FAMILY MATTERS
Mother and son Jon and Miriam Hayes share the secrets of their successful family business, Ambermed
Miriam just has remarkable energy and drive
Jon on Miriam
Miriam is a typical Irish mammy in a way, because as a child even if you were wrong she’d back you.
I got kicked out of Irish college – my grandfather had been one of the founders actually – and the Bean an Tí was a notorious Peig Sayers character. We were allowed one shower in three weeks. Even at 11, we didn’t appreciate that. The food was really bad, so I rounded up my friends and we thought about how we could stop this. We got wind that the inspectors were coming, so all of a sudden we were given chips and burgers for dinner but we didn’t touch our food so that the inspectors would wonder what’s going on – we kind of went on hunger strike. I remember being brought down to the office, our parents were called and had to drive down to collect us. Serious stuff, I thought I was a goner but my mother said, “I believe you’ve only allowed my son to have one shower while he was here, and he’s even started eating potatoes (I never ate potatoes) so the food must be really bad.” She was laughing and joking, and on the way back she said, “Don’t worry about it, it’s grand.” That sums Mum up – very supportive, very understanding – she wanted you to be good but not an angel, either. I even see it now with my dog Juno, Miriam loves when she does something bold!
Growing up my mum never sat still, she’d be painting the house, or teaching ballet. Even though she worked in Brown Thomas at the Lancôme counter, dinner was always on the table, she did it all. When you’re young you don’t think about it, but when you look back retrospectively you realise how impressive that is.
Miriam is a born salesperson, it doesn’t matter what she’s selling, you’ll just like her. She remains herself no matter what, I think it’s a great quality to have. She started Ambermed in 2006 and got the distribution for a number of cosmetic brands. But when the recession hit, it hit her too.
I had qualified as an architect, and I was burning myself out trying to work during the crash. In 2010 I remember my wife compassionately suggesting that we try to figure something else out, as architecture just wasn’t paying me. She saw what the struggle was doing to me. I worked for so many years to become an architect, but the industry had just collapsed.
It was a very difficult time, I was frustrated, angry and at times very low. I had just turned 30 and my life was going in a very different direction than I had envisaged for myself. I needed to get happier, back to my true self, so I began to control and improve what I could. I started by researching nutrition and wellbeing and that put me on a much better road than I could have ever known then.
I was having a cup of tea with mum one day, telling her how much better I felt (my mood and my leg injury that previously had me using antiinflammatory drugs) now that I’d been taking this brand of omega-3 fish oils that I’d learned were the ones to use; the UK was the closest seller though. I don’t know if it was a lightbulb moment, but I can remember saying the words, “you should distribute these in Ireland mum”.
Miriam’s influence was vital, her experience, I can’t state how important that was in getting the foot in the door of pharmacies. We were out doing it together, investing in it together, and seeing results. We worked so hard at it, but it was so refreshing to be doing something so positive, and we were doing it for each other too. Business is difficult, if I’d only been in it for myself, I think I might have quit once or twice by now, but I couldn’t quit on mum, or dad. Dad’s the “silent partner”, who’d go to the ends of the world for mum and I.
There’s no ego in Ambermed, if you ring up the chances are one of us will answer the phone. We love when we give someone a piece of information, knowing it’s going to change their life and have a big impact, it’s rewarding to know that you are doing something good. We began by distributing the best food supplement brands we could source, which began with Nordic Naturals omega-3. Now we’ve moved into manufacturing too because we knew we could provide a better product if we had the opportunity to, which manifested itself as a “5-in-1” multivitamin called Oxylent.
It’s not all hugs and high-fives though. When things are tough, it’s easy to shout at your mum and it’s easy for your mum to tear into you when you are being a brat, but we have massive respect for each other. In the moment you might be frustrated but you cool down, and that’s every family business.
At the end of the day, she is my mother, and even at 41, there’s that thing where you are thinking, “Is she going to spit on a tissue and rub the side of my face?” She’s a proud mum as well so she oversells me I think!
Miriam just has remarkable energy and drive. People love her because she works hard but is still thinking about the people around her all the time. Regardless of whether I’m related to her or not, I think anyone would say that she has great empathy. The first thing she does is put herself in other people’s shoes. You’ll always enjoy Miriam’s company and for a son to be able to say that, especially after being in business together, is just great.
Miriam on Jon
Jon was a very happy-go-lucky, Legoloving kid, it was a good start for somebody who wanted to be an architect! He didn’t get into trouble much, but yes; there was the hunger strike in Irish college, when I went to collect him it took everything in me to keep a straight face.
Jon tended to go with the flow, but he also knew his own mind. When he was just three and I refused to give him sweets before his dinner, he thought about it before he said, “I hope a vinegar fly gets into your wine.” He was well able to assert himself, even then!
I worked at the tourist bureau in Shannon, and danced in Bunratty Castle at night time, I was a little bit of a workaholic. From there I became a flight attendant with Aer Lingus, it was quite glamorous at the time, mostly politicians, business people and celebrities.
After I had my children I opened a ballet and Irish dancing school and years later became a counter manager for Lancôme. The training was great in those days. I remember going to Paris for a week to learn the psychology of selling. Then I got a job as a rep for a healthcare company and I was with them for 10 years, dealing with pharmacies and health stores. I had a great network of people in the industry. It got to the stage where I was working flat out, covering a huge territory and I thought I should be doing this myself. So Ambermed began.
I had great connections, but the recession was tough. Jon came on board and we switched focus onto nutrition rather than cosmetic skin care products.
Jon mentioned a brand of omega-3 he was using, by sheer chance, I happened to know the manager of the UK company that were distributing Nordic Naturals there at that time. It still feels as if the universe was speaking to us. We started distributing in Ireland and it just took off. We got the sole distribution for Nordic Naturals in Ireland and later on, we got it for the UK too.
Jon’s ambition to get into manufacturing has made a big difference to Ambermed, and that really came from his passion. Oxylent, a multivitamin we were a distributor for, was doing very well as it was a great product. But he knew it could still be better, so when the opportunity arose, he just went for it.
We wanted it to be even more effective, suitable for even more people to use and keep it affordable. A product with the very best ingredients, nothing adverse, so we can stand over it. People will pick up on your passion and your knowledge, and you need to be able to deliver on that. You couldn’t be in this business unless you were passionate about the product and what it’s going to do for people. With Oxylent, we have exactly the product we wanted it to be, effective and affordable, helping people stay healthy and energised, it’s a lovely feeling really.
Jon brought the company to the next level, and I never thought I would be working with him, especially as he had qualified as an architect. He has wonderful negotiation skills, and endurance. Is it difficult to work with family? Well, for me it’s not at all difficult, we have similar ambitions, and we are very good friends, but I’m Miriam at the office and I’m Mum when we’re not.
We are similar in many ways, we work hard and we play hard, but there is the occasional thing that drives me mad. He is fastidious about his office and his desk, and dare I take a biro from it!
I have learned so much from Jon professionally and on a personal level. He always finds time to help others and he is so good to us. Now, he’s no saint, I’m not putting a halo on his head – but that is just the kind of person he is.
We’ve similar ambitions and we are very good friends