The Motivation You’re Missing Might Be The Room You’re In

This week on The Skindustry 🎙️✨

I’m talking all about the Functional Skin Academy event I attended last week, why it left me feeling SO inspired, and why getting yourself into the right rooms can completely change your mindset, motivation and business.

When you work alone, it’s so easy to get stuck in your own bubble, and sometimes being surrounded by like-minded people who genuinely understand your goals, struggles and ambition is exactly what you need to reignite your fire ⚡️

In this episode, we chat about:
• The importance of community in business
• Why investing in education and networking matters
• How isolation can impact motivation as a solo business owner
• The power of being surrounded by ambitious people
• Why growth happens through proximity, not just qualifications

PLUS… I’ve got an exclusive bonus for anyone wanting to join Functional Skin Academy 👀

And if you’re not quite ready for the full programme, I also have a 10% off code for the Decode mini course ✨

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to screenshot it, share to your stories and tag me + @theskindustry_ so I can repost you 🤍

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi guys and welcome back to this week's episode of The Skin Dustry. Episode 11, I think. I can't believe we've been doing this for 11 weeks. That's crazy. That's what? Almost three months? It feels both not that long, but also so much longer than that. I don't know how to explain that, but I hope you understand exactly what I mean. Like, that's crazy to me that we've only been doing it for 11 weeks. And well, technically 12, but I did have a week off, didn't I? So it is three months. Woo! How exciting. Um, today's episode is a bit more of a reflective one because last week I went to the Functional Skin Academy event, and honestly, it's left me feeling so inspired with so many ideas and so many things that I can go and like implement into my business both straight away and in the future. So I'm gonna talk about that and also about how what rooms you put yourselves in are so important and can like make or break your business, which sounds crazy dramatic, but I think it's really, really true. As somebody that goes to literally every single event that I can get my hands on, I find them so valuable and just worth every penny or every like day that they take up. You learn so much, you meet so many like gorgeous people, and you make friends, and it's just so nice, especially for somebody like me who works by themselves. I don't have like any work friends because I'm alone, which is so fine with, but I think these events and these sort of like times where I actually get to meet up with other people in the industry and talk about things to do with work and not feel like I'm boring them because they do it too, is like it's just really good for me because none of my friends do anything like this, so they've got no idea about any of it, they don't particularly care, they've all got like your typical office job kind of vibes, so it's a completely different kettle of fish. So yeah, I think when you work in this industry, especially like I say, if you do work alone most days, it can get really isolating without you even realizing it. Yes, we have our group chats and our memberships and things like that, and that is great to have. Like, I find it so crucial to have these things so I can like reach out to people if I need to, or just for like the general work chatter throughout the day. But I think you're constantly pouring into everybody else, especially in this industry as well. We put so much time and effort and like love into helping our clients with their skin, and for some of them, like just completely changing their lives, like especially with ACLI clients. I think the things that we do for for people, it can be life-changing. And I think we put so much into that, as well as then building our business, trying to stay creative with content and what to do next, and this and that, and just trying to stay motivated overall. I think sometimes you just genuinely forget how important it is to be around people that do just get it and that relate to you and are doing the same things as you and just understand where you're at and what you need, basically. Like, I think we're all in the same boat, really, and it's nice to come into these rooms full of all of these girls and boys, and just it almost feels like you're like at home. Like, I know that sounds so cheesy, but it does like some of the girls that I have met through different like skin group chats and on Instagram and stuff that do skin, like I would class some of them as my actual friends, some I've never met, like never met in my life, and I would class them as my friends. I don't know if that makes me crazy or what, but yeah, I think these these events and these friendships are so valuable, and I think we do need to talk about it more because I think as well, this industry, the beauty industry as a whole, gets such a bad rat. Like, and don't get me wrong, sometimes it deserves it, like it truly does. But the general consensus or stereotype of the beauty and and the hair industry is that everyone's bitchy, everyone's nasty, everyone's out to get each other, everybody's for themselves. It's just a very bitchy industry, which yes, it really, really, really, really can be. And I have been unfortunately on the end of some of that quite a lot of years. And I yeah, have had some experiences for sure. But saying that, I do think that it has got so much better over the last few years. I it's actually unrecognisable. I don't know whether it's just this skin portion. Don't get me wrong, I have had some bad experiences with some skin specialists, but I would say it's like 1%. The other 99 gorgeous, great, love, beautiful, love you all, like so kind, so lovely. I've never experienced anything like it. Over the last couple of years, I have noticed such a change in like the attitude of the industry, and I think that whole stereotype of it's a really bitchy industry is getting better. Like, I've never had friends really in this industry up until more recently, and I don't know what's changed. I don't I just feel like everyone's so supportive and nice and kind now. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm in like group chats and stuff now, and then obviously friendships build from those, and you then start speaking to individual people outside of the group chats. I don't know, but obsessed. Like I love it. I love the energy, I love the vibes, I love that we're like all here for each other and want to help each other. I think yes, there is still the odd few that definitely don't have that energy and are very much for themselves and can do some not very nice things and behave in not very nice ways, but we don't entertain that like bad energy. We don't need the bad energy. We get rid of that. Thank you. Positive energy only, please. But yeah, after Tuesday's event, like I just feel so refreshed and like full of good vibes and good energy and ideas and things that I can implement and just all round better. Like, I don't know if it was the breath work, I don't know if it was like the mindset stuff that Kaylee talked about, I don't know if it was the things that Faye talked about in terms of like how to not burn out and like putting systems in place for certain things and whatnot, because I've started to implement those and or maybe it was just everything. Maybe it was just the whole the day as a whole, like it was such a great day. It was so lovely. It was really nice to meet the girls in the programme because I've only just joined. A lot of them had been in there for like a year or like at least a couple of months, whereas I literally joined the week before. Um, so I'm completely fresh to the group, didn't really know anybody at all, but obviously like chatted to them in the group chat a little bit, and yeah, it was just really, really nice to get to know everybody and just see like what the vibe is. And I think for me, being the new person in the group and then seeing all of the relationships that had already formed was really nice because it shows me that it is a really nice, positive, like place to be. I think again, sometimes with like these group chats, it can maybe get a little bit like, ooh, who's the top dog and who's this and who's that? And I didn't get that energy at all from this situation, and I didn't really feel nervous either going into it. I think because I've spoken to Faye quite a few times about joyman, and she's just so nice. Like, I I feel like when the person that's running these sorts of like courses or programs, if you get like a good, kind, positive energy and vibes from them, they say like obviously don't mean like your vibe attracts your tribe, like those are the kind of people that you're gonna get in. So it's like Sophie with Skin and Kin. Like, she is the most kind, pure, like gorgeous girl ever, and that is what Skin and Kin is full of, just like the most lovely, kind, gorgeous girls ever. Like, it really is true that like the energy that you put out, you get back from people, especially as well. So, but yeah, I think with these kind of events, so I've been to quite a few events, like skin events in my time. Um, and I just find them so valuable. And I think walking into a room full of like-minded women who are all passionate about skin, so they're all doing the same thing that I'm doing, and also passionate about their education and their growth and their business, and just wanting to consistently like do better for their clients and themselves, it's always such a refreshing feeling. And I felt this exact vibe on Tuesday at the FSA event. There's no competitiveness, there's no like weird energy or gatekeeping or like standoffishness. Everybody is always just so lovely, and it is just I actually cannot explain it unless you've been to one and you understand that vibe. Like, I actually can't describe to you how it feels to just be in a room with sometimes like 50 people who you feel like you're just friends with, like it's so crazy, it's such a weird experience, but it's so lovely. And then to just sit for the entire day and talk about work and what we can do and learn and that I don't know about anybody else, but that, oh my god, I love it. Like, I am obsessed with my job, I'm obsessed with my business. Like, I love working, I love learning about work, I love learning about skin, anything to do with this, sign me up because I will fucking be there. I love it, but I think sometimes we really do underestimate how important environments like that are for us mentally as business owners, because motivation is it's hard to come by sometimes. Like it's not something that just randomly appears out of nowhere for no reason, unless you're me in in bed at five to midnight, and I decide right, okay, now's the time to build a whole new programme. Like, I don't know what's wrong with me because that is the sort of thing that I do. But when I need motivation is usually when I don't have any. But random times in the day when I don't have time to do these things is when I get those bursts. So that's probably just a me problem. But I think it can be really hard for us to motivate ourselves when we are alone and working by ourselves and just relying on ourselves to do everything and get everything done all the time. It's quite overwhelming. It can be a lot, especially if again, you don't have friends that are in the industry that you can sort of go and bounce ideas off or just go and moan to and say, like, oh fucking hell, I'm feeling this today. Like, I just feel really overwhelmed, like rah-r-rah, and then they can tell you what they do in that situation or just give you a bit of a kick up the arse or a pep in your step or whatever. I think when you go to people that aren't self-employed or have never been self-employed, especially in a service-based industry, they just don't get it. Like it's it's an impossible conversation to have because while they can try and understand, they never will, like they just won't. So I think putting yourself in these rooms with all of these different people in the same industry is so valuable that if you're not doing it, you're doing yourself a disservice, like you truly, truly are. You need to have these conversations that expand your thinking and expand your ideas and make you think, oh my god, why am I not doing that? Like that's such a good idea. And just because you go to these events and hear all of these these different ideas that people are doing, and you think, oh my god, that's such a good idea. If you then go and implement something similar in your business, it does not mean you're copying that person. Like, Jesus Christ, if we all, you know, were gatekeepy about everything that we do, this industry would not be the way it is. Like, I would not have this podcast, like, I would not be coming on here and spilling everything every week. I think that's just the energy that we have as like an industry now. Like, we share. There are obviously some things that you know you might not want to share with people, and that's so fine. Like, you're allowed to have things that you keep for yourself. That doesn't make you a bad person. I have things I keep for myself that people have asked me for, and I have had to say, look, I'm really, really sorry. I give away so much, but this is one thing that I'm currently just not comfortable with sharing because I've spent a lot of time and a lot of money to like work out how to do this or work out how to do that, or whatever it is, and I think having boundaries is totally fine, but I think going to these events and like I say, expanding your thinking and seeing all of these different things is only ever gonna grow your business, like it's as long as you're not word for word, colour for colour, logo for logo, copying somebody else. I think taking inspiration from somebody is a great thing to do. We all do it, we have all done it. Anybody that's you know kicking off because you've done something similar to them or like used a similar idea but have done it completely different needs to have a little chat with themselves because we don't own anything in this industry. The only thing we own is our brand. And if somebody rips that off, pop off, get them. Like, fair enough. But if you have a membership and then somebody else starts a membership that's a bit similar, I don't think you can kick off about that. Like, it's a membership. It'd be like me kicking off of somebody having a an acne membership. Like, I don't own acne memberships, like that's it doesn't work like that. Anyone can do an acne membership. The reason my acne membership is the way it is is because it's me that's doing it. So I think that comes from like a those things come from a place of like insecurity. I'm getting off topic though. I think hearing other people's stories and other people's experiences as business owners and within this industry and however long they've been doing it is also such a valuable thing. And I think we can learn a lot from each other and each other's experiences. Like, God knows I have had an experience or two in my time. Like when you've been doing this, or as long as I have, I think you've experienced most things, like so many things. The stories I have are crazy. Like, I think every type of client, every type of like staff, different experiences on socials, like both good and bad. But I think hearing those from people, so then when or if and when it happens to you, you can think, oh my god, I remember when so and so was talking about this, and this is what she did. I can do that, or I could say this, or I could implement this or set this boundary, or whatever it is, or even hearing somebody else's experience means that you could set a boundary about that thing before that experience actually happens to you. So, like to prevent it happening to protect your business, whether that's like cancellation fees or no-show fees or whatever, anything to do with anything like that. We all learn from other people's experience, and that's another reason that going to these events is priceless. And I think as well, another really big positive for going to these events and being in these spaces is hearing other people that feel the same as you do. Because again, I think on socials we all get a little bit bogged down with the fact that it looks like everybody's having the time of their lives and is fully booked all the time and is living the dream and is going here and is doing that and has a million and one clients and rah-rah. Like, but in reality, that's probably not the case. Like, I know from the outside, my life looks incredible. Like, I look like I'm absolutely smashing life and doing all of these things and going to all of these places and doing all of these courses and rah-rah, all of these things. I can tell you now, it doesn't come without its negatives. Like, obviously, I spoke last week about the whole burnout situation. That is what happens when you do too much when you're doing a million and one courses and working every you know hour that you could possibly squeeze somebody in, like, that is what happens. And you know, after last week's episode, I had so many people message and say how they were feeling really similar. And again, I think without these events and without being able to be in rooms with people and hear how they're feeling and hear what their thoughts are on this thing and their thoughts are on that thing, and just all the different opinions on things as well, helps us grow as individuals, but it also helps the industry as well, because it helps different products and different brands and hearing about different training and the good and the bad and the ugly and everything in between. Like it's so valuable to have, and I know I keep saying valuable, but it is just incredibly valuable to go to these things. And like I know the girls that do aesthetics, um, Sophia Bailey. Sophia Bailey? Yeah, Sophia Bailey. I'm sure it's Sophia Bailey, isn't it? That does her um like annual conferences at her stream. I feel like oh I'm jealous of that every year. I want to go, but because I don't do aesthetics, I feel like it would be weird for me to go because that's what they're all there for. It's aesthetics, it's not skin, unless I am mistaken. Because if it's skin, get me a ticket because I want to go. It looks sick. And these are the rooms that we should be putting ourselves in. These are the places that we should be going, and you can meet other people, it's networking and all of these like really valuable things. Without these things, I wouldn't have this podcast. I wouldn't have the guests that I've got lined up, lined up, because I wouldn't ever have like put myself out there in the way that I have. It's so valuable to do these things, and I know it can be really nerve-wracking as well. I know that, you know, when I've been to these events and we're in group chats beforehand and stuff, some girls are so nervous before they come and I totally get that. Like it can be really intimidating. I not that you would think it, I'm actually a a shy girly, like I am really shy. I struggle having conversations with people that I don't know because I just don't really know what to say to people. Like, I've always been that way. I always think, oh my god, like what if I say something weird? And again, that's totally normal. I think most people feel like that. Like, I think it is scary to be on your own going to an event full of people that you have never met before, but you're not gonna know these people until you go, until you meet them, until you have these conversations and you're in these rooms. Like, it honestly is one of my favourite things about this job is these kinds of events because they really do make you feel like you're part of this community with all of these people, and they give you such a kick up the arse, like they always light such a fire under my arse. After I've been to an event, the stuff that I get done, I'm like a woman possessed. It's crazy, like they're so worth it for me just for that as well. I think going back to the whole social media side of it and seeing, you know, everybody's highlight reels, I think it is really, really important to remember that we are all learning, we are all evolving, and we are all trying to improve. We're all just girls here. Like, we're all just girls trying to run a business, trying to learn how to do that at the same time, because nobody teaches you how to do that. Like, you're on a course to do dermoplaning, they teach you how to do dermoplaning, they don't teach you how to run your business, they teach you how to do the treatment. And yes, there are business coaches, but one, that's a big investment. I have had a couple of business coaches and some worth their weight in gold, like would pay that money over and over and over and over again. My absolute favourite business coach doesn't do coaching anymore, which devastates me every day, because I would honestly give her my life and just say fix it, because I know that she could tell me what to do. And we just got on so well as well. So I think that was like such a benefit to it as well. And then I had another business coach which was twice as much as my first business coach. And to put it nicely, it was not a great experience. I will not obviously, if you're in the Skin and King group, you know who I'm talking about. I'm not gonna allow any names on here because. I don't feel like that's fair or professional, but I think in the coaching, the whole coaching situation for me I love the idea of coaching. I think personally I would love to do coaching at some point, like a full-on like coaching programme. Because teaching for me, teaching and coaching for me personally feels like two very different things. I did my AET this year so I could teach, and then sort of midway through it, I thought, do I want to do this? Like, is this I don't know if this is what I want to do. I don't want to just have people come and do a one-day course and give them a certificate and go, good luck. Like that's not I don't believe that to be what I should be putting out there. There's enough academies churning out shit courses in this industry. And what I want to do is help the people that have done those courses that then go, what now? Like, I know how to microneedle now. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do though. Like, how do I get clients? How do I build my business? Like, what am I supposed to do about email marketing and building systems and everything behind the scenes? You get taught to do the treatments, you don't get taught to do everything else. I'm going on off a massive tangent right now, but feels relevant. Maybe it might not be, but it feels it right now. But yeah, I that's how what I feel teaching is, and the difference between teaching and coaching is coaching is a longer period of time where you get to spend that with a person and like really nurture their business and talk them through everything, and it's like on a one-to-one basis, but I feel like the coaching sphere in this industry now is just full of people that just want your money and they'll sell you the dream and tell you, I'll get you to 10k months, I'll get you to this, I'll get you that, I'll make you all this money while you sleep, I'll do this and I'll do that. And that's great, but I think a lot of the time, and I know for a fact this person does that because it's what she did to me, they prey on vulnerable people that are in debt and are trying to get out of it. They are new to the industry and don't really know where they're going with it or what to do, so they sell them the dream so that they'll sign up and then it just give me nothing. Like literally nothing. So yeah, it feels very I don't know if predatory is the right word or if that's a little bit on the dramatic side, but that is how it kind of feels to me. It feels like they're preying on vulnerable people that just want help and want support and pushing them into siding up with them for six months, which is a long time, and then disappearing and going, oh, you work with this person now, you paid to work with me, but you're not gonna work with me. I don't know if that makes it too obvious who I'm talking about, but maybe I'll cut that out. Nah. I yeah, I ended up complaining to this coach anyway. We reached an agreement where she basically gave me another six months for free and said, Oh, it'll be different, it'll be better, uh. And it it just wasn't. And then I ended up leaving early because of something else that happened within the coaching situation that was just super unprofessional. I was like, at this point, I'm done, I'm out, see ya. And it cost me four grand. And this was at the point where I was in a lot of debt, like it was I was drowning in it. Like it, I was really, really, really struggling, severely struggling. And she didn't really get much from it, to be honest. It was not worth four grand at all. The only thing that I really got from it and really took away was to put my prices up. I don't think I needed to pay four grand to be told that, to be honest. But yeah, I think going back to the events, I think they can really fill those voids that we have that we think, oh god, I don't know what I'm doing, like I don't have experience in this thing, and I don't know who to go to about it. So then you'll go and get a business coach and spend all this money when you might not need to, you might just need some friends in the industry that you can bounce ideas off or to be with like in a membership or to join a program of some sort. I think sometimes that can be 10 times more valuable than working with one of these coaches that, you know, say that they've made it, they've you know, they have 10k months now or 15k months or 20k months and it's all from them and rah-rah. But in reality, they did have better starts and they did, you know, potentially come from money or had somebody backing their business, so it wasn't as much of a risk. Whereas I don't know about you, but for me, I didn't have that. I literally started from nothing and built it up. Like when I started off 20 years old when I opened my business, that's crazy young. And I know that there are some girls doing it now that are younger, and I think for us to be able to do that, and then you know, for you in 10 years' time when you're 30, uh same age as me, you'll look back and think, fucking hell, like that was crazy of me to do, but look at how far I've come, like I've been doing this for 10 years now. That's crazy, and it is such an achievement. Like when I say to people, Oh yeah, I'm 30, and they go, Oh, how long have you been self-employed or had your business, whatever? And I say, Oh, 10 years, and they're like, Fucking hell. Like, yeah, to me, it doesn't feel like that big of a deal because it's my life, I've lived it, whatever. But then when I think of other like when other people look at that and they think, oh my god, like you opened your own salon at 20 years old. That's crazy. And I think, yeah, not many 20-year-olds do that, do they, really? So yeah, I think events are super, super important for us as business owners. Whether you do work in a salon or whether you work on your own, I think everybody can really, really benefit from just being in these rooms with all of these people and learning and sharing and experiencing and making friends and just being a girl, you know, just being a girl and having a business. Like, I think it it doesn't but speaking of the Functional Skin Academy, I may have a little bonus for anybody who's been thinking about joining. So if you inquire with Faye at the Functional Skin Academy, you'll basically fill out an inquiry form. When you fill that out, there'll be a how did you hear about us section. If you type into that, Skin Dustry, and then have your discovery call with Faye and end up joining, you will receive an extra month completely for free. So it's a six-month course where you will learn all about the functional side of skin. So everything internal. So supplements, detoxification, gut health, the ins and outs of acne, eczema, psoriasis, perioral dermatitis, literally everything, you will learn it in here. You'll learn how to treat it internally, externally as well. It's so in-depth. There's so many things that it covers I can't actually think of them all off the top of my head right now. Like, let me I'm on the portal now, so I'll go through what's in it. So we've got these are the modules, the different modules, and then each of these has anywhere from eight to thirteons in each module. So there's skin, mindset, nervous system, nutrition, lifestyle, digestion and detoxification, hormones, supplements, how to launch, and then you've also got all of the guest calls in there, all of the resources for setting up your own like virtual program as well, or like in-clinic programs, different functional assessment tools, and then they also do monthly case study calls as well. So you can actually bring a client that you're maybe struggling with onto a live call, and you will then talk about this client. Obviously, you need to get consent from them, but you'll talk about the client, all of the things that you need to sort of discuss and try and get to the bottom of what it is and how to help with their skin. So you get all of that in the six months. So if you join using skindistry when you inquire, you will get an extra month for free, which is worth £147, which is unreal. If you are somebody that is interested in functional health and skin, treating acne, eczemerization, everything from the inside internally, and finding the root cause of things, this is something that you need in your life. Like it is incredible. Like I say, I only joined, well, it'd be three weeks ago now, and the amount I have learned already is insane, absolutely insane. We have a weekly call, so a weekly live on a Monday, and then the rest is like on the portal, so you can just make your way through as and when you want to. There's so much information. Like I said before, I love my job, I love learning, and functional health. I'm obsessed with like I am actually obsessed with it. So I've been wanting to do this course for so long, but I've just had a million and more other things taking up my time. And I joined with Faye in, I think it was April, and I said to her, Look, I cannot start till May because I need to get my level four out of the way, and I just don't have the space for it right now. So let me join in May, and then I can come in with like a fresh open mind. That month that I had to wait, it was driving me insane. So I'm so glad that I'm finally in it now and I'm finally learning all the things because it is incredible. Obviously, six months is a big commitment and it is an investment. So if you are wanting to sort of just dip your toe in and see if this is the sort of thing that you're into or you would like find beneficial, there is the mini course which is called D code. I also have a 10% off code for this. If you DM me on Instagram at the skindustry underscore, I will give you the code for this one. It's 10% off. I did this mini course last year again. Incredible, such amazing value. Like the stuff that you get in it for the cost is incredible. So if you are a bit worried about committing to the full six months and investing in that before you sort of understand what it is, e-code is definitely what I would say to go for. Honestly, if you do have any interest in functional health and finding the root cause, I would just go straight for the six months. Not gonna lie, it's incredible. But if you do want the code for the mini course, DM me, I'll give you the code and you can purchase that one. And then if you purchase that, if and when you do join the full um functional skin academy thing, I'm pretty sure you will have to double check this with Fay, but I'm pretty sure you get the cost that you pay for D code off the Functional Skin Academy. So here you go. Well worth it, in my opinion. I cannot rave about it anymore. Like it's so good. And that is it for today. I have yapped this episode non-stop. Thank you as always for listening. I would love again if you could tag us in your stories, if you could rate the podcast on whatever app that it is that you're listening to it on. It really, really helps push the podcast out to more people that need to hear me yapping about the skin industry. I hope you all have a gorgeous bank holiday. I will be releasing the episode as normal like this Monday, so you'll have a little bank holiday listen. And we have the most incredible guest on next week's episode. How can I say it without giving away who it is? Hmm. All I will say is she is the acne queen. We will be announcing who it is on our story tomorrow because we're recording on Wednesday. So we're gonna post on the story a QA box tomorrow for you all to ask your questions to her. And I feel like you are gonna lose your minds about this episode because it's gonna be amazing. She's gonna be an amazing guest. I have so much time for her, and she's incredible at what she does. So keep your eyes peeled for that tomorrow. And have the best week, girls, and I will see you next Monday.