#awinewith Lucy Pote
MEET Lucy, Founder of Iota Aesthetics.
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
Lucy, welcome to Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you here.
Lucy Pote (00:12):
I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Danielle Lewis (00:14):
Of course, of course. And I have been watching your amazing stories at the moment because you are an applicant in the Spark Grant program, which I'm happybout. You have done so well rallying your community to work for you. I'm so impressed.
Lucy Pote (00:35):
Thank you. Yeah, we've got a small community, but she's mighty, so Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (00:40):
Totally.
Lucy Pote (00:41):
I've been just overwhelmed with how beautiful they've been. They've really got behind it, so yeah, it's amazing.
Danielle Lewis (00:48):
No, you should be very proud. Thank you. So let's tell everyone who you are and what you do.
Lucy Pote (00:55):
Okay. My name's Lucy, and I'm an owner, founder of IDA Aesthetics. So I run a small business which focuses on permanent tattooing or cosmetic tattooing, and mainly do nano brows. So I do a little bit of lip blushing, those kind of things, but mainly working on a technique called Nano, which is, it's a type of cosmetic tattooing, which looks really realistic, so you can't really tell that you don't have your eyebrows there. It looks really real.
Danielle Lewis (01:26):
Oh, that's so cool. That was literally, that was my first question. I was like, what is nano brow? Before we even get started?
Lucy Pote (01:33):
I know it's a crazy little technique and so many people haven't heard of it, but yeah, it's exactly the same as your regular tattooing that you'd see your traditional tattooing, but we use slightly different cartridges, so a much finer needle, and we use different pigments, so they're not going to be that big, bold black color that you'd be used to seeing. So we use a pigment that fades off over time, so you get a more natural look.
Danielle Lewis (01:56):
Yeah, cool. That's awesome. Yeah. And now I'm just hyper curious now, so when you do it, do you still have hair or does the hair, what happens? Is it in between almost fill out those spots? How does it,
Lucy Pote (02:11):
I work with a huge range of clients, so some will be completely hairless, and so we're recreating it from scratch. So you're just putting the pigment into the skin, and then other people will have hair and you are filling in between. So because you're drawing on the skin underneath the hair, you're almost creating a brow underneath, and you can see it through the brow hairs.
Danielle Lewis (02:31):
Oh, that's so cool. How did you get into this?
Lucy Pote (02:36):
Oh, long story short, one of my friends was going through chemo, and it was really awful watching her self-confidence just plummet, and she was searching. One thing she was really paranoid about was the hair loss, and she searched high and low all over Adelaide, Adelaide based, and there was just no one doing natural looking brows. So there's lots of people doing big blocky kind of brows, which I'm sure you've seen, but there was no one doing natural brows. So I went and did my training in microblading, which is a slightly different technique, but still a very natural looking one. And that was a couple of years ago, did my training in that, and I fell in love with it. I really enjoyed it. I was working a full-time job at the time, but I had a few people start asking, it was just friends and family. But then that progressed to people being like, you should do this as a thing. And I was like, well, why not? Actually, I love doing it. And it was really amazing seeing the transformation you'd see in people when you give them back that confidence. And then since then, there's been a lot of change within the industry in just different techniques. So now I've moved on to nano brows, just purely they look as natural as microblading, but with a lot less trauma to the skin.
Danielle Lewis (03:51):
Wow. And it's so interesting, isn't it? I was just thinking when you first start talking, if you introduced someone as cosmetic tattooing, I kind of feel like you'd immediately moved to the kind of beauty looks kind of feeling. But as soon as you said that, I was like, oh, that's so true. There's such a opportunity to help people who are going through a rough time and just want to feel normal and a little human.
Lucy Pote (04:20):
Exactly it. Yeah. And I actually wrestled with that for a really long time. It was one that I was almost like, oh, I don't know what mom and dad are going to think, just what in? And I was like, oh, it's just for vanity. But then I realized it's not, it's actually so much deeper than that. And when I had that realization that I was just threw myself in completely, so I was like, Nope. This is what I feel like I'm kind of called to. I really enjoy it and giving. I've had some women who they've come in and come. It's given them the confidence to apply for a new job or go out, those kind of things. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (04:57):
I love that.
Lucy Pote (04:58):
Yeah, it's really wonderful. It's just that confidence boost, which you don't realize makes such a huge impact on somebody. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (05:07):
I mean, it's funny, right? There'll be times where you're like, I'm not showing up on Instagram stories today. I have a pinball. Imagine the scale to losing your hair, losing your eyebrows. Oh my God,
Lucy Pote (05:23):
That's huge. And it's more common than you'd think, actually. So yeah, there's so many different standards that you would immediately think of someone going through treatment, chemotherapy, those kinds of things, alopecia where they lose all of their hair, but even hormones. So a lot of women with thyroid conditions will lose the outer third of their eyebrows. So just replacing that section. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (05:48):
Wow. It's incredible, isn't it? I'm blown away. This is so good. What was the transition when everyone was like, you should do this as a business? What was that transition like for you when you went from working full-time to business?
Lucy Pote (06:05):
It was terrifying. To be completely honest. I was so unsure, and I've got three children, so I was like, oh my goodness, my husband's so supportive. And he was just like, Lucy, you've got to do it. You're good at it. You love it. I've never seen you happier. So he was really encouraging, but I was like, what if we can't pay the mortgage? What if there's all these things,
Danielle Lewis (06:29):
Real issues that you have to,
Lucy Pote (06:33):
I tossed and turned, and I was like, oh my goodness. So I started with just doing a couple of days, slowly cutting back. So I went from working five days a week to cutting back to three days a week. And I was like, okay, well, can we fill up the other two days with clients? And that happened. And then once we got to regular booked out week, so I was like, okay, this is going well. But then of course, I threw in the mix having a baby, so I was like, okay, got the third child. Nice. I had to take a little bit of time off, but then I decided rather than going on maternity leave, then coming back, I'm just going to pull a pin and jump back into my business full time. So I handed in my resignation when I went on my mat leave, and yeah, it was terrifying, but I'm so glad I did it, and I had a really good job that I loved as well. But I'm so glad I'm here now because it's just having my own business. I've got the flexibility now to be with my kids whenever I want. If we want to go on a family holiday, I don't have to rock up to somebody and say, Hey, can I take three days off here or put in for annual leave and have that uneasy feeling of what if they say no? So now it's just like, no, I'm my own boss. I get to set my own hours. And even though it's scary, it's so worth it.
Danielle Lewis (07:52):
That is so cool. What were you doing before
Lucy Pote (07:56):
Working? I've done a little bit of everything. So I was doing nursing, but the job I had just before I got into this, I was actually working for Mecca. I don't know if you know the big makeup brand. Oh,
Danielle Lewis (08:08):
Yeah. That's like my heaven. Yeah.
Lucy Pote (08:13):
I was a skin specialist there. So doing facials and that type of thing, yeah, they still are beautiful. But yeah, had a beautiful team and yeah, a little family. But yeah, it was a necessary thing to step out.
Danielle Lewis (08:30):
Well, it was just really interesting. I was curious as to when you said you had a job that you actually loved. The interesting thing, isn't it, some people have jobs they hate, so they want to start a business, or they don't feel like they can make change where they are, so they start a business or they want that freedom and flexibility. But I love that you actually had something that you loved and it's just you found something else that you loved.
Lucy Pote (08:54):
I know, that's what, it made it even harder. I was like, am I doing the right thing? But yeah, it has been, which I'm very glad.
Danielle Lewis (09:03):
Oh, that is so good. What have you found, obviously as in this industry, you've got to book up appointments. That's how you make money. How have you gone actually making that happen? Have you found any strategies that have worked for you to grow the business to where you can do it successfully, full time?
Lucy Pote (09:24):
Kind of a combination of things. So to start off with, I did a lot of discounted rates, that kind of thing. But then I also found that you're going to get the same client over and over again that's waiting for the sale. And I was like, it's not really a sustainable business practice to be running at costs rather. But then the thing I found the most effective was actually showing up and creating that trust funnel. So showing up on Instagram, showing up in my emailing list, and showing them the real me. So rather than trying to be, the cosmetic industry is full of beautiful, stunning women that are flawless and not,
Danielle Lewis (10:08):
I beg to dipper, but anyway,
Lucy Pote (10:12):
I've got tattoos and I've got pigtails instead of perfect ringlets, and I don't have perfect flawless skin, but I found that people, that's what people liked. I was just normal, and they felt more comfortable coming to someone who wasn't perfect. And so I found, yeah, that was a really good way of getting people in, was just showing up as me and showing them that my life is not perfect. And that really built that trust, because it is a big thing too, getting a tattoo on your face. Yeah, that's huge. But as for the other side of things, I think showing people a very unfiltered showcase of what I do as well. So rather than heavily filtering photos, just kind of being like, this is your before and after. I'm not going to airbrush you. I'm not going to do all those things because otherwise you're kind of walking into a false setup. It's like that false advertising of, oh, you come out and there's no swelling. There's no redness. And they're like, why am I swollen? Why am I red? And you're like, oh, actually, that happens to everyone. But a lot of online shows, the heavily edited version, the perfect
Danielle Lewis (11:25):
Or the month later or the, yeah,
Lucy Pote (11:27):
That's it. Exactly. Yeah. So I kind of went down the other route of going, no, I'm just going to show you exactly how it is, and that really works. So
Danielle Lewis (11:36):
Yeah, I love that. I mean, it's so interesting, isn't it? I think we kind of went through a time where Instagram especially was very filtered, curated picture perfect. The grid has to be perfect now. I think you are totally right. People just want to someone they relate to,
Lucy Pote (11:56):
They want to see that real raw person.
Danielle Lewis (12:00):
And I think especially now, right? We get to the end of the year and we're so tired, and it's not that we don't love our businesses, but we need a little bit of a break. And sometimes you see other people showing up with that, I'm still making a billion dollars every second, and I look like this, and the kids are perfect. And you're kind of like, what's wrong with me?
Lucy Pote (12:21):
I know. What am I doing wrong? Yes. No, definitely. Exactly. Yeah. I think that's also showing the reality that you're not going to be booked out every single week. And that's the reality of starting a small business as well, that there are going to be hard weeks, and not blaming your clients for that, but just being like, well, what can I do? So there's definitely been weeks where I'd be like, oh my goodness, are we going to make it through? But for the most part, we do. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (12:51):
I love it. And you're right, it's not perfect. It's not just a straight line to get to whatever the goal is. It is about that showing up authentically and helping people understand what it is that you do and the value that you provide and how you're different to other people. I love that you're doing that in a really authentic way as well. Oh, thank
Lucy Pote (13:14):
You.
Danielle Lewis (13:15):
I love it. It's so good. So what about challenges? So we talked about not having, not every day is booked out days. So have there been other things in business that you've had to learn that were a bit of a challenge and potentially a lesson for anyone listening?
Lucy Pote (13:33):
Where do I start? Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (13:34):
Okay. We need to open up on the wine here. People,
Lucy Pote (13:37):
How long have we got? Three hours? Yeah. Oh my goodness. Everything. I think when you go into it, you kind of think, oh, it's a cosmetic tattooing business. And then you realize, hang on, wait. I also have to be a social media expert. I also have to be doing my own books. I've got to be an accountant. I've got to do all these things because when you first start, you don't have the finances to be out of fun, those things. So it's getting easier now that we've got more consistent weeks, and we can be like, well, we'll just jump into Zero or QuickBooks or something like that, and you can have it all done. So when that time comes, you're like, boom, boom, boom, all done. But at the start, you're doing it all in Excel, and you're also learning how to do it.
Danielle Lewis (14:20):
Yes, totally.
Lucy Pote (14:22):
I remember talking to my accountant the first week, and he was just like, what's this profit? I was like,
Danielle Lewis (14:29):
That's your department.
Lucy Pote (14:33):
Send you my spreadsheet's, your bookkeeper. I was like, yeah. There was a lot of things like that where I was like, oh, okay. There's a lot to learn here. So yeah, I think the challenges would be you don't realize how much goes into a business and how many different masks you've got to wear. And I don't know, it is that funny thing of you quit that nine to five for the freedom and then realize you're working 10 times more, but you still love it. It's hilarious.
Danielle Lewis (15:06):
Isn't it hilarious how much you think, oh my God, I'm going to make my own schedule. I'm going to go get a facial at lunch, and then, yeah,
Lucy Pote (15:13):
That's it.
Danielle Lewis (15:14):
I know.
Lucy Pote (15:16):
Come on, I've got to do a million different things that I'm sitting on the couch at night with my husband. I'm just going to reply to this plan, and I've got to make sure my things are updated for tomorrow and prep this for next week. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (15:28):
It's insane though, even today. So I had a facial today. I was like, I'm going to do that, a nice little thing. So I go in holidays feeling fabulous, and even running there, I was like, should I cancel it? I've got so much to do. I got emergency email from a client this morning and I was like, oh my God, it doesn't end. I
Lucy Pote (15:46):
Know. Oh, that's actually one of the biggest challenges I think I've had is putting my boundaries in on myself, being like, I actually need to set hours, because I'm sure you can. You'd be the same where you're just like, oh, I'm replying to an email and it's 1130 at night, and then as soon as you wake up, you're like, 6:00 AM All right, here we go again. But I'm like, wow, I really need to. So that's something I've been working on this year as being like, no, I've got my business hours. I'm only going to reply to business emails between nine and five, and actually sticking to that.
Danielle Lewis (16:21):
So Good. And have you found, I mean, obviously setting yourself some hours has been helpful, but have you found any strategies for setting boundaries or anything like that that's helped you this year?
Lucy Pote (16:33):
I think mainly having someone hold me accountable. So my poor husband, I'm just like, you have to pull me up on this because I genuinely love what I do. So I will go into that hyper focus and six hours later be like, oh, that was a 20 minute task that I've just spent, just need to quickly update something on my website. And I'm like, now I've
Danielle Lewis (16:55):
Last words.
Lucy Pote (16:57):
He's like, what happened to the 20 minute task? So now I'm like, okay, you need to hold me accountable. I'm setting a timer. You need to come get me and be like, shut the laptop. It's done. So yeah, having someone hold you accountable has been huge.
Danielle Lewis (17:11):
I do love that. And it's nice when you have a supportive partner that can be that person for you. I mean, I know there's so many different ways that you can bring that into your life. My partner literally did that for me last night. He's like, okay, we're closing the laptop now. But even so random, I do a kinesiology online with this beautiful, beautiful woman, Yasmin, and I don't even know how it happened, but I was talking about this product that I wanted to launch before the end of the year. And she's like, okay, that's it. I'm going to be your accountability person. I love it. And just having somebody that next Wednesday at my appointment had to have my thing done was I'd been dragging it out all year, and I was like, just having somebody that I had to check in with was so
Lucy Pote (17:58):
Yeah, and kind. Then you are held accountable. Like, excuse me, Danielle, have you done the thing? You're like, okay, I've done the thing. You're like, I better do the thing.
Danielle Lewis (18:09):
Oh my God. And it's so true. And I think sometimes as small business owners, we sit at home in our home office and we are just like, oh, want to do this thing too? I want to do that to it. It's not quite done. It's not quite, and it's like, oh my God. Sometimes you've just got to have someone crack the whip a little bit and be like, just get it out there.
Lucy Pote (18:29):
That's it. And it doesn't have to be perfect. I think sometimes also we think that literally everyone in the world is going to see it. Oh my goodness, I watched my website. Someone's going to see that. I've got a type of one page three and three people look at it. And one's probably your mom. It's just
Danielle Lewis (18:47):
Beyonce is not Googling you. She won't see you.
Lucy Pote (18:50):
Exactly. Exactly. And it's okay, as long as you've got it up there. Consistency is better than perfection.
Danielle Lewis (18:57):
It's so true. And I even, I think about all of the iterations I've had of something like website or branding or socials every year. I'm like, I just want to revamp a little bit. So it's not like even if you got it to the point where it's perfect in your mind, in 12 months, you'd be over it. That's exactly
Lucy Pote (19:18):
It.
Danielle Lewis (19:19):
There'd be new technology. There'd be new this. There'd be another social network we need to be on. Exactly.
Lucy Pote (19:25):
Yeah. Yeah. TikTok will be gone and there'll be a new one.
Danielle Lewis (19:28):
Say that. I don't want to hear that.
Lucy Pote (19:31):
Please don't. I can't even understand TikTok.
Danielle Lewis (19:34):
I know I can't get behind. I'm trying so hard to get behind TikTok, but I just can't.
Lucy Pote (19:39):
I'm such an Instagram girl, and I'm just like, oh, man, I'm lost on TikTok.
Danielle Lewis (19:44):
Yeah, I know. I just feel like I'm too old. I just miss
Lucy Pote (19:47):
The, I'm the same. There needs to be an age gap when they make sure you're over 18 and maybe I should be under 30, and then you can use TikTok, and I'm just like, I'm safe. I'm 30, I'm good.
Danielle Lewis (19:59):
Oh my God, can we please have this happen? This is the best idea I've ever heard. It's so true though. I do feel like it's like another language. Oh yeah, I love this. I talk to people, I show up on video, all that kind of stuff. But I just find it's this whole other language of video that I don't quite have now.
Lucy Pote (20:20):
I'm exactly the same. And I mean, given I haven't taken the time to learn it either.
Danielle Lewis (20:26):
Yeah, same. Yes. Yeah, I know. It just seems like one extra thing on the to-do list. I read it. I read
Lucy Pote (20:35):
Enough.
Danielle Lewis (20:36):
I know. Well, I read this 24 Marketing Trends for 20, 24 earlier this week, and it was like, TikTok and LinkedIn are going to be the top two. I was like, I can't get out of it. Oh my God, what are we going to do? So funny. Oh, I love it so much. We could talk all day, I'm sure. Oh,
Lucy Pote (20:56):
Definitely.
Danielle Lewis (20:57):
So I always love to leave our podcast with just one piece of advice that we could give to women in business. So reflecting on your time in business, what would be one piece of advice that you would give another woman on her journey in business?
Lucy Pote (21:13):
I would say picking out one would be hard, but I think the biggest one would be you are the special source in your business. Yes. No one else is. You are the best you and people will come to your business because of you. So don't try to mimic someone else. Don't try to be X, Y, Z. There's no point in copying someone because people want to see you and they're going to come to your business for you. So yeah, I think just being authentically you and knowing that you are the reason that people love your business is so important. Once you can embrace that, it'll change the way you look at business.
Danielle Lewis (21:56):
Oh my God, I love that so much. You are the special sauce. You are the special sauce people. This is so good. No, it's so, so true. I think you're so right. There's so many. You look around at your competition and you think, oh my God, we're all doing the same thing. Absolutely not.
Lucy Pote (22:13):
Yeah, that's it. And you think, oh my goodness, it's a flooded market, but no one does business like you do, so don't worry. It's okay.
Danielle Lewis (22:22):
Oh, I love that so much. You are the best. Lucy, thank you so much for spending your time on the podcast podcast today. It was amazing to chat to you and hear more about your journey. Thank you so much.
Lucy Pote (22:35):
It's been an absolute pleasure. Thanks so much.
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