The Conscious Salon

From solo cosmetic nurse to 12-person team | Building Eltham Cosmetic Clinic with Amy Wright

• Nicola and Tessa • Season 1 • Episode 179

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What does it really take to grow a cosmetic clinic without losing trust, standards, or heart? In this episode, we sit down with Amy, founder of Eltham Cosmetic Clinic, to unpack how a solo injector scaled to a 12 person team while keeping client care, safety, and culture front and centre.

Amy shares the behind the scenes of building a clinic that feels human and professional, even as it grows. From calming anxious clients with precise language to designing a brand experience that builds long term trust, this conversation is a masterclass in thoughtful growth.

We cover:

  • Scaling from solo injector to a multi practitioner clinic
  • Creating client journeys that feel safe, calm, and personal
  • Building a compliant team including prescribing doctors and clear roles
  • Why brand, space, uniforms, and photography matter more than you think
  • Rebuilding culture after grief, burnout, and near breaking points
  • Financial foundations for injectors including pricing, margins, BAS, and P&L
  • Leading with kindness while still holding performance standards

This episode is for cosmetic nurses, clinic owners, and service based founders who want sustainable growth without sacrificing values. If it resonates, follow the show, share it with someone in aesthetics, and leave a review to help more founders find this conversation.

To follow our journey:
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@the_conscious_salon

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome back to the Conscious Sullen podcast. Tess, we've got one of our girlfriends in the studio today. But today we're here for professional purposes. So, and we actually haven't seen you for a really long time. So we had to schedule a podcast to catch up.

SPEAKER_00:

Like it's a hell of a catch-up.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. But we're here on professional terms today because we happen to be sitting with who I believe to be one of the most accomplished people in our industry and certainly the most accomplished cosmetic injector that I've ever known.

SPEAKER_02:

Agreed.

SPEAKER_01:

So we're sitting with Beauty Royalty right now on my report. Thank you. She has built her career, and I made you a little intro, so we might go with that as well. She has made her career in cosmetic nursing, spending years working with clients, confidence, and care in a way that reaches so far beyond a syringe. I don't even know if you guys do you guys call it syringe? Yeah. Okay, cool. And I was like, doesn't feel professional enough.

SPEAKER_00:

Love it.

SPEAKER_01:

Eight years ago, she walked away from the safety of a franchise, signed a lease, and signed a lease in a tiny office and backed herself as a solo injector with zero intention of ever having a team. And I have to share this quote that you said in your pre-questionnaire when you filled it out. Why would I want to be responsible for someone else on top of everything else? Which I love. No admin, no team, just her, her clients, and her craft. What happened instead was community. One incredible team member at a time. She built a clinic where people come to stay for years. Colleagues become family. One is now even your best friend, and you are the godmother of her son. Yep. Incredible. Today, that little office has become an incredible, thriving team of 12 inside a recently built and renovated dream clinic, which you also purchased. It's like Flex Statement Art. Oh, I'm so proud. And you built with your beloved dad before you he passed away recently.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Not only is she a girlfriend of ours, but she is also one of the most resilient women in our industry. Her story has become a benchmark for what's possible for cosmetic injectors. I would love to welcome to the Gontusan podcast, Amy Rye. Yay! Oh my god, what an intro.

SPEAKER_00:

How do you feel? It's so emotional hearing it all said like that, you know? Like played out like that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's amazing. Like, and even in we were just talking off-air, we first met Amy, I think it's like four years ago.

SPEAKER_00:

It must have been.

SPEAKER_02:

That we were four or five years ago at a retreat together. We did ice bath together. We did lots of things, lots of yeah. It was but in such a short amount of time, how much has shifted and changed and the like evolution and all of these things and hearing and seeing what you've created now. Thanks, babe. It's fucking amazing. Like you truly are a trailblazer. And the fact that you've got that like community connection. And I even like as Nikki was reading that, especially around you know, now that you've got one of your team members that's like one of your closest friends and you're a godparent to their child. I remember us having conversations of like, oh, there's moments where you know you want to like put on gum tree for a dollar.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And now look, like you've got this hub that is like literally your commute, like you've created your own like city almost. Which is fucking incredible. I've just like had that snap back to that that when we spoke about that. Yeah, yeah, and where you are now.

SPEAKER_00:

It's incredible. Just goes to show what um happens when you're doing something that you're meant to do, like your true north and your purpose and all that kind of stuff, and how much it in hindsight when you say it all like that, it sounds amazing, but it just every next step just felt like the right thing and like it just had to happen. Like there was no sort of there was no way it wasn't gonna unfold that way, you know. Kind of like you guys. There's no way this wasn't gonna happen, just a matter of time.

SPEAKER_02:

But it's funny because when you I think you think back to that moment, like this was not ever in the plan, but it's the way that and I know for you, like that wasn't I know that if we had have had that conversation and you were saying we'll put it on gum tree for a dollar, actually in five years' time, you're gonna be not only having an incredible clinic, but you're gonna be leading a phenomenal team with purpose and intention. You're gonna be at like all of the events and conferences and things that you are, you're gonna be one of the industry specialists, and you're also gonna be stepping into mentoring.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you would be like absolutely not hard, no, yeah, which is wild. Oh my god, I just want to celebrate for about it. Thank you, I'll preach it. We never celebrate, you know, we never stop to smell the road. We're celebrating today. Next thing.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and that's like classic with business owners. We don't stop and pause and breathe and even evaluate what we've done. Yeah, and it that's one thing that we're constantly encouraging our clients to do is like stop. We had a client who recently purchased a commercial property, fitted it out, and two minutes later she was like, Okay, like I needed a plan for the next six months, and like just stop, breathe, look around, like let's celebrate this. Yeah, Ames. I want to I want you to give a little intro as to because in the small four years that we've known you, your business has gone from here to here, and especially in the last 12 months. So can you introduce the clinic and tell us what makes the clinic so special?

SPEAKER_00:

We well, it's hard to sort of put it down to one thing, but it's Eltham Cosmetic Clinic, which we're out in the burbs, we're about 45-50 minutes from the city, out in the Leeds.

SPEAKER_02:

Stunning part of Victoria as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Eltham is feels like the end of the earth if you're not from around there.

SPEAKER_02:

See, we're country girls, so we're country mice. We love it. We're like, it's beautiful, yeah. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00:

Which I think that's something that's helped us. Like this being from a smaller town, it's almost like a little bit of a village. I wouldn't say it's a country town, but it's definitely the only clinic of its kind for quite a way around it that does what we do. Um, so I feel like we got I got in early and I called it Eltham Cosmetic Clinic, so it sounded like a bit of an institution or like a land, a bit of a really established landmark sort of thing. Yeah, heritage vibe. Um everyone's like, what's your business called? I'm like Eltham Cosmetic Clinic. Super symbolic. That's right. Yep. Super metaphorical, you know, like really took me months to come up with that, but like it's deep, maybe. Like, where is it? Eltham. Eltham's a name. Yeah, but like what's your Instagram? I'm like cosmetic nurse, Amy. I like it though.

SPEAKER_02:

Simple, don't don't change simple. I feel like simple is smart.

SPEAKER_00:

Everyone's like, Ryan, really creative. I love it. But um, yeah, thank you. But yeah, we just um I think that growth comes from literally not to sort of oversimplify it, but if you genuinely love what you do and you genuinely get can I say swear words? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Just no drop the C bar.

SPEAKER_00:

No C the ball.

SPEAKER_01:

I can I can control the C. Just in case you're feeling a little rogued today.

SPEAKER_00:

Um if you just if I had to put it down to one thing that really makes made my business like 10x and go from just me to like nearly like basically 13 people. It's just give massive fucks about the person in front of you, the client. Like get obsessed with how they feel, get aware of how you're making them feel. Maybe it's my ADHD um that makes me hyper-attuned to people's like body language, their reactions, like what they're feeling and thinking. But I think those early like performative days where it was just me and the client in my little room, I had all the time in the world because I'd like maybe two bookings that day. So I was like, You are it, you're my queen. And every quote, like every little nuance, or like I'd say, so we're gonna do this thing, we do this thing with needles, and then I'd watch on their face and they're like, and I'm like, that scares them, but don't say it like that, or like I mean we're gonna do this and this and this. And I'm like, I know what she's thinking. She's thinking, people are gonna be able to tell that I've had this done. And I'm like, But if you're thinking, are people gonna know I've had it done? Be ready with the answers, get to know her. Like, I know her so well intimately, and I'm here to serve her. And that's what we have to and him, but you know, and them, but we have to remember the only reason why we have a place to do what we do, the only reason why this craft exists, the only reason why we have jobs is to serve that person in front of you. The minute you forget that or to take them for granted, you've lost them.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, like both of us are feel like we were both like in a trance listening to you then, guys. Stop and take note of where that is playing in the podcast, and any second you start feeling like you are like not aware of your clients, go back and listen to that. It doesn't matter what industry you're in, because that will help you. That was fucking amazing. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you think we just take we we can take clients for granted so easy? You know, when you go, Oh, there's a pain in the ass. It's it can be so easy to take clients for granted, and so often as as clinic and salon owners, we focus on the negative, we go, Oh god, you know, Marianne moved her appointment three times. That's yeah, annoying. Whereas we don't actually look at that person holistically, what could that person be going through? What could be happening? But even yeah, that's so interesting looking at your client on a level that deep.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, like even with how they respond with needles, because there will be people that will be like, Oh god, I'm scared, and you can then support that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00:

But it's just a deeply personal thing, yeah. Like even hair, like people have like you guys. I mean, it's the reason why you guys are successful. I think I think it's something you guys successful people like yourselves in the industry you're in, do without realizing. I don't think you've intentionally set out to do that, but intuitively you've always been like, how's she feeling? What does she need right now? And it's evident in the beautiful way, your beautiful client journey, and that's and then you duplicate that and the sky's the limit.

SPEAKER_02:

It's interesting though, isn't it? You know, there's always that ongoing joke of like, you know, that our job is like counseling or like um psychologists and like all of those things. Yeah, but and in ways of it, it is just it's uh we're generally people people please us as a tendency. We want people to be happy, we want them to like what we're doing, we want like all of those things in that because we care so much, we can service people to a really high level. Yeah, but really leaning into that and being able to start picking up on what's being put down, what like the unspoken language that's in front of you. Yeah, you've done that with a client, and now I can see that you're doing that with your team as well, because you're now being able to like run a like 12 on team. That's a massive, massive number. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Can you talk us through who like tell us the positions in your team? Yeah. The 12 people and who there is.

SPEAKER_00:

I think I've got five injectors. I've got a doctor, um like a bird.

SPEAKER_01:

And does the doctor do we we don't work with cosmetic injectors? So this is like it's not our we wouldn't touch it because it's not our forte. Yeah. And if we haven't done it, we're not gonna teach on it, so we send people your way. Yeah. But what what does a doctor do that a cosmetic injector? Is that where they do like the nose job with the syringe?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, he'll do like some more advanced injecting or like higher risk procedures, like the nose filler's pretty risky compared to like your good old, you know, cheek filler and Botox. Um, but he does a lot of the everyday sort of go-to treatments as well. Like he's really heavily booked doing like anti-I keep doing that, anti-wrinkle and um demo fillers, but like higher end stuff like really advanced, like biostimulation, where you're injecting products that fertilize collagen to grow. And we do that too, but he can sort of do it. Is that the sandges? Kind of sandes, but then there's more, then there's like levels, like sandages and levels, jelly beans. Yeah, we're getting to like 2026. Like prince, cheers, and queen. No, but um but he's around doing that. Um, but we're gonna need a prescriber, he's our prescribing doctor, because we need somebody to write the script for the prescribe. Yeah, yeah, he's around for that. Yeah, that's super cool. And he's it's it's so interesting having yeah, so I've got the injectors in him. Yeah, so he's an injector, he's our doctor. We've also got a creative director who's the queen of the everything. Wow. Well, what does the creative director do? Sounds like a fancy title, doesn't it? I was like, I've got a creative director. No, I love it. I'm like, do we need one of those? Is that for sure? But it's just she basically does um I gave her that huge title because um she's actually a hairdresser by profession. She's a hairdresser for 20 years. She's got a thriving, she's got a viral hair um Instagram, hair by Shauna Elizabeth. She's got a wait list. Oh my god, the Tease lady, Shauna's Big T's. Oh, I don't know. Maybe she's like Jador Hair Extension sponsor, Cloud9, all like she's amazing. She's one of those really, really talented people. Like, some people are just gifted. Like, I'm really good at injecting. Full stop. Like, that's my you get one talent. Shauna is like girl. If you think you've got one talent, you're no. Let me tell you about this.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, we're gonna get do you want to have our first sight on hair? It's about to happen.

SPEAKER_00:

It's been four years, babe. Like, come on. Um, but yeah, anyway, she's just a super talented individual. Like, she says she's a hair person who uh well ex expert, but who's like branding? She designed our uniforms, she designed the fit out, she chose every finishing, every furnishing, every colour, every finish, everything.

SPEAKER_02:

She knows the colours because she's so in the uniform isn't it?

SPEAKER_00:

And I'm like, a bright green chair though, with a beige, everything beige, like it's like beige. And she's like, just trust me. And I can trust her. And then I won't buy a coaster to put under a thing without being like, is this the right one? No, okay, no, I've no one just.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you want to can I just say like how insanely observant I am? You guys recently, I don't think anyone would notice this. I love this. You recently changed your iMac computers from yellow to silver.

SPEAKER_03:

Have you figured that out?

SPEAKER_01:

Of course I did. And I saw that and I was like, whoa, they had the yellow computers, like, and I feel like they've changed it to silver for aesthetics.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, Shauna was like the two yellow. Yeah, okay. I knew there was nothing wrong with those computers because like I know that they they're like they're new computers. This is Shauna, right? Like, so the um something in my team I'm super grateful for, and I'm sure everybody is, is when someone is so committed to your mission and purpose and cause, they will literally fight me. Like, I'll be like, Shauna, I really want this thing, and she's like, respectfully, no. And I'm like, Yeah, but it's this and it's that, and like you, you're not an injector, so like you don't know what the client, and she's like, still no, yeah. And then I'll be like, I could technically go and do whatever I want. And Shauna would have to be like, cool, she will push back and be like, I've given you the rationale, babe. Here's why, da da da da da. And just the the and I say this in team meetings, like the fact that she would advocate so hard for my brand against even me. She's like, sis, you just I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't see she's like cute, but no, yeah. She's like, Yeah, and she's like, please fucking don't.

SPEAKER_02:

But like this is the thing, when you have those like creative experts, this is where they can really take your vision to the next level.

SPEAKER_00:

But you've got to trust her exactly and actually respect her role and her job. And like she'll put out like a she'll be like, couldn't help but notice three or four of the girls. Like, that's not my interpretation of Sage Green. So I've just chop, I've just dropped a palette PDF that I just chucked together with some examples. The latest cook eye fucking t-shirt. They can go buy it, like just to and I'm like, fuck, she just cares, she's invested. I am horny for that level of it. Yeah, but you do, but she's just so um and like it's not um yeah. Sometimes I tell I go rogue and I buy something, and she's like, what is time? Did you keep the receipt? Just like did T Movie or what was happening this day, like medicine that day, or Shawnee it's uh Shauna is shady and we love it.

SPEAKER_02:

Like she's doing it for the right reasons.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so I've got her, um she's she's been critical. I mean, she she does all of our social media, all of our photography, everything on the website, basically. Um everything Shauna won. And then if we have an event, she'll design all the brochures and everything like that. And then is she full-time? No, uh not really, which contractor, so she just like gets it done. Yeah, spending the hours that work around her little boy. But um, but then yeah, she went just really quickly, funny story. We had an event, a launch event, and I just went into one of the treatment rooms and it looked like a florist. And I was like, where did all these massive expensive looking flowers come from? And she's like, I just like went to um it was like three hours away at like 6 a.m. and just like got these flowers from the wholesaler. She's just like arranging them like in this perfect floor. And I'm like, Oh, so you're a florist as well. Absolutely, yeah. She's in the whole lot. Yeah, and uh she's got it, she's got the and a photographer. She's gonna effort to go to three hours. I didn't ask for that, and it's but she's committed to the brand, she wants the launch to go well, she wants that feeling and the vibe, and she knows how to create it, and she just goes about doing it. And that that autonomy comes from trusting someone, yeah, giving her free reign. She's got her own car, um, Amex, like she knows to go purchase what we need when we need, and I trust that she won't go rogue and do anything crazy. So amazing. Um she's gonna buy something big, she would probably run it past me. But um, generally speaking, you just have to let people do their job and get out of their way. Because I'm not good at those things, you know. That's why you hire these people.

SPEAKER_02:

I just love it, even with hearing that, like giving permission to like hand over things to people who can do it better than what you can.

SPEAKER_00:

For sure, but that's why you hire them. Because if I was better at it, I'd probably be doing it.

SPEAKER_02:

But I feel like that's the thing that's so often for people, especially like being CEOs of your own business and the owners, and we have this thing of like, I've got to do everything. It's like, oh no, if I actually delegate out and give control to those who are better at it than what I am. Totally. This can really take it to where you are now, like literally up in the penthouse, having this incredible vision coming to life with people that believe in it as much, if not more, than what you do. Totally. Wow.

SPEAKER_00:

But it's I I have made wrong decisions too in trusting people because I'm like people pleaser of from way back, and I'm like, I love you and I want you to all feel so validated. Do everything you want, and then they do it, and you're like, well, that's not right. And then it's a lesson in self-development of like, how am I going to communicate this? How am I gonna be more assertive? Where was I not clear in my communication? Right. All that. And then so I haven't always with Shauna, I just it's been years and I've just don't trust her, but I don't I just for for the sake of the people listening, I haven't always got it right with who it is. Yeah, and I haven't always got it right with just trusting them and letting them do their thing, or I have because I'm like, well, what would I know? Yeah. Like, excuse my. But you know, you guys would have had over the years people being like, I'll give you some business advice, or I'm this PhD and this thing that you guys aren't good at, and you're like, Oh, here's some money, I trust you, and then you're like, that was fucking wrong. I you intuitively knew that what she was saying wasn't right for us, and you trust them because they're better than you. Yeah, and then you, you know, that was another lesson too. Like you it's good to trust, but yeah, you've got to know as well. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

I feel like that's the thing, it's important to go through it because you need to then recognize, cool, this is where I'm aligned, this is where I'm gonna trust my gut, this is where I'm gonna like communicate better, whatever the things are. They're necessary, I guess, not even mistakes, lessons to go through. For sure. And it's one of those things as you're saying now, even with that thing of like don't just like trust willy-nilly, yeah. Listening to your gut, and then when it's saying no or having it fall back on us, did I communicate that as best I could? Okay, cool. I need to improve my communication. I love that.

SPEAKER_00:

That whole communication piece, like man, I've been that close to hitting you guys up and being like, um, can I just have some coaching around? Like, um, and I've got a like an um a mindset HR coach as well that I work with, but that whole piece of like I love my favorite thing is who you are is how you lead. So where you're at, whatever you're going through, will trickle down and show in you how you're leading and the buck always stops. Yeah. But it's such a lesson in like, okay, why did I let that happen? Because I didn't feel like I could speak up. Why? Because I don't think I'm good enough to tell this person, or because I didn't want to offend them. I don't want to hurt them. It's so much self-development. And it's like it's actually me needing to get better at speaking up, get better at being clear to begin with, or not being like manipulated by people because people see you in business and they're like, Oh, I'm sure they've got plenty of money, they need me, I'll make it sound like I'm gonna do all these things. And it's a real lesson in like they say having kids being married and having a business are like they'll make you face your shit, you know, and like constantly, you know, it's like you're constantly evolving like what you're learning about yourself and like it's it's like a hard work, man. Sometimes I'm like cruise through a bit, you know. I'm sick of having life lessons thrown in my face. Oh yeah. Like, oh, we'll just we'll have the we'll stop looking at the colour. No, no, like growing's really hard.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, there's so much to be said about the self-trust piece, and I know even for you, Ames, like looking from uh an outsider looking in, what your business has gone through in the last four years, like it has literally exploded, and the last like 18 months, especially, it has like from the outside, it looks like it's just blossomed overnight into this like incredible thing. But even listening to your attention to detail and how much you're obsessed with the tiny things, like those like 0.5 percenters of micro-analysing every part of the business, the client journey, the team journey, you know, the vision, all of those things to be able to create an incredible business, but it's all those little parts that a lot of people don't see. And I know behind the scenes it would have been there would have been so many challenges thrown your way. Can I ask you what has been your biggest challenge being in this industry and running your own business?

SPEAKER_00:

It's been your most challenging time. Uh definitely without doubt, my dad getting sick. Like, dad had cancer forever. I mean, even when I was on retreat with you guys, like we were like, oh, touch and go, you know, like it's been it was touch and go for so long with his cancer, and he had it, he was sick for like we worked out like nearly 15 years of like wow almost purgatory of being like this could be the last c we had like eight, like this is his last Christmas. Yeah, that limit. And it was, you know, that sort of like anticipation, but um it sort of culminated. I thought I had systems and processes in my business because you know we all know the importance of that stuff, and then I was always like the girls are pretty autonomous, but not so much as they were not back then when dad got really sick as they are now, but he got I feel like quite sick quite fast. Like all of a sudden he was like in his final hospital admission, he was in his palliative care bed. Like we went from him walking around and being like sick, but then all of a sudden I was out of the clinic for like five weeks, you know, like not in no plan, no handover, no like I'll be back and here's when, and in the meantime, you'll do this and you'll do that. And this is what we're telling the clients and stuff. It was like the next day, like I was ripped out, and it's such a good exercise for people to do in business, in any level of business. Like, imagine if something, heaven forbid, happened where you were yanked out. Not I've got two weeks before my overseas trip to really put this in place and do a bunch of one-on-ones and make a system. Imagine if it was tomorrow and you had no choice and something happened with your family and that was it. What would actually happen? Like, imagine it, like use it as an exercise to be like, what would they do? What would the individuals do? Who'd need more support than others? Who'd be fine leaning on the systems you have, who would need more structure, clarity, like where's your org chart? Is it up to scratch? Like it's a good sort of like test. Um, and that's that was the test. And I was like yanked out. And the girls did an amazing job. Like they really pulled together and like it was a really funny time because it was winter and it was gappy and it was quiet and it was very low vibe. And we had a few like I'm embarrassed to I'm a bit ashamed to say that there was a few culture problems in the clinic which we've never had, you know. And I've pride myself on having a no shit talking policy and all of these beautiful unwritten ground rules that have made the culture what it is and keep it that way. But that had slipped, if I'm honest and I admit to myself, which I don't like admitting that. Um, and that shit just festered in my absence, and so that was festering. I couldn't be there. I was literally at his bedside, like he was taking for five weeks what we thought were his last breaths, like every minute of every hour of every day. I was living in the clothing that I had, just sitting at his bedside, and the girls weren't even bothering updating me because they knew the girls, like any minute, any minute, but it's like any minute, any minute, don't leave the room, don't go to the bathroom because you could die. But like it went for five weeks, so it was just exhausting and brutal. Yeah. And then so five weeks, he passed away. But I think I had about four or five days, had the funeral, came back a few days later, and that was the hardest day in business without doubt, in eight years, in probably my entire career. Yeah, so we had the funeral, had a few days, and then I went back to work. And I did some one-on-ones that day, and just got like my ass handed to me. Like the most brutal feedback from some senior team members about like what had been going on culturally with the team, where things were at, and just getting like a an update, I guess, on like the status of the business and the scale of what needed repairing just felt like a mountain at that point. And I was like, I'm just already sideways, you know, I'm recovering from that. And um at that point it felt just too big. Like I was like, this is bigger than me. And the conversations I was having with my accountant and my finance dude and everybody, I was like, look, you hear it all the time. A founder has a baby, they grow it, it gets big, it gets amazing. And then it gets to the point where a corporation or a bigger entity than me come in and buy it and take it to the next level, and you're like really happy to hand your baby on to see it thrive under the right management, under the right hands. And I that's exactly where I thought I was at. I was like, cool, proud of what I've done. This is gonna go down in flames if I keep going like this, and who can buy it to take it up? Because there's clinics that there's companies out there who are like scouring for clinics, being like they're like fucking massive corporations. Like, I'll have your little clinic and I'll 10x it. And and I was like, that must be where I'm at then because I can't I don't have it in me.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's like so so yeah, even without the five weeks you've had while you're like in limbo waiting, when he does eventually pass, was that like a bit of a relief?

SPEAKER_00:

Kind of, yeah. I I thought it would be. I was so looking back, I was so numb, like so numb. And even at his funeral, I was like, hello and welcome all for attending, and thank you so much. So let me just start by saying, and I was like, Who the fuck was so numb? Yeah, it's like you're so strong, and I'm like, Yeah. Anyway, yeah, like just fucking numb, you know, and then um I think it hit me later, and I had what I believe to be a true breakdown, like looking back, um, and my my coach now that I have, she's like, Yeah, that's that was an actual breakdown, and that's when I started having weekly sessions with her because I was like, I fucking need help, like dig me out of this hole.

SPEAKER_02:

But it makes sense because you've gone through like literally the loss of your dad, who uh we also know like he he built the clinic and you were also like he was I remember you when you moved in with him and you were like he's like my they're like my housemates, like all of these things, like you were such a and I I still remember when you were building your home and the clinic and all those things and seeing him even though he was so sick, yeah, yeah. Still on the tools, still, you know, overviewing it all. Yeah, and I think even with that, that's such a massive loss to have had anyway. But the fact that you had that, you're back at work virtually straight away, and then to be given another huge thing to be dealing with. Yeah, yeah. It's not surprising that you would have had uh a breakdown at all because it's it's a lot. So, how did you get yourself out?

SPEAKER_00:

I think I just I've always had this like sense of duty to the team and like you guys too as well. You know, like you you're just very aware of like I'm responsible for the the livelihoods of these women. They've got some of them family, some of them are just purchase a house or like they've got debts and stuff like that, and it's like you're carrying the it's not just for me, you know, it's like don't just do it for me, especially people with like maybe self-esteem issues or people pleasing. It's like, well, don't make it about you. If it's about serving others, you can always rally and you can dig deep and people will find it's like you guys with kids, it's like, oh no, no, no, no, self-care for me, but I'll go to the end of the earth to make sure the sock I buy for them is correct. Like you guys are right, it's like a shade of green, yeah. Yeah, totally. But it's like you know, typical selfless mums. But like I think I just ended up realizing that it was sort of salvageable and that I was sort of salvageable, but dad's sort of legacy and the way he he was the man he was was like just kindness, like his it was woven into every fabric of his being, and I think I picked up a lot, like a lot of his um, I guess, values rubbed off on me, and you know, you can kind of kindness your way around anything, to be honest. And that's another massive lesson in business, even is that like I thought that you had to be either an arsehole dictator, yeah boss who like you guys have worked in places where you go to work with a lump in your throat and you're like I'm always anxious, I wake up, the alarm goes off and I'm dreading low-key frightened at work all day, and like the boss is an asshole, and you know, or you could be that kind of boss which isn't in my nature and be successful and have a viable, sustainable, profitable business, or you could be a feelings I care about everyone, I love everyone, I'm here to support everyone. It's a nice place to work, people are happy, but the business either goes nowhere or breaks even and people walk all over you, and it's just a bit of a shit show, and you know, it just it's just like a business, you know. But I've found the you absolutely can be, you know, somebody with a succinct sound business plan who also leads with kindness and it actually fucking works and it's profitable. And it knowing that it can, you know, the the better of the turnover that we have annually, if we can do that without uh shitting on people, taking advantage of them, exploiting them, it makes me lose respect for everybody not doing it that way. Because you don't have to shit on someone to get the best out of them in a role, or you don't have to like be sneaky and underhanded or manipulative to like have a team that have an output and are successful and at performing. It just doesn't have to go hand in hand. And maybe that's a new wave of leadership. You guys are certainly championing in the way you guys mentor and lead, you know, and I mean you certainly do that with your team and I'm sure your clients, but I was just like, you don't have to sell the business, you don't have to turn around and be an asshole to everybody and be like, right, time's over.

SPEAKER_02:

Mum's back and she's pissed.

SPEAKER_00:

Mum's back, and she's actually this hard-nosed CEO that don't give a fuck if you live or die. Like, I don't have to be that either. And I and I was like, well, somewhere in the middle, like maybe not the middle, but like, you know what I mean? So you can do both, but I think you can do both, absolutely. Just took a one step at a time, and I had my thank god, I had my beautiful Mira Claudia, my um mindset business coach. She's like a corporate HR background, but she's also like energy and people and you know, um, like a purpose-led business and all that kind of stuff. So she's kind of perfect strength-based coaching is really good. So so yeah, that's kind of how I got out of it. But it took a while and it was a dire, dire straits for a while there. But now it's like a rebirth and it's yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I think even with that, it almost it's necessary to go through to get you to where you are now. Totally. The lessons we look back and like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

That's why I want to help other injectors, because it's like fuck, you don't have to go through what I went through to learn what I've learned. Um, I've always had I've always believed in paying for like the right advice. Like I've always been invested in like coaches and mentors and advisors and guidance and all that kind of stuff. Because while we just said you've got to intuitively, you know, like make decisions yourself, they can be really well-informed decisions from experts. So um I've always had I call him my finance mentor, I don't really know what he is, but uh for a$990, I get an hour of this guy's time, um, Damien. He's like in his 50s, multi, multi, multi-millionaire. He was a corporate accountant. And I basically see him every month, and I'm like, what the fuck's this? And what's that? And what should I do with this? And that sounds like a lot of tax. Is that right? Or should I not pay it, or what do I do? And he just guides me, and it's information I don't have, I don't know about stuff based on my language. So I've always had him giving me advice, and that's why the next sort of step for me, or the next like chapter in my career and what I want to do next, is like bring what I've paid a lot of money and had the privilege of accessing to the masses and spread that and like and share it around because it's not that fucking hard to understand, actually. It's just that like we all grew up working class, right? Like to my knowledge, you guys. Oh yeah, you know, we're our parents are working class, so the money stories, but yes, the innate financial literacy that we're brought up with is not the same as other kids. It's not, and I didn't we don't know that. How can you know that? Exactly. You only know your own your own circle, your own childhood, your own network, your own family. But uh, you know, on the topic of like getting guidance from the right people and the environment that you're in, like I always tell the story of like when I was 23 or 24, I had a boyfriend, a lovely boyfriend at the time who was a little bit older than me, and he went to Corfield Grammar School. So for those playing at home, we grew up in Malvern East. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So you guys still were we were like our parents went to Parkers. So we were we were the poorest people in Malvern East.

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, we yeah, we aren't um Corfield Grandma he went to Corfield Grandma, his dad and his uncles, and everybody in his family went to Corfield Grandma, so he just gives you an idea of the family, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Was he like William III? That sort of thing. He actually, I think he was a junior, he might have been a junior. Very good.

SPEAKER_00:

And I just remember sitting at the dinner table at their beautiful home in Middle Park, and um the conversation at the time went completely over my head, but like uncles and cousins and dad are just riffing on things like um Bass and investments and share portfolios and like EBITDA and things to do with like how to calculate how profitable your business is and all this stuff. And my ex has I'm like, he was exposed to this from like age eight. The only way I can get exposed to it as working class is to pay the 990 bucks a month and seek out this person who, if I didn't have that money, he wouldn't be sharing this information with me. It's privileged information. It doesn't need to be. There's a reason it's not taught in schools, there's a reason that these are convos at Corfield Grandma dinner table. But in our family, it's like fuck how are we gonna pay the next fucking gas bill? Yeah, that's so interesting. That's just what you're exposed to and what you're raised with. And you can't tell me that sitting at that dinner table from birth to 18 is not a leg up. Yeah, massive doesn't have impact. Massive head start on any venture that you want to get into, and and the network that they have, like all their Caulfield grandma buddies, like one of them's a politician, one of them's a solicitor, like you need something, you can lean into your network that you were born into, and just so my sort of thing is like connecting that because it's not hard information to understand, it's just access and just not realizing that's there.

SPEAKER_02:

So I'm just gonna give everyone your tip. I want you to talk about that.

SPEAKER_01:

Because there are so many, and I want you to listen to this. There are so many cosmetic injectors looking for that person because it's so niche. It's so niche. I don't I think that if you are a cosmetic injector, you need to work with a mentor who is a cosmetic injector mentor. Like it's so different. We would never mentor someone who's a cosmetic injector because it's so niche and it's so outside of what we know. Yeah, these people are looking for someone. So plug.

SPEAKER_00:

No, well, thank you. Well, I've put together, I think by the time this comes out, I would have put together like a bunch of courses. So um they're really quite specifically actually kind of like what I was just talking about. It's like bringing that information that other big businesses already have innately and just sharing it with the masses and just breaking it down in a really easy to understand way. So, like, you know, everything on um understanding your figures and clarity on your figures and understanding your profit and loss and understanding like your Bass and your tax and your super obligations, and even if you have a team of one or fifty, like your super, the best way to go about that and stuff like that, but not said to you by like some dude in a suit. In a cardigan, yeah. Yeah, yeah, or at the call. Delivered by a hot young woman who has actually done the work. That I'm doing it, you know, and I've fucked it up before and I got advice and I figured out how to do it correctly. But it's just explaining it in normal language that we can all understand, because it's not beyond all of us, and it's care and beauty, like anybody in business, especially women, are really like frightened of all this shit and we're really alienated from that sort of yeah convo, and it's not beyond our comprehension. Like, man, the shit you do with coming up with the mixing of the volume and the percentage, like fuck. But every time my hairdresser does that, I'm like, Do you have countries?

SPEAKER_01:

It's like a different language like whenever I hear the girl speaking, because I'm not a hairdresser. Whenever I hear them speaking about like tone of formulas, I'm just like it's gonna take a little photo, can't it?

SPEAKER_00:

But I mean, I'm just saying, like, if that's if that can become a very normal, innate part of the language, why the fuck can't understanding all of those other things? It really can't.

SPEAKER_02:

It's very well can, and you'll need to be finding it at cosmetic minusamie.com.au.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And we're launching soon.

SPEAKER_02:

By the time this goes out, we'll be launched. We're gonna put the pressure on her. We're gonna say Amy episodes next week. That's correct.

SPEAKER_01:

It's gonna be on Amy Wright, our beautiful friend. I want to ask you one final question. If you could go back to Amy five years ago, and if you imagine yourself walking up to her and looking her eye to eye, I want you to give her one piece of advice, one thing that you want to say to her when before she's had the big fancy clinic, before she's got the 12 team members, before she has all of this knowledge, what's one thing that you would leave her with?

SPEAKER_00:

The only thing that will get in the way would be you. Get out of your own way, sis. The bigger you can dream, there's actually nothing to stop it except you being scared or doubting yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

Mic drop on that.

SPEAKER_00:

Bloody love you, girlfriend.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you. Thank you for sharing your heart. Guys, Amy is a wealth of knowledge for anyone who's in the cosmetic injecting space, the beauty space. If you feel aligned, reach out to her because she's just doing a lot of things.

SPEAKER_02:

But you do skin as well. The whole lot, the whole nine yards.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for being here, girlfriend.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, we love you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

She had this on her vision board for a couple of years, which is pretty good. Thank you guys so much for listening to another episode of the Conscious Human podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

We love you guys, stay conscious.

Contributor

Nicola Pollock

Co-host
Contributor

Tessa Pollock

Co-host