ON THE
UP
Founding a global men’s personal care line has been victorious for Dion Nash.
When Dion Nash hung up the cricket whites after an illustrious international career with the New Zealand Black Caps, he knew it was time to harness his interest in business. Working with high-profile mentors such as Geoff Ross and Grant Baker proved to be an education in entrepreneurship, and Dion soon developed his own premium brand Triumph & Disaster. The men’s personal care range now has a cult following and is sold around the world in luxury retailers such as Selfridges in London and Harvey Nichols in Dubai, as well as a flagship store on Ponsonby Road and online. But success in business doesn’t come without risk, and Dion says introducing a men’s care line to the humble Kiwi bloke was quite the gamble. “I felt sick at the start as it just felt like maybe a stretch too far – any street cred I might have had was about to dissolve into a mix of moisturiser and face scrub,” he recalls. “But thankfully, Kiwi men are more worldly than our reputation and we have been very well supported since day one. It was actually the farmers, builders and surfers who jumped on board first.” It helped that Dion had the personal experience and knowledge to back the range. Long, hot days in the sun playing test matches meant Dion and his Black Caps teammates had to pay particular attention to their skin. “The range itself was inspired partly through my own experiences using women’s products to protect my skin,” he says. “I saw a lack of options for men and thought that represented an opportunity. I also thought about the advice my father had handed down to me over the years – the fact that, as men, we can share advice and knowledge. That kind of resonated with me and is how I fell upon the name.” When Dion was 13 years old, his father gifted him a framed poem called If by Rudyard Kipling. It served as a piece of advice regarding humility, honour, risk and reward, from father to son. 12
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“When that tattered poem was uncovered in the bottom of an old chest and I read the line, ‘if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same’, well, the brand was born.” More than a decade on, Triumph & Disaster remains as authentic as it did when Dion launched the business from the living area of his Auckland home. There’s an integrity and honesty in the man and the brand which filters through its range of nature-based moisturisers, shave creams, beard products, haircare and deodorants. “The products really are world class and we have gone out of our way not to create cheap knock offs of women’s products, but actually create considered products for people who live active, outdoor lifestyles and need a skincare routine to support that,” he says. While a solid brand and effective product development are crucial, the success of Triumph & Disaster can also be attributed to Dion’s big-picture leadership style. “I believe the best way to treat staff is to have a goal of ‘tag and release’, in that people have their own lives and ambitions to lead,” he says. “The best I can do is create an environment in which they can expand their skill set and hopefully improve their abilities to communicate and be part of a team. If I can achieve that, then Triumph & Disaster as a business will benefit and the individual will, too.” ◇