked energy in the meridian system. This blocked energy can contribute to symptoms of sinus congestion, headaches, low energy and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Light therapy has also been used to treat skin ailments. These "spots" correspond directly to acupuncture points and reflex zones. Each beam of colour gets absorbed by the body and replenishes its natural energy reservoir.
The philosophy behind colour therapy is grounded in science. "Some of the most significant developments in the healing arts are built on a substantial body of evidence about the relationship between light energy and the state of our physical and emotional health," says Bien. "Colour light therapy is entering the mainstream of Western medicine, just as the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture did over a generation ago. Like acupuncture, colour therapy is based on scientific principles used since ancient times that are being validated by the 21st century science since the scientific community has proven that light is an essential ingredient of the metabolic processes in all organisms including all warm-blooded animals."
Bien became interested in this field after the lifestyle she led while in her 20’s resulted in chronic lower back pain. Traditional medicine wasn’t working so she looked for other options. Her investigation led to light therapy. "This type of healing was completely foreign to me. I was a working girl who led a pretty conservative lifestyle. When I experienced this type of alternative healing, I realized its potential in the marketplace. The impact it can have on mankind and global healing is what inspires me and helped me create my success."
During a course she was taking on the benefits of light therapy, light units were being used that had been manufactured in Germany. Bien decided to contact the company to inquire about becoming their Canadian representative. She did such a great job she decided to branch out and develop her own product line. Spectrahues Lumalight 2000 series of colour therapy units were launched in October 2000 in New York. "I was attending a trade show when the line was ready to be unveiled so it made sense to launch it while I was there. The line was extremely well received in the marketplace and opened a flood of doors for me. The line has grown to include hand held, desk model and wall/ceiling-mounted units.
The following year, Bien realized that in order to expand her markets internationally a training/educational video series was required to meet the demands of individuals purchasing the units. These training videos focus on home study for the individual and professional. The video series ranges from the history of colour light therapy and energy moving techniques to alleviate (energetically) physical and emotional symptoms, to esthetics and beauty.
"I introduced the videos while attending another trade show in New York the month after 9/11 and it was amazing timing because people were extremely emotional and raw. They had so much taken from them at that time. My units were able to help so many people with the emotional pain and stress that they were feeling. I was glad I was there to help."
While all Spectrahue’s units are manufactured in Canada, seventy to eighty percent of its business is derived from export markets in the United States and many parts of Europe. "Right now the field is wide open for my products. Spectrahue is now a leader in its field. Whenever I go to any trade show in the marketplace in that city just explode. People are really open to changing their lifestyle. They are looking towards self-healing and self-discovery."
Most of Bien’s representatives approach her after seeing the units and videos. "Mot of my reps are open to spirituality and realize the potential and benefit of the Lumalight. They usually practice meditation or have the ability to reflect inward. The way the world is headed it becomes more and more important that people be able to feel they have some sort of control over their lives and well being."
ENTREPRENEUR ADVICE
• Don’t share your trade secrets, your formulas, your market knowledge, the name of your manufacturer. It is an intensively competitive world and people will attempt to take advantage of you.
• Hire the best PR firms, accountants and lawyers — we all need good resources.
EXPORT ADVICE
• Always remain strategically positioned. There are many glitches along the way to becoming successful, especially in export markets. Just because the road is rough doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the journey
• Know the rules of etiquette for female entrepreneurs in your target export markets. They will often be different than the rules for men.
• Be careful about pricing — if you are seeking distributors, make sure the retail price structure can accommodate fluctuating exchange rates and a fair distributor price point.
• One you’ve set our markets, remove yourself from direct sales to the public and let your distributors/franchisees take over.