I am the worst person…

By Elle Wilson

I am the worst person to write about success, if I am being perfectly honest. Why? Because my definition of success is waking up every morning and deciding to be more tender and more kind to myself and to others than I was yesterday.

I first heard these words many years ago and the words touched me so deeply, they stuck.

My definition of success was transformed. You see, if this isn’t the fundamental principle I live by, nothing can save me.

If money becomes more important than tenderness and kindness, I believe, humanity as a whole is lost.

If we look around us and consider the state of the average entrepreneur, we will be faced with this dilemma of sorts. How do we succeed with kindness and tenderness?

Isn’t it about the hustle, dog-eat-dog, winning?

Maybe for some. However, without these deep-seated human qualities of tenderness and kindness, we are failures in each moment.

The beauty entrepreneur is in the most impactful and glorious space. She has a location-based business and may not even need social media, Facebook ads or a website to thrive beyond her wildest dreams. But she does need to deeply and truly care about others. Once again, we’re back to kindness and tenderness.

If we miss the power of these human qualities, we become lost in the sea of worldly notions about success. We are at the mercy of what others tell us we must do, and we lose sight of our own uniqueness in this world.

Beauty is about caring, caring about others. We are like the nurturers of the world. We take care of the pain points women and men experience. There is a deep intimacy and vulnerability that we must be able to open first in ourselves so we can serve others in a meaningful and real way.

For the beauty professional to step into her career, her purpose, with abandonment, she needs to truly see her value.

Imagine a woman who is suffering from hormonal acne, embarrassed to look at her face in the mirror as she wakes up each day with yet another cyst on her neck. She just can’t hide. She feels completely out of her depth and needs your care and expertise to work her way through this. How vulnerable is this woman?

Imagine a young person who decided to microblade her brows and now has red discolouration on her face that she can’t hide as the pigment fades unevenly. She is left only to look for help from a warm and caring beauty professional who has a real answer to her embarrassing problem.

Then the young woman who steps into your salon with black hairy legs that she hides under long pants, regardless of the weather. Hot or cold, those long pants never come off. She’s embarrassed, and vulnerable.

The beauty industry’s success hinges on two key principles: deep and genuine care for people and a commitment to delivering safe, effective long-term results. A true beauty professional prioritizes their clients’ wellbeing above all else. Financial gain, while necessary, should never be the primary motivation. Those who pursue this career solely for monetary rewards have strayed from its essential purpose.

If you are misaligned, you will need to work harder on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, you will have to work harder on marketing and campaigning because your hearts are not right.

As our icon, ‘the fairy godmother of skin’ Gay Wardle, said in our recent interview, “First you have to care, and the money will follow.”

These comments are not just lame words shared by industry experts to sound good, they are the very foundation, the principles our industry must choose to be grounded in.

Creating an impactful beauty business has nothing to do with social media platforms, first and foremost, it has everything to do with you.

Location businesses have one powerful business model that will appease all stress and anxiety in business: The Referral Model.

You set the terms within yourself. What are your values? What is your ethos in business? Live it, breathe it, and experience the wonder of humans sharing the uniqueness of you with their friends, family, and colleagues.

Let’s be honest, it isn’t always easy to care and be kind. It might seem easier to create a reel and upload it, hoping for some success or engagement. However, the truth is that success in life is about that beautiful feeling of fulfilment that stays within you as you lay your head down to sleep.

As you embark on your journey in the beauty industry, may you find the courage to prioritize kindness and genuine care. In doing so, you’ll not only transform lives but also discover the true essence of success and fulfilment as a beauty professional.

Elle Wilson. CEO & Founder of TrueBrow International and Elle Wilson Enterprises @ellewilsonofficial