Episode 1 - Evie Golding

Episode 1 of Curiosity, Unpacked welcomes Evie Golding.

Evie is an accomplished hairdresser who has spent 13+ years building her skill and honing her craft. Over the past few years, she has transitioned into the manager role at Rokstar Salon, supporting younger hairdressers to have success into the future.

In recent weeks, she has launched GG by Golding Gals with her mother Liz. They produce a range of cleaning products alongside the hero product, the Hair Cleaning Wipes.

We delve into her own personal journey as a hairdresser and this new exciting venture!

https://www.instagram.com/evierokstar?igsh=eDJwamttZHVqbjdt

https://www.instagram.com/ggbygoldinggals?igsh=MXU5emltY3Q2OGhwcw==

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Curiosity unpacked. Conversations beyond the surface, exploring the moments, decisions, and experiences that shape who we are, not just what we do. Honest stories, deeper questions, and the journeys behind it all. Today's guest is Evie Golding. Evie is an award-winning hairdresser who has spent over ten years building her skills and owning her craft. She's recently launched GG by Golden Girls with her mum list, and there's a range of cleaning supplies, but the range is highlighted by the hero product, patented hair cleansing wipes. We delve into her journey and the steps she has taken to ensure years of continued success. Right, welcome to episode one of Curiosity Unpacked. I'm very, very excited to introduce my very good friend, Evie Golding, to the first episode. Thank you so much for being here with me. This is a really exciting first step. Recorded the preview episode a few days ago, but we're into the first episode. And I thought it'd be really good obviously having someone who I'm comfortable with and then go for the first episode, but um also really exciting, I think, to have probably a little bit more of an in-depth conversation about your life and your journey than we've probably had before. Um we are very good friends, I'll give I guess I'll give that context from the beginning.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

You might not want to be friends with me after this, who knows?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Um but I think the the thing that I wanted this podcast to be was just that little bit more of an in-depth conversation, a little bit more personal. Not that we haven't had that as friends, but um probably not about your individual journey and career, probably as deep as hopefully we go in the podcast. So yeah, I'm excited to have you here. Thank you so much for being with me.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Yeah, thank you for having me. This is super exciting.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Yeah, um, hopefully it's uh yeah, hopefully we're gonna have some good conversation, and um, you're a little bit more experienced with me with the podcast, which you've had in the past as well. So um I think that's gonna help me out having you with me. So um I wanted to start off. Obviously, you've got some really exciting ventures um on the go right now, but I wanted to start off with you individually and your journey, um, because obviously a lot of what we'll get to in the beginning, uh sorry, a little bit later on, which I did intro uh introduce in the beginning, um, is very exciting, but it is built off your personal journey as a hairdresser. So um I wanted to start off, take me right back to the beginning. Um, once again, probably not something to think about as much now, but um yeah, take me back to the beginning of where you first started, when you first started, and and how that all came about.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah. Well, I like background kind of to tell everyone is I come from a very creative family, so I have parents who have both individually had very successful careers, my mum being a fashion stylist, and then also having her own creative agency, and then extra things amongst that as well. And then my dad being a hair and fashion photographer as well as a wedding photographer, so he was very, very successful, and they were in this you know group of I like to say like superstars back then because it it was still so wild to even do something like a fashion stylist or a fashion photography, especially um in Australia, Brisbane. They were very successful and very sought after. Um, and I grew up throughout that. So I grew up, you know, backstage at fashion weeks, um, you know, at photo shoots, basically on location if that's where we have to go. Like it was very, very different, I guess, to most people's childhood, but I loved it. Like I wouldn't, you know, I look back at that and and really enjoyed being surrounded by that kind of environment of very creative, very supportive humidity. The industry is so started that, and then I always really knew what I wanted to do. I was very like one would say stubborn, but I was very strong-headed in wanting to be a hairdresser. So I was about, I would say maybe about 10 or 11 when I figured out I wanted to be a hairdresser. I always had like an idea of something creative before that, you know, all kids have dreams where it's like I want to be an astronaut. Like I was very much like I want to be creative, whether it was like I want to be an artist or I want to be a florist or I, you know, want to be something along those lines, makeup artist, whatever. Childfer, like everything. So I think I I always knew I wanted to be something creative, and that definitely now knowing myself and seeing where I've come, I obviously am very creative, so it makes sense. Um, but I remember my like pinpoint moment of being like, This is you know, can I swear? This is the shit. Like, I want to do this, was um a photo shoot we were having at my family home, and it was with Jeffrey Herbert, who's an amazing hairdresser, and he knows this story and he loves to bring it out as well. Um, I was passing up to him with a model who is very successful now. Um she was getting a big beautiful blowout, which obviously has come back into fashion now, but that was still a very much a vibe about 20 years ago as well. Um, and I was just like passing up pins to him, holding the pins, and I was just in awe. Like, I just was like, this is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. Like brushing out the hair, setting up the product. I was like, that is just incredible, and that was like my pivotal point of being like that's what I want to do. And I went to my mum and dad, and I was like, I don't care what I have to do, like I want it, I want to be a hairdresser, and I just basically from that point just was always wanting to be a hairdresser.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Yeah, amazing. Did that give you a lot of comfort, I guess, growing up? Maybe you didn't realise it in the moment, but um, knowing that that's what you wanted to do, did it give you a lot of comfort that you could put those steps in place to be able to make that work, I guess, so early in your life?

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Yeah, like I think you know, at the time being 10, you don't really think about that, but yeah, in hindsight, I look back and it was one of those things that was quite anchoring. Um, and you know, I still, you know, look back and go, I'm glad that I was very strong at what I wanted to do and didn't back down. I think a lot of people that I have seen throughout the years, even like being out of school and talking to people, they were like, Well, you wanted to do it and you did it and you've done it really well. And I think having that kind of moment of like, oh yeah, I did, like I like I just that's what I wanted to do, so I did it. Yeah, but I guess not a lot of people fulfill that sometimes, or it's too hard, or yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

Uh, how old were you when you started your apprenticeship?

SPEAKER_01 6:33

I started when I was 14.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

So still in school, very still in school. Yeah. Um, how did you juggle that, I guess, in the beginning and and make all of that work?

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Um, like there's always like pain points, I think, when you are juggling anything like that, but obviously, like again, in hindsight, having parents that were very supportive of me doing it, they were like, Yeah, we'll drive you to work and we'll do this. And school was probably a little bit more apprehensive because I went to a very posh private school, and them hearing someone wanting to be a hairdresser was like, Are you for real? And I was like, Yeah, girl, like that's I want to be a hairdresser, and like no one's gonna stop me from doing it. And they were very like again, it was not something that people know is is good, like we still have this area type of like high school dropout kind of vibe. Yeah, and I was I was and you know, I am pretty smart, so I was gonna get a quite a good score, like at school, and I just I don't care about that stuff in the sense of like was it gonna get me where I needed to be? No, but I also needed that in the future, for example, if I wanted to change careers, like life's really quite long, you have time to pivot if you really want to. So I wasn't also worried about that either. I think I was quite a self-aware kid, so I was just like, Well, this is what I want, and like being fearful of what life could be is gonna like it shouldn't stop you from getting what you want.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

100%. I think it's so refreshing, I think, to hear that because a lot of people don't have that mindset, I guess, especially so early on in their life, and like you said, there was that stereotype there, and even from school applying that to you, yeah, I think it makes it hard for a lot of people that probably go, I'm not gonna do this. Yeah, um, and I guess knowing you now, probably the person you are now, I guess, headstrong in the best possible way, that that was never gonna stop you either, which I think is fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

And you know my mum a bit now as well, and you're like, Yes, she's like a mini-me, like very strong, confident women, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah, I I can't imagine you probably had a lot of people around you at school either that were doing it, I guess a trade, if you're gonna put it that way, either. So, did that make it hard, I guess, to connect to the people around you, or did you find it easy to say?

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Um yeah, like I wouldn't say it was terrible, but I I wouldn't say people got it, which is fine. Like, I I didn't expect people they're not gonna be doing it, so I don't I don't expect people to get it. But I think because you know the families that they grew up around and their parents and how their parents were telling them what they needed to do with their life was very different from what I had. It's just different, like growing up. Like I had the support and the love and the compassion for my parents to do what I wanted to do. Yeah, but also it was very hard, like they were like, if you're gonna do it, you're gonna start at the right place, you're gonna do this, like you're gonna, you're gonna do it. Yeah, and like in a way of you know, obviously sport-wise, like I was like an athlete, like I was like sleep, eat, breathe, hairdressing from a very young age, and like my goal was always like I remember probably I don't even know who this person is, but I remember seeing an article in a hair magazine being like youngest apprentice, like just won this, um, qualified, I think, at like 20. And I was like, I can beat that, like I'll qualify at 19, like okay challenge. Like, I just was like, I'm gonna do it, like I'm gonna try really hard, and and I did, and I did qualify at 19, which was amazing, so quicker than most people, but it's just I wanted it, like I wanted to get through it at a younger age that I can make money earlier, because obviously minimum wage as a hairdresser is really not great, so I was like, Yeah, I'm like woohoo, like six dollars an hour. Um yeah, so I think I was also like, get in early, just like put your head down, get it done, and then on the other side of it, you will be thankful that you did this.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Yeah, 100%. I was gonna ask, um, I guess sort of how you juggled that hard work, but I guess you kind of answered that a little bit there as well. But do you think that um having that mindset of putting in that hard work at the beginning because you knew what the result was gonna be and you knew it was gonna take you? Did do you feel like that I guess restricted you in your in your life as a teenager and the people around you?

SPEAKER_01 10:49

Yeah, like I would say I probably didn't do a lot of um like normal kids stuff. Like I worked on the weekends, like the girls I went to school with weren't working on the weekends, like and then I was you know, I would stay home and practice styling a mannequin head and like all that kind of stuff, but I look back again and I was like I didn't really miss anything. You always feel like you're missing something because it's just you know a human like connection of like I missed that, so that thus I feel bad. But I look back at it and I was like, my mum didn't even let me go to parties, so I wasn't going to manage parties, like I didn't really know many people, like I just I like school was just like a stepping stone in my mind. Like I got everything I needed from there and I was able to do my you know apprenticeship. Like there was like a back and forth with my parents where they were like just you don't have to finish school if you don't want to, but it was more that for me to feel some sort of normalcy. Yeah, I wanted to stay and I wanted to stay with my friends until the end, and I also wanted to like grow normally. Like, I think I already was like I'm older mentally than probably a lot of other people just because of family stuff and growing up around older people anyway. That I was like, I just it's probably best if I just you know get to grade 12, finish that and then carry on because I just knew that I would be a head down mama anyway after school, which I was. Yeah, um, so you know, I again very self-aware to know that I was like just stick with this, like stay at school, do what you need to do, but also like this is not this is just a stepping stone for you to start your real life. Like, I I still say that now to a lot of people at school. It's like school's not always gonna be the place you feel like you belong. And my mum was very big on that. She's like, there's some people who are like really good at school and shit at life, and there's some people who are shit at school and really good at life. And she's like, I think you're gonna be so amazing at life, and like this is just gonna be one of those moments where you look back and go, you know, built resilience, have built, you know, all the things that we need for us to then carry on through life. I just learned all that, I think, pretty young.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Yeah, and I think putting in that hard work at the beginning, I think makes a lot of what you go through later on easier too. Yeah, I think that's a big thing that you know now life's probably got its own completely different set of challenges than what it had back then, and it may not necessarily have as many things to juggle, but it it's because you put in the work back then, it makes it so much easier now to go, oh well, I'm used to this, this is what I've done right and it um yeah, even if you look at something like money, it's all I did that before for a hell of a lot less. So maybe that outlook on and everything is is different now, which I think helps and um has obviously set you up for a lot more success now.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, like I, you know, if I told my 14-year-old self where I would be now, like I would be like as if, you know, and like in personal, you know, life as well, being able to own a property and like be able to, you know, set successfully say that I have you know a good like network of friends, and like I was definitely one of those people who was like, I'm losing friends because of what I'm doing is true to myself, but I know in the long run I'm gonna find people who are a part of my tribe who really are similar to me. And we have like obviously, meaning you and your lovely partner, like people that kind of come into your life where you're like it just feels natural, yeah. And I knew I'd get that. I just think I wasn't at that place with school friends, and that's so far.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah, absolutely. Uh, one part I wanted to touch on, um, and not to make it about me, but I think one of the parts that I've struggled with is I think we've had a probably a little bit of a similar journey in that sense where um I was gonna be a tennis player growing up, that was always my thing, and I put in that hard work, juggle school, everything like that to be able to do that. And um, obviously a lot earlier in my life things changed, um, but I think I've probably always struggled a little bit with that identity of what I was, and um I was very headshrunk too that this is the person that I am and this is what I'm gonna go do with my life, and that changed pretty early on into my sort of adulthood. Um, but for you, obviously, you've continued that passion on. Have you ever had those struggles of oh this is what I always thought I was going to be? Am I gonna be this or do I still want to be this? Have you ever had those sort of moments throughout the journey?

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Yeah, like yeah, like I think you know, anyone, anyone does like, and also life has pivoted so much since you know, when I was a kid having all these dreams as well. So I think you just have those moments where you're like, Yeah, like what am I doing? Like, you know, the existential crisis moment where you're like, what's the meaning of life and why am I doing this? And I honestly have been going through it now, like, and it's and that's so normal. And again, my wise mother was like, You gotta be uncomfortable because that's your next part of growth. Like, if you're not uncomfortable, you're not challenging yourself, right? And I think when you have those moments where you're like, should I even be doing this? Like, is this meaningful? You also get at different parts of your life where you're like sometimes you just gotta have to do stuff to to make money, so you gotta do the uncomfortable stuff, right? You gotta work on the weekends, you're gonna work extra, you've got to do all this stuff to make it work because you're hoping in the long run you're gonna get where you need to be. Then also if you get to you know that next step and you're not where you need to be, it's not because you accepted all that stuff, it's because deep down you've probably just pop your head down and not actually come up for air to see where you're going. Yeah, so you know, it's nice to obviously have moments where you like recenter yourself and go, like, what is the next step? And I I always have been really um good at like even like five-year kind of goals, it doesn't have to come true, but it's nice to just map out something and then I always work back. So, for example, if I wanted to become the president, like what are the steps to get there, and what do I need to do in this next five years to get there?

SPEAKER_03 16:44

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

And I think if you stay on something like that, like if you have some sort of goal, you're still ticking off goals, aren't you? Right? So if you're not if you don't have some alignment with what your goals are doing, then you're probably not gonna get where you need to get. So I think it's also that, but I also didn't think I would be where I am now with a brand and doing that, but I feel so happy doing it, and it excites me, it tickles a little different side of my brain that I've really enjoyed using, which is more of a graphic design kind of side, um, which is really great. So I'm using something different, and and again, that's been really good because it means I enjoy you know my day job probably a bit more because I'm not just in it all the time.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Yeah, yeah. One of the big things I guess that I've tried to take on my journey over the last little bit is like you said, that each step of the journey, I think, is a big thing, and um yeah, I think growing up, as I said, I was moving into that sports space was always what I was going to be, and it was always about what I get to at the end there, like that's what I'm gonna go do. And it was probably not focusing on all the little parts that come along with it and all the little wins that you get along with it too. Um, but I think that's probably something that you've had a bit of a better outlook on to be able to make it easier to go through that journey, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Yeah, and like I'm you know, in a place right now with my own career where I wouldn't say I was gonna end, like I didn't think I was gonna end up here. Yeah, but I also think you know it's always good because it's you know being a manager of a salon was never in my goal. Like, I actually am probably a bit more of a lone wolf because I can control that, right? Um, but also then doing this has given me a lot more ease, and like it's hard, of course, being a manager of people because everyone's different. Yeah, but I think that's great, right? Because that's life. Like, you've got to learn how to juggle different personalities, you need to understand how to have a bit more of a backbone, be confident in yourself, like understand your own worth as well, is probably where it's kind of also led me down, and and I think that's really great for my next step, which is obviously starting a business, or wherever I I go from here, is it's gonna teach me and has taught me you know, really great skills. So I'm not thinking of this as like oh I deviated from my plan. Yes, it's probably a little like speed bump, but it's also been really great. Yeah, and also this is the time you grind. Like we're in our like late 20s now, like still feel like I'm 17, but you know, what happened there? Yeah, I think it's you gotta you gotta kind of do stuff to do that next step. Like if it was all easy, then we'd all be millionaires, like you know, like but like you gotta yeah, you gotta kind of just do stuff that makes you uncomfortable, but you also need to know when your time's done. Yeah, I think. So there's also that, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Yeah, for sure. Um, I want to talk about, I guess, the some of the validations I guess you've had for some of the hard work. Um, you've obviously had a lot of success, a lot of individual success, a lot of team success with Rockstar. Um, talk to me about one of those successes that you've had, whether it's an award win, whether it's somewhere you've been able to travel, whether it's an event you've been able to be involved in. Was there one point even early on, or more recently where you felt like you had a moment where you've gone, wow, this was worth it, or you know, my hard work was validated just from something that's happened to you?

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Yeah, like I think one of the main things that popped in my head when you were saying that was like winning an award in a business setting. I mean it's a business award, so it's more about what you do for the business, what you do for yourself, what you do for your team. And I think someone who has always been very excited to be where I'm at, but also help the next generation. It was quite one of those moments where I was like, wow, this is really amazing. It's also during COVID, so obviously knowing that I was my projection of my career sense of monetary value was where I wanted to be, was really exciting too. So it was kind of in my mind one of those like ticker box kind of moment where I was like, wow, that's like really exciting that I'm you know able to say that and do that. And and around that whole time was really amazing where it was like me stepping up and to doing stuff. It was also really scary. Um if we can deviate for a moment, was like just because it was like the first time that I was probably coming in to the industry as Evie Golding and having that that name associated with my parents, like there was frustrating moments as well because you know that comes with people being like, oh, like that makes sense, like you're a golding, like that's why you want their support. And I'm like, no, like that's not how it works. My parents are not even addresses. Yeah. Um so you know, there's that as well where I was like, I knew this was gonna be where people were like, oh, you're you're you, like, and that makes sense, or that's why you're here, or like it was easy for you to get here and all this kind of stuff. And I'm like, nothing's easy if you got to where you need to be. Yeah, and I think people just love to say that because it makes them feel better about where they're at their life. But that was probably where I was like, it was so exciting to then win something because I did feel quite validated in a way of like I'm me now. And I think that was a big shift in in my career as well. People saw me as not like the little girl that they saw running around at fashion week or at photo shoots or whatever. Yeah. They saw me as my own person and and my parents, you know, weren't there, I didn't want them to come. But they helped me along the way and they did. And obviously, that comes with you know a very grateful lens to have that.

SPEAKER_03 22:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

But also I am very stubborn and did a lot of it by myself too. Yeah. Um, so you know, and they would say that too, like they helped when they needed to, but past that point, yeah, I I wanted to get there on my my own in a way, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

And it's not it, you know, that's not the reason why you do it, but like we're human, right? So you'd be you'd be kidding yourself if you didn't say that that gives you that little bit of validation and that little bit of I guess extra motivation to go, oh well, I can win it again, or I can go do this again, or I can I can go further, or I can win the next one. Like, I think everyone needs that at least a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah, um, we're like everyone, like we're all a little bit up ourselves. 100%. You have to be, yeah, you have to be in this world because if you're not your biggest supporter, like like, yeah, your mum might be, your dad might be, whatever your partner. Yeah, but like you also want them to look after themselves, so you've got to look after yourself, you've got to be your own supporter and cheerlead yourself. Yeah, so I just I don't think it's a bad thing to want goals and to reach them. 100%.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

And at the end of the day, we spend the most amount of times with ourselves. Yeah, I don't like I'm not gonna pretend that I'm any sort of psychologist here, but um you know, you're the one physically doing it. Yes, there are people around you, and there's people that support you, and no one gets anywhere you know in terms of any sort of success by themselves, but at the end of the day, you're still the one physically going and doing it, yeah, yeah. And you're the one doing the hard work and putting it in um even when it's not easy to write. So um I did want to talk about, I guess, the industry along with that. Um, not to talk shit on it, but it's you know, being that individualistic, um, you know, it's probably always at least a little bit you're competing with everyone. How have you found that, I guess? Um, not that you've worked at a lot of different places, but you've worked with a lot of different people over the journey. How have you, I guess, found that balance of being a teammate? And you're a really good person, so it's probably not necessarily as much relevant to you, but probably from the people around you from time to time. How have you felt that balance between what I want to do and what we're gonna do together?

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Yeah, I think you know, again, like we just spoke about how everyone's worried about themselves, like it's exactly like that. Like, I think you know, people have their own ways around competitions and challenges or career stuff, and the people who have done really well, and like you know, the people that I've seen done really well, like they've done it for themselves, like so. I think when you go into a competition, there's always gonna be an element of you know, you want the best for everyone, but someone's gotta win, like that's just how it works. But also, we're all very much like we work because we love what we do, but also it's nice to have some yeah, like gratification in the industry because our industry is huge, and there's so many people, and there's lots of different tiers of different hairdressers and everything like that. So, when you get up to that, like you are kind of the cream of the crop in a way, um, and people see you. And I think how I looked at it was like even just someone reading my name when I've submitted something is a win for me. Yeah, so if I won, like that was just insane to me. Other people wanted to just win to win, yeah. I don't think they really understood like what they had to write to get there, and a lot of people, you know, now AI is such a big thing, people wouldn't even know what they're writing. Yeah, but I think I really loved it as a sense of like looking back at what I've accomplished and writing it down. It was just kind of more of like a debrief in my mind. Yeah, whereas I think some people, yeah, it was probably more about just winning, yeah, and not like what what do you do with that next step of winning and what you're doing for the next generation, what are you doing for yourself. Um and I can't speak for everyone, I'm not gonna say that they're wrong for feeling that way. Yeah, but I think again, you just gotta stay in your own lane. Like I'm very happy to just like now I don't enter competitions for my own reasons, but also because I'm I don't feel like I need to be doing that anymore for myself and my own growth. Yeah, um I want to put time in other things, which is great, and also it took a lot of my time, it took a lot of my stress, and it is stressful. There's like so much money that people put in to entering like photo shoot competitions, like it's insane. Yeah, and I think if that's what works for you and you see that money coming back into your pocket, if that's what you want from it, awesome. Yeah, if you do it just because of the pure joy of doing it, awesome. Yeah, if you want to win, that's great. And I hope you win so that you can feel good about yourself. But deep down, if you still don't feel good about yourself, like go to therapy.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Yeah, I think that it's probably just that outlook, right? Like understanding that everyone's got their own different motivations for it, but I think yeah, potentially people can put a lot of stock into it too, that when they miss out on it, because like you highlighted, only one person a lot of the time wins these awards.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

They're all like if you look at what people have entered, what people have written, like everyone is a winner in my mind. Like you're showing up and you're putting like tens of thousands of dollars into a competition if you're doing a photo shoot, like as long as you feel good with it at the end of the day, that's really all should matter. Yeah, um, and it's shit when you don't even final then because you've just spent all that much, like so much money, yeah, and you haven't fined. So then you enter again. And you enter again. It's a high. Like it's like so. I think you know, as long as you know what you're doing, that's fine. I think I just got to a stage where I I really enjoyed it, but I was then I could hear like feel my brain shift of like, oh, I I need to do this to win, I need to do this kind of look, I need to shoot with this person, I need to do this, and and obviously being around that from a young age, I saw how that you know even sparred my dad a little bit and you know changed people's careers and everything. And I was like, I don't want to hate what I do just because I'm trying to chase something that's not actually where I want to be. Yeah, and I think if you have that, then then you're you know, you're fine. Yeah, I think there's a lot of people that are still gonna chase that, and that and that's fine. I wish them like they're win, you know. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Um, the other part I wanted to touch on was you mentioned you know you've moved into that more manager role. Um, and I guess you could call yourself a little bit more experienced in the industry, a little bit more of a veteran now. How have you found, I guess, that switch that's happened naturally because that's what your new role is. But I guess you've probably always been an amazing teammate, but now it's maybe a little bit more deliberate in the way that you support the people around you. How have you found that switch? Do you find you get a lot of validation from that as well? Being able to help other people grow.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Yeah, I think yeah, I think um what I find is more my kind of I guess my high that I'm seeking now is seeing members succeed. Like I love to see them do really well, and if that you know, it stemmed from them coming to ask me questions and get my knowledge, and and that's why I'm I'm there to help them manage their day-to-day, you know, if it's a client or you know, what they want to achieve in their careers or whatever. Like, that's really amazing to see them then reach it. That is like beautiful, and that I think you know, I remember hearing I don't even know, maybe five years into my career. So, what I really looked up to was like you only like download more information so you can upload it somewhere. So, like gather what you need to, but like you can't keep downloading and then not give back because then your server will crash, yeah. Your heart, like you know, your hard drive won't be able to handle it. Yeah, so like you have to offload, you have to teach people for you to learn more. So I think it's also that like me being able to be like, you just did such an amazing job with that extension client, and look how happy that client is, and look how happy you are, like that's amazing to me, and like I want more of that for my team because I can only like I can make as much money as I want, but for what for me, like that's great, but also like I want the industry to keep you know continuing to be really an amazing place for young, really, really young people growing up into it, yeah. And I think you know that's not something that I would say was taught to myself when I was that age, and I think that's where I go. If I can then teach them how to maintain really beautiful connections with their clients, but also have really good mental health and be able to really, you know, strive for success for themselves and not worry about other things. I think that's really great.

SPEAKER_03 31:01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

So I do love those moments of seeing them really succeed, and you know, I I don't I don't get soft very often, but they do soften me these girls when they succeed and I feel like a proud little mum.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

I love that. I think um obviously we're not gonna name the specific situations, but 13-14 years ago when you started, there probably would have been a lot of experiences that you had that were not so great, I guess is probably the way to put it. Um so I think to be able to have that outlook, to be able to provide some of those experiences that are more positive that maybe you didn't have, I think is really healthy too.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Yeah, um but you've got to learn like the bad to know what's good, right? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

And that's the thing, just because you're providing a positive experience to them now doesn't mean they're not gonna have struggles too, right? So it's about opening, I guess, that journey up to them and um that understanding to them.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

It's a realistic journey of like what it is, and like hairdressing's not easy, like it really isn't. Like you have to really, really enjoy it. It's hard on your body, it's hard on your mind. Like, we're basically therapists most of the time, and it is like it's changing a bit now where obviously you know the cost of living is more expensive, and and hair is obviously going up with that, and like what we do is going up because everything is, it's not just us, but how we grow and make more money is by obviously charging more money, like it's a service, like it's a sales job in a lot of ways, too. Yeah, like you're providing a service, but yeah, you're you're selling your goods in a way, which is my talent and my service, yeah. So, you know, it changes as well. Like it's it is it is changing a lot to like people are not respecting, like you just do what you need to do there, yeah. It's like that's not like there's so much that comes with it, there's so much knowledge and so much expertise to actually understand how to do that. And Instagram and TikTok and all that kind of stuff is showing a lot of these, you know, amazing consultation videos, which has actually been really great in the industry, but also it's still showing you know things that are not really what the industry does, yeah. And also, like what was the budget, what was the money, like how long were they in the chair? Like, if someone's in your chair for six hours and you're only making like five hundred dollars, yeah, you lost all that money, yeah. Like you're not like there's so many other things, so I think especially now, yeah. Yeah, so I think yeah, it's gonna be really interesting the next couple of years of like what the industry looks like, and again, there's so many different tiers of hair salons and and expertise and knowledge, and that's great. And I think that's where people really need to go. Am I going to this hairdresser because what they do is really amazing and they hit it every time, or is it because I just love a chat? And then when they actually you know charge, you're like, what the hell? Yeah, like I don't know, it's like one of those things where like you have to have you have to have boundaries because people can be hard on us because they think we're just magicians, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, all right. Now I want to pivot over to a new exciting venture. Um, something that obviously is long time coming, but I I'm sure it's had a lot of tough parts of that journey too that I want to kind of explore. Um, so give us a little bit of background about Gigi by Golden Girls and how it all came about.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

Yeah. Um Gigi by Golden Girls is a business I started with my mum, Liz Golding. Um, so Golden Girls obviously has a little nod to that. But we we actually did start a podcast a couple years ago which was more about hair, um, beauty, fashion, and just learning and styling, you know, hair for styling fashion kind of looks for people, understanding makeup looks for you know the normal individual, and same with hair and like understanding how to wash your hair properly, how to do all this stuff. And it was great and it was really, really beautiful, but obviously we were doing it for free for a fun thing, right? And obviously that's great, but then you know you have to pivot to see where things are moving, and we stepped back a little bit and just saw where the industry was kind of going. Um and like we'll probably come back to a place where we we chat to people like that, um maybe somewhere down track, but we kind of stepped back and my mum and I were yeah, kind of looking at how the industry was going, and and she, long story short, kind of inherited a cleaning company business from my father-in-law's stepfather, so my step-grandfather, if you will. Um and it was it was going under a little bit just because he was his health wasn't great, and my mum kind of stepped in and took over it and has made it really successful. And then she came to me um about a year ago and was like, it is doing really well. I think maybe we should do something for the industry, hair beauty kind of side of things, um, and create like an eco-cleaning range, which I already use quite a lot of because I am quite sensitive to a lot of things, and I was like, Yeah, like that sounds amazing. Like, I I would love to do that and started my own branding and all that kind of stuff. And during that moment, I said to her, I was like, there's something I personally really want to make ring out in the hair realm that hasn't really been done before. Um, and I was like, it's a hair cleansing wipe of some sort, and people, you know, some people that I kind of said that that was something I wanted to try to like never heard that, like that's so different, and I was like, Yeah, like it hasn't really been done, like there was kind of one thing out there, and I looked into it, and like obviously being in the industry for very long, and I have a real passion to hair and scalp health anyway, I was like, there's something missing here. This is the product that's already out there was hitting the things that shouldn't be in it, basically, like full of alcohol, full of fragrance, full of nasties, which basically means that you're causing more issues with your scalp and your hair. And so I was like, Okay, if I want to do this, like this is what I would do. This is I basically just started creating a product that I would want to use myself, really, and like what could be used. So I was like, okay, well, I know it needs to be all natural, so it needs to be a natural wipe. Um, so it's eco-friendly and hypergenic. And again, I'm a big believer in you know, sensitive skin, like it's not just for the people who do have sensitive, like, everyone needs to look after their scalp and their hair and their skin. Um, so then I kind of had to play around with what could be in the wipe to help balance the hair, um, refresh it, um, soothe it, all that kind of stuff, and basically came up with this product that is really fucking good. Um, and then like when I was doing married again, like we were like, it's not, it's literally not out there. There's nothing like this done.

SPEAKER_03 37:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

Um, so then I looked at you know, like the the legal side of things of like patenting it, um, trademarking it, all the IP kind of rights to it.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:03

And there wasn't something like this. So then I put in to patent it, and it got accepted, which is really cool. Um, and then also trademarked the name as well. Yeah, and I think that's a big part of like I obviously have learnt all these skills from my mum who's done a lot of this kind of stuff in her career and had um businesses or e-commerce businesses. She's never patent anything before, but yeah, obviously, just having you know the step back moment of like, if we're gonna do this, and you know, you want to go into doing business and know that it's gonna do really well. Yeah, so what are you gonna do to set yourself up? Yeah, and that was one of the things where I was like, let's just stop for a bit, like let's just yeah, let's be smart about this. I did speak to a lawyer, but they're just so expensive, obviously. And that's great because they they do what they need to do, and they the amount of time that I put into it, I can understand like why they need to do it. Why, yeah, yeah. Um, but you can also do it online. There's like an IP Australia, like you can do it, and like they are really great at giving you um basically like a free attorney if you need it, yeah. Um, so you know, if anyone doesn't want to do that, I guess they definitely go down that pathway. Obviously, I knew that there was not going to be a lot of um pushback because there's nothing in the industry like that. I think if you were gonna go in and you know that there was something that was pretty similar to what you're doing, yeah, um, you probably need a lawyer, yeah. Because you need to be able to write back the right things, you need to have you know someone to sign, like JP things, like all that kind of stuff. Um, I was just, I guess, in a way, very fortunate that my product is very unique and is not something that's been done before. Yeah. So, you know, the only pushback I had was you know your typical wipes that are already out there, which you know it was pretty easy to say why ours are different. Yeah, um, so yeah, it was it was kind of an interesting part of again. I didn't, it was not my bingo card of life that I was gonna then create a product that hasn't been created before. Yeah, um, but I you know, through that I loved every second of it. Like, obviously, someone who doesn't write for a living, that was definitely a a fun part to learn. And and like I have dyslexia, so it doesn't take a little bit longer to do things, but also there is you know great things out there that can help you with spell check, and and obviously using AI as a tool is really great. Obviously, you can't use it because it's a legal thing, so you can't but having prompts and all that kind of stuff, like we're very just makes it easier. Yeah, we're very lucky that there's things out there, and obviously I know there's where what AI does, so there's also that place where it you know you don't need to use it unless you need to use it, I think.

SPEAKER_02 40:35

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:36

One of those things. But so far it's been really amazing, like it's one of those things where because it is so different and so new, we're having points where we're like, we're just you have to work a bit harder. Like no one knows about it because no one knows about it. So I have to teach people why it's a good thing and and get it out into the world. So so far so good, and and it is just it is a lot of emailing and messaging and touching base, and and you know, already had so much support by other businesses that I I know and people that I know, and now it's just you know, you drop you drop it in a pond, and hopefully there's some ripple effect.

SPEAKER_00 41:14

So yeah. Yeah, I love it. I think um it's probably all the the non-sexy parts of it that um what do you think if you don't find IP rights? Um because it's easy to go, oh yeah, I'm gonna start this, and that's great, I'll be able to make a you know a little bit of money on the side or whatever it is. And I think everyone probably has that thought at some point in their life, but it's all the extra stuff that goes along with it. I think probably so many people would have got to that stage where you go, ah, I've got to be IP and they've got to do patent, and I'm like, ah, it's just it's not worth it, let's just give it up, sort of thing. But I think you being the person that you are, you know, as I said, headstrong, but in the best way possible, that you weren't gonna let that stop you either. But um, yeah, I guess there's probably a lot of satisfaction in that too, and knowing that um, and I guess it is probably part of it's not out there, so it is worth the extra effort here because I can be the person that sort of starts this and um and obviously having um the legal side of things ticked, um even if it doesn't go anywhere, like I still own it. So it's a lot of once again, a lot of those skills that you probably didn't think you were gonna have, but could now be very beneficial for your life too, even if you know it doesn't go anywhere, but you've been able to go through all of these steps. I think that's really beneficial too, and that's probably the outlook that you take that's a little bit more positive as well. But um and even to the point of you're never gonna think that your business can be the biggest business in the entire world, but you've got to have that at least a little bit, otherwise you're not gonna put in that extra effort. Like you are someone who's got a full-time job outside of this as well, that it's very easy to go, ah shit, okay, I'll put in a little bit of extra effort. But if you're not doing it for anything, then it is very much easiest to go, oh shit, I'll just leave this and I'll drop up.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

And I'm lucky like my mum obviously is very great at helpful, so I'm like I have someone to lean on who knows me really well as well. And I think the biggest thing is like we we know what we're both good at, yeah, and we stick to it. And I think once you know that maybe you're not doing something really well, you need to bring someone else in.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Um, and you know, we obviously have people who help, and we have a warehouse, we have backers, and we have all that kind of stuff, but we're still on the ground doing all that stuff because it's a new business. Like, I think people are like, oh my god, I just do a business. Like, now I make money, yeah. Like, and I had to check myself with that as well because it's just your brain just thinks. It's easy to go there, yeah. Yeah, and like it's hard work, like, trust me, it is, and people like in this day and age of people being bombarded with so much info and details, like you have to be noisier, yeah, you have to be more annoying, yeah. Whether you, you know, see value in that, and I do because I think this is gonna do really well. But also from someone who wanted it themselves. Like there's there's so many different places where this can go and it's not just a hair setting. Um we're looking at going into like support where it's having something like this for helping the elderly or the patients who are not able to look after themselves as easily. Um, you know, people who I've already spoken to would you know see that in a really great setting, but even just you know, hospitals or whatever, yeah. But then it's also great for you know barbershops where it's like you know, you have that real quick service, these can be used as a way to clarify the hair and balance everything out, and that's something that I think again is it's not a new new thing, but it's different. Yeah, um you know they use hot towels, like this is just easy, more cost efficient, but you can put it in the lap wave and you put it in the freezer. So, like you can do the same to it if you want to, you know, you can have it on cruises, you can have it at a festival, you can have it like you know, as a new mom, you can have it for your kids. Like it's so safe. Like if you have a cute little gremlin that likes to run around and get messy, yeah, awesome. They can use this and it's really safe for them. So it's great for it's not just for people who go to the head of stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:18

You know, so it's great that it was built from your passion and I guess you wanting to find something for you, yeah, but then also has so many other purposes too that um that probably gives you that little bit more confidence that it can grow and be successful because it isn't just something that's so niche, yeah. Especially in, I'm sure you probably had a few moments with the whole climate right now and the cost of living and everything like that, where you go, shit, okay, what have we done here? Sort of thing, but being able to have that, I guess, multifaceted level to it, and you do cleaning products and everything like that as well, that it's you know made it easier that um you know this can go a little bit further or can be a little bit more successful because it's not just hair, it's not just I'm not in that one niche as well.

SPEAKER_01 45:59

Yeah, yeah. And like, you know, there's definitely big parts of like imposter syndrome too. I've never done this before. Yeah. So like why should I be doing? Yeah, like what what makes me the one to do it? Yeah, and I think well not, yeah, yeah, and also if someone comes out with a better idea, like good on them. Like, I I am also not in that place of like competitive with like I want everyone to do well. Yeah, like I want everyone, I want all the female businesses to do well if that's where we you know compete in a way, and like it's amazing seeing the support from amazing female-owned businesses as well. And I think people who are setting themselves up for success is something that we should celebrate anyway, and just because maybe you're not at that place in that moment, it doesn't mean that other people can't be.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

Yeah, love it. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here. I've got three questions I'm gonna finish off with. These ones are a little bit more lighthearted, and I'm hoping that this can be something where every episode I ask um the guest. Yeah, 100%. So um, and I didn't tell you these, I didn't prompt you, so we're gonna be off the cuff here, but I think that that's um that's good too, because as I said, they they're pretty basic, but first thing that comes to mind, I guess. So um the first one is what makes you happy?

SPEAKER_01 47:22

Food. I'm just kidding, my beautiful husband. I don't know. I think yeah, I once you get older you realize there's like small things in life that make you happy. Yeah, I think one big thing is that I've noticed nature, and I'm like so wild to say that, but my husband's obviously a big nature lover, so that has brought a lot of love to it. Yeah, food, like damn, like I will just keep making money so I can pay for food. Like oysters every daily, champagne every daily, like those nice moments, and then obviously friends and and you know connecting with people, yeah. Like even this, like this will fill my car for the whole weekend. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

Yeah, that's awesome. Um, my second one is the best advice you've ever received.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

I've probably already given out some pretty good lines during this moment, but I think one thing that I I wouldn't say it's advice that I've been given, but something that I've heard, which is probably the same. But it's that Dr. Seuss quote, and I always think about this, and it's the quote where it's like those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. And I think that's you know, I probably said it wrong, but the gist of it's there. But I think that's really important in this world, in this climate. Like the people who are there supporting you, the people who are, you know, holding your hand when you cry, the people who are cheering you on when you know you need the support, all that kind of stuff, those are the people that matter. You you put time and energy into that. The other stuff where people maybe a bit more nasty or a bit more judgmental, or even just don't get it, that's fine. They don't they don't matter in the now. Yeah, and they might come back in your life in a different way, that's awesome. But you just gotta head down, do what you need to do, and stay in your own lane.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

Love that. Last one, a little less serious, but uh, what would you be your death row meal?

SPEAKER_01 49:17

Oh, I love this question.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

That worked out alright, actually. I didn't even plan that, but you mentioned the food part, so it's worked out well.

SPEAKER_01 49:24

Well, I um I just had my birthday this week, and my mum made my favourite meal, and this is my death row meal. Yeah, and I absolutely loved it. But she makes like risotto with pumpkin and peas in it, yeah, and then does like crispy skin salmon. Oh, nice, and like it's just so good with like a heckload of parmesan on top, yeah, you know, a nice glass of wine, yeah. That'd be great. Maybe a cheesecake to aim like from the one dessert, you know? Oysters to start, obviously. Like, I just gave you my whole yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:57

Is that a childhood meal as well? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

My mum, I would like this. Sounds like so rich white girls, but well, private school, so I get it. Shoe fit. Um yeah, I would always come back from care and ask for this meal. I was like, Mum, please.

SPEAKER_03 50:15

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 50:16

And my mum's an amazing cook, so this is just honestly, it's probably one of my basic meals to be honest. Like, she makes the most amazing food, so I'm very fortunate to have that as one of them.

SPEAKER_00 50:27

You know what mine is that came to mind when actually when I was sort of writing what the question was gonna be. Um, my mum used to make this chicken where it was just like it was fried chicken but coated with corn flour. Oh yeah, so it's like really, really crispy, and like that's probably the one thing that I can remember from my childhood that like every and if I'd get home from school or whatever, and I'd go, yes, we're having that.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

Like, um and it's always it's funny how it's it's connected to the person though.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 50:52

Like you're having to be like macus, yeah. Ronald McDonald's not sitting out of the colour. That's eternal for me, actually. Yeah, so you know, there's that. It's nice that you have the connection to someone.

SPEAKER_00 51:03

Yeah, that's awesome. Well, thank you so much. I'm so honoured that you were the first guest. Um it was actually going to be great. Oh my god. Um so yeah, full transparency there, but um that didn't work out.

SPEAKER_03 51:23

She's really hot.

SPEAKER_00 51:24

Yeah, I already know everything about her anyway. So I don't know, we'll see. Um yeah, thank you so much for being on the first episode. I'm very proud of you um and very proud of everything you've achieved and will continue to achieve. And um, yeah, I thought it was just really nice to be able to delve a little bit more into the journey, and um yeah, I can't can't wait to see where the rest of it goes and be along for the ride. So yeah, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 51:50

This is awesome.

SPEAKER_00 51:51

Yeah, subscribe. We'll see how we go. But um, yeah, if anything, just selfishly gives me a chance to talk to some interesting people, and um yeah, I've just always been curious. I guess that's where the title came from and wondered. So um, yeah, I'm excited to uh speak to more wonderful people like you. No one probably quite as wonderful as you, but we'll see how we go.

SPEAKER_01 52:12

But I think you said that to all your fests.

SPEAKER_00 52:14

I'll say it's number two as well. Um but thank you.

SPEAKER_01 52:17

Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 52:18

Awesome.