20 Minutes with Carly Knowles

By Louise May

Carly Knowles is a clinic owner who believes that ongoing education and lifelong learning is the key to success. With extensive knowledge and passion for the beauty industry and through her latest role as an Executive Coach with Total Coaching Academy her focus is now being on all things business.

Having directed 2 successful skin clinics, and one with a 7-figure turnover, Carly has now also turned her hand to product development with the launch of Dewy + Lewy Skincare back in 2021.

Throughout her career she has trained with a huge amount of skincare companies, coaches, and business experts to refine her sales improvement strategies, identifying what the barriers to growth are and developing action plans to immediately resolve sales problems. So, Salon Owner, Skincare Developer and Business Coach are her many official titles!

We spend 20 minutes with Carly Knowles to find out about how she started in the industry and to chat about the many hats she wears, and how she balances it all. We also throw in a few fun questions and find out what’s on the agenda for the future!!

To help us get to know you a little more, would you share a little about your upbringing?

I grew up with very supportive parents. They pushed us out of our comfort zones, and encouraged us to have a go at any opportunity presented to us. We were a strong and loving family unit, but my Dad was the tough love kind of parent. I was a kid made from grit, one who built resilience hard and fast. Although I did have some really great friendships through my schooling years, I also was the target of a lot of bullying. This certainly toughened me and helped me to become unshakable later in life. Not because I don’t know pain or failure but because I was always told to push through.

My parents taught me to always show up and never give up. I think growing up in a small regional town also gave me that Country Kid mentality. We were rough and tough, and we embraced all of life’s experiences- good or bad. I grew up in a small country town on the border of Victoria and NSW on the mighty Murray River in Yarrawonga. I am so grateful for my Mum, a nurse, who instilled high quality work ethics in us from a young age, teaching us the importance of if you start something you finish it. If you say you’re going to do something, you show integrity and you stick to your promise.

When I was in high school, I was certain I was going to be a fashion designer. I was a really good drawer and always chose the arts or creative subjects, and one school holidays attended a program that was hosted by the Whitehouse Institute of Design. From that holiday program I was offered a scholarship at the institute of design. At the time, and being a country kid, I wasn’t quite ready for the big city life of Sydney, so I deferred the offer and instead started studying Beauty Therapy.

I am not surprised that I was so desperate to be part of the Beauty Industry because it’s all inextricably linked, all of these creative industries.

I found importance and sophistication in Beauty and fashion, designing for women, and the desire for creating products for women, primarily.

When I was 22 my beautiful Mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour. This was my first “life’s too short“ moment and influenced the ambition and drive for opening my own business. This was my first skin clinic in Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast.

I grew up in a home with many strong values, but one of the things I’ve always appreciated about my family is their great sense of humour. Laughter and taking the piss out of each other and making light of just about anything, and often turning tension into comedy. We sure knew how to amuse ourselves and each other with humour.

I think this has flowed through into so many facets of my life, because I too find myself using comedy to entertain people in my circles, design quirky marketing strategies and social media posts, and to create fun in our workplace. We recently went viral on TikTok with a #prankwar skit between myself and one of my staff members gaining 9.7million views.

What inspired you to join the industry?

My very earliest memory of beauty was as a young girl, probably 6 years old. My grandmother was really into self-care. She had a basket full of nail polishes and equipment and would make sure her nails always looked gorgeous. When I would stay with her, she would always be involving me in the beauty routine.

I remember her having a drawer full of perfumes, skincare and make up, all Elizabeth Arden, Clarins and Clinique. I remember visiting my Nan regularly and we would sit up in her bed with clay face masks on and I remember how special and grown up it would make me feel.

I started making my own face masks when I was a kid, mixing ingredients from the pantry like yogurt, egg whites, cucumber, and honey to give myself treatments. As a teenager, I became obsessed with skincare because I was struggling with acne and the self-esteem and bullying issues that would come from having bad skin.

The closest skin therapist was an hour away, and I begged my mum to take me there for treatments. It was this super talented therapist that gave me answers and results and was probably one of the major inspirations for me in joining this industry as I was in awe of her knowledge.

Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work for a very knowledgeable clinic owner and I saw a lot of young people with acne and many other skin concerns. It motivated me to want to help people with their skin.

I gained a really good understanding and education around corneotherapy principles, and this is when I developed a love for active ingredients like Vitamin C, Retinol and AHA’s because I saw how it can really make a big difference with boosting collagen, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, clearing acne, and decreasing pigmentation. I became obsessed with doing courses in skin anatomy, chemistry and gaining treatment experience.

I am so grateful to have had a busy career jam packed full of opportunities that have presented to me over the years.

I was lured to the Gold Coast in my early days to pursue working in the film industry because back then there was so much work happening in QLD.

I worked in some high-end clinics around the Gold Coast for a few years, where I snagged quite a few contracts working with some A-grade celebrities as their private therapist, and also working in the make-up trailers assisting.

I opened my first ever clinic, Bella Pelle Body Clinic, on the Gold Coast in Mermaid Beach and had that clinic for 10 years. It was my baby, and I nurtured and loved that business like it was my own child. I really miss all of my beautiful staff and clients from that clinic.

My husband and I then decided it was time to move closer to family, to have our own family, and relocated home to country Victoria where I would then open my second clinic in the small regional town of Yarrawonga.

I ran both clinics flying back and forth between them for about 4.5 years until real baby number 1 came along and showed me that I cannot be in 2 places at the same time. I now have one clinic in Victoria. Our clients know us as the place where beauty meets science. They have confidence in our reputation for combining therapies and customising treatment plans with an emphasis on clinical skin care and advanced technologies, unparalleled service, and proven results.

What achievement are you most proud of in your life or career?

I’m proud of all of my achievements but the thing I look at every day and that makes my heart smile is our kids. We are raising two very empathetic, open-minded, good-hearted people. I consider this as my most important role being a woman and a mother.

Lately I have found myself feeling quite proud of my personal transformation. I was (and still sometimes can be) a very stressed and anxious person. But I am lucky enough to have around me encouraging, good and empathetic people who helped me to overcome my inner demons, and teach me ways to overcome rejections, teach me to deal with imposter syndrome, and life’s hurdles and how to react better to situations, enabling me to become a newer more improved version of myself. Life is an unpredictable journey.

We travel from successes to failures while we try to find our place in the world, and I think for me it’s important to constantly pursue personal happiness. I probably would not say that I am proud. I am mostly grateful for the opportunities, for the people around me, my close circle, and for everything else that helped me on my journey so far.

I have worked a lot with young people, over the years, the raw and rough talent of our industry. I have had to teach them everything, and also overcome the initial difficulties, resistance, lack of resilience, the doubts they had, the series of rejections experienced, some simply with just bad behaviour, and other challenges working with young therapists presents. Watching their growth, them gain maturity and to see their resilience improve and flourish inspires me to no end. Watching them embrace the opportunities and become amazingly talented and successful therapists gives me so much joy. They make me proud.

Was business ownership always a priority?

Absolutely not. I have always been an ideas girl, always had that entrepreneurial spirit, but in the early days, the thought of owning my own business was just not even at the forefront of my mind.

Before I started my own business, I actually worked in a really amazing skin clinic on the Gold Coast which I loved, but I was forced to take some extended time off because I had to keep going home to Victoria because my Mum fell ill with a brain tumour.

During this time, I started to feel like I wasn’t enjoying going to work anymore and thought it was the industry that I was losing interest in. But after clients started reaching out to me begging me not to throw the towel in because they loved having treatments by me, I realised what I was actually feeling was bored. I had realised I had reached my limit of opportunity in that business and could not progress any further up the ladder.

My husband and I had been saving for a house deposit and it was him that encouraged me to use our savings, and have a bit of faith, take a leap, and accept the risk.

That’s the thing with business, you have an idea, and you say ‘shit, I hope this works’ and then you invest so much of your time, love, energy, and effort into it, and you’re so so so scared it won’t work. But I’ve learnt not to be so afraid to put yourself out there and fearlessly pursue your dreams. Don’t be afraid that people won’t like you, and that one of your greatest assets is being your unique self. Believe in yourself and your ideas!

What inspired you to create your own skincare line?

I take a very customer-centric approach. I love being in the position to help others with their skin and being able to share my knowledge is very important to me. Whether they’re my direct client, or someone reaching out to me on social media, I love these moments. Being able to help cont’ over page people everywhere with their skin is my goal. I know how hard it can be to deal with issues like acne or impairments and how much it can affect your confidence.

Creating my own range has also enabled me to unlock my creativity and make an impact.

Lockdowns taught us all to pivot our business in some way. I had a side project I had been working on for years on and off, it was just a bit of a love project that I had never found the confidence to actually launch or do anything with. Having more time on my hands, & a very encouraging Business coach, I found myself feeling an urge to complete this project and actually bring it to life. I wanted to ensure that I would then have more security, for myself and my team.

So that is when Dewy & Lewy Skincare was born, a skincare range, offering powerful formulations, with multifunctional ingredients! We are so proud of what we have achieved with our new brand, and I am so grateful for the feedback, support and following so far.

You are a business coach with Total Coaching Academy, can you tell us what inspired you to join Julie Piantadosi?

Omg Julie inspired me to join Julie. I’m sure anyone who has ever seen Jules in action would understand what an effect she has on people. I remember back in maybe 2010 I first saw her at beauty expo, and I was in absolute awe of the way she presented. So raw, so real and authentic. So empowering.

Someone who taught me to take 100% accountability with ZERO excuses. Back then I truly was winging my business. I was an amazing therapist, but I sucked at the business parts of running a business. I didn’t go into business to be good at book work, and understand P&L’s or KPI’s. I had no idea how to set goals and targets or even if I was being a good leader. I was an amazing beauty therapist. But it was Julie who helped me step into my power.

She taught me how to be a great leader, and showed me how to run my business fearlessly. I remember at the end of her presentation I thought to myself, one day I want to be like her. I want to be able to have that effect on people. I want to work with that woman. I truly believe I manifested that day back in 2010. Julie has taught us that every day we get to make a conscious effort to impact the lives of those around us.

Julies legacy is to mentor those people around her to be or have anything they desire. Her dedication to lifting the standards in our unregulated coaching industry is inspiring. Some days I still pinch myself to be surrounded by such amazingly talented, supportive women who accept me for me, encourage me and allow me to be my true authentic self.

I am absolutely so blessed to be able to work with 4 of the best humans on this earth, our coaches Julie Piantadosi, Daphne Savage, Daniela Boerma and Kerrie DiMattia, who motivate me every day to be better than I was yesterday. Our clients are the most beautiful and inspiring people, who all have their own unique story, and it is my privilege to witness them become the best version of themselves. I truly have found my tribe. If you hang with us, we will transform your life. Literally. And make you laugh so so so much.

How do you balance wearing so many hats? Family life/managing a large team of people/ a product line and coaching clients?

The hat balancing act is not an easy one. And they do fall off sometimes. I do a lot of planning; set goals and I always take inspired action to get the job done.

I have had to work on improving my competencies under each hat but also knowing when to switch hats based on which business needs what, the individual employees or clients’ needs.

After the shutdowns, I had staff pushing for work life balance, and was struggling to get commitment out of the team I had at the time. I weighed up my options, assessed the risk and then took the gamble, and officially started closing the clinic on weekends. I wanted to keep the team happy, but also found that it kept me happy too. I was able to spend more time with my family and make them a priority for once by giving them the weekend for just us.

We have been only opening Monday to Friday now for about 15 months and it has not affected revenue at all. It’s amazing how our clients have just worked around it and the team is more productive and focused during the week. I have very structured weeks. I set aside certain days for coaching, certain days, and nights for Dewy + Lewy and then I have my clinic days. I really work on owning my leadership style and work towards constant improvement in this area.

What’s an ideal Sunday look like to you?

Spending time with my husband and kids. We try to free up our Sundays so we can do something fun for the early parts of the day, maybe going out on our boat, or a park, or even maybe a day trip somewhere.

We have beautiful waterfalls and national parks around where we live, and the kids love exploring. I spend most of my Sunday afternoons preparing for the week ahead. Meal preps, school clothes/lunches etc organising to make the mornings and evenings easier for us all during the week.

Craziest, funniest, or most unusual thing/s you’ve ever done?

Oh god- I don’t know if I can disclose all my crazy secrets haha!

My absolute favourite times are at conferences these days, I have so much fun with our group and there are so many funny stories. I am easily encouraged to publicly rap Shoop by Salt n’ Pepper whenever I am out with our crew.

There was a lot of Hawaii antics this year jumping into swimming pools late at night, I directed traffic with a whistle on another night, and when I was younger, I was dared to lasso a cow in a paddock, lead it into town and tie it up out the front of a mates mums bedroom window for her to find in the morning!! - random I know!!

What’s something interesting or quirky we might not know about you?

I have a bit of a cocktail making obsession. I feel like it merges my creative desires with my love for chemistry and ties in nicely with my appreciation for alcoholic beverages. There’s just something about a well-made cocktail. They’re so much more than just drinks, they’re the backbone of a good night out, the temporary cure to a breakup, an instant boost of happiness. Apparently, you can tell what sort of person you are by the alcoholic drink you favour!!

Another interesting fact about me- I have been a celebrity beauty therapist for the likes of Kate Hudson, Asher Keddie, Debra Messing, Margot Robbie and many more.

I also get backlash for my love of lettuce and salt sandwiches!

Do you have a motto or signature life philosophy?

Happiness Is A Choice!

Don’t just learn, experience.

Don’t just read, absorb.

Don’t just change, transform.

Don’t just relate, advocate.

Don’t just promise, prove.

Don’t just criticise, encourage.

Don’t just think, ponder.

Don’t just take, give.

Don’t just see, feel.

Don’t just dream, do.

Don’t just hear, listen.

Don’t just talk, act.

Don’t just tell, show.

Don’t just exist, live.

What’s your greatest fear?

MOTHS!! Haha, weird I know, but I’m actually freaked out by the powder on their wings. -YUCK!!

Your greatest indulgence?

Massages + Chocolate

Favourite Drink?

Hmmm probably would be a tie between Amaretto Sour & French Martini!

Favourite Movie?

Hands Down Dirty Dancing! Omg.. Nan and I would watch this on repeat growing up and now my 4 year old Bonnie loves it too. (Well- we have to fast-forward to the dancing parts) she actually has her own dirty dancing TikTok with 1.7mil views haha. (Like Mother like daughter I guess!)

Favourite Holiday Destination?

Aloha- Hawaii

Last question! What’s on the agenda for the future for Carly Knowles?

We have lots of new product innovations in the works currently with Dewy + Lewy Skincare, and we plan to scale that business over the next 5 years. We are launching new professional treatments, so rolling those out to our existing and new clinics with training for their teams will be a focus.

Our social media platforms particularly Instagram and TikTok are getting some attention and traction at the moment, so we are working on improving the management of this.

Bella Pelle Body Clinic has just recruited new staff and is launching some new and exciting treatments to the menu, so we are on a bit of a training and growth journey together as a team.

We are so excited for the year ahead in the clinic. As for Coaching with TCA….wowee we have a big year ahead. Lots of travelling, lots of educational events, and hopefully lots of new clients for me to work with! You need to find the right people to have in your corner. Those who vibrate on a frequency of growth, self-reflection, and abundance. We want to be the community that motivates other business owners, supports them, and pushes them higher.