From domestic helper to respected businesswoman

This beauty expert’s story could have been lifted right out of a book for inspirational success stories. After all, the woman had a very humble beginning, before she managed to find her place as a respected and loved entrepreneur.

A native of San Pablo, Laguna, Dina Dela Paz Stalder first got a taste of working abroad back in 1988, some three years after earning a degree in Medical Technology at the Centro Escolar University.

However, even with a respectable college degree, it wasn’t a glamorous job that Stalder found in England.

“For a year and a half (1988 to 1990), I worked as a domestic helper. I am not ashamed to say that. I was employed by a very kind Jewish family who treated me well,” Stalder said.

Youngest of eight children, Stalder said she didn’t mind working as a helper because she grew up in a modest household. She liked the flexible hours she got from the job. During the afternoon, Stalder would take short courses on facial procedure and proper usage of certain skin and beauty machines. In no time, Stalder became a certified aesthetician.

This is when the fun part really started rolling in for Stalder. First, she came back to the Philippines after her domestic helper stint in England. Then, she married Chris Stalder (whose parents are both Swiss, hence the foreign-sounding name, but has been born in the Philippines).

In 1996, armed with the expertise and knowledge she gained in England (she went back there in 1994 to further her skin and beauty studies), Stalder put up the Dermaline Facial Centers.

Today, that familiar brand name is getting a reboot as it undergoes a gradual change to become known as Diana Stalder Face, Body and Skin Care Center. (Diana Stalder is the businesswoman’s second of three children, who just turned 18; her other children are Paul, 20; and Tina, 9).

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’ll ever be able to put up a business as huge and successful as this. I’ve always wanted to live a simple life. In fact, I still do. But I am thankful and grateful for everything,” Stalder said.

With quality products and services, the skin care clinic quickly grew. Today, the business has expanded to 17 strong branches, a third of which are franchised.

Aside from Diana Stalder skin care clinic, Stalder also produces the Dermablend brand—a line of beauty and skin care products which includes anti-aging and whitening soaps, among many others.

Aside from a strong following in the country, the Dermablend beauty line is also being distributed in some 18 countries including the United States, England, Australia, South Korea, Saudi, and Malaysia.

“People are often surprised that our products are 100 percent Filipino owned and manufactured,” said Stalder. The businesswoman maintains the company’s factory in San Pablo, her hometown, where she now employs some 170 people.

“I’m not selfish when it comes to sharing my knowledge on the proper aesthetic procedures,” she said. Apparently, many of the bigger names in the skin care industry today have undergone her training, she said.

Through it all, Stalder has remained humble. She thanks her parents for the upbringing that allows her to savor her successes even more.

Today, the only times Stalder goes abroad is during family trips that allows her to spend quality time with her loved ones.

She said: “What I’ve learned over the years is that success is so much sweeter when you come from a more challenging life. You appreciate the good all the more more. I am still the same grounded person I was and will always be.”  

*** This article was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer's "Pinoys of the World" section last June 30 2012. The article is edited for TWIST. Enjoy! :) ***