Building A Career Over the Decades with Anna Damore

On this week’s Let’s Talk About… episode, Elise sits down with the multi-talented entrepreneur, Anna Damore,

Anna Damore has been building a career in the beauty industry for over 31 years. She’s a professionally trained brow guru, skin care specialist, master makeup artist, medical aesthetician, and product formulator at Truvi Beauty.

Elise and Anna talk about becoming an entrepreneur, the business of beauty, and how it’s changing and building a successful career over the decades.

Check out the show’s transcript below:

[00:00:00] Elise: Hi everyone, and welcome. Today let’s talk about building a career with Anna Demote. See, Anna said that nice and Italian for you.

So Anna has been in the beauty industry for over 31 years. She’s a professionally trained brow guru, skin care specialist, master makeup artist, medical aesthetician, and product formulator at Truvi Beauty. Anna, we’re so happy to have you here with us. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. Yeah. I should have also added a really good friend now. So we were just chatting back and forth 

[00:00:29] Anna: Absolutely. About our, I love, we do what we do best. Right. Let’s do it. Poor cup of coffee. Yeah. 

[00:00:35] Elise: So we, we actually featured you back in Style Canada probably. Three or four years ago. So I guess you would’ve been at like around the 25-year mark of business.

Still pretty impressive. But when you and I were chatting about, you know, having you on the podcast, I think the first thing that came to mind for both of us, well maybe the first thing was beauty. But then the second thing was this idea that you’d been in business for three decades, which in a. In a time, I think where we think success happens overnight or you’re gonna, you’re gonna get that one video that’s gonna go viral on TikTok and be a star.

I thought it, we both thought it’d be very cool to kind of talk about, you know, trials and tribulations of building a career in that time. So why don’t we start with a little bit of your journey just at the beginning, like what your base was? I know you have like a background in business and marketing and kind of take us through how you ended up here.

Absolutely. Again, highlights. Cause it’s a, yeah, there’s, it’s 

[00:01:34] Anna: a highlight. It’s a big, yeah. 31 years into a matter of 30 minutes. It’s, it’s a little tough, but, uh, we can do it. We can definitely do it. So yeah, as you mentioned, so business is my background, uh, uh, in a strong working entrepreneurial family. Um, it seemed natural, um, obviously, um, in, for me, I’ve loved it as a little girl.

Putting up, you know, making people would play kitchen and, and, and teacher, I would play, I would play store. And um, so anyway, I, um, it was a natural kind of like flow to go and, and, and study accounting loved the marketing. Should have actually flipped that around and done marketing as a major. But anyway, who knew?

Um, but that, uh, goes to say that education will never. Be taken away. Um, so the more you have on your belt, the better. So anyway, from that, um, educational wise, I, I went forward, um, doing that. But I always had a passion about, taking care of people, and making them feel better with one small change. And I was that, I was that teenager that the money I would, make, I would spend on beauty magazines.

I would do tear sheets and accumulate. I, I love the fashion models, the time of super, um, models and all that type of thing. And, um, I would get a little bit of makeup that I would buy and, and, and just practice and, and I just fell in love. So, and, and the whole thing at, you know, you try new lipstick or, or something on your eyes and you’re like, wow, look at that.

The expression on people’s faces when doing that really kind of triggered something for me. So, um, not to say secretly, but I thought, you know, I’m gonna check in to see professional makeup artist training. What, um, what in what entails? Can I do it, can I, does it have to be a full-time? Uh, can I do it since I was doing it, uh, my, my, um, my, my schooling, you know, like I thought, you know, I was always a go-getter seven days a week doing something?

Hasn’t stopped. I still do that today. Yeah, you still are. And so, Anyway, so what I did was I, I looked into it to a pro-school in Toronto and they said, look, it, you can also do it part-time because you know what? You, you are in, in post-secondary. And I’m like, Hey, I can do this. Well, and it’s funny, here I am, uh, as a young. You know, I was actually a late teenager. Um, cuz University for me started at 17, going on 18 years old. Yeah. Anyway, long story short, I went and I enrolled and I would do the weekend and, um, post during the week, weekend study and, uh, start creating on makeup and, and it was the time when industry. Still little backward thinking, oh, you’re going into the beauty that you’re not smart enough. What, what are you talking about anyway, uh, prove that wrong. So I got my, my certification pro study and um, well we had to do a lot of faces, but I thought, well, how do we do that? And, um, anyway, progressed. Uh, loved it.

Had got how many again? Before the whole in influencer time, before getting all these models, right? Before we took pictures of everyone. I was doing up friends and I was doing up family. I loved it. And, um, anyway, so that kept going and I got opportunities to do some pretty cool fashion shows and. One major one.

Her name was Jacqueline. She, uh, we were doing it behind the scenes back then when fashion, um, remember Fashion Life was doing huge fashion shows in Toronto and I was able to be backstage and I fell into, into place with a girl, that makeup artist. She was also an aesthetician and side by side working with her.

She was talking about skincare and how she really cared for this one particular model. Model she was looking after. And, um, later after the show, I, you know, pulled her aside and I said like, I’m intrigued. I, I mean, you know so much about the skin and all that. She goes, well, I’m also an aesthetician. And I’m like, well, that’s all it took for me.

I was like, Hey, I wanna know more. Anyway, long story short, um, I wanted to add that to my belt. So, um, it, it kept growing from that. The more I learned, the more I fell in love and I wanted to, um, to see how I can take the business into this beauty industry and go from there all the while still trying to, um, listen to this negativity.

Well, I’m not listening to it, but I’m blocking it out that in the beauty industry, you’re not gonna go anywhere. You’re gonna be a starving artist. Like, what are you doing? I prove them. 

[00:05:47] Elise: I prove them wrong and I feel sorry. Go ahead. Finish your thought. Oh, 

[00:05:50] Anna: no. Yeah, no, I proved them wrong. I mean, basically like now 31 years later, people are like, whoa.

And when I say people, I, I’m talking people close to me, uh, that are like, wow, I feel bad doubting you because it’s not just, you know, putting lipstick. It’s not about just, you know, doing styling or it is about building a business and, and, and, and. I proved it. 

[00:06:15] Elise: Yeah. Yeah. And I think, I feel like us, it’s funny listening to you talk.

It’s interesting cuz I feel like in some ways our stories are a little parallel. We both did business, but I knew, and it sounds like maybe you did as well. I knew I didn’t wanna go into like consumer products or like I, I knew when I did business, I wanted to be passionate about the business. Right.

And so for me, that was fashion for you, that was beauty, and yeah. Ends up the reality of, especially now what you’ve built in your career and your business, you do need that business background if you’re gonna succeed. Cause you see in both of our industries, likely, and you can, you can share about your experience, but you see creatives that maybe don’t have that, that business kind of piece in that background.

And you might, they might not be making as, you know, be as successful financially anyway because you do need that like right and left brain. Can you speak a little bit too. 

[00:07:12] Anna: Absolutely no, and I, and I agree. I agree. Um, uh, in, again, going back, uh, you know, when I started, um, it definitely, it definitely was a, um, a great help, um, having that knowledge.

Cause I can sit with my, my, um, my, my accountants and, and mm-hmm understand spreadsheets and all that. I totally knew that you know, um, you know, in the beginning, of course, I was doing my, my own books, right? Again, I’m, I’m educated in what I can do. Be too much because then you know, you would sit. But with that knowledge speaking in front of my accountants, and my bookkeepers, I understood what was happening with that financial statement.

So yes, we definitely did. Today I’m noticing it is amazing that those that are just creatives right from the get go, they are. People out there that can help them with everything. Okay? So, um, sometimes yes, education, always as much as you can get, get it. But, um, rest assured if you are just that creative, because not everyone works with left or right brain, right?

Mm-hmm. . And so we need to be. I want to bring that creativity forward. How can I do that in business? I’m lacking on maybe how to financially, um, report that to our government, et cetera. So there are the, the, the professionals out there that can help. Um, so, um, yes, we are more in a benefit when you have. But still doable when our, you are the creative person, right?

Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . Cause people too that I, that one girl that I, I I work with, that she is a magic with. Um, English, not that verbally, I mean, run skills, like, I mean, the creativity of, of putting someone’s thoughts onto paper and, and making it, you know, magazine ready and, um, she says, I, I can do this in, in no time at all, but Anna, I’m not able to do that cuz I can’t use that part of my brain.

Mm-hmm. right. 

[00:09:09] Elise: Well, and I, yeah, sorry. Finish your, 

[00:09:12] Anna: No, that’s okay. We go all over the place anyway. That’s okay. 

[00:09:15] Elise: Go for it. Go for it. No, what I was gonna say is I think that’s probably, you know, when you look at what’s changed since you started your business and for people starting a business now. Yes. And in building that career, I would think that some of the changes are that there’s certain tools out there that.

Probably a little more accessible, I don’t wanna say easier cause Yes, there’s but more accessible terms of like social media, et cetera. Can you, yeah. What, what, what are some of those things that you think that exist today that exist for you? 

[00:09:48] Anna: Hundred percent. A hundred percent. So as starting off in, in as makeup, I mean, it wasn’t about, Hey, I’m gonna take a before and after picture.

We didn’t think that it was, do the, do the, the face do the project, off they go. And they would send us back a call sheet and say, you know, sign it. If it was a model, um, people, the young ones going on the bridal parties, they would send it to us. We’d put it in a big eight by 10 portfolio and we would have that.

So I’ve got books galore. What has changed today is all digital. Benefit. You know, it’s awesome cuz I mean, you’ve got that instant photo you can see alter, you know, a lot of altering, unfortunately does happen too. But, um, you know, but you can cut and paste and, and, and make it the size you want. We didn’t have that then.

You know, we were pulling with our cannons and, and, and taking pictures of these things and documenting, documenting every face we did. We just were basically do it and go. Today they have the availability of doing that. The world of social media. I’m like, that’s why I, I, I source that out. I am, I’m not a hundred.

I love, I love learning, but something beyond, I’m thinking. I’m so glad I have that accessible to me through m my, my virtual assistant because I, I’m not, I’m not savvy like that. I am so hands on. I’m so old school, so 30, let’s say 30 years ago, we didn’t have. Definitely wasn’t there. Okay. We had our camera and, and we never really took pictures.

So that’s, that internet was even before we just started getting the internet stuff. Right. Yeah. Like, I mean, I sound like I’m from cave time, but this is what happens 30 years ago, movies ago. 

[00:11:22] Elise: But yeah, it’s funny how 

[00:11:24] Anna: its, I, you know, I’m flashing through pictures and we’ve been doing some little stories up with, uh, with her and she’s like, Oh my gosh, get this picture.

I’m like, yeah, look at the lighting. Cuz we didn’t have that . So then, um, you know, and then, uh, it, it, it’s so funny because all that type of thing, and it was newspaper print, it was magazine hard copy. You know, you’d flip the send wanted to be in center page, we wanted front page, those kind of things. It’s such a difference.

And, but things now for the creatives going out there, say only like hands on. We’re not even talking consumer goods, uh, products, et cetera. They are able to run a business with the talent. They have a phone. Mm-hmm. , right? And then all this TikTok, like really, like you just said, yeah. You can place a picture up right away and start and you get a hundred thousand views.

Yeah. Who was able to reach a hundred thousand? Unless you’re spending huge money on the beauty magazine. Yeah. Yeah. You know, 

[00:12:20] Elise: it’s, it’s crazy how much that’s changed when you look back. I taught a, um, course in social media at one point, and just like looking back, this is more related to fashion, the history of fashion and what fashion used to be and what fashion shows used to be versus what they are now and accessible on your phone.

Like, it’s just, I don’t think, you know, we have some younger people on the team. I don’t think they realize just how big of a change that all has been. Right. And. Kind of interesting. Is there anything else, like I’d imagine obviously in your specific field of beauty like that has changed a lot too, cuz I remember those magazines that you’re talking about in the nineties, like YM and like that, oh my god, that genre of magazine, right?

And those don’t exist anymore. But there was very much like one type of girl in that magazine. So can you speak to a little bit about how just the change in your industry has also impacted your career? 

[00:13:15] Anna: Absolutely so hard copy. Um, I love it cuz I, I, I’ve kept a lot of the publications that I was quoted in.

Um, some work I represented. Said a lot of things for me was not only the creative part of it, I did then proceed to move into consumer. Like when I say consumer, it wasn’t direct. Consumer meant, did you find me in a magazine, ? Did you Uh, we didn’t have an online store. Um, it was. The advertisements, they would call our 1-800-NUMBERS cuz I was also a, um, a Canadian distributor for a large Italian brand.

I had a, a distribution company. I sold direct. Uh, or we would visit salons and spas with equipment changes and all that type of thing. So it changed by, we would get phone calls. It would be the one 800, Hey, let’s call a distribution company. And, and we would go knocking on doors to these salons Today, how it changed, my gosh.

You get, it’s in your dms, you get. Facebook message. You get Instagram message and um, and online of course, cuz then, uh, you’re powered through the direct to consumer cuz they people, no matter what, globally, want to try something you’ve reached. I think you reached it amazingly when all of a sudden you’re here in Canada and we get an inquiry in Australia.

I’m thinking, oh my gosh. Like I’ve went full circle around the world, right? Yeah. And so that has definitely changed. I miss the contact on the phone to tell you the truth. Elise, I like to talk. So the one 800 we would call and we would, you know, work through the product, uh, information, send packages in the mail, um, uh, you know, see what their needs and wants are and, and explaining the features and benefits other than, Have them scripted online.

That has changed. Yeah. Okay. And, uh, the trade show’s still in existence. That was from then. And it’s still happening now because people need to, regardless. I noticed with the direct to consumer online, people still need and, I am, I’m a consumer that likes to try on shoes. Yeah. I like to go and, and, and touch and feel a jacket.

Um, and to the beauty industry, and you’re investing to grow your business, you need to see the product or you need to see a certain modality in your hand, um, is doable over online, but that has changed the hands on, um, in going to, uh, digital, truly a difference, uh, a different play now. 

[00:15:31] Elise: Yeah, definitely. And.

You, you mentioned you were part of the, had a beauty distribution company as well. Mm-hmm. , so you were doing makeup, doing, getting into skincare, the distribution. Where did, what was the next kind of step in that? Cuz where did, I’m curious to understand where your own line kind of fell into play Absolutely.

And how that evolved. Oh yeah. And 

[00:15:51] Anna: that has been something, so again, um, I am a, so, and, and you probably do have that magical book that you have your ideas jotted down and, and they, I’ll get to. You know, points. And so anyway, doing this distribution, um, again, there was an amazing line that I looked at and IHE was able to, um, make amazing connections, um, over in Europe, um, uh, through this company working with, um, the University of Bologna.

There was, uh, dermatologists, um, there’s different chems over time that, uh, I have. Uh, much, um, information that I had gathered over time and, you know, note taking and learning and, and developing prototype, uh, protocols for these companies and different salons and spots. So that knowledge, my knowledge, um, But I wanted a different take on it cuz what, what was happening, uh, US based versus what was happening here in North America?

Um, the demographic and the product things are a little bit different. And when I say that they love their parfum, they love, um, their richness and heaviness where our North American markets like something lighter yet, um, you know, active. Um, so I took notes over all these years and. Through me being hands on and, um, I built a very vast, uh, client base and I’m so grateful for each and every one of them.

 You learn as you go and many have told me over time, you know, what, how is it that you don’t have something bottled yet? And I’m like, well, it takes a while. It takes a lot of funding. And I said, one day. One day. So anyway, fast forward, , there was a little bit of change in my career, from when I had my own studio distribution at one point when we did have a major, uh, economical crash, I was fortunate enough to have that distribution being.

So that was like a, a saving situation for us. And, um, anyway, um, I went into corporate work and, uh, when I say corporate, I was able to consult and then get picked up by a major hospitality brand, um, to build a, uh, an amazing, uh, property. And actually it was local and, um, it gave me time to, um, take care of that or really hone on to what.

What was gonna happen next? I’m always that forward thinking person, like it’s, um, growing on your career. It, it, you know, you can’t stop it or else you know, you wanna grow. And that was me all the time. I’m thinking it’s not gonna just stop here. So corporate was cool. Almost did 10 years with that. And, um, it, it finally reached a time that I needed a little of a break.

My children, I had had, I have two beautiful girls and. I was finding, I was being pulled in so many directions. Tony’s really supportive my husband, and he is saying like, you know what? Do what you love. And I know it’s that, but you also. You know, um, are being torn, right? So I decided anyway, uh, take a break from corporate.

And during that, um, investing into myself again through, uh, hired a business coach, I, I was doing seminars, all that kind of thing. And, um, it was the one, one saying, and, and I’ll say it here and save some people a lot of money. And, um, she says to me that my coach, uh, if you don’t do it now, when are you gonna do it?

Mm-hmm. , as I told her about this magical book I have that has this, and she’s like, what are you waiting for? I’m like, whoa. That’s powerful. Mm-hmm. , I don’t know what I’m waiting for. And so I finished the session with this coach. I looked at it and I’m like, I’m gonna do it. Then I proceeded forward, right?

And, um, Truvi Beauty was born and that was coined to vote basically for me and had a lot of, meaning because Truvi is true is the first t r U mm-hmm. and Life. I’m Italian girl. And, uh, life in Italian is vita. Cut it in half. Truvi had to be true to myself and their, how Truvi was was born.

True to myself and true. It’s, thank you. My lawyer said the same thing cuz right away I called and, and trademark dots. So that’s a trademark brand and out throughout here. And, um, he’s like, that’s pretty neat. I said, well, it has so much meaning. And, and the belief behind what Truvia is, is that we keep, we’ve been, we’ve been complicating over my time of a career.

The one key thing that I’m gonna say here, the complications, uh, we’ve, we’ve complicated the beauty businesses, in my opinion. It started very simp. Okay. When we were using, um, um, less product, then the industry showed more and more, and then the customers wanted to try more and then only seem to go back to simplicity.

Mm-hmm. . And I’m like, Hmm. Right. Because they’re like, do I really need 18 steps in the morning? I have no time to even wash my face. It’s, yeah, . 

[00:20:41] Elise: Ok. Am I right? I was sitting, I’m relating, cause I was in a beauty presentation last week, , and I’m like, I was over, it was one of the bigger companies, I won’t say the name, but like I was overwhelmed by just the amount of product.

Product, right. And I get sent stuff often and find it overwhelming by even the like, I can’t physically get through all and try all the things that we get because we’ve made everything so. This side of your eyebrow, or like, this is for like this line of your lip, like so specific, or you’re gonna put your lipstick and then your, your liner and then your lipstick, and then your gloss and then your primer.

Like, I don’t, yes. So agree! 

[00:21:21] Anna: Those always. So those notes, trust me, have been in my magical green book. Okay. That’s what I have. I have a magical green book. My girls know, my husband knows the green book is there, and they know within that, it’s like the book of wizardry. What is in that? Okay. So anyway, yes, customers are like, I am fed up.

What is up with? . I’m like, well, you know, again, we are brought a problem, so we want a solution. You are complaining about fine lines. There’s this problem, just exactly what you said. Mm-hmm. and, and, and my whole thing, and I’ve, you know, the true beauty is coined, simplified beauty. Now we have a few SKUs. It covers a few things.

Acne has been a big thing because I, in my time, um, have dealt, uh, have helped, uh, clients get through that. And when I say holistically again, let’s look at the whole picture because within that, Those years of me studying. Trust me, there is study on holistic skincare that I went to. There is certifications, I can’t even tell you.

I can wallpaper where I’m sitting right now with all these kind of things. Okay. Cause I’ve invested so much time and, and time, money and just cuz I’m so passionate about. And I think you can kind of hear that from my voice. I just love this industry. I love this industry so much. And. It is gone. It’s gone.

It’s, it’s just exploded into so many different things. But doesn’t mean an explosion is a good thing sometimes, you know, I have, that’s my opinion. I mean, I can go head to head with a lot of people and I have like, it’s like, guys, where are we going? , where are we going with this industry? Have we thought about where, where it’s taking people?

Because there are some people now, I mean, this is a whole nother talk, uh, topic. I mean, and we just do podcasts every day at least. And I don’t think we’d ever get through all these different things that I can talk about. Where, where are we going, even mentally with some people? I have young people that I still see because I still practice three days a week hands-on.

Cuz I miss, you know, I would miss it too much if I didn’t have a headquarters. I see them getting younger and younger with things that I’m like, why are you doing this type of treatment? They’re like because I was told I need it. From who? Not yet. You’re. You don’t need certain things and I won’t mention it on this talk cuz you know, like I said, that is a whole nother can of worms that we can get into.

Well, and 

[00:23:48] Elise: that’s, yeah, like I think in some ways, you know, just to wrap up the beauty industry piece of it, I think in some ways we’ve, you know, come far from that, the young and modern magazine days in that we have a lot of diversity and in, and different faces and different body types and everything like that in the beauty industry.

But then on the flip, Or the next step of that. I guess we’ve become very obsessed with our looks and I think, you know, there’s a whole phenomenon of being on Zoom and cosmetic surgery with that and all of that. So I can see how it’s kind of gone from one to the other to the next, and who knows kind of what comes next with it.

But I wanna go back to. Something you mentioned about, and I don’t wanna, it didn’t sound like it was a pause in your career cuz you went, you were corporate for that decade. So I don’t wanna say a pause cause we’re obviously probably still very busy. But like, can you talk a little bit about, cause I don’t think enough people talk about just giving yourself the time to like reflect on what the next step is in your business, right?

Like I don’t think we do that enough. Like I don’t think we let ourselves sort of sit and think, okay, what comes next? Like, what did that look like 

[00:24:53] Anna: for you? So that, uh, pause between, uh, my corporate and then going backing hands on. Start that. Ok. Yeah. So it was something, and I’m telling you, um, when that pause did happen, I was away for two weeks.

We had a family wedding in Italy and um, You know what it was, it was finally letting Mo of, cuz we did the cell phones, the connection with people all the time. Cause I had a big, uh, group that I was looking after, um, at a, at a, uh, hospitality property. And, um, I. I’m that type of person, you know, it’s me doing that thinking I can’t, well, what do you mean it’s the sink’s gonna ship if, if the captain’s not, I’m like, wait a second.

Um, not that I was being micromanaged. I wanted to make sure that the successes were always there and like, oh, what do you, we, we think we can do. We have to do everything. It took me to be across the pond and to only have my children and my extended family. Really realizing that the world’s not gonna fall apart without you.

Mm-hmm. . So for me, I needed that little bit of a disconnect. And so that pause was meant to be. So I, well anyway, from that, it was two weeks and then I decided, um, coming back home and in the plane, actually, I, I nudged, my husband to say, you know what? I think this two weeks was really what I needed to say.

I’m going to take a sabbatical and, uh, look at really what my. How my life needs to go next because, um, I’ve done lots up to this point and I have that magical book and I think I’m going to look at now and set me as priority with this family. And, um, I think it’s time for me to, to really hone down and, um, Grow my, my career, um, into this next fork in the road.

I guess it took me that it took me being away. So, and if I’m saying anything to anybody listening out there and you’re in the same boat, like, oh my gosh, I’m burning candles on both ends. Unplugged for a little bit. For real life. It works. I couldn’t believe it. You know how sometimes your computer is, is kind of like, oh, it’s got that thinking circle, unplug.

Unplug it. And that’s what it took me. It took me to go across two weeks, unplug and then really realize deep down that there’s more than us being 24 7 looking after something and the success is there. But I was, you know, you’re doing it for, you know, other companies. Um, putting my dream on hold. It wasn’t on hold, it was just on a pause.

I wasn’t, I’m not gonna blame corporate world for any of that. It’s just on a pause. The one thing, and we can continue at another conversation, I love is it’s fear. It’s a four letter F word. It really was. And I think I was kind of like scared thinking, oh, con who’s gonna buy my stuff? Who’s gonna do, you know, who’s gonna believe in this stuff?

I, I’ve, you know, put together, well, what I was wrong. 

[00:27:54] Elise: Well it’s, it’s interesting cuz I mentioned to you before that last night we were at the rbc, um, woman of Influence, Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Awards gala, and one of, I think it was the founder of Wander the Resort up in Prince Edward County. Her video came up.

And it struck me and the person that I was sitting next to, and that that idea of like, there is literally never the right time. And you touched on that earlier. So I kind of wanted to go back to that and I, for, I need to, I wish I remembered the verbiage of what it was, but sometimes the universe will kind of like maybe nudge you a little bit.

Like maybe the universe was nudging you in that two weeks off. But at the end of the day, There’s never the right time to sort of go forward with something, right? No. And, and you do have to take a little bit of that risk. So what did that, so you kind of had that settle, like what did that feel like for you?

Like, okay, this wasn’t the right time, but like what put, what was it, was there one thing that like really pushed you or was it yourself that was like, I just need to do this. Like I just need to go forward 

[00:28:55] Anna: Legitimately. I, trust me, I did. You know, all three of them were sleeping in this airplane coming back home.

I wasn’t, cuz I’m thinking, oh my gosh, look at it. I was reflecting how amazing it was, how it felt to be off, what really pushed me. Like it was, it was seeing my kids asleep and I was able to, um, you know, there they were rested. They had an amazing two week time and all, all we do, and I, you know, as a, as a, as a mother, I’m thinking I’m doing this for.

I’m doing it for me, but really the, the, the, the treasures come to help them to young girls. They have their dreams too. And I mean, and that’s why our parents, you know, for me, they, they work for us. They, they’re thinking we want to give you more than what we have. Right. I wanted to show my girls, not even just give them the treasures, I wanna show them that as a mom, as a, as a corporate lady, as an entrepreneur, that you can do it and be successful, be the, you know, whatever dream it was.

So, um, it, it took that and, um, I was gonna leave a corporate job. That was everything there. I mean, it was, yeah, salary had benefits coming from self employment. I had no benefits. Emma’s leaving a lot on the table, but again, I had support system and two healthy, happy children that I need to help look after and have them grow too.

And. It was unplugging. I’m, I’m telling I don’t even know where to go. I just keep going back to that because what, what it took was me finally saying I needed a break and to unplug. Cuz what’s gonna happen next is gonna be amazing. 

[00:30:31] Elise: Mm-hmm. , I think it’s, yeah, I, I definitely relate to that idea of like the universe kind of pushing you in a little way that I’m plugging and taking time.

And I think as entrepreneurs, like we need to constantly hit the reset, right? Like, And I’m just thinking of myself. I’m like, oh, I should be building in like a pause. Every year, whether maybe it’s not two weeks in Italy, although I wish it was, but maybe it could be like four days, you know, up by the lake or something like that.

Yeah, because it’s our job. Yeah. You 

[00:31:03] Anna: kinda, at least it has to. Yeah, it has to sometimes, you know, and we are better at, hey, do as I say, than what I do because I’m the same person. You know, how many times a day I say to clients that are fine burnout and, and I, you know, I’m not sure if I can handle this.

And, and what I tell them too is just sit back, pour yourself a tea, coffee, whatever it is, and really think about it. Is this is, is your, whatever you’re doing up to this point, has it been, are you happy? And I, I’m not saying I was not happy, I was just starting to feel that burnout, cuz I’m thinking, again, we are super women.

We need to make sure we’re doing everything. You know, I can’t, my, I can’t get a house cleaner. I gotta do it myself. I gotta do this myself. It was becoming overwhelming. Yeah. You know, and things suffer. So the univer it, I think there was an intervention of a little bit more, I think. So that universe was saying hello, uh, it’s time to you to take that break.

Mm-hmm. . 

[00:31:56] Elise: Mm-hmm. , you know, how do, how do you, cuz you know, you mentioned that piece of being super human and and you know, when you have a career, you have a family, all those things like how. How do you like get out of your head about that? Cause I feel like as I get older, I do realize how much more and more women do.

Right? Like it’s, it’s kind of crazy. And sometimes I think we need to go, maybe not back to gender roles, but to roles anyway in some way in terms of like, Who handles outside, who handles inside of the house or something like that because Right, right. It’s a lot, right? Like how do you and I don’t think there’s a, there’s a specific, you know, answer to this question, but are there any kind of things that you’ve done, and maybe it is getting the cleaning lady right to sort of help help you continue to build this brand whilst having a family and a home and all of these other.

Well, 

[00:32:49] Anna: I don’t have a cleaning lady, so that’s the whole thing. You don’t No, I don’t. And I don’t bec and you know what, again, because I’m that a personality, I gotta do it myself, right? I don’t have a cleaning, I cook. You know, we do that, but you know what works. And yet, you know what, um, in how the, how my business then has been structured right from the get go, by appoint.

and people that know me as their brow queen, the people that know me as their skin specialist, people that know me as Trube Beauty, I am by appointment only. And so within this home, we we’re four of us. Not that we’re by appointment with that we are very, um, we’re a structured fund family. We, we, we do that, but we have all the understanding that to, um, be successful and I’m, you know, we’re raising two girls that one day they’re gonna be on their own.

We’re raising, we’re raising these two girls. Um, and we need to get them the first rule. I don’t know, maybe you grew up the same way. What do you do? You make your bed, right? Yeah. Yep. Make your bed. You can’t leave because then it’s a, so you start off like that. There’s a routine like that you wanna, that’s the first successful thing.

It’s been said. It’s been coined. First successful thing is make your bed in the morning. The rest of the day will go well. Okay? And so from that, this is how this house runs. Is that, that we are a busy family. My, my husband’s an entrepreneur. My my children are studying. They’re doing, you know, and so we know to be, um, a well-oiled machine, we all need to work together.

So I think how it happens and how we do it all is having organization. Right? We’re organized schedules, family, . 

[00:34:26] Elise: Well, no, everyone. It’s a good point, like I think routine. You realize routine. I think there’s a point in your twenties, and maybe you found this in your career, but I definitely did. There’s a point in your twenties I feel like, where you don’t have routine, right?

Like you’re traveling and you’re like building your career at the same time you’re dating, you’re like out having fun, you’re staying out and drinking too much on the weekend. But then there’s, you get into like your thirties and into your, for maybe later thirties, early forties and beyond, and you’re kind of like, okay.

Actually have the things that I want to have. I do need routine, right? Like you need to have that. And for me it’s like I go for the same vitamins in the morning, the same breakfast, like those little things. It’s got got to a point where sometimes I like will have not a uniform, but like I wear similar things or I know the outfits that go good together kind of thing.

So if I need to like throw something on. So, cause you, you need, you kind of need that if you’re gonna do all of the other things. Right? 

[00:35:27] Anna: A hundred percent. And I live by it and I, I, my work is based on that. Think about it. They’re like, what do I, when I have a client that, you know, I do virtual, uh, I do virtual, um, skin analysis, or you’re in front of me.

How, and the big question, I want good skin. So there need to be a routine, right? Yeah. Need to do the same. And sometimes you need to change that routine because blemish shows up and we have to alter that. But be ready for that. So when there is routine, you also have to have a little bit of a, um, a blip in that little routine to say in case something happens, what’s my fallback?

Ency? Yeah. Right. So that’s it. And the same as a how do you run? Business. Have a family, husbands, dogs, cats, whatever it is, there’s gotta be a routine. If not, it’s pure chaos. And yeah, when we were younger, we were, we had to, and that’s where you’re growing. You need to know that, you know what, I’m gonna stay out light at late to three nights in a row, and you’ve got some type of like paper, or you’re preparing your thesis, you’ve gotta get on it right.

Yeah. I mean, there is some consequences to doing all that kind of stuff, right? Yeah. So that’s okay. Did we learn from that? Yay. We did. That’s awesome. Yeah. So now let’s do that now. Now, if we continuously make mistakes and we keep fumbling and you make it known, well, I mean, things are gonna happen to that too, right?

So routine is imperative. Um, you know, uh, you make appointments like we call up your girlfriends and say, Hey, we’re going out on this date. It’s a, and it’s an appointment, and you make it happen, and it’s successful and fun. Yeah. 

[00:37:01] Elise: Yeah. It’s like keeping those commitments too. And I was, I was gonna ask as kind of our last question before we wrap up is, you know, three decades in the business, what are.

What are those kind of tips and tricks or what do you think has made you successful? Maybe routine is one of those things. It sounds like support of like your family might be one of those things as well 

[00:37:22] Anna: for you. Yeah. Yeah. And that’s one thing I am, it’s, it’s very fortunate because I know a lot of, you know, a lot of friends in, in, in, in colleagues that you don’t, and I’m gonna say enough for nothing, kudo.

To the, the, the, my husband that he’s always, he’s always been like, again, someone telling you, boyfriend, family, sister, mother, father, to say, you know what? You got your, this is what your goal is. You can do it and, uh, do it. There’s, you know, and you might find a hurdle, face it and see what you can do. So I have that support, so that’s awesome.

But in, in what it is and to tell the people out there what have made, what has been, there’s not just one thing, but it’s always been. , um, keeping that straight line in the business of through, um, being true to that customer. Following up on the customers that are inquiring, you know, about your business, could it be appointment to come see you or it could be, um, a product that you’re selling.

The follow up is really important and I found that those two things being truthful and following. It equaled success and it’s still continuing to be successful. To me, it’s, it’s, it’s not that hard when you follow that little formula and, um, yeah, it’s true. It’s what? It’s, yeah. It’s very important how, you know, you’ve got that email full of people inquiring about something and if you let it go, you just never know.

If you just take time to answer back, someone could be not that good. I’m not looking for this today, and thank you so much. Follow up. I mean, as long as it’s not spam, right. Like, or scams. Right. But, but it’s true. It’s, yeah. The follow up is to me, um, has always been, I think one of the key things for, for, for me, As a not only salon owner, you know, product company and, and et cetera.

It’s always about the follow up. It’s, it’s just have closure on something like yes or no. Um, what else? Inquire or that one time you answer back, guess what, Elise? It’s gonna be some major. Cool thing that’s gonna happen in your life, right? Yeah. 

[00:39:21] Elise: Yeah. Very true. And it’s funny, the things that you’re saying, I just wanna, for everyone listening, the things that you’re saying are things that, having worked with you, you are very much like that.

You are like true and fair. You definitely are thorough and follow up and responsive. I feel like you’re like on it. And those are things that, you know, I, I do see a lot of businesses, I do see a lot of startups in what we do. You know, the people that do have that just ability to respond even or to have that follow up.

I think the ones that ultimately end up with three careers or three decades in a career, right, and in a business, because those that don’t, you’re kind of like, oh, you’re missing that opportunity. I understand it’s overwhelming at some points in time, but like, Even for me, if I forget about something for a couple weeks, I go back to it and apologize and like try to move it forward from there.

Cause there’s always gonna be maybe the thing here and there, but you’re right, that responsiveness, that follow up, um, and that I think that passion and that fairness really come across and everything. 

[00:40:23] Anna: Thank you. I mean, and you know what, and and I, I never apologize for talking so much cuz that’s just one thing I do.

So and I have fun doing it, but, um, I, I appreciate that. And it’s true. I, I, I speak my truth, right? I mean, and, and sometimes, right? We can hit a nerve on someone and like, wow, I didn’t wanna hear that. Well, it, it’s not that, you know, this is what I’m experiencing and this is how it, it’s working for me, for me, you know, and throughout the time it’s not, I’ve had a lot of rocky roads in there too, don’t get me wrong.

It’s not been all beautiful high gloss lipstick and highlighter. Trust me. Um, , it, it’s, it’s been a lot of tears. I mean, I was a very young entrepreneur opening up my first, you know, salon and, and what do you mean there’s no clients? I open the door, isn’t it supposed to be full? Right? Right. But guess what?

And I, it’ll come, it’ll happen. And you know, rent was going out the door and all that kind of stuff. I’m like, oh my gosh. And, uh, but. Patience. And it, it, it happened. And now I’m at 31 years. I, I, you know, like there’s so much that has happened and like I said to people listening up there, guys, it’s not, it’s not all, um, you know, smelly roses and all that kind of stuff, man, there’s been a lot of tears in Kleenex and, and that kind of thing.

And overwhelming people taking advantage because of being young. Don’t let that, I always say, don’t let that stop. You don’t let it, because there is the next step in its success. As long as you, you, you use a key formula, always follow up. Yeah. You know, I 

[00:41:54] Elise: feel like that, yeah. That keeps that idea of keeping going too.

Well. On that note, thank you so much for chatting with us today. There are so many, I feel like I’ve gone away, ready to book my pause at. 

[00:42:07] Anna: You know, it must, you know, it’s a healthy thing to do. Absolute. Book it. Book it, and you won’t believe what happened after that. I mean, you’re gonna be in full force even more.

[00:42:17] Elise: I promise. Of course. I love it. Well, thank you Anna, so much for chatting with us today. 

[00:42:22] Anna: Thank you so much for having me. I can’t wait to do another one.