Carlton, Managing Director of Tropic, shares insights on identity, belonging, and the strength of unapologetically being yourself.

Carlton has spent much of his life entering spaces where others had already made judgments about who should belong. As a mixed-race, gay individual and a former theatre enthusiast now leading one of the UK’s fastest-growing beauty brands, he has navigated the burden of societal expectations while consistently proving them wrong.

He finds humor in the reactions he receives: the raised eyebrows, the fleeting surprise, and the realization that dawns on people.

“It’s quite amusing,” he reflects. “They never anticipated that success could look like me.”

Building Resilience Through Performance

Carlton’s background in the performing arts instilled in him the ability to face an audience and continue regardless of the feedback. In hindsight, this experience turned out to be invaluable in the business world.

“Acting cultivates resilience,” he explains. “You frequently face rejection in auditions. People are constantly telling you no.”

Beyond the façade of performance, deeper conflicts were at play. His Jamaican father envisioned a son who excelled in sports, while Carlton struggled to articulate his nascent understanding of his sexuality. He often felt the need to mold himself to fit the expectations of those around him.

“I couldn’t pinpoint what made me different,” he admits. “Was it my sexuality, my passion for theatre when other boys were playing football? I was always trying to conform to others’ expectations.” He pauses. “I was in a constant state of adaptation.”

Confidence was something he observed in others long before he experienced it himself.

Overcoming Assumptions in Business

As Carlton transitioned into the business realm, the preconceived notions followed him. Suppliers and partners would communicate via email with Tropic’s Managing Director, only to glance up in surprise when he entered the room.

“They likely expected someone older, whiter, and less openly gay.”

The irony was not lost on him. More often than not, he was the one driving business to them. He was the client, and they needed him to be there. This understanding made his determination to show up all the more significant. He continued to attend meetings, claim his space, and fulfill a role that others had not anticipated, not to make a statement, but because he recognized the importance of representation.

“Many individuals never even get a chance to step into rooms like those,” he states. “When you do, retreating would be a disservice to countless others.”

His journey was never solely about himself.

“At Tropic, countless individuals rely on this business for their livelihoods and happiness. It becomes easier to endure uncomfortable situations when you’re not alone; you’re doing it for a collective.”

Over time, his visibility began to have an impact. The spaces didn’t transform because he waited for them to change. They evolved because he consistently stepped into them as his authentic self.

“People recognize who I am when I enter a room now,” he asserts, “because I have unapologetically claimed my right to be here and refused to retreat.”

Transforming from Performer to Leader

During the early stages of Tropic, Carlton was still unfamiliar with skincare, beauty, and the business landscape. He made no effort to disguise this. What he possessed was the tenacity of someone accustomed to navigating unfamiliar territories, quickly assessing them, and finding a way forward.

“There is some validity to the concept of ‘fake it till you make it’,” he shares. “Not because I was indifferent or lacked skills, but because I trusted my capacity to learn. As a performer, you embrace challenges before feeling fully prepared. You listen, adapt, recover swiftly, and learn from your mistakes.”

Initially, it was just Susie and Carlton. He began as many entrepreneurs do, earning £7 an hour packing boxes. From that point, both Tropic and he evolved together. Carlton progressed through various positions, including General Manager, Head of Operations, Operations Director, and ultimately Managing Director. This journey is significant. It is not merely a tale of someone ascending directly to authority; it is about someone constructing it, piece by piece, from within.

Today, authority is no longer something he strives to attain.

“I truly understand Tropic,” he declares. “I know this industry intimately. I comprehend what our brand essence entails, what differentiates us, and what our core values are.”

His expertise extends well beyond Tropic. Over the years, Carlton has developed a profound understanding of the broader beauty landscape, engaging in nearly every facet of the business—from product manufacturing to award-winning marketing, customer experience, operations, and brand development. He knows what it takes to grow and sustain a company on a large scale.

He no longer needs to act as though he belongs in this domain. Together with Susie, he has created an environment where he genuinely fits in, and where others who have felt like outsiders in spaces not tailored for them can also find their place.

This matters to Carlton because businesses are shaped by the individuals within them: their instincts, backgrounds, blind spots, talents, and courage. “Businesses are built from the lived experiences of the people who create them,” he asserts. “One hundred percent.”

Embedding Inclusion into Company Culture

Carlton is not just advocating for diversity; he is championing a cultural shift.

At Tropic, this culture begins with our Founder and CEO, Susie Ma—not because she adheres to a prescribed business model, but because she has never been confined by traditional notions of what a business should be.

“Susie does not carry legacy barriers, outdated thinking, or rigid assumptions about who belongs where. She has always embraced openness. Regardless of your appearance or background, if you are the right fit for the business, you have a place here. There’s no ego involved, no need to uphold antiquated methods, and no fixed perspective on how things should operate.”

This openness has propelled Tropic into becoming the beauty phenomenon it is today—a space driven by ambition, belief, and possibilities rather than limitations. This ethos continues with Carlton.

“I embody that mixed-race, gay identity,” he states. “I am the person who didn’t come from a traditional business background but rather from the performing arts, off the stage. All of these aspects are reflected in Tropic.”

Because Carlton has helped shape Tropic from the ground up, his influence extends beyond the office, the leadership team, or the daily decisions. It permeates wherever the brand goes.

It manifests in the products, events, marketing strategies, language, and the welcoming atmosphere for individuals entering the business. It exists in the values that guide decisions, in customer interactions, and in the way Tropic presents itself in homes across the nation and beyond. This reach is what amplifies the impact of their work.

“There is an abundance of homophobia and racism in the world,” he observes. “For me to be deeply embedded in the essence of Tropic—its core, in every product, event, and marketing campaign—means we are intentionally placing ourselves in front of individuals who may not initially want to share space with me.”

For Carlton, this endeavor is not about winning a battle. It’s about visibility, representation, and nuanced influence. Someone may hold prejudiced views yet still use a Tropic product shaped by the very communities they may not yet fully comprehend or accept.

This illustrates the power of being woven into the fabric of a business. Tropic serves as a bridge: a means to reach people, challenge their assumptions, and make differences feel more familiar without needing to overtly address them.

By existing in these spaces, Tropic contributes to normalizing what some may not even realize they need to accept. To Carlton, this is remarkable.

A New Business Paradigm Without Restrictive Legacies

This same openness also shapes Carlton’s perspective on traditional businesses and why many struggle to cultivate environments where diverse individuals can thrive.

“Often,” he explains, “legacy businesses grapple with unraveling inherited patterns: who gets hired, who gets heard, how women are treated, how diversity is perceived, and how much room there is for those who don’t resemble the former leaders.”

These ingrained habits can become embedded in a company long before anyone thinks to question them. Over time, they evolve into traditions, processes, or simply ‘the way things are done’. This is why many organizations now find themselves working diligently to dismantle those systems and rebuild with a more intentional approach.

“Tropic emerged from a different foundation. It wasn’t constructed around those same inherited assumptions. It was influenced by individuals from diverse backgrounds worldwide, who were eager to learn, willing to innovate, and uninterested in preserving outdated norms but rather focused on creating something genuinely effective.”

Carlton recognizes this same trend in society at large. People are not inherently homophobic or racist. Such attitudes are conditioned, passed down, absorbed, or inherited without conscious awareness.

This is why visibility is crucial. Individuals must become accustomed to what they typically do not see. They need to be surrounded by diverse narratives and viewpoints, allowing them to form their own opinions rather than merely mirroring someone else’s.

This underscores the importance of remaining in rooms, even when they feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, change occurs simply because someone remains long enough to be genuinely seen.

Understanding True Belonging

When asked what authentic inclusion looks like, Carlton almost chuckles. “It’s when you don’t have to ask questions like this one,” he replies. “When such questions become unnecessary, that’s when it’s achieving its true purpose.”

At Tropic, this principle influences how they approach people. They prioritize the individual first: their grit, determination, talent, attitude, and personality, alongside relevant experience.

Sometimes, they encounter individuals with unique qualities that could strengthen the business. This does not mean creating roles without purpose. It involves recognizing ability, energy, and potential when present, then being open to understanding how that person could contribute meaningfully. This is also part of innovating a business model.

Belonging transcends mere employment. It encompasses the experiences that follow once someone joins the team.

“I would be genuinely upset if people felt compelled to minimize themselves in this business—because they don’t have to!” Carlton emphasizes. “The idea of someone at Tropic feeling unable to express their true self genuinely disturbs me. Belonging should mean fostering an environment where individuals can perform at their best without sacrificing any part of themselves.”

As he reflects on what that feels like, Carlton takes a moment. “It’s like home—truly feeling at home. A place where there are no questions, no prejudgments. You can simply be yourself.” He chuckles. “I’m probably not your typical businessman running a company that generates tens of millions. But that’s perfectly fine.”

This is precisely the point. Carlton may not have anticipated building and managing a business of this magnitude, but like acting, he truly belongs here. “I excel at what I do—I have a rightful place in this business and in those boardrooms. Like so many of us who have been underestimated, I bring real value to the table.”

Not despite everything that defines him, but because of it.

Experiencing Authentic Confidence

For Carlton, confidence has transformed. In his forties, it no longer requires preparation before he steps outside. It is not an outfit, voice, or version of himself crafted to appease others.

“I feel confident in my attire—not just dressing to feel confident,” he shares. “I feel assured in my presence in business. That stems from real-life experiences and actually engaging in the work.” He pauses. “It’s like realizing: ‘oh, this is what true confidence feels like’. Not ‘this is what I need to do to feel confident’. That’s the distinction.”

He waited a long time to arrive at this point. For over thirty years, Carlton concealed his sexuality, unable to confide in his father. When he finally did, his father’s reaction was unremarkable. Nothing dramatic occurred, yet it was profoundly significant. “Imagine that—spending over thirty years unable to share something so monumental with your beloved father due to legacy and tradition.”

If he could revisit that time, he knows what he would advise his younger self. “Channel all that energy into your dancing, singing, and studies,” he suggests. “The added burden of doubt, fear, or feeling different is not just painful; it’s distracting. It diverts energy and focus from what one could build, practice, learn, and become.”

Consider how much more someone could achieve without carrying that relentless burden alongside everything else. Envision the possibilities when all that energy can be directed toward creativity, talent, ambition, joy, and growth instead.

“Just carry on, be yourself, do your best, and everything else will fall into place.”

The Legacy That Matters

Carlton wishes to spare the next generation from that burden. He recognizes that younger individuals are growing up with greater language, visibility, and opportunities to assert their identities. Yet, he is candid about the difference between openness and genuine ease.

Freedom still requires action. Doors must be opened. Rooms must be occupied.

“I worked tirelessly to be visible, to be acknowledged, to be present in a room—while carrying all that baggage,” he reflects. “Now, you can achieve those things. Just ensure you remain.”

The legacy Carlton envisions is broader than one career, one position, or one narrative.

“I hope that the legacy Tropic leaves—Susie, myself, our Ambassadors, everyone—marks the beginning of a significant shift for the entire world,” he expresses. “If enough people join us.”

This is what Pride signifies here. It is not merely a month, a logo change, or a campaign that concludes in July. It embodies Carlton and many others in the community who have entered spaces where they were underestimated and chose not to diminish themselves. It is a company molded by individuals who understand the cost of being told they do not belong. It represents the commitment to construct something that operates in the opposite manner.

“Regardless of who you are, whom you love, how you dress, how you express yourself, or where you come from, there is a place for you here.” Carlton has articulated this throughout his career. “That’s why, at Tropic, Pride is a year-round commitment—not merely a campaign, but a reflection of the people who built this organization and all they brought with them when they arrived.”