5 minute read
The Impact of Awards & Recognition
By Nicola Le Lievre
With over 25 years of experience in the Beauty industry, including the past nine years owning an international multi-award-winning salon intherapy Ethical Beauty, I know first-hand the benefits and opportunities that entering business awards can have on your business.
I am on a mission to help other salon owners do the same.
Success begins at the end of your comfort zone. Making the conscious decision to enter an award is an excellent step for your business; becoming a finalist is a giant leap, and winning is fantastic!
An awards application process is a valuable way to reflect on your business. It reflects what you are doing well, where you can improve, and a reminder of how far you have come. Becoming a finalist is such validation that you are on the right track, and recognition from your peers and community is a fantastic feeling.
I love the excitement it brings to my team, knowing they are part of the success and how customers perceive being a finalist or winning an award. Feeling afraid of failure is normal; however, many do not try because they let this feeling paralyse them. My advice is to go for it and enjoy the process.
You cannot always receive the shiny award, and this is ok. My first year entering the ABIA was in 2016, and it was the first award I have ever applied for. I remember how disappointing it was when my salon did not win; I felt gutted. I dusted myself off, applied again in 2017 and was a finalist but did not win.
I continued to incorporate the ABIA as part of my marketing plan every year and an opportunity to reflect; seeing how much we had grown as a business made me feel great and the time spent writing the application worthwhile regardless.
My business won Best Beauty Salon/Spa Qld 5 rooms and more in 2018 and 2019. The ABIA was an incredible stepping stone to give me the confidence to enter other Australian awards and then go on Global.
It is more than just winning; I love the comradery of awards events and the sense of community they bring. Being in a room with so many of your peers and mentors clapping for you gives you that validation of ‘Yes, I did it.’ Holding that bright, shiny award and giving an acceptance speech (although nerve-racking) is an accomplishment.
Children have a rewards chart and receive a gold star or sticker to show them how well they track towards their goals. This is how we are conditioned to receive recognition when we are doing well. Receiving an award is the same concept on a larger scale.
I believe that with that recognition comes responsibility. Your peers will look up to you and watch what you are doing. You need to shine in their light positively. It is an incredible compliment if you win awards and your peers ask how you compiled your award or what you did to make it a standout. You see, you are uniquely you and your business, so even if they did what you did, it would never be the same.
I encourage other beauty salon owners to enter awards because of the great validation it brings. I encouraged another salon owner to enter the Australian Beauty Industry Awards a few years ago. We were both announced finalists in the same category. So what? She is a beautiful person and kick-ass salon owner; it makes being next to her in the same award category much more powerful.
It is nice to clap for someone else and let them experience the excitement. Part of winning is sharing your knowledge and positive energy; for me, this is part of the awards circle. Over the past 7 years, I have been a finalist, won over 20 Australian and Global awards, judged various national and international awards, and written awards for brands such as Issada. I am now available to support you and your business.
WORKING ONE ON ONE
Find Your Courage
As a qualified NLP practitioner, I can also support you by breaking down any limiting beliefs and feelings of imposter syndrome that may have prevented you from entering awards programs.
Goal Setting
We’ll start by getting crystal clear on your personal and business goals so we can focus on the awards and events that are going to be most impactful for your business.
Awards Submission
I specialise in writing awards submissions for the beauty industry combined with business consulting to help identify previously missed opportunities to ensure your next entry stands out to the judges giving you the best chance of becoming a finalist.
Speaking Support
I can also provide support, strategies and copy for your subsequent award acceptance speech and press releases to help spread the news of your achievements.
Group Coaching
Register for more information on my upcoming 4-week group course in January 2023.
www.nicolalelievre.com
New to the awards process or experienced and need tweaking. Register for a free 30min discovery call via my website, and together we can work on what suits you and your business best.
