'Love is leadership': Anne Barretto on how motherhood is like running a business

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December 7, 2025 | 11:23am

MANILA, Philippines — If much can change in the span of a day, we can only imagine what can happen in seven years. For businesswoman and spa aficionado Anne Barretto, the past few years have been a whirlwind of activitty that has forced her to adjust and move, readjust and grow. 

A self-proclaimed fan of skincare treatments, Barretto decided to open Hey Pretty, her first aesthetic center in 2018, when she realized she could replicate and even improve on the processes involved in her favorite skin services.

She even took into consideration how her spaces would look like, and what kind of promotions she would come up with that she hoped would click with her target market.  

The first branch was a tiny affair with two beds, three chairs and basic equipment. Despite this, it was hers and with it came a dream of enhancing the beauty and boosting the confidence of regular Filipinos. 

“Since we started, our market has always been the masa,” Barretto told this writer in an earlier interview. “We keep our prices affordable so they can come in, get a treatment and leave feeling better, prettier.”

Hey Pretty now has over 20 branches nationwide but she said her plans are not focused merely on expansion but are about “strengthening the system, improving training and ensuring that the Hey Pretty experience is consistent whichever branch you go to.”

The services being offered have likewise evolved with the times as well as clients’ needs. From basic facials and simple treatments, they now have advanced Korean techniques and signature procedures like Lemon Bottle, Premium Drip as well as money-back guarantees. 

“Even with these developments, the essence of Hey Pretty has remained constant—it’s ‘Pretty Made Affordable,’” she said. “I chose the masa as our target market because I grew up seeing how a healthy self-confidence should not be the exclusive realm of those with means. Everyone deserves to feel beautiful and valued. That’s why our pricing is inclusive, accessible and non-intimidating.”

Balancing act

Barrretto has also experienced significant changes in her life. She recently adopted a daughter and said that being a mother a second time around has changed her completely. 

“It has softened me but it has also made me stronger mentally and emotionally. My son and my infant daughter are truly my inspirations. Balancing business and a baby is a challenge but it taught me to run my company with more empathy, more heart and a calmer leadership. Motherhood reminded me that I can be both: a loving mom and a dedicated CEO,” she said. 

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, however. Barretto recalled crying because of the multiple stresses of running a company that expanded too quickly. There were also times when she didn’t know how she was going to face the problems that came with each new day. “But I also learned that growth doesn’t come from comfort; it comes from courage and consistency. Now I’m more grounded, wiser, and more patient.”

She once again credits this to her being a hands-on mom and describes her parenting style as “gentle but disciplined. I want my child to grow up feeling safe, guided, and loved. It doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be present and genuine.”

Barretto likened running a business to being a mother. “For both, you have to nurture, protect, discipline, sacrifice, and show up. Both roles made me realize that love is leadership.”

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