Yoon is accustomed to being No.1. Yet it was not always so. Homeplus Ganseok Branch where she began her work as Flora (*BAs in Korean supermarkets) was a strong base for a rival company (*Homeplus: a big Korean discount store retail chain). To staff of the rival company, she was like the tail trying to wag the dog. But, she refused to yield to them; in fact, she became more confident in the brand whenever she went for training as Flora and, particularly, when she sold products. She worked hard every day with passion and, in the end, came from behind to claim victory over the other brands in competition.

10 years of experience in the retail market, more than half of which Yoon has worked as AMOREPACIFIC Flora. She saw no reason to move to another company after joining AMOREPACIFIC in 2009.

"I used to stay with one company for only a year or so. It was when I worked a part-time job at Homeplus Ganseok Branch that I heard that there were positions available as Flora. That was when HAPPY BATH Natural 24 was launched. I became a Flora and have stayed in this store since then."

Yoon felt great pride in offering excellent quality-products as Flora. She was able to assure customers of the products because she tried them firsthand and became convinced of their good quality. Back then, products free of parabens were very few and far between, which convinced her even more of the products' superior quality.

"I learned a lot about the products through the 2-day training program in the HQ. The more I learned, the more I felt confident of the brand. I wanted to let customers know about such good products. Ganseok Branch is a big-box store, but sales at that time were not as good as expected. As you can imagine, there were times when it was quite stressful."

Back then, Homeplus Ganseok Branch was a reclaimable market to Floras. Staff members of the rival company had been working in Ganseok Branch since the opening of the market and they set the tone within the market. Their presence meant that it was difficult to hold a promotional event for the launch of a new product. The only solution was to take the bull by the horns. Yoon decided to be a fighter and stand up for what she believed in and support the company's vision.

"We found that we had many conflicts with them, particularly at the beginning. At that time, I had to broaden our boundaries because otherwise I was going to lose customers. I was too busy doing my job that I could not look after others. But, I now get along with them quite well. It's better to stay friendly with them as it eases my mind and allows me to greet and serve customers with a smile. Plus, they recognize me for my work because I have shown them that I know how to get the job done."

Yoon's goal is not to feel at ease while working in her place of work. She realized that taking pride in her work would be reflected in sales. And it led her to bring about innovation in her relationship with the Homeplus MD. Yoon proposed many ideas as to how to increase sales, which gave the MD confidence in AMOREPACIFIC.

"We offered help to staff members in the market in recognition of the symbiotic relationship we have with them. We also planned a range of unique events. Other brands in the market simply give away freebies based on the purchase amount. But, we hold events using a dice or roulette to encourage customers to take part. Such events help them remember our products, even if they don't decide to buy one straight away."

Yoon gave specific feedback through pilot sales and opened a year-round brand shop to draw customers into AMOREPACIFIC. Through all these efforts, the share of AMOREPACIFIC in the total sales of Homeplus Ganseok Branch has grown bigger over the years relative to those of competitor brands in the market. That is, Yoon's passion and spirit of making the impossible possible have resulted in a 70% share by AMOREAPCIFIC in the total sales of Homeplus Ganseok Branch. Yoon showcased the result of the many years of her innovation efforts at the ABC Awards, a company-wide annual innovation case contest, and was named overall winner in the Sales Activity category.

"People see me as one of the staff members within the market. But, with this award, I became the envy of my colleagues. They say that AMOREPACIFIC definitely does work on a large scale. And I also feel proud of being a member of AMOREPACIFIC."

Her goal is to become the No.1 sales-person among Floras. Yoon remains devoted to the brand. She thinks that the best way to enhance her competencies is to take part in the training that's offered. Yoon said that, though she has achieved great things, she still remembers her first day of work at the store with a sparkle in her eyes. It's at moments like this that it becomes clear that her passion and determination remains undimmed.