In a nutshell, Dominique Wolf’s story is one of marriage and divorce, children and a new lease on life at the age of 45. But there’s far more to this bubbly beauty who’s quite the influencer!
If one thing’s certain, you can’t put Dominique Wolf in a box. She’s much too vivacious!
In-between admiring her skin (she’s a walking advert for skincare and beauty company FutureThis, where she works as marketing manager), we discovered she’s a wardrobe stylist, a former restaurateur and a public relations (PR) whizz with experience in social media marketing.
So how did she end up where she is? ‘I studied PR and journalism, and also did an IMM [marketing management] diploma at Damelin which paved the way. My experience in the publishing industry as a business and creative solutions manager gave me a lot of the necessary tools that I need in my job now. When I had my own styling business, I had to get up to speed with social media marketing and things like Google Analytics and SEO, which were all necessary skills for this position. I am also a firm believer that you cannot promote or market a product or service that you don’t love with your whole heart – and I am obsessed with the brands I work on.’
For Dom, working with FutureThis was an easy decision to make. ‘It’s the sole distributor in SA for QMS (from Germany), Team Dr Joseph organic skincare (from Italy), Rites Young Solutions (our very own young skin brand) and Skinny green tea and coffee (also our own brand) … [which] are natural weight-control products. We promote healthy living, the benefits of being fit and general well-being through this brand.’
Dom takes all this hard work in her stride. ‘Generally, I like to start the day off with a power walk or gym – it’s my me time and after a long while of being lazy, I have gotten back into it and am loving it – I think I am a much better person when I am active! Then if there is school on-site, I do school drop-offs and then straight to the office. Both my children are very sporty (for this, I am extremely grateful) so there is always some sport later in the day. My ex-husband and I share [time with] the kids equally, so one week is very different to the next.’
Dom is candid about the lessons learnt through her divorce. ‘The first thing I learnt is that life is very expensive and I took a lot of things for granted when I was married. I had to regain my own financial independence, learn to stand on my own two feet and understand that I had to take responsibility for all aspects of my life. By the time I met my partner, Ben, I had worked through a lot and I feel like he really has the best version of me. Being a single mom for a while was a bit of a blessing in disguise. I think it made me grow up a hell of a lot.’
Dom is fixated on growth – even looking at previous business challenges as learning curves. As a former restaurateur, she learned a lot about what not to do in business. ‘It was a pizzeria franchise but nothing I was passionate about. It was open every day and I had small children. I missed out on a lot of time with them which I regret. In hindsight, I should have made better choices and gotten out before it got the better of me. That said, I did learn a lot about business and management and those lessons still help me in my work today.’
Before working for FutureThis, Dom also worked as a personal stylist. She launched ‘The Style Coach’ years ago and she continues to consult and shop for her existing clients during her free time. ‘No matter what your body shape is, your aim is to make your body look like it is in proportion. For example, if you have small shoulders and wide hips, wear patterns and detail on the top and simple colours and shapes on the bottom. Just because something is trending, doesn’t mean you need to have it – finding your unique style and working on what suits your shape and lifestyle will mean you have a timeless wardrobe. Also, ignore the size on the label! Sizing is so inconsistent these days – rather hold the item of clothing up and gauge the size that way, and always take more than one size into the changing room.’
Dom’s top three skincare tips
- Detox your Winter skin with good exfoliation and masks.
- Make sure your sunscreen is applied daily.
- If your skin tends to get drier in Winter, make sure you change up your products as your skin changes for the new season. Choose a good concern-led skincare range to accommodate this.
Check out futurethis.co.za to see the brands that Dom is so passionate about!
* Text: Tayla Blaire. Photographer: Benedict Matjiu. Details: Follow @benshotthis
