Introduction: Behind the Red Door by Louise Claire Johnson
When I saw the book, Behind the Red Door, I was intrigued and wanted to read it. The book written by Louise Claire Johnson is part memoir and part a biography of Elizabeth Arden. So, how would that work, I asked myself. In 2008, one hundred years after Elizabeth Arden (born Florence Nightingale Graham) left the suburbs of Toronto, Canada for Manhattan with dreams of becoming a self-made woman, Louise Claire Johnson left the suburbs of Toronto, Canada to Manhattan to begin her dream internship at the cosmetic giant, Elizabeth Arden.
Louise Claire Johnson wanted to see if Elizabeth Arden’s successful lifestyle would suit her. She used the story of Arden’s life as a roadmap. Juxtaposing her life with Arden’s is the author’s coming of age in the beauty industry.
“Ultimately, this book is about identity and how we learn to navigate the world to find our best self, even if it’s on a different path than we originally anticipated.”
I first wrote a mini biography of Elizabeth Arden in July 2012 on my blog. I was struck by how much she accomplished in her life. I’m always curious about rags to riches story, and how these people attain professional success. What keeps them going? Is there a formula for success that they use that is accessible to everyone? When they get kicked down, what makes them rise again. The company of the same name Arden built, doesn’t have the cache it once had, why is that?
Have you read?
Badass Woman Elizabeth Arden, Pioneer of the Modern Cosmetics and Beauty Salon Industry
Summary of Behind the Red Door by Louise Claire Johnson
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton inspired Florence Nightingale Graham to move to New York City. When she decided to leave Canada, her father disowned her because he thought a woman’s place was in the home. After arriving in Manhattan, Graham reinvented herself, shedding her Canadian persona in the process.
Her first job in the new city was that of a bookkeeping position with Mrs Eleanor Adair, a beauty culturist. If you don’t ask for what you need, how will you get it? Graham asked her employer to teach her how to mix and administer ointments. She also recognized that beauty comes from within and recommended a more holistic approach to beauty. And she did such an excellent job that clients kept asking for her. In no time, Graham was promoted from bookkeeper to treatment girl.
Graham was six years old when her mother succumbed to tuberculosis. She and her sisters had to leave school to take over the housework and farm chores while her brother stayed in school. She would learn through books and valued knowledge. One of the things she valued on the farm was the horses. The quest for knowledge continued while at her first job in Manhattan.
“Florence absorbed everything about pampering, the preservation of youth, and the art of business. She was skilled at sales and convinced women to purchase products by demonstrating how they could use them at home (the concept of “morning and night routines” was new at the time). Florence had an eye for branding and a knack for reading people. She always remembered personal details that made every customer feel special when they walked in and out of the door. Her innate understanding of how the 4Ps— price, product, placement, and promotion— affected profitability made her a natural marketer.”
Part of the things that Graham did at her first job in Manhattan was to check out the competition. And she made sure to take note. This reminded me of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. Spying on the competitors enabled Graham to spot opportunities for herself. She started courting Mrs Elizabeth Hubbard. After a year at her first job, she resigned. There weren’t any opportunities there for upward mobility.
Florence Nightingale Graham partners with Eliabeth Hubbard. Her old clients from Mrs Eleanor Adair to the new salon. And in no time, Graham added value to the company. Her partner wasn’t concerned about the growth of the business. She managed the books and allowed Graham to run the business, handling all client treatments during the day and mixing tinctures at night, packaging the product and cleaning the salon.
After six months, the partnership soured. Can you tell why?
The business was booming, but Mrs Hubbard controlled the books, and she and her husband decided to pay Graham a fixed salary. Not fair, is it? Graham was the one who managed all aspects of the business except the bookkeeping. They dissolved the partnership. Both partners agreed on a price of $1000 for Graham to buy the salon.
Although the backstory is great, I’m more interested in Arden’s steps to attain professional success. I want to discover which strategies I can adopt in my business. She was ahead of her time because she recommended at-home exercises and meal plans for customers looking to feel as good on the inside as they looked on the outside.
Quest for Success
Arden was ahead of her competitors and started selling products through mail order. She included “Quest of the Beautiful” booklet with every sale and detailed how to live a more holistic life with instructions on Elizabeth’s revolutionary three-part skincare system— cleanse, nourish, and tone.
- Used luxurious packaging for her Venetian Ardena product line.
- Packaging became legendary.
- Sourced ingredients in bulk.
- Mixed, filled, labeled, and corked every bottle herself.
But at some point, if you expect to grow a company, you must get help. Arden’s first employee was Irene “Lanie” Delaney, who became the bookkeeper. She stayed loyal to Arden and became a good friend. The next hires were treatment girls to take over the day-to-day pampering of clients. This gave Arden the time to focus on strategy to grow the business.
Even during the First World War, business was booming. Arden worked with Axel Fabian Swanson, a Swedish-born chemist, who did product formulations. This turned out to be a great hire for her. He allowed her to expand her product line and also her brick-and-mortar stand-alone. After Arden returned from France during World War I, she was filled with new and innovative ideas for her salons, which she implemented. She hired a chemist to formulate a fluffy facial cream and a new line of cosmetics which was sold at a premium price. Despite the war, she was able to expand to several cities in the United States.
Elizabeth Arden leased the ground floor and five upper floors of the gorgeous Aeolian Building at 691 Fifth Avenue. It’s at the new location she opened the Red Door. When the great depression arrived, her husband Tommy Jenkin Lewis suggested that she close some subsidiary salons. She refused and by the end of the depression, she was in the red, by $500,000.
To rebuild the company, Arden traveled to Europe again. Her younger sister Gladys could take on the challenge of expanding the Arden brand throughout France for the next few years. Gladys loved her role in the company and excelled. Arden allowed her sister to oversee operations in France.
Important Things to Note
- Evolved the traditional role of the “traveling salesmen”. Arden trained and deployed the first-ever “traveling saleswomen” to showcase her products.
- Traveling saleswomen gave makeovers and skincare treatments across the country at department stores during the dawn of the beauty counter.
- Wrote “Your Masterpiece: Yourself,” a sequel to “The Quest of the Beautiful.” The new booklet included the Elizabeth Arden Home Study Course
- She and her husband were invited to social events and Elizabeth networked at every event and benefit gala to promote her business.
- Elizabeth was an early adopter of yoga and the long-term benefits of movement on the body and mind.
- Established Maine Chance Stables and in 1945 her horses earned her $589,000, and in 1947 her horse Jet Pilot won the Kentucky Derby.
- Her business was very successful, but she didn’t structure it properly. When she died so your survivors don’t have to $37 million in inheritance taxes.
Success Lessons from Elizabeth Arden
- Become aware of what’s going on around you and capitalize on opportunities that present themselves.
- Quality is very important. Pay attention to detail.
- Master a product line, then expand.
- Look at innovative services and products from other countries and incorporate them into your business.
- No one succeeds alone. You need the help of others. Hire the right people for the roles.
- Know your numbers.
- Structure your business properly, so when you die, your survivors don’t have to pay a lot in inheritance taxes.
Conclusion: Behind the Red Door by Louise Claire Johnson
Although Behind the Red Door: How Elizabeth Arden’s Legacy Inspired My Coming-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry by Louise Claire Johnson is an interesting book, it wasn’t the right book for me. The author weaves her memoir into the biography of Elizabeth Arden. I wanted to find strategies to apply to my business, and I got some of those.
Years ago, I wrote a short biography of Elizabeth Arden, and looking back now, that should have been enough. I didn’t need to read Behind the Red Door. I had enough information to act on.
Next Steps
- Buy and Read Behind the Red Door: How Elizabeth Arden’s Legacy Inspired My Coming-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry by Louise Claire Johnson
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
If you want access to Bookish Note Behind the Red Door by Louise Claire Johnson, which has more information than the above summary, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
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