The People Who Win In Business Think Differently | Olivia Chinnock

This week on Beyond The Tweezers, I’m joined by brow artist, educator and semi-permanent makeup artist Olivia Chinnock, who has recently opened her very own salon in Chelmsford after years of building a fully booked business and a recognisable personal brand.

Main Sponsor: This Episode is Sponsored by London Lash, the go to brand for professional lash products, education, and tools designed to help artists achieve consistent, long-lasting results.

Enjoy an exclusive listener discount on your next order: 20% off with code KARIS20 T&Cs apply.

Shop London Lash:  https://londonlashpro.com/?utm_source=podcastsponsorship&utm_medium=videos&utm_campaign=behindthetweezers&utm_content=episode15

Episode Sponsors: This Episode is Sponsored By Lash Oasis. want to try their new Hybrid Korean Lash Lift system?  Use code: KARIS10 on your first order!

Shop Lash Oasis: https://lashoasis.co.uk/

What really stood out to me in this conversation was Olivia’s mindset. She genuinely believes that the people who succeed in business think differently, and that confidence comes from showing up, backing yourself and believing that good things are possible.

We talk about her journey from working on the Benefit counter in John Lewis, getting fired from her job, and how that ended up being the best thing that could have happened to her. We also dive into manifestation, mindset, becoming your own biggest cheerleader and why showing up consistently online has played such a huge role in building her business.

Olivia shares how she created a brand that people instantly recognise, the importance of personal branding within the beauty industry, and why so many artists are holding themselves back by not putting themselves out there.

We also discuss opening her brand-new salon in Chelmsford, building a one-stop beauty destination, and the reality of losing £400 to a scam on her very first day.

If you've ever struggled with confidence, doubted yourself, or wondered how some people seem to keep achieving bigger and bigger things, this episode is for you.

Main Sponsor: This Episode is Sponsored by London Lash, the go to brand for professional lash products, education, and tools designed to help artists achieve consistent, long-lasting results.

Enjoy an exclusive listener discount on your next order: 20% off with code KARIS20 T&Cs apply.

Shop London Lash:  https://londonlashpro.com/?utm_source=podcastsponsorship&utm_medium=videos&utm_campaign=behindthetweezers&utm_content=episode15

Episode Sponsors: This Episode is Sponsored By Lash Oasis. want to try their new Hybrid Korean Lash Lift system?  Use code: KARIS10 on your first order!

Shop Lash Oasis: https://lashoasis.co.uk/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I was like, right, I'm gonna leave at Christmas. Next month I got wired. Was beauty something that was always your focus in your mind?

SPEAKER_02 0:09

This is absolutely not for me. Beauty did not even cross my mind. When I look back at everything I've said I'm gonna do, I've done every single thing and more.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

See, there is no excuse of where to start.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

I'm gonna set up my own eyebrow business.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

This episode of Beyond the Tweezers is brought to you by London Lash, a brand that I've trusted and used throughout my entire journey as a lash artist and trainer, and one you'll always find in my lash room every single day. Well, Olivia. Welcome to Beyond the Tweezers.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

People are watching probably thinking YouTube swap seats, but here we are.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Yeah, sorry guys.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Um, what I wanted to start with is firstly I just wanted to congratulate you for your salon because that is I know that's so excited. And do you know what when I said it I was like, oh my god, because that wasn't even something when I asked you to come on the podcast, and I didn't even talk about it. No, it was a very, very quick decision and a quick turnaround. So we are actually gonna speak a bit about that a little bit later because I have included because I I have many questions because I'm really excited for you. Perfect. But what I want to start with is your story. So when you were younger, okay, was beauty something that was always your focus in your mind? Did you think, like, oh, I really want to go on to do brows? Or was it not the case? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

No, so I obviously at school I was quite academic, like I enjoyed school, but I also was artistic, so I would like I would like loved like history and stuff like that, but then I also was like really good at art. So I had like my like smart subjects and then I had like my creative subjects, but at no point was I thinking at school, even like in year 11 when you're like deciding sort of what you want to do with your life, beauty did not even cross my mind. I just thought I'm gonna be like, I don't know, like what was what did I want to be? Something like a criminologist, a lawyer.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

I could imagine you actually.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

Really? I'm a good start. And a dental hygienist. So three like completely random things. So because I didn't really know, do you know what I mean? I just didn't beauty wasn't on the forefront whatsoever.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

So did you go on to focus on any of them three?

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Did you start any? So I did my A levels, done quite well, and then I was like, everyone's going uni. I feel like when you're in sixth form or whatever, they just push on you like you should go to uni. So I didn't really want to go to uni, but I just thought, let me just see what it's like. So I went to university for literally a week for one week. I think it was five days actually, and I was gonna study criminology and law, like a joint degree. And I moved in and everything, it was University of Kent. Moved in immediately when I moved in, I just knew like this is not for me. I'd always worked, I'd always done like waitressing since I was about 15. So you know, like you've always been a hustler. Like I used to, I was a waitress too. I feel like it instills hustling mentality into you. Customer service as well, working with people, being rushed off your feet, character building, hospitality. I feel like it just gives you like things that you need in life. So, like you, I'd done that since I was very young. So I'd always had my own money. Like, obviously, I'd be at school and stuff, but then like weekends I'd be like working, working, working. So I feel like then going from that to then starting university and like going back to zero again, no job, like no, none of my own income, borrowing money from like the government like loans and stuff. It just really like didn't I just didn't sit well with me. It just wasn't aligning with where I saw myself going, but then at the same time, I didn't didn't know what I wanted to do, if you know what I mean. So I moved in and I was just like, after five days, I was like, I've given it a go. At least I can say I've tried. This is absolutely not for me. And I just moved back home.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Because I do feel like there's a massive pressure. Because I mean, when you're in uni, what are you, 18, 19? I think you're like 70, yep, 17. About that. Or 18, maybe. Yeah, 17, 18. But you almost have that pressure of having it all figured out. You do, and it's like, what the hell? You're so young. I feel so sorry for the generation now because like sometimes I hear them if I've had like a client in and they're at age and they're like, Oh, I don't know what I want to do. Oh, I hear it all the time from girls. Don't worry, don't worry. I didn't know, I didn't know till till 18. So when when you think about your drive, do you feel like you got that from one of your parents?

SPEAKER_02 4:17

Um I feel like they're I feel like they're both very driven, they've always both really worked hard. I've always seen like them getting up and going to work. Obviously, my mum had time off with the kids, but she's a very like driven woman as well. They're both very ambitious and stuff, so yeah, probably. I my dad's always had his own business. Ah, that's like that probably. Yeah, he's like plumbing central heating company, so he's always had his own business. And then my mum also does sports massage on the side of her main job, so she's also kind of had her own business. So it's not something that was alien to me in terms of running your own business. However, the sort of scale that I guess I've done it to was like I feel like even my mum and dad were like, Whoa, like this is this is new to them as well. My dad's business is like is is different, isn't it? It's a man's business. This is very much like a woman-oriented business, so yeah, I think it was I feel like for me it was nice for them to see that beauty doesn't have to just be working in the salon on minimum minimum wage. Because I think when I first said I'm gonna like when I dropped out of university and then um I didn't know what I was gonna do, so then I got a job in Benefit Cosmetics. I saw this, yeah. So this is like a big part of my journey. So I dropped out of uni, had a bit of a breakdown for one day, and was like, what the hell am I gonna do with my life? Got a job at Benefit Cosmetics pretty quickly, started working in there just doing makeup in boots in Chelmsford, absolutely loved it. I just loved the environment, I loved the people, I loved like talking to people, like I'm a sociable person, do you know what I mean? And I loved like the artistic side of that, but like the makeup was very basic, and I'm not like a MUA, like I'm not like a makeup girl, do you know what I mean? Like, I'm not gonna be able to create you like a gorgeous smokey eye and stuff, but in Benefit it's very basic makeup, so I just loved like doing people like their brows and stuff, and I love Benefit is very brow focused, you know? Like they have all their brow products, don't they? And their brow products are really good. So a lot of the time we would like get people coming in asking like to fill in their eyebrows and stuff, and I loved it. Also, side note, when I was at school, one thing that I did used to do was tip my own eyebrows, and I would be the person that people would be like, Oh, can you do mine? So you already had yeah, but I wasn't thinking about it like as a career, I just like couldn't be bothered. I kept having really bad experiences when I'd go and get my eyebrows done. Like, you know, like back in the day you get them threaded and tint. Oh my god, mine were like little rainbows. Mine were horrific, mine were like this far apart. Like, what what why was that a thing? So I bought like a little home kit, you know, like that cheap eyel stuff, and I used to literally just tint my own and leave it on for like half an hour. Because your brows look incredible. Oh thanks, they're really like big and bushy now. They're like my perfect brow now, but back then they were like they'd been hacked from other people. So yeah, that's one thing I did used to do, like quite a few of my friends, like just like when you're going on a night out or something, like, oh, can you just tip my brows? And I just like get my little kit, little home kit out and do it.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

So you must have been like a little passion that you just never paid attention to. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

So you went into benefit, yeah. So then I'm at benefit now, I'm doing makeup. I was like it meant to be like a Christmas temp. Um, me and this other boy, he was so funny. Me and this other guy and another lady, we were like all Christmas temps on boots, and then like we were obviously what two of us were gonna get chosen to go to get one house at Christmas, literally, even though we were like all such good friends in there, and then like it got to Christmas, I'd been there for three months, and they were like, right, we need to make a decision now. And like we were all really close with the manager as well, she was pregnant, and um, she was like, This is gonna be such a tough decision and stuff, and I was literally like I said, no brain, like she's gonna pick me. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, of course she is, and she didn't. She was like, I'm really sorry, like I like I've not chosen you, and we're all just like crying, it was like really emotional, and I'm like, what the hell? Like, am I not good enough? But I'm literally like it was so bad, it was so traumatic. And she was like, No, I've not chosen you because I want you to go and open the new store in John Lewis down the road. John Lewis was just opening or just opening a benefit, I can't remember. And she was like, I want you to be on there because you I want you to learn eyebrows. The boots counter at the time didn't do eyebrows, they just done makeup. But you know, benefits always had brow bars. She was like, the John Lewis counter is gonna be a brow bar, and I really feel like you're like destined to go and like train and do eyebrows. It was really random. So she saw the Yeah, she just was like, Yeah, like because obviously the others obviously got kept in boots, and at the time I was really sad, and I was kind of like, oh well, like I was like, I was very up for learning a new skill. Yeah, of course. But at the time I was like, oh, I'm gutted that like I have to leave. But then, yeah, so I left and I obviously had loads of training to open this new store in John Lewis, and me and another girl that I'm really good friends with now, Callie. We both started in there together, and funny enough, she now has an eyebrow business as well. Shout out to um Kalinika, she also does eyebrows, yeah. So both from Benefit, and um, we yeah, we both got this training and like we just learnt how to do waxing and tinting of eyebrows. So, would they send you on courses and stuff like that? So it was just like one block of a week, it was one week block, and you'd go and you did like this like intense training, just learning how to wax and an eyebrow basically. Did you take any of what you learned from that into like what you do now, or has your techniques completely changed? Changed quite a lot. Like we used to do brows on a chair, like you'd be sitting there like you are now, and I do your brows standing up while you're sitting facing me like that. I don't do that now, like I all laying down. Yeah, but like I could do it sitting up, and when I first started my business, I I just did what I was taught, obviously. But then over time you find what works for you and your techniques and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

Your experiences mould you into the artist, isn't it? 100%. You can only tell someone like you do on your students, yeah, this is how I've done it. It's not that it's it's it's not like it is obviously your right way, yeah. But they might take a bit of what you do and then make it.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

They're gonna find what works for them every time, exactly. So yeah, we I learned I I used a few things I learned a benefit, but it was very like basic training, as in like literally to create a basic wax and tint, quite one size fits all, that sort of thing. However, it gave me the fundamentals to then get to where I am today. So would you have said it was good, it was good training for the beginning? Yeah, I think it was good. I definitely think they know their stuff, like they are like they've been in the brow business for years, um, and like their brow products are really good and stuff. But yeah, so I was then in there doing brows on clients, so doing like a bit of makeup and mainly just doing eyebrows, as in like people just come in to benefit for that their monthly brow treatment basically. Could they book or could they just walk in? Uh they could walk in or they have to book because some days, like weekends, we'd get so busy. We'd be some days we'd be doing like 10 to 15 sets of brows a day, and we were getting like 50p commission.

unknown 10:41

50p?

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Yeah, 50p. Yeah, so you do like 10 lines and you'd probably come away with like £2.50. It's actually crazy. Obviously, you're getting like a sal a sal uh a monthly, what's it called? No, an hourly rate. You're getting an hourly rate, but yeah, your commission when you do a set of eyebrows or when you like sell a bit of makeup was rubbish, it was so awful.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

But I think when you were that young, because I don't know about you, when I was working in a salon, even like the wage I was on for for some reason, because I wasn't really very Oh yeah, I thought it was good. I wasn't really aware of money. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 11:16

I was a bit like I I was getting like just slightly more than I was getting in my waitressing job, and I was only 18. So to me, I was like, this is sweet, I was loving life, I was absolutely fine, I was sweet, but I did know that I had it in my head, I was like, right, so now I've realized I love doing eyebrows, I loved it, love talking to people, love doing eyebrows. I don't want to be in retail forever. This is how my mindset was. So I was like, okay, so this it is now I'd been at benefit, as in like the John Lewis one now for another three months. So I think it was like March. And in my head, I was like, I'm gonna stay here till Christmas, I'm gonna just build up like my portfolio, like because I could take pictures of everyone and stuff, and then come Christmas, I'm gonna leave and I'm gonna set up my own eyebrow business. That's what I wanted to do. Oh, like I'll do a couple more courses because obviously they only teach you accident hinting, and also their qualification doesn't cover you if you want to go and work on your own, so you have to get a new one.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Oh, they're quite smart, little loophole there.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Yeah, so they literally do it, so you can't obviously take any of their clients, and even if they're like your your customers, because they come to they come for you, they're requesting you. You can't take any of them, and also, yeah, the minute you leave, you're not trained, so you couldn't get insurance, you'd have to go and do another wax and think qualification, but that's fine. So, yeah, I was like, right, I'm gonna leave at Christmas, I'm gonna have like a year of experience, whatever. Next month I got fired. You got fired? Yeah, I got fired the next month. Did they know? No, not no. That me and the manager didn't get on, did not see eye to eye whatsoever. She absolutely couldn't stand me. Um, and she wasn't my favourite person either. And every time we'd be on the shift together, we'd always be arguing, and then there was this one day where it was like over something really silly, like she was telling me to put my bag upstairs. I was like, no, I'd just leave it there, like it's fine, whatever. And then I just like swore at her, but like not at her, I was just like, Oh my, can I swear? I was like, Oh my god, you're fucking stressing me out. Like that's all I said, and then she went and reported it, little snitch, and um, and then I got fired, basically. Did you find it? It was so stupid. Oh, and because I'd come in and flip-flops the week before, an hour later, wasn't there?

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Oh, so it's like little petty things that she was picking up.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Yeah, well, the swearing was what obviously made them like look into me as such, and then as as they um as they looked into me, they were like, well, actually, also on this day you came in and flip-flops and you sat down at the counter and I'm like, Well, yeah, because it was a bank holiday Monday and I wanted to go out, and she meant she put me on shift knowing that I wanted to go out. I'm young, I'm 18, do you know what I mean? I want to live my life.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Yeah, so true. I mean, in the moments though, was it hard that you weren't getting along with her? Like, how how did you feel going to work and she being there and I shouldn't really care about her to be honest?

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

You were very much like me and you were not very much.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Me and Kelly, we literally were like best friends, we still are now, and it's like we just didn't really, I just should phase her out. However, my friend was only part-time, I was full-time. So me and the manager would be in pretty much every day together. So I just zoned her out because I loved my job. I absolutely loved working in there, like I loved it. I also was friends with like some of the other girls in John Lewis as well, so it wasn't like it was just me and her, but yeah, when it was me and her, I just felt like she had a B and a bonnet about me, like a little bit towards my friend as well, but more towards me. I think we were just young and like we're just like two young girls. Like, I think she just didn't like it.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

And I think sometimes when you just have personality clashes, it can be.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

We were just so different, yeah, just so different. Like, good luck to her, wish her all the best and stuff. But yeah, maybe like you were the making of me, thanks. No, but sometimes if that didn't have happened, yeah, I could have stayed there till Christmas, and then maybe I wouldn't have been where I am today. So everything happens for a reason. It gives you the push. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

In the moment you're like, I mean, we should be. I was devastated.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

I was gonna say I had a meeting literally the next day or something, and they were like, Oh yeah, you're actually fired. I thought I was just gonna get a warning. I no part of me thought I was gonna get fired. Somehow I just got fired straight away. And I literally remember crying that day and thinking, Oh my god, I'm devastated. And then I literally just pulled it together and was like, right, I'm setting up my page right now. That same day, I literally made an Instagram page. Everyone, real ones will know that have been there from the start. It used to be called Olivia's Beauty Page X. Oh, I don't know why it just was. It's pretty. And I just set that up that day, had like made like a really basic logo on like an app, and then um I just started posting because I had pictures, I could still use my pictures from benefit, and then somehow I just started to get clients. I don't know how, but I just did.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

I think sometimes, especially around that time, what year was that? Do you remember? 2018. So any every guest I've spoken to, when we all started our businesses around that time, yeah, it was booming, like it was all. Yeah, it was it was me.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

It was almost like the best time to be in beauty, especially self-employed in beauty, like not working in the salon.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

Yeah, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 15:50

It's like people wanted to come to like home studios and stuff. I don't know why.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Because I actually went probably like a year later, went on my own, but I was salon but doing private work on the side, so I was doing a bit of mix, yeah. I found like I would post a photo and clients would just seem to be warning lashes and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

I know what you mean. Like I just thought I could just post a before and after, and suddenly I get 10 messages and I've got 10 bookings, and nowadays you've got to do a real carousel. Now it's so draining, it's actually it's changed so much because the market is now oversaturated. But we can talk about that, but yeah, the basically, yeah. Long story short, I went and did another, I did another qualification in waxing and tintin just to be able to get the qualification. That course was awful, it's absolutely shocking. But luckily, I already knew what I was doing anyway. Okay, cool. So I just did it to get a certificate, and then yeah, within like a few months, I was basically fully booked. Three months I was fully booked. Wow, yeah, and then I uh did a course in la I'd done a course in lash lift as well. So I was able to offer like a wax and tint and lash lift package, and people went crazy for that. I remember I think I charged like £45 for the package, and yeah, people just went mad for that.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Should I tell you a secret? I am terrified of brows. Are you? Why? I was qualified in college. Oh, terrified of doing brows. Yeah, my clients tell me, Caris, do brows. Yeah, do brows. You're so good at brows, you're so intricate with your work, but they freak me out. Why you're just not confident with I just think if you take one or two, or if you take the hairs out, yeah, it's more there more could go wrong, I get what you mean.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yeah. Than lashes.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Yeah, and I almost think like mine, they're semi-permanent. I can take them off if I want to. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

With the browsers size.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

But I don't know if it's because my first course was really basic college of 17, 16.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Oh my god, the college beauty courses are horrific. Like, so many girls have come to me since college, and they're like, I don't feel confident at all. I've been at college for like three years and I feel like so unconfident.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

So I think that's probably they teach you like a load of rubbish. And then I think I then went on to doing in the lash world. And got really confident. All of my clients go to me, coach, brows, lashes go together, and I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

They do. It's such a good package. That package changed my life. That package, I swear that what that's what got me busy because I could take such good pictures of like you've not only had a like a brow transformation, you've also had a lash one. So the before and afters that I used to post were amazing.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Well, if I change my mind, I'll come to the city.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

You know where to climb.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Yeah, we've got all options available. So I wanted to ask you: was there ever a moment when you opened your business that you doubted yourself and you thought, I don't think it's gonna work? I know you got busy with your clients, but was there any moments where you just thought, oh no, I'm not gonna lie, not not at all.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

I feel like from the minute I quit that job, I just said like this is gonna work, and it just did. Like I just put everything into it, and I definitely no, I don't think I really have had that feeling.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

You have a very strong mindset, even just sitting with you now.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Yeah, I think I'm just too maybe like too confident.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

No, but I think when you have a business or finding your own business, you have to be a bit like diluly with your dreams, if that makes sense, like manifesting, yeah. And I'm going like, I want to do this, I wanna do that.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

I will even if someone goes, really?

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Oh yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Do you know what I mean? Like they almost think your dream is too big, but then I'm just like that's the thing.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

When I started at the beginning, like even like my dad, love him so much, but when I said like I'm dropping out of uni and I'm gonna like work at benefit and then and then I'm gonna now like start my own business. I feel like they definitely like he definitely pre-judged a little bit, like, which I understand. Do you know what I mean? There was a bit of a stigma back in the day, especially around beauty, I feel like oh beauty school dropouts, well, yeah, do you know what I mean? So it's like I get it, and then I think he saw like the way that I scaled it over the years, and he literally said to me, Hats off to you, like you've absolutely smashed it, and I was like, Thanks, I know. Sometimes though your parents I always think want to keep you safe in some ways, like they're almost like they see the risk of you doing it, and I'm of course, and it was risky, like it was it was risky, but it's like I just have always known that I'm gonna do big things, do you know what I mean? It's weird, you get that feeling, yeah. You do the same, I'm the same, and not everyone has that, not everyone has that.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

I feel like I've got more, there's like it's more like improvement.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

You wanna like you've got big things to accomplish. Yeah, and I feel like you're on this planet for to do. Oh my god, you get it. Yeah, yeah, and you genuinely, when you have that mindset, you can manifest your life. It's crazy. When I look back at everything I've said I'm gonna do, I've done every single thing and more. It's mad. And it happens so fast, yeah, and you don't even realise, and then when you actually look back or someone tells you about your you and you're like, oh shit, yeah, that's true actually.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Because I think the hardest part is just starting something, yeah, 100%. So I remember starting the podcast and I had to learn the software. Hey, look, you've got podcasts, and here we are. Do you know what I mean? But I remember going on my laptop thinking, trying to learn it, going, I don't think I can do this, like I have no help. I was I actually reached out to someone who was doing podcasts, yeah. They didn't get back to me. So you just got on your own.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

But look at what you've achieved so far. That's what I mean. But that's why I feel like mindset, you just gotta push through the it's such a mindset thing. I feel like people that are in this like negative, like I can't do it mindset, like you you will not do it then. No. You're literally like you're speaking it into existence, like what you say is very powerful and how you think.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

I'm a big believer in manifesting, yeah. Me too. And I don't even like mean to do it, I'm just doing it. Do you know what I mean? It's just normal.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Yeah, you almost get like that feeling that like you're on the right path with things, yeah. Yeah, I'm just gonna do it. Exactly. And I'm like, nope, this is this is where I'm meant to be, this is where I'm gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

100%, and then just you have to like keep telling yourself if you ever get that element of doubt, I feel like I just squash it so quickly. I'm like, you've got nothing to worry about.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Did you have any element of doubt in the early stages? Was there any like struggles with clients or anything that happened?

SPEAKER_02 21:37

In the early stages, not really. I think I had like one or two weird clients because you know, when you're first starting out, back in the day it was very Facebook oriented. Do you remember? Yes, it was so like I had a Facebook account, and I just feel like you get a very different type of client on Facebook than you do on Instagram. There was quite a few strange people, and like some of those experiences were a bit weird, but I was only luckily like one or two out of. Like hundreds and and like sometimes they can like knock your confidence a little bit, but not really.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Sometimes I feel like though you need them experiences. You do to grow. Yeah, you need something to like to happen or something to go wrong. And learn from it. Even though it makes your whole heart sink and your body. Yeah, it's horrible. Yeah, a hundred percent. Like losing I used to lose sleep sometimes because I used to get worried about certain things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But because you're on your own, you almost it's just you.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Yeah, you just have to do and you have to deal with it on your own as well. Because like no one can help you because you're self-employed, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Yeah, and I feel like it's it makes you stronger. I don't think a lot of people speak about it because you're like, let's start your own business. You do this, you get flexibility, you've got your own, you're on your boss, blah blah blah. But the pressure of being your own boss sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 22:39

Yeah, and handling everything on your own, it's a lot. Yeah, it is a lot, it is a lot, but I think it does really shape you as a person and it makes you really strong and really determined as well. And confident as well, I think.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Yeah, the confidence and come out of yourself, I think, because you experience things not many other people would. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

I feel like I was confident anyway, because I was confident in like benefit and stuff, but then like I feel like now I'm like so sure of myself. Do you know what I mean? That's the difference, I think. No, I love it. From having a business.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah, yeah. So you then went on your own, yeah, your Olivia Studio X was it? It was Olivia's Beauty Page X, yeah. Beauty Page X.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Were you working from home? Yes, I was in my mum's kitchen. Your mum's kitchen? Yeah, that's where I started it. All so like literally started from my mum's kitchen. Shout out to my mum blesser. Um, so I had like, I remember I started, I literally just used one of the kitchen bar stools because obviously I was taught sitting up, so I was doing it all sitting up, and I just had like I'd put my little setup on the kitchen table, and then when I finished at the end of the day, I'd have to like pack it all up because obviously everyone would just need to eat dinner, and then uh there was like a pull-out bed that if I started when I started doing lash lifts, I'd use the bed for the lash lifts.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

See, there is no excuse of where to start. There's not because you've got to start anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

People that say, like, I need to have like an area, it's like you don't because if you're good at what you do, like you've got the talent, the skill. People see that photo, they do not care where they're coming at the beginning. And then when you grow, that's when you can invest in like premises and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

And they're c them clients at the beginning are also growing with you. Yeah, exactly. So they see the growth.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

They know you're a beginner. I love having the clients that have literally come to me since day one. I think it's so amazing. Like, I just love them so much.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

And then they always go, like, oh my god, like it sometimes really remind you. And they're like, Do you not remember where you were?

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Yeah, they remind you. They're like, you should be so proud. Like, they're like your biggest hype girls. Like, I swear I love them.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Yeah, me too. I'm going to let you into a little retention secret. Double cleansing is one of the biggest things you can do to improve your retention. So many lash artists shampoo the lashes and just stop there. But after shampooing, I always go in with a liquid cleanser. And my personal favourite is the London Lash Coconut Cleanser. I use a lip one to really work it through the lash line and weave through the all the layers of the lashes. This helps remove any leftover oils, makeup, debris that could affect your retention. Because at the end of the day, clean lashes are everything when it comes to creating the perfect base for your lash set. Honestly, once I started double cleansing consistently, I noticed a huge improvement in my retention results. If you'd like to give it a go, you can shop the London Lash range and save with my code Caris20. I'll leave all the details in the episode description. Now, let's get back to the episode.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

So when was Olivia's studio born? Olivia Style Studios. So Olivia Style Studios is the shop that's just been created. But you had Olivia Style Browse.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Yes, you was in a looked like you was in a studio.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

Yeah, sorry, so I've I then had a home studio.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

Ah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

Yeah, so instead of so what I was in the kitchen for about six months, then I was like, this isn't working out because people need to eat their dinner and stuff like that, and I want to work late. So then I had a little room upstairs, very tiny little room. Again, was perfect for the time, but again, wasn't ideal long term because again, people want to go to bed and have showers and stuff, and I'm just there like in this little room. You're kind of walking out trying to work out. Yeah, like my brother will be like in a town. I'm like, Can you just go like in the other room? But obviously, like it's his house. So, yeah. So then I was in the um in this tiny little room that was like my old bedroom, and then I eventually was like, I need like I need something bigger. I could obviously go and rent like a room somewhere, but obviously we had this whole garage spare that was like just full of rubbish, really. So me and my mum, I was like to my mum, do you mind if I like do it up? And she was like, Yeah, go for it. So then basically paid to have the garage renovated, like completely renovated into like a really lovely, gorgeous studio, and it's literally unreal, like it was perfect. Because I You wouldn't know it was the garage.

SPEAKER_01 26:53

Like, because I think I came across you then because I actually had a couple of clients that were coming to you for brows, right? Way back. I'd say, Oh my god, I've been here four and a half years, so oh, six, seven years. Okay, wow, yeah. And they came to me, and uh you I think at that time was really blowing up. You were very your brows were it was near COVID times, yeah. Around yeah, and um before I think I literally had um a few girls come and they're like, Oh yeah, Olivia does my brows, and I'm like, I'm seeing these brows everywhere everywhere, like my clients were coming. I was to Tillingham. So I was I was in the fervor. I was like, because from your Brentwood, you said Chelmsford, Chelmsford, yeah. So you're like 45 minutes, you were saying Yeah, I was doing all of Essex, I swear, everyone in Essex was coming for brows. Yeah, so I was so from Chelmsford to Tillingham is like nearly an hour. Yeah, so I was having girls, and they were like, I was like, where is this person?

SPEAKER_02 27:46

Where is she? Yeah, well, I was in Chelmsford and I was still in the house, um, in the garage with this studio, but it was like a really big, like nice, nice sized studio. You'd still have to like come in the house, but then it was just literally on the right as you came in, so you didn't even have to like go into the house properly, which was much better for everybody. Um, and then yeah, I was in there ever since because it was just perfect for me, and then I started doing clinics like in Manchester and stuff, but I'd only do them like once every month or every other month, but I was mainly still like home-based.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

So, were you then getting known so much for your brows that salons from Manchester, there's somewhere else you went as well, wasn't there?

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Uh London, like Cloy uh Croydon, Clapham area. Yeah, so I was just getting lots of messages from clients from all over. Okay. Yeah, it wasn't just Essex, so I was really big in Essex, doing pretty much everyone in Essex, but then I was suddenly starting, I think from social media, the power of social media, especially TikTok and stuff, when I started jumping on TikTok, I started getting so many messages from girls like do you come up north, do you come to Manchester? Um, do you come to London? And I thought, let me just have like one or two clinics so that I can go there just like one day or two days and just bang out all these girls in one go. Um, this is obviously when I've transitioned into the semi-permanent makeup, by the way, because I don't go and do any other brow treatments in those areas. I just do like tattoo brows, yeah. Um because to be honest, after the first, like I think after the second year of my business, that's when I trained in semi-permanent brows. And then I'd say probably the last four years at least, I pretty much just do semi-permanent brows. I don't really do any of the other stuff anymore. So I sort of like transitioned from doing like the henna brows lamination, like I think that's probably what you're referring to. I went for a period where I was so busy with laminations, like it took over. Like it, I think it was just around COVID times, I can't remember the sort of time frames, but I feel like I did everyone in the world's brow lamination. It was like a massive trend, dreamer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was great. Every single client wanted brow lamination. And then I think it was that following year where I was like, right, right, I feel like I'm well established in brows now. I want to level up. Girls are asking me, can I do you do permanent brows? And I don't, and I really would love to offer that. So then I went and trained in the semi-permanent brows, and then yeah, probably within like a year of doing that, I become so busy with that that I started to like uh slow down on the other treatments, still do them because obviously I had regulars, but I'd like sort of have limited, I wouldn't really take on new clients for them. I'd just be getting new clients for semi-permanent, and then yeah, like I said, the last four years I don't really do any of the other stuff, really.

SPEAKER_01 30:24

Like once in a while. So was there a like a moment where it all just clicked in your business? Where because clearly you said in COVID it just grew. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 30:32

Yeah, it's weird in Covid that it grew, really.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

What do you think made your business just blow up? Was there a moment you can remember?

SPEAKER_02 30:41

It's just just Instagram, like it. I just remember I don't know if it was before COVID or over after COVID, but I just remember posting photos of brows, and I would just be getting so many likes, like 600, 700 to a thousand likes on pictures, but like consistently. And I think from that traction to my page, I just was getting so busy.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

From me, from an outsider looking in, so for me looking at your brows, yeah, when you was I remember you going crazy all the time because like I said, I had the clients that were coming in and I was like, wow, this is crazy. Yeah, and looking in, I think what you were doing differently is that you wasn't actually just someone who was just doing brows, your brows were very suit the client, map to the skin. Right, okay, quite unique bespoke, sort of thing. Bespoke to them, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I always find like someone could see your brows, yeah, and before they even saw your name would know it was your brows.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

That's actually really true. I do think I've got a certain style, yeah, yeah. And even with the semi-permanent, I've sort of done the same thing. I feel like I have a style and I'll get a client that wants that style, if that makes sense. Yeah. But at the same time, it's not a one-size-fits-all. I'll cater it specifically to the client. Yeah. And I think that's why my brow lammies did so well because everyone was sort of doing this like crazy brow lammy, and then I came in and I was doing like sleek brow lammies. And I think people like, I want a brow lammy like that. So they're booking in with me for that specifically.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

And then I think that comes back to your mindset because you were already thinking of maybe different ways of doing things that you learned from a course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you were then talking about.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Oh, yeah, I didn't use any of the techniques for brow lamination that I learned in the course. It was the most awful brow lamination course I've ever been on. No offense for the course, but it was horrific. I came away from that course. I literally was like, I can't do the I can't do brown aluminations, like this is awful. And then I just like tried and tested a few things, and then voila, we because when you have a bad course, you could sometimes actually just say just give I could have so easily been like, I'm not gonna add that treatment. I did two models after the course, and I remember thinking, it's not working, like what is going on? And then I just tried something different, and then after that, just clicked, and I was like, This is the one. Wow, and then now I feel like the brow lammy phase is sort of like not as big now. You have your girls that love it, but like I went through the phase where every single client wanted it. Even clients that like you would never think they'd have it wanted it because it was a trend. It's when it's a like Korean lash lift right now.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

I yeah, I feel like Korean lash lift trend might be here to stay though. Do you reckon? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 33:08

I've not I've not had one, so I don't know. Have you not? No, I've I have I get lash shifts, I've not had a Korean one, but I'm really intrigued to see what the hype is about it. So the difference between, do you know the difference between? No, only that you can put it, don't you like pull the lashes down or something?

SPEAKER_01 33:23

So you can put them on a flat shield, but you basically with Korean, you're doing root to tip, completely softening from the whole head. Right, so they're completely flexible, completely soft, completely flexible, and then you do it on a flat shield, pop it onto a shield, and instead of it taking like traditional, you know, you only play it like halfway up the shield. The solution. Yeah, step two, you're then playing step two entirely, right? So it takes shape of the entire shield. So then your lashes are like so lifted. So do they go straight or do they go like curly? You can have either, right? Like you take it. Depended on the shield, right? That makes sense. But what I love about it is that you know, when you actually look at the shield from the side, yeah, and you can see like the curvature, yeah, it actually will mimic exactly the shield because you are doing the entire shield. Oh wow, it's okay. Yeah, I've actually I actually wasn't very um at first when I heard about it, I was like, Yeah, is it a fad? Why are they doing that? Yeah, yeah. I tried it and you loved it. My clients that are regular, they like got out of the oh my god, oh that's amazing, and the grow out is really nice.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Yeah, because that's one thing about lashes, isn't it? It's like when they grow out, you never know how it's gonna go.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

Depends if your lashes are obviously really straight naturally, and then you've obviously got this big lift. Sometimes the direction can go crazy. But with Korean, I haven't noticed that because you you are doing your uniform, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

So they're all drop in like evenly.

unknown 34:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Okay, well, I'm I might try one, I might get one and then maybe send I might do it, or I might send Erin who does all that those treatments now in the salon. I might send her on a course.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Well, if you want to have a Korean, I'm happy to do your Korean. Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

I need them to just grow out a bit because they they were lifted like four weeks ago, and then I'll definitely come. Okay, yeah, I'm dying to try it.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

So, going back to your business, yeah, I feel like you have created more of a brand than just a service business. Yeah, definitely. You mentioned it at the beginning, yeah. You said about how the market's quite oversaturated. Yeah. What did you do to create this like personal brand in the sense of in an oversaturated saturated market? How did you stand out in all of that?

SPEAKER_02 35:27

So I feel like the personal brand aspects of my business has just always been there without me even knowing it, if you know what I mean. Like very I used to always put my face on the business. I used to always post like selfies of me, every single achievement I'd post. I feel like people have always followed my journey. So like the personal brand aspect has just always been there. Like people are invested in my journey, in like what where I've come from, how I've done it. So like when I then post like another milestone, another achievement, like people are so invested in it, if that makes sense. And I think I don't think I meant necessarily meant to do that at the beginning. I feel like now obviously I'm more focused on like personal brand, but at the beginning, I just think it's just putting you on your page. My name was even in my thing, like yours is. So it's like you are, I was my brand. Do you know what I mean? Like it's not just like I'm just a business, I just do eyebrows. I'm Olivia's style brows, I'm Olivia's beauty page. So it's like before you even know about the brows, you're hearing my name, and then you're coming on the page. And I had like a little cartoon after my first logo, I had a little cartoon of me like holding the tweet. You know the ones everyone had? Oh, I do, I did. Do you remember them? Cartoon ones, and I had that. So again, you're already seeing like me straight away, and then you come on my page, you're seeing like when I'm hitting 3k, when I'm hitting 10k followers, like I'm posting every single milestone. So people are just so invested.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

So, do you think you grew your following just from showing up online, being you?

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Personal branding is everything, like people like we live in a we live in a society where people are nosy, and it's like it can be quite, it can be in quite a nice way as well. Like, you do have all these supporters that you don't even know. Do you know what I mean? Which is nice, and then they they do help to grow your brand. Like your followers are a big part of your brand, I think.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Were you ever uncomfortable at first of showing up on camera?

SPEAKER_02 37:10

No, you always found yourself like I think I'm always been quite confident with the camera, like it doesn't really bother me. So posting, posting videos, talking, all them sorts of things like wasn't really a big deal to me.

SPEAKER_01 37:20

And I think maybe when you were doing it, because I remember you used to do like um correct me if I'm wrong, you used to do like Instagram lives, I want to say, or you do not own my own brows, yeah. Oh my god, what was that? I need to start doing that. Was it COVID time?

SPEAKER_02 37:37

Yeah, I think around COVID, and then I started doing it after. Yeah, I used to get so many people in there.

SPEAKER_01 37:41

I think when I had my clients hearing about coming to tell me, I was like, oh, who's and then you'd come up on my feed and be like, I'll be I'm like reminding people of me all the time without even meeting.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

Here I am, here I am. Yeah, literally, like she's gone live again. Because did you think lives really helped build a community for you? At the time, yeah, especially uh probably around COVID times where like no one could leave their house, no one could go anywhere. But I feel like with COVID, it was like you either like used it to your advantage or just like felt sorry for yourself that you can't work and like do you know what I mean? And I feel like you're one of two types of people. So I feel like for me it was like, right, Covid's here, can't work physically and make money. How else can I make money? And it was like, right, well, I can go live, I can do my eyebrows, I can show people me doing my eyebrows, whoever I live with doing their brows. And so I just kept kept showing up online, and then that because I was getting then getting so busy from the lives, I then launched online masterclasses to educate others. And so, even in COVID, I was making money, so it was great.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

It's really good. You have a really good business mindset of how to get things going even if you I just know what sort of life I want.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

Do you know what I mean? Like, I I feel like I'm living it, but like I've even still got bigger things that I want to achieve. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 38:52

And you just don't let your mind block you at all, do you?

SPEAKER_02 38:54

No, not at all. Like, I literally like manifest to myself every day. I'm like, everything works out for me. I don't need stress or worry, everything works out for me. But I genuinely like live my life by that.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 39:03

To the point, like I believe it. Maybe I've said it so much to myself that it's just like really it's like affirmations, isn't it? It is, but it's like an affirmation that I don't even realise. Like it's not even like I'm sitting there, like, yeah, it's good, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

No, it's really good. Yeah. When you were doing the lives, because I've been on a couple of lives, and I could you not I get like really awkward hot. Do you not awkward, just verbal diarrhea, and then I'm just like and then I go, and I'll just think, oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

It's I feel like it's one of them things, the more you do it, the more like natural it becomes. Like, do you do it often and consistently? I think you've got to keep doing it. Like, if you are someone that's like not overly comfortable in front of the camera, obviously you are because you do podcasts now, but like just literally just you with the camera talking to it on uh Instagram or whatever. I think because it's live, yeah. You can't edit. Yeah, you can't.

SPEAKER_01 39:51

Um if you mess up, you can't quickly like a story, you go oh, like then you But people want to see the real you, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:57

So I feel like when I just I'm going on live and I'm just literally being me and like I'm just showing exactly who I am, like my character, like like you said, it's it's so raw. People love it, like they absolutely love it. I go live on TikTok because I haven't done it in ages, and I used to get so many people following me and I'm just sitting there doing my eyebrows, I'm doing tinting my eyelashes, looking like a mess. Like, people love it. They want to see raw, real you doing a treatment. They've never seen a treatment been done before. They want to see you doing it to yourself.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

Do you feel like that's what the industry is craving more than ever is actually just realness.

SPEAKER_02 40:31

Yeah, and I think now it is hard because like there's obviously all these things that you feel like you've got to do now with your content. Like, I'm even the same, I'm doing it. And it's like you you just want to really, I still believe though, that what works the most is that real raw authenticity.

SPEAKER_01 40:45

Because do you know what I've even noticed? Like if I've done a story and I'm just I don't know, hair on top of my head, chatting away, da-da-da-da. Yeah, and it's just the engagement just like in the mind, you've just had off the cuff, you've just done something or a post and it's just real. Yeah, everything just goes to it on the street.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

Honestly, they can see through if it's too polished, it doesn't feel 100%, and it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel right. Like, even recently I had a videographer, and the first time that we did we filmed, we had like quite a lot of stuff that like was like pre-planned, and then after the first one, I was like to myself, I don't know, it just doesn't feel like it's aligning with like me and like what I've always put on my page. And he was like, No, I completely get you. He was like, Let's just do some way more natural stuff, and I was like, Yeah, that's what people want to see, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

And they and they know you because you know exactly, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 41:32

So you can't then suddenly start coming away from yourself, like you have to just show the real you authenticity is key 100%.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

Yeah, and I feel like maybe people need to do more of that. You know, I'm big on pricing, and one thing I always tell beauty professionals is that you need to know exactly what your treatments are costing you. So many lash artists are guessing their prices without actually knowing their product costs, and that can really eat into your profits. That's one of the things I love about the Lash Oasis Korean Lash Lift System. Each solution sash eight is just one pound, meaning the full three-step treatment costs only £3 in product. No complicated calculations, no guessing, and no wondering whether you're charging enough. You can confidently price your treatments knowing exactly what your product costs is every single time. So a big thank you to Lash Oasis for creating products with LashArtist in mind and making our lives that little bit easier. If you'd like to try it for yourself, I have an exclusive discount just for you for your first order. Use code Caristem. Head over to Lashoasis.co.uk and grab yours today, and I'll leave everything you need to know in the episode description. Now, let's get back to the episode.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

If you found out someone was like struggling with showing up, yeah, is there any advice that you could give someone who's listening now who might be like I would say do like one a week and just keep doing it and before like or even just one a day, just one post a day, talking to camera or a selfie of you, warm up to it, keep doing it, sharp consistently. By like the sixth time, you'll be like, This is easy now, like I'm not, it's not even bothering me. You realize no one cares, no one actually cares. All those little thoughts in your head that you're worried about, like, oh, do I look weird? Are they judging me? Like, nobody actually cares. And anyone that does care is because they think that you're gonna be more successful than them. Like anyone that cares, anyone that's jealous, anyone that's being a hater, they literally know that you're gonna be more successful than them, and they would they don't want to do that themselves, so they're gonna hate on you for it. Who cares? Yeah, I'm better doing better than you. What? Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 43:45

You're so true.

SPEAKER_02 43:46

So just you've got to just get rid of that scarcity mindset.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

And I also heard someone say once that you're just a passing moment on things, you know, a lot of people can't forget about you assumed. You could do something stupid in the street, let's just say, the next five minutes. Someone's forgot that you were doing something. Yeah, someone else is doing something. Yeah, do you know what I mean? They've taken away. Exactly. But we're the ones who are stopping us from reaching the goals because we're limiting. Because we're ours.

SPEAKER_02 44:13

Limiting, exactly. Limiting beliefs. People need to get rid of them. You've got to just talk to yourself every day. Like I'm I'm good, I'm successful. And the more you say it, the more you believe it. It's actually a real thing. It works.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Oh, I absolutely love that.

SPEAKER_02 44:25

Have you always been like that in your mind? Like probably not when I was out at school and stuff, but like probably since leaving school. Probably since um yeah, probably like around. I've always been confident though, to be honest. I think since a child. Yeah, like had that element of you, yeah. Yeah, do you know what I mean? I felt it's always been there, but then I think like the whole like manifesting and stuff, I do think that's come from like the more you grow older and like you learn things.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

I feel like I've got more into that this year. I always I've always felt it. I've always felt like I'm here to do something. I don't know. Do you know what you're almost like you're doing?

SPEAKER_02 45:00

Yeah, you just have a feeling, I know you've got a feeling, and then I've got really into it.

SPEAKER_01 45:03

Like I've been reading books on it, listening to podcasts about it. Yeah, and I have this like it's just boosted you even more. This feel I feel more connected.

SPEAKER_02 45:10

That's really good.

SPEAKER_01 45:11

And I love it. I'm really into it at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 45:13

It is a real thing. I think like people shouldn't underestimate it.

SPEAKER_01 45:16

And I think people shouldn't just think it's like your be that people go, oh, you know, and it's a bit weird.

SPEAKER_02 45:22

People just think it's all like spiritual and like ooh, like but it's like it's no, it's a real life thing. Do you know what I mean? Your brain is so powerful, it really is. Your mind, it's your it's all your mind. How do you think like when you when people obviously get depressed and things like that, you're having negative thoughts, and then it's like that's why you then pull yourself into such a bad rut because your mind is powerful, your mind can genuinely make you sick. If you keep thinking that you're sick, you will actually become sick. Like it's scary.

SPEAKER_01 45:47

It's like um the stud, like some of the studies that you know when they take like a tablet and then your brain being the placebo effect, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:55

That shows it, that says it all, doesn't it? You can heal yourself from your mind, like it's really powerful. So I just think people shouldn't look at it as like sort of like witchcraft or something like that. Like it's just your mind.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

You need to be open to receive. Yeah, and I think if you push yourself and not limit yourself, you're gonna get good things coming to you.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

100%. I completely agree. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

What I wanted to ask you is what mistakes do you think people could be making with personal branding at the moment? Is it maybe just that they're not showing up, or is there any mistakes that they could be? Because sometimes I feel like some people focus on like they don't show themselves at all. So they could be making, like just posting for my my industry, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes. Oh, I see what you mean. I and they're not building that brand around them, they're just like a service, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 46:44

Yeah, exactly. You need to you need to definitely differentiate from just being a service. So it's not even necessarily having to show like your face online, but it's like just delving a little bit deeper into what you do. So, like whether that's doing like educational posts where you're actually showing like the science behind what you're doing, or a post where it's like showing the actual treatment method being done. Like, people love to see like the details of things, like they're curious, people are curious, so you want your posts to spark curiosity. That's what I think people are probably missing.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

I love that because actually sometimes your posts can be a bit boring if they're yeah, samey.

SPEAKER_02 47:18

It's just samey. Like I went for a phase where I was just posting browse, browse, browse, browse, browse, and then I realised like my page is looking so samey, and I'm look clicking on it, and I'm like, it's aesthetically pleasing, but like once people have scrolled past three of those photos, they're probably gonna get bored and come off my page. And then I started posting like more like reels where it's like you see like the um start to finish sort of actual thing. Like reels are obviously really good, and maybe like a client like actually coming in and having the treatment done and things like that, like mapping the brows and stuff like that, like show the little details because people are intrigued.

SPEAKER_01 47:51

I think that's where a lot of artists get stuck because they're not sure what to post, but they could post like say if they just did anything a picture of brows, yeah, really with that one client, you could grab before prep, yeah, map.

SPEAKER_02 48:05

Do you know what I mean? You could go and get like a testimonial from them at the end, like sit in there asking if you can like film them or something like that. Yeah, there's so many different aspects that you've got to be creative, and we do now have AI, which people should use to their advantage. Like, don't take away from your own personal creativity, but use it to spark more ideas with your own creativity. So if you're not if you're not sure what to do, but you've got a few little ideas, put them into AI and ask it. Like, right, I want to do XYZ, but I need you to sort of structure this into four different posts that are really gonna like intrigue a client and stuff like that, and it will literally help you to map out what you could what could benefit your page.

SPEAKER_01 48:43

Yeah, because I think if you give it your raw ideas, yeah, it's still your ideas. It's your ideas, yeah. It's still you, exactly. AI is helping you navigate it into something that you can produce, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 48:55

Yeah, like I can be like like I can be quite a chaotic person, and I feel like sometimes I have so many things in my mind at once, and it's really helped me to like be able to structure like that's one thing I like really struggle with just doing on my own, especially now. I'm like so busy, I've got the shop, I've got a baby, I've got all these millions of different things going on, and that just helps me to actually structure, like, right, for the academy page, I'm gonna be posting this, for this page I'm gonna be posting this, and actually knowing like sort of more of like a yeah, like a structured plan, I guess, which before I wouldn't have.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

Yeah, I feel like AI definitely has its perks, pros and cons, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:29

It's how you use it, it's just like not taking advantage of it, I think.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

Because sometimes I think if people use it to its disadvantage, sometimes online they become a little bit they lose themselves.

SPEAKER_02 49:38

They look like you, it's just the whole page is AI and it's very obvious. And also it makes you become lazy, and then like your creativity will just die because you're not even thinking for yourself anymore.

SPEAKER_01 49:48

Yeah, because you lose your spark a bit because you're not having the thoughts because you're just letting something else do it for you.

SPEAKER_02 49:52

Exactly. So it still has to come from you, but then it can just enhance and help you a little bit, yeah. Which I think is good for people that are beginners starting out if you genuinely are a bit lost, use it to your advantage, yeah, and get the help where you need it.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

When you looking back at your business, yeah, if there's something that you could tell yourself from all the experience that you've had now and what you've learned, yeah, is there anything you would have loved to have been told in the beginning? From myself, yeah, from not or anyone, anything, but like your business.

SPEAKER_02 50:24

Just like keep showing up, really, like you're doing the right things, keep doing it. I feel like everything I've gone through in my business have had to go through to be able to get here. So just trust the process. Trust the process, trust the process. That's a strong, another thing I'm strongly I strongly believe in, and I tell all my students and stuff, trust the process. I even tell it to clients when their browser healing after SPMU, trust the process. They may look dull right now, but trust the process. You're gonna go through a really scabby, disgusting stage, trust the process. Like I genuinely believe, trust the process, everything will work out. And I I would have told myself that back then. Do you know what I mean? And then look where we are.

SPEAKER_01 51:01

Look where you are. Yeah. So now let's talk about the salad.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

Oh my god, the salad's so amazing.

SPEAKER_01 51:07

Okay, so when did Aivina Shop become real for you?

SPEAKER_02 51:12

Like, when was this? Oh my god, I'm just such a like I'll say something and I'll just do it, but like it will just be so quick. So, like, literally, obviously, I had a baby last year, she's now almost 11 months, and um congratulations. Thank you. It wasn't even in the like that would not have even crossed my mind whatsoever. I was just trying to get by. Um, obviously had a little bit of time off work, not much, literally like eight weeks off work, and then yeah, not much, but obviously where I'm self-employed, I just went back to just doing a couple hours like on one day. So it's not like and even now I just do two days, and that's perfect for me. So I'm really not with her. Um, but yeah, anyway, start of this year. Something in me just said, look, have a look at what shops are available. No idea why. I think this was in February. Yeah, start of February. So I had a look one night. I I look every now and then, I'd say every six months, I just randomly have a look out of curiosity to see what is available, and I never ever see anything that I'm interested in, so I sort of just go back to my life because I don't need I've never needed a shop, and I've always said if the right shop ever came about, I would take it. So, anyway, one random day in February, one evening, I've had a look on right move or whatever it is, and on the last page, this shop's come up, and I was like, Oh my gosh, that location is perfect, and the shop itself was unreal. So I was like, should I just go and view it? Why not? Booked a view in, went and viewed it. Once I viewed it, I was like, I need this shop, like I literally need it. It's the high street that I walk down every single day. It's five minutes around the corner from my other studio, and it's just it was just unbelievable. It was such a good shop, two stories, just had all been redecorated, so I didn't have to do a complete rip-out. Obviously, I had to do quite a lot of work, but like didn't have to literally, you know, rip it out from the floor. I didn't want to have to do any of that. I've had a baby, that is not for me. So, um it was a salon before it was a hair salon, just all hair, yeah. Hair salon. I think they had it for like 10 years, um, and then I don't know what happened there, but yeah. So anyway, I went and viewed it, put in that I wanted it. It was between me and someone else, someone completely different. I think a bridal studio. And I was literally at that point, you know, when like you there's an there's a possibility that you're not gonna get it. I knew that I wanted it so badly because I was literally panicking, thinking if I don't get it, I'm gonna like literally fall apart. Really stupid. Anyway, yeah, got a call a few days later, finally confirmed that I'd got it, and then it was literally like a three-week turnaround from the day I got sorry, no, it was a three week. It took, sorry, it took two and a half months for all the legal stuff to go through, which I thought would take a lot shorter. So then my sort of period of getting stuff done was reduced to three weeks, so I turned it all around in three weeks from getting the keys. Wow. Three weeks, it was crazy, it was so stressful, but it was so worth it. It's so amazing, it's unreal.

SPEAKER_01 53:56

What was the most stressful bit of it all?

SPEAKER_02 53:58

Um, just getting it, yeah. The time frame, getting it all organised. But I kind of I'm glad I had that time frame because I didn't like just sit around and like procrastinate. I just had to get it done, like I literally had to with a baby. It was so stressful. However, now we're here, it's all up and running. It's been up running up and running now for this is the third week that we've been open. It's doing really well, we're really busy, got loads of girls in there, they're loving it. Um, I'm loving working in there, it's absolutely unbelievable. And I just want to be in there all the time. Has it even when I'm not working, I'm in there with the baby, just chilling, just with everyone.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

Yeah, I love it. Do you know what? That's what I loved about a salon because I know you're such a light community. I know you were in benefit, but I loved the girls.

SPEAKER_02 54:41

I love that team sort of vibe.

SPEAKER_01 54:43

I've never had um a salon where it was bitchy. I never experienced it really, that's good. You know, when you do hearing, and I can see why, because it's all girls together. But I actually loved that team unit. I love the fact that you could go into the little staff a bit, have a giggle. Yeah, it's that in between kind. Something goes wrong or something you're not sure about.

SPEAKER_02 55:01

Yeah, but you've got all these girls, we've got a little group chat going on a Friday, I'll get my hair done, chilling with the girls. Yeah, like it's unbelievable. Yeah, so it's not just browse, it's that's why it's Olivia Star Studios because I didn't want to keep it to browse because I knew I was going to have multiple things in there. So I've got like three hair girls, I've got a few facial, I've got a girl that does facials, I've got a girl that does um aesthetics, we've got everything in there, nails, we're about to get nails. So it is literally your one-stop shop. You can come in and get everything done. And was that always a vision of yours that if you was to have a salon that you'd want it as a one? Yeah, I didn't want to just keep it browsed because then it's just like pointless, really. I might as well just stay in a home studio. Do you know what I mean? Like it's just like I wanted it to be. I want it to be my dream salon. So, like, what would I want my dream salon to look like? What sort of salon would I want to go in and just get everything done, but to a high standard? And I have literally created that. Like, I go there, I get my blow dries on a Friday, get my nails done every couple of weeks. When I had a facial in there yesterday with Molly, like I've literally got my one-stop shop, got Erin in there who I've trained that's doing all like the wax and tints, henners, laminations, lash lifts. So she's doing pretty much all of like the regulars, she's getting walk-ins, so yeah, there's just so much going on in there, and I've got my training room upstairs.

SPEAKER_01 56:14

Yes, it's doing so.

SPEAKER_02 56:15

So, yeah, I trained my first client last week in semi-permanent, and um, it was just amazing, it was so nice. Got the little Italian over the road opposite, so get up, go get pasta salad for lunch. Like, it's so I love it. I'm so happy. It's a dream, it's like a dream come true, and it looks exactly what I wanted it to look like in three weeks as well.

SPEAKER_01 56:34

You absolutely looks like Joe Maline, literally.

SPEAKER_02 56:37

Oh, I love it. Put a beauty on and pink.

SPEAKER_01 56:40

So, would you say so far it's lived up to your expectations?

SPEAKER_02 56:43

The salon 100%. That all that stress was so worth it, and now I feel like I'm finally like, especially like probably last week and this week, I'm starting to feel more calmer again, knowing that it's actually running now without me having to like be there every day. If I am not there, they're all good. All the girls are good, like everyone's sweet.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

The girls you have in there, did you did you have to interview them or anything?

SPEAKER_02 57:06

Or how had a couple interviews, uh, mainly had phone calls. I met up with um Kira who does hair in there full-time. We had a little coffee, just got such a good vibe from her, and then yeah, she started in there. And I guess now I've got to get energy from people.

SPEAKER_01 57:18

Definitely. And I guess on Instagram and stuff, you can you can see their portfolio, can't you? You can see their work. You can see their work.

SPEAKER_02 57:23

So that is more helpful because I think I just wanted good standard, but then good energy. Like the the the two tie hand in hand. It's not just about being talented. Obviously, you want all the most talented artists in there and stylists, however, they need to have a good aura, good energy because that's what's going to draw in the clients. As soon as that client opens the door, you want someone's like good environment, smiley, exactly, and I want to come back here. That's the that's what you want people to be thinking. You want good client experience, yeah. They get a lovely little iced coffee with our logo on it, they get pink lemonade in the summer. Like, there's all these little details that will add to that experience. Definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:57

That's so amazing.

SPEAKER_02 57:58

It's you have to come, it's so nice.

SPEAKER_01 58:00

I need to come and have a look.

SPEAKER_02 58:01

You just need to pop in and just get something, like a blow dryer or something on a Friday.

SPEAKER_01 58:04

I will. I get my head on every Friday, I swear.

SPEAKER_02 58:06

It's honestly unreal.

SPEAKER_01 58:08

Because I guess when you got them keys, you were like, I bet you were like, oh my god, this is actually mine.

SPEAKER_02 58:12

It's it's really surreal still. Because even just like because obviously I used to go the post office is next door, and I used to go to that post office like every day, every week, and then now like I'm their neighbour.

SPEAKER_01 58:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 58:23

And the florist is next door as well, and now I'm their neighbour.

SPEAKER_01 58:26

How beautiful as well.

SPEAKER_02 58:26

Yeah, they're really lovely florists as well. They're gorgeous flowers.

SPEAKER_01 58:30

Because you have been quite open online about you had a person come in. Oh my god, the scammer.

SPEAKER_02 58:36

I was on my first day in there. Are you alright to talk about it? Yeah, I don't care. She's uh she's what's it called? Named and shamed. Oh really? I saw her face. I've named and shamed. I've got her full name, everything, address, everything. So did she pay in the end? No. No. She still hasn't, but I've um So for anyone who's listening who Maybe I'll get paid one day. Who hasn't seen? What was the story? Long story short, she came in, got her brows done. When she'd booked, she'd sent me an AI screenshot. I didn't realise, so she hadn't even actually paid the deposit. I'm such an idiot, I didn't even check. Um I wouldn't even have known if that was an AI thing, though, would you? No, but like I didn't even check my bank account, but that's my fault. Or whatever. Yeah, I wouldn't have known it's an AI screenshot. You wouldn't know, you would not know. Anyway, she came in, had her brows done, tattooed. So, yeah, basically a 400 pound treatment she had done. And then at the end, I was obviously like, Oh, have you got cash or do you want a bank transfer? How do you want to pay? And she was like, Oh, I don't have cash. Um, can I bank transfer? So I was like, Yeah, no worries, you've got my details already from the little deposit. So she gets my details up on the screen with like the amount and shows me, and she's like, Is this right? And I'm like, Yeah, perfect. She's like, Alright, all done. And again, I didn't check. I'm such an idiot. I'm just too trusting. But also it's never happened to me in like eight years of business, so I've just never felt the need to have to check like there and then. I do sometimes like sometimes people even say to me, like, Oh, can you just check? Yeah, my. And so I'll check, and I think, big up those people. But she obviously didn't say that because she knew, and then I went and let her out, and then a few hours later I was like, She's not paid, and then I text her on WhatsApp and she blocked me straight away. And then um I text her again the next day on her um iMessage because she had only blocked me on WhatsApp, and I just said, You've got four hours to pay, or I'm gonna post your face online. Clearly, she doesn't care because I posted her now. But then wasn't she actually scamming other people? Yeah, so it's come to light that basically she's a known scammer in her era. Since then, I have found out that she has there's daily mail articles of her scamming multiple people. She does it to salons and stuff all the time.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:40

And then brows you did were really nice as well.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:42

I know. And imagine letting me take a picture of you knowing that you've scammed me. Your full face on my phone. So yeah, I thought, well, if I can't get my money back, let's just name and shame her. So I posted her everywhere, went viral, and um, yeah, the police won't do anything, but I have um sent her a letter and stuff, like a legal one. So we'll see if she um but because she doesn't even do anything in her name, she probably doesn't even care.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

But and I feel like that happened to you from the person you are. I feel like since meeting you today, you probably were just like, okay, that's happened. Is what it is. I'm not letting this ruin the salon.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:20

100%. On the day, I was a bit gutted, I was like, oh, 400 quid down, like I could have done without money. Do you know what I mean? It's annoying. But then I thought, well, what I need to make the best out of this situation, so let's just post everywhere. And I found it so funny. And I thought, well, at least I got a laugh out of it, if anything. And one day maybe I'll get my money back. If I don't, she's her face is everywhere now. Multiple beauty people know who she is. Hopefully, she can't do it to anyone else now.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:43

Do you feel like because you you have now a salon on the high street, yeah, you could get people like it's different, they're walking in, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:51

Um yeah, I mean, we're pretty good at like we just like it's say if I'm in there on my own and I'm working upstairs, I'll lock the door and stuff. Like I feel like now you've got to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:58

You've got to be very cautious.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:59

It's made me very switched on now.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:01

Yeah, I feel like you've maybe been like, okay, I'm gonna check it out.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:04

Oh, yeah, I've got all cameras, CC TV fitted that same week, literally. Alarms, everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:09

So weirdly, that happening as much as I mean, £400, not even.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:12

It's made me it's made me fix up because I was obviously way too chilled. I've like, I I'll be honest, hand on heart, I have rarely checked when people send me the deposits. Because they send me a screenshot, I'm like, well, they've sent me a screenshot. Now I am never ever not gonna check anything again. No, don't blame you on deposits when you're leaving, like I'm gonna check everything. Never like it was a learn a learning curve. Look, eight years in, you can still have learning curves.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:36

Yeah, I needed that. And because you've never had this big premises, it's just gonna be something.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:42

That's the thing, I've got a lot more to worry about now, so it's like I I have to be really like responsible.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:48

Because I used to work in a salon and we actually had a man who came in and he was saying that he um he left his his wife left her coat there, and I was an apprentice at the time, so I was like 17. We actually had a buzzer that you had to come up the stairs, so you had to see who was on the camera.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:04

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:05

So he came up and actually when I one of us went to well, whoever we just went to look to get the coat, yeah, he actually then stole products off of the Oh he stole stuff, stole products off of the we were stocking like Dermologica at the time. Right. And he was small, just taking some bits, and then but as we walked in, obviously you can't really see because it's on the side, yeah, but then he just walked out again, and then we like looked around and we were like, oh my god, he's taken a and that was just someone saying, I forgot a coat. Yeah, yeah. So we were literally like, right, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:38

I feel like you just gotta be very alert, high alert. I mean, I've got all these cameras and stuff now, so I'm not really worried, but yeah, it's definitely like more of a I think it just opens your eyes, doesn't it? I think it opens your eyes to yeah, there's more to think about on the high street, like yeah, but it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:53

So I wanted I would love to talk to you about the future of brows. Okay, yeah. Where do you think the brow industry is going in your mind?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:05

I don't really know. It's really, it's a really hard one. I feel like semi-permanent brows are still busier than ever. I don't think that's gonna fade into the background. I think it's definitely getting, I think we're definitely learning more about like different pigments and stuff like that. I think we're learning that like you really don't need to be coming for top-ups every year. You probably don't need to get your brows done again every three years, like they literally last for so long, you don't want to overwork the skin. I think that's one thing that everyone in like semi-permanent industry is learning. You're taught, like, oh, come for a colour boost every year. I do not let my girls come for a colour boost every year now. One or two of them can get away with it. Other than that, I'm like, no, you don't need it. Like, I will not let them come back. So I think semi-permanent browsers are coming becoming a lot more like timeless, yeah, sort of thing. So the styles are probably gonna change even more. Do you think they're like the industry's gone a bit natural? Very much so. Like, I feel like everyone, the lash girlies are now lash lifts, don't you think? Well, you're more lashes than me.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:00

I do a lot of I still do a lot of extensions. Do you? But I actually do a lot more um mature clients for lash extensions. Okay, like classics. No, so volume, but very natural because they have quite sparse, like some of them can have quite sparse lashes. So lashes wouldn't even make sense for them, sort of. No, so they like to have a bit more glass there, yeah. Um so I probably do more extensions than I do lash lifts.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:25

Yeah. But I You've got a different client range.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:28

So my Whereas maybe the young girls that have got naturally really long lashes are realising I don't need to get lash extensions. Yeah, I think that's what's happening. I do have girls that I know definitely still I like lashes to the day they die. But on the whole, I'm definitely I've noticed just with my brow clients that normally get big lashes are coming in with nothing on on their eyes, and I'm like, oh, but I like it, it's nice.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:49

Yeah, sometimes it's like the clean girl clean girl you're right, yeah, definitely. I think because my style of lashes is very natural, like I don't ever do them. So you'll always be busy then, yeah. Yeah, I feel like I have that you. Yeah, exactly. I got the niche as soon as it's like a niche, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:02

But dash lifts are I also think that brow lamination is making a comeback at the moment. Do you like because of the Korean lash lift? I think it's like the package. The soft lamy, where it doesn't look like you've been electrocuted, I think that's really soft, sleek, just more fluffy at the front, and then the end isn't fluffy. That's what I like. That's why because I stopped getting lamination years ago, probably like five or six, five years ago, because I just realized like I only like the front of my brows fluffy, so I can just fluff them up with like a brush in the morning. But I feel like if you can create a lamination that is that look, which you can, like that's what I've taught Erin in the salon. Like, then people can get it like more frequently. You can't even have lamination for three months at a time, anyway, because you need like the lash lifts, you need the lashes, uh the brows to drop back down before you don't want to overprocess with the chemicals and stuff. However, you can achieve a more natural look with the lamination as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:53

Because I always think with lammy, sometimes people's eyebrows feel really like stiff, yeah, because it can dry them out, obviously. Yeah, I feel like I always put me off having a lamy, but then I've seen other people, I've seen people online doing a lammy. It's how you take care of them after.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:08

Yeah. Like you really people, if you are gonna be a lamination girl, you need to be using your castor every day, you need to be conditioning them, like you need to look after your brows, like you have put chemicals all over your brow. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:19

It's true. Yes, like that's it. So you've got to look after them.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:21

Yeah, same if you've got a perm on your hair, you'd have to look after it.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:24

For the years that you've been in the industry with like the brow world and having your clients, what do you think your clients value more now? If anyone was listening and thinking, oh, I need to maybe switch things up or maybe um get clients in. What do you feel like your clients that you have through your door?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:43

The experience that they get from you wherever you are, whether that's in your kitchen, whether that's in a salon or whatever, like it's the experience that you give them, like showing that little bit of care. Like, I'll have girls I haven't seen in five months and I'll remember what something they told me five months ago. And I think that that just shows them that you actually value them like as a client, as a person. And I think that's different from people that just want to just one after the other, but actually do not give a like a conveyor belt, and you're like in the case. Yeah, exactly. And the thing is, like, you can be busy and you can be like that, but I'll still give everyone that little that same experience and your time, exactly. That time, like that you're not only spending money to get the treatment done, but you're having a really nice experience, you're having a nice conversation, you might have stuff you want to get off your chest. This is a safe space, do you know what I mean? Yeah, of course. People really do value that, and I I do think that that's another part of my personal brand that I've not really meant to like not done it on purpose, but I think people like even just love coming to see me to like talk to me because it's like we've got our own little bond. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:43

They usually come for the person, yeah. Exactly. I actually asked for, I was doing a webinar and I actually asked my clients, you've been with me so long, yeah, why? Like, I want to give you a whole exactly, and um, a lot of the time they were putting in there. I obviously you go for the the skill first because you want to have them done, yeah, but actually you just end up going to the person, and I was just like, Do you know what that's so true? So lovely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:07

No one's you exactly, and I obviously have trained Erin to do the brows, and she does a lot of my regulars now, and she's started to build up her own clients. And the reason I chose to train her is because I know that she's got the same vibe as me. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, so I knew that it's someone that my clients will be comfortable with and they'll get the exact same energy they have with me, and the transition of her doing their brows has been really good. Yeah, I love it. Whereas I couldn't have given them someone that's like really awkward, doesn't really speak. Do you know what I mean? Like because you don't know, and and I've taught her my skills, I've given her one-to-one training, like as in we've done extra models and stuff, because I want to give them like a version of me, but it's not me, she's her own person, but but same energy, same vibe, do you know what I mean? Same aura, and being able to I mean, your work's probably a little bit different, but able to use the work similar, but her style, yeah, yeah, similar, has my style that they like, but also now adapting it to her style and her having her converse with them, so yeah, it's really good.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:04

Oh, she's lucky to have you, though she's trained.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:06

Yeah, she's like a sister to me, so that's why I was like, I'm picking you.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:09

I'm gonna do a one-to-one with you.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:11

Yeah, literally.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:12

So we are coming towards the end, but I wanted to ask you something about if there was a beginner brow artist now entering into the brow industry, into the world of brows. Yeah, if there's something that you you've been in it for so long that you would say to them they need to focus on, what they should be focusing on, what do you think that could be? What do you reckon they could focus on?

SPEAKER_02 1:10:34

I feel like it's two things. I feel like one of them would definitely be focus on getting your work to a really high standard. There's no point in just posting like bang average work, like go and perfect your craft, you know what I mean? Like practice, do your models for free, do all your friends and family until you feel like what you're posting is of a high, high quality. Because the market, like we said, is oversaturated. So you need to stand out. And then once you have got your work to like a good high standard that you're happy with, then yeah, be creative, be creative with your posts, don't just do one thing for everybody, like mix it up. Like we said, use AI to your advantage, put your creativity into AI and let it fill you with like a post a schedule for the week. Um, and then also shop online. Shop online, show who you are, show your lifestyle, show your like if you're a mum, show that you're a mum, like let people relate to you. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:25

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:26

That's all part of the personal brand. So, yeah, they're the two things I think I'd focus on. Because at the end of the day, your skill is a massive part of it still.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:32

Coming back to skill quickly, you know you were saying about models. I find sometimes students struggle to get models in.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:40

Was there anything, because I don't do brows, was there anything that you used to do with brows that you could do like on training aids? Like um, like for lashes, we have dolls' heads, you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:50

Oh, I see what you mean. Um, so with the tattooing, you can do fake skin. Okay, but with the actual like henna, wash, wax and tint, you can't really.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:59

No, you need to be on the sky.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:00

You'd need to do it because it's you need the hair. Yeah, of course. You'd have to just do clients. So it's like most people around them have at least got friends and family. Do every single person in your friends and family. Do you know what I mean? A distant auntie, even your cousin, boyfriend. Yeah, wax your boyfriends, map them, practice mapping. I say to my girls all the time, I'm like, go away and just practice mapping, practice on your other half, map them, send me a picture of them, and I'll tell you if your mapping's good. And then keep doing it until you get it. Exactly, of creating a perfect eyebrow. Yeah. So yeah, I don't think there's necessarily anything you can practice on other than a person, but it's just using the people around you.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:37

Yeah, definitely. Even if you like at work, use your work colleagues, and even just advertise in places where you know there's gonna be your ideal client, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:45

And if you're doing models and it's free, people to this day love a freebie. They love getting something for free. So if you post that it's for free, I guarantee you're gonna get models.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:55

I've not really had students struggle to get models for free.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:58

And I think browse as well, people do like to, it's a faster treatment, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:04

Yes, so fast. It's not like you're having to start with someone that's a new lash tech and they could take three hours.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:10

In my mind, I was going back into being lashes. Three hours, yeah. It's a long time to have someone to give their time for free. For free.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:16

Whereas browse, realistically, for like a hen hour or lamination, you're not really gonna take more than an hour even when you first start.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:23

So it's not that much time to give up.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:24

Yeah, so just make sure if you're listening, advertise and get yourself out there.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:28

Yeah, put up posts on all the pages. I know these days there's not that many pages, but there is still pages, yeah. And those the Facebook pages love to be a free model, they love it. They do, they love it. They they don't want to pay, but they love to be a free model, so use the Facebook pages for models.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:43

And I think it's just being brave enough to put yourself there. Yeah, they're not gonna knock at your door. No, no, 100%. You have to guess out there. So the last thing we're gonna do is a beyond five round. So the beyond five is like a quick fire round, yeah, just a little bit of fun, just so the listeners can get to know you on a little bit more of a deeper fun level. Yeah, so what is your go-to comfort food after a long day of work?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:06

Caesar salad, chicken seas salad, homemade. Oh, my other half Jack would do the same. Really? He loves a chicken sea salad. I call it girl dinner, girl dinner. I love it. Oh my god. Especially with Caesar sauce. Oh, and especially now summer's coming. I'm gonna make it tonight. I've literally put my chicken in the fridge. I'm literally gonna make it tonight. Braid of chicken with a Caesar salad and watermelon. Because it's summer. I think some summer I'm saying these things. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:29

One word your friends would use to describe you.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:32

Uh confident, probably, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:36

What lash well, not lash at all. What tool or product would you never live without? This can be anything, so it could be brow-related, it could be beauty related, hair-related, anything. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:48

Gosh, I don't know. I don't probably just say for brows, uh, tweezer man, stainless steel tweezers. Unbelievable, they're so good. Because tweezers, I might as well just say that. They're unreal though, stainless steel, they get out every single hair.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:02

Oh, do you know what actually? Can you give me the um what they're called? I'll put it in the description because if there's brow girlies listening and they're like, You know, they are amazing.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:11

I get I tell every student they need to get them. They're well worth it, they're like £25, but they're well worth it.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:17

I feel like when you get a good pair, oh yeah, they'll last you for ages, they're stainless steel, so yeah, they're good. What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:26

Um, don't be too trusting with people, probably. Check your bank account. Yeah, don't be too trusting, don't be too chilled, um, still have boundaries, but also uh trust in the process. Love that.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:40

Yeah. So you have kind of already answered this one earlier, but if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:47

I feel like I'm repeating myself here, but yeah, trust the process and just um always believe that it'll work out for you.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:53

Love it.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:53

Because it will.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:54

So we've got one wildcard question. So pick a number, one to thirty. 18. Do you believe in luck or making your own?

SPEAKER_02 1:16:06

Making your own 100%. People that think it's just luck are just delusional. Like it's literally hard work, hard craft, and commitment and believing in yourself. None of it's luck. I don't believe that.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:17

You've got to be your biggest cheerleader and back yourself.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:20

Yeah, yeah. The luck comes from the work that you put in. So it looks like luck, but it's not. Yeah. I think people see see the journey without uh see the success and where you're at now without actually looking at the journey and what it's taken to get there.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:34

No, I can't believe that.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:34

They forget that successful people have come from somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:37

Yeah, so true. Because we we only in the middle moments where it's quiet and you're struggling having little struggles here and then they're not seeing that. Personally, I'm not someone who gets my phone out in them moments. Do you know what I mean? Like just my brain don't really go there.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:49

Yeah, and I feel like sometimes people when people do, it's kind of a bit forced.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:53

That I'm not getting my phone out to feel myself crying. No. Because like, what what the fuck?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:57

It's just like, why am I doing that? No, my brain, like you said, my brain's not going there. No. So yeah. So then I think when you do see the success, everyone's like, oh my god, you're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:06

Oh, things are you do so well with everything. It's like, okay, but don't forget that I've just opened a salon in three weeks, I've been absolutely stressed trying to look after a baby as well. Like, they don't see all that because I'm not posting that. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:17

No, but maybe not posting them exact moments, but maybe talking about talking about them, their moments more. I think the industry needs because I had it literally the other day. So I have key people in my DMs like, Garish, you're smashing it, you're smashing it. If they saw me last week, yeah, I was literally like saying to Jack, oh my god, I'm so tired, I feel stressed, I feel like I'm not getting anywhere with anything, I feel like I'm plumbing all this energy. And then at the end of last week, you had a big moment. A big moment, I did, and I was literally like, I ran upstairs to Jack, and I was like, Oh my god, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:54

But in that middle phase, that quiet phase of where I felt really Maybe we should actually show the well, I guess that is part of the authenticity, but it's like what you said in those moments you're not thinking to film and post, but like you said, talking about them so people can relate more, yeah, even more, relate to them.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:10

Because you can be over it by next week. Yeah, say for example, something's bad happened last week, yeah. You could be ready to talk about it the next week, but you're just not showing it in the raw rawest form.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:20

Yeah, but you're not gonna be. Which I don't think you need to.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:22

No, because sometimes I just don't think about it and I want to just deal with it and move on. But maybe it's just speaking, yeah, just speaking about it more. Definitely, yeah, that's really great. Well, I've absolutely loved having you on. Yeah, same. It's been so nice. If anyone wants to connect with you, train with you, anything, could you say your Instagram um page or if you have your website, where can they get contact you?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:45

I would probably just say message me on Olivia Style Brows for any brow inquiries and Olivia Style Academy for any training inquiries. Amazing. And Olivia Style Studios for anything else, hair, your one-stop shop. One-stop shop in Chelsea.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:00

What I'll do is I'll um link all your free pages. We'll put in the description notes, and then when anyone wants to connect with you, they can just click click whatever. Olivia, I've absolutely loved having you on. Oh, thanks so much.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:12

She's been lovely.