I Wish Someone Told Me This When I Started In The Beauty Industry

If I could go back to the very beginning of my beauty career… this is what I would tell myself.

In this solo episode of Beyond the Tweezers, I’m getting honest about the lessons that actually shape you - the ones you don’t learn in a training manual.

From struggling with confidence, comparing myself to others, and trying to be everything everyone else wanted… to learning how to trust my own voice, set boundaries, and build a business that truly feels aligned.

I talk about:

• Why practice is the real key to progress (not perfection)
• Learning to be kinder to yourself in the early stages
• The danger of comparison and how to shift into inspiration instead
• Why being authentically YOU will always take you further than following trends
• The mindset shift from a book that completely changed how I think
• How gratitude has transformed my daily perspective and energy
• Why you need to stop waiting until you’re “ready” and just start
• How mistakes are what actually build your confidence
• The importance of boundaries from the very beginning
• Real client experiences that taught me lessons the hard way (including losing money and people-pleasing)
• Why specialising in your niche is what helps you stand out and become known

This episode is for anyone at the start of their journey, feeling overwhelmed, doubting themselves, or waiting for the “perfect time.”

Because the truth is… there isn’t one.

You just have to start.

Thank you for pressing play and joining me! If you would love to connect - follow and DM me. I would love to hear your stories.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetweezers?igsh=MmN1dTVlYTA3N2Zo&utm_source=qr

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

So when people say I don't have time, you do. You are the only thing standing in your way. Done is better than perfect. Your way might be exactly what someone else needs. I lost a hundred pounds. It is always hard at the beginning. Step six literally blew my mind. Welcome back to Beyond the Tweezers. Before we get into today's episode, I just wanted to quickly say if you are listening and you haven't already, please press that follow, subscribe, or whatever button is in front of you. It honestly helps this podcast grow so much and it means you'll never miss an episode. Because I know so many of you are tuning in every week, every single day, but you haven't actually hit follow yet. So it literally just takes two seconds. So go and do that now. Today's episode is a bit of a heart to heart. I wanted this episode to be full of advice and experience. And when I actually sit and think and reflect, I would have loved to have been able to say all of this to my younger self. And I know this is going to help so many of you, especially if you are still building your business or you may even be in those early stages. Before we get into it, I wanted to share something with you. I've recently been reading this book called Manifest: The Seven Ways of Living Your Best Life. And honestly, I need you all to read it A S A P. I'm on step seven now, but step six literally blew my mind, and I've been implementing what it said for the past week, and I can't believe how lifted, happy, energized, and how my mindset has been feeling so much better. The main thing that stood out to me was the part about gratitude. So every morning now, before I even touch my phone, I sit there with my notebook and I'm writing down what I'm grateful for. And I'm not just writing the big things. I'm writing everything. Like Tucks being happy every morning, the birds tweeting, the sun shining through, the first sip of tea, which I know may sound crazy to you, but what's even crazier is after just a week, I've noticed throughout the day I'm actively thinking about what I'm grateful for, like I'm almost looking out for it. It's like my pro my brain is now programmed to find the things to be grateful for. This could honestly be a whole episode of its own, so I don't want to waffle on too much. And you may be thinking, Karis, that does sound a bit woo-woo. But there is something so powerful about pausing and appreciating your life and looking about what's around you. Because so many people would probably look at your life and what wouldn't you have, but you're sat there picking at everything you don't have when actually if you just stop and look around who you have, what you have, even the smallest things, how lucky are we, you know? And I've generally had one of the best weeks in ages just from shifting into I get to do this instead of oh I have to do this. And what I've noticed is when you start being grateful and you remove that constant negativity, you actually open yourself up to new exciting opportunities because you're not stuck in that negative mindset anymore. You're open, your energy shifts, you're more aware, you almost start at attracting things that align with you. Another thing the book talks about is how you are the only thing standing in your way. If you don't feel worthy, if you doubt your ability, you actually are blocking yourself. Your dreams start to feel too big, too unachievable. But when you actually believe you deserve it, that you're worthy of it, you start behaving like that version of you already exists, you visualize it, you move differently, and things start opening up. Honestly, this book has blown my mind. You need I've got it upside down, but you need to read this. Anyway, let's get into the main episode. Advice I would give to my younger self starting in beauty. The first thing would be to be kinder to yourself. Honestly, I wish I could drill this into my younger self because I used to be so hard on myself. Like constantly, I was always comparing myself to other artists, thinking, why am I not where they are, or why does their work look like that and mine doesn't yet? You know, I was really picking at everything, and I couldn't even register in my head that they had like five plus years more experience than me. Like, of course they're gonna be better. They've been doing it so much longer than I have. But at the time, you don't think like that, you just think you're behind, and that is really consuming, and it used to get in my head so much. I'd look at other people's work, and instead of feeling inspired, I would feel deflated. And when you're in that mindset, you're not even focusing on improving, you're just stuck comparing, and it actually slows you down so so much because all of that energy you're putting into looking at everyone else, you could be putting into getting better yourself. And something else I've realized, even from the book I just read and recommended, is that envy is actually what holds you back when you feel envious of someone, you're putting yourself in a negative mindset straight away. Instead of looking at that person and thinking that's possible for me too, and flipping it into inspiration because it is, there is enough room for everyone to have what they want. Just because someone else is doing it doesn't mean you can't, and to be honest, that shift alone is so powerful because instead of feeling behind, you actually start believing you're on your way there. So if I could say anything to my younger self, it would be stop looking sideways, focus on your own journey, trust that you are exactly where you need to be because you're because you are, and the more time you give yourself to actually learn, practice, and grow, the better you will become. It's not a race, no one is handing out awards for being the fastest. So take your time and master your craft properly. Now, it is always hard at the beginning, but the more you show up, the easier it becomes. And I'm gonna be really honest. If you want to get better, you have to practice. I used to sit for hours after work practicing. I used to be making fans, focusing on every tiny micro movement, working on the sponge, on a doll's head. I was actually pretty addicted to wanting to be the best. So when people say I don't have time, you do. Even 10 to 20 minutes makes the world of difference. Especially if you stopped doom scrolling on Instagram or TikTok, you would have the time. Done is better than perfect. Honestly, perfectionism was the bane of my life. I used to sit there stressing over one lash like it was going to ruin the whole entire set. Like, properly overthinking it. And even when I started posting my work, I would literally point out the mistake before anyone else could. Like, I'd post it and be like, ignore that lash that's out of place. Like, why was I even doing that? No one was even looking for it, no one probably even noticed. And that's the thing. We think everyone is analysing us, judging us, picking apart what we're doing, but they're really not. You are literally just a passing moment in someone's day. People scroll, they see it, and they move on. They are not sat there zooming in on your work thinking, oh god, that lash was slightly off. And even if they do notice something, they forget about it two seconds later. We put so much pressure on ourselves for something that doesn't even exist, and all that does is hold you back from actually putting yourself out there from improving, from growing, because you're waiting for perfect and perfect, and perfect doesn't exist. So if I could say anything here, it would be to my younger self stop thinking everyone is judging you because they aren't. Post the work, do the thing, move on, because the more you do that, the better you become. So the next one is something I wish I did realize sooner, because this is something that I think held me back quite a bit at the beginning. I used to always use a filter, like when you're on your store and you go, How'd you pop a filter on because I look awful? I know you're sitting there listening and going, Oh my god, I do that or I have done that. And I remember my friend Katia messaging me saying, Stop using a filter and just start showing up as you. And honestly, when she sent that, I felt a bit exposed. You know, when someone calls you out and it hits something within you, and you're a bit like I felt a bit put back at first, you know, when you thought, Oh my god. But deep down I knew she was right, and it was actually that best, it was actually the best thing she could have said to me because from that day I ditched it, I've never used one since. Now I come on my stories and my jammies, no makeup, hair and mess, and honestly, I don't care. And I think if I'm looking to be giving my younger self advice, I wish I knew that sooner. That being just you is enough. Showing who you are, showing the true you, no makeup, even if you're having a bad hair day. Just show who you are because that is what builds so that's that is what builds connection with the people that follow you. And I wish I knew that sooner. Because we are who we are, hiding behind a filter doesn't build connection, being you does. I used to worry about doing things wrong a lot, like I'd learn something on a webinar or on a training, or see another educator teaching a certain way, and I'd jump on it like, yeah, this is how you do it, blah blah blah blah. Instead of actually looking at what I was naturally doing, because when I really paid attention, even the way I held my tweezers was different, and for a while I thought that meant I was actually doing something wrong, but different isn't wrong, there is no one right way of doing things, and this really clicked when I created my 30-day lash challenge. I showed two different ways of holding tweezers, and if you're watching on YouTube, look how bendy my fingers are. Because my fingers are really bendy, the typical way to hold a tweezer, I find it really, really uncomfortable. Like I almost get pains in my hands from holding it the right way. But like I said, there is no right way of doing something. And one of my students messaged me saying she had exactly the same thing. We were laughing, sending each other pictures of our thumbs because they're so bendy. She struggled with the correct way everyone teaches, but my way worked for her, and that's when it hit me. Your way might be exactly what someone else needs. So, why are you holding back? Why are you trying to fit in into how everyone else does it? Now I embrace it, I show different ways, and I let students figure out what works for them because that's what actually builds confidence. Another thing is that you will make mistakes, you will fuck up sometimes, and honestly, you just have to laugh. I was literally talking to one of my clients the other day about a time I messed up, and I was saying when I first started, I didn't realise my mascara had rolled into the glue, and yeah, you can guess it. I brushed through the lashes, and all the glue was all over the tips. My client was like, Caris, what the hell did you do? And I said to her, in my head, I was like, Oh my fucking god, but I stayed calm and I just thought, right, I have to fix this. I removed the work, the worst ones, picked off what I could, and I sorted it. I even dipped my hand in glue once and it stuck to my client's head before. Like, honestly, you couldn't write it, but these things teach you how to handle anything, they teach you to stay calm, to think on your feet, not to panic. And now, when things happen, I know exactly what to do. At the beginning, you will people please. You know, you won't know where to draw the line or even where to create one because your confidence is naturally lower. You're working with the public, you just want to keep everyone happy. I had a client back in the day, she used to turn up around 20 minutes late, tell me she had work at a certain time, so I'd end up like with 40 minutes to do an infill. It was ridiculous. She used to fill me with actual dread. What when I saw her name in the diary, I was used to get so stressed, it would ruin the whole day because I could never create a set that I was actually proud of. And every time she rebooked, I hoped she wouldn't, but I had no boundaries. I'd just accept it. I'd try and rush, I'd try and rush, try and make it work, which was totally wrong. But because of that experience, I have now created boundaries. Now, if clients are late, I do what I can in the time, and that's it. No stress, no overpromising, they won't be as full as they want. That's just how it is, and it removes the pressure from me and cancellation fees. They are a must. I would be shaking my younger self saying, make sure you have a policy in place so you never lose out on money. And I'll be honest, I actually had my first no-show last week in like four years. I was like, what the hell is going on? I lost £100, and I've always had it in place that if clients don't pay, they don't book again. Like all future appointments won't be available. That's always been my rule. But this client had actually cancelled on the day a few weeks before. They didn't pay the cancellation fee then either, and I still kept the appointment in for last week because I thought she would come in and just settle all the payments on the day. But what I should have done was cancel all future appointments when she didn't pay me the first time. That's where I went wrong. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and that was me just being too nice in that moment because she didn't show, didn't message, didn't pay. And I'm not saying this in a bad way about her at all. This is more on me and what I allowed at the time. So now it's back to how it should be. If you don't respect my time, you don't book in again. It's as simple as that. But as a business, I was still £100 down. So lesson learned. I'm now changing my system to hold card details as well. Because every single experience teaches you something, and also it's never personal. I don't ever get annoyed or upset when something like this happens because it can happen in business. I truly believe everything is a lesson, and I now know for next time how to do it differently. And if she pays the cancellation fee, she is more welcome to come back. Now let's talk about specializing. Don't try and do everything. I was doing lashes, lash lifts, nails, facials, and massage, you name it, I was doing it. And I actually loved massages. Like I was really good at them. My clients loved them. I loved doing them. I almost felt like it was like a little calm moment in the day. To me, it felt easy, but what I started to notice was lashes were becoming way more popular. That's what people were coming to me for. That's what my name was starting to be associated with, and I had a moment where I was like, right, I can't keep splitting myself across everything. Because when you try to be everything to everyone, you actually slow yourself down, and I had to make a decision, even though I loved massages, I had to let them go, and that wasn't easy. But the second I did actually focus, everything changed. My books got busier, my skills improved so much quicker. I became known for something, I became a specialist in lashes. The thing is, there is just so many little moments, experiences, lessons that shape you, and when you're in it, it can feel like a lot. Like the highs are highs and the lows are low, and sometimes it does feel like a bit of a roller coaster, but everything you go through is part of it, even the shit bits, they're the things that actually build you, make you better, make you stronger. And I think the biggest thing I've learned is just be yourself, stop trying to be what you think you should be or what other people expect you to be because that's when everything starts to click. That's when you start to build real connection, real confidence, everything, and also don't feel like you have to say yes to everything, leave space for what you actually want, and just enjoy it a bit a bit more, be in the moment because you'll look back and realize this is the part that shapes everything. Now we are coming towards the end of today's episode. I just wanted to say thank you so much for pressing play, and I really, really hope you enjoyed it. And again, if you haven't already, make sure you follow, subscribe, or press whatever button is in front of you so you never miss an episode. Oh, and don't forget to tag me in your stories if you enjoyed this episode. I really love to see it. I will see you next week.