Jyoti Lohman continues to tell us her business journey creating The Beauty Way experience and why it is important. Listen to part 1 first.

Dave Young:

Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I’m Stephen’s sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today’s episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it’s us, but we’re highlighting ads we’ve written and produced for our clients. So here’s one of those.

[Handyside Ad]

Gary:

Told you, Brian.

Brian:

Told me what?

Gary:

This is part two of last week’s episode.

Brian:

Oh yeah, and it was getting good.

Gary:

If you missed it, go back and listen to part one first. Take it away, fellas.

Stephen Semple:

So tell me about getting this out the gate, what were some of the challenges that you faced getting this rolling?

Jyoti Lohman:

Well, again, no business degree.

Stephen Semple:

Yeah, [inaudible 00:01:55]

Jyoti Lohman:

No business degree, no chemistry background, no beauty background. I had a really successful career in fashion. I studied fashion marketing and went to school in Paris and did trend forecasting and fashion styling. And worked in Los Angeles for years in more visual direction and sort of the aesthetic side of fashion.

We moved from California to Austin when I was six months pregnant. I had my now eight-year-old and I have a five-year-old, so I was a stay-at-home mom for years and years. And it was an absolute intentional choice to be home with them. And when my daughter was about one, I went, “This is awesome and I’m a creative.”

And so I just started, there’s a little tiny backstory, where I actually had a clean beauty company 13 years ago, never got off the ground. I was in LA, I was selling out of my house quite literally, three products, very, very small. But it was before the clean beauty revolution was even a thing, so I was ahead of the game. People didn’t understand the toxins, they didn’t understand why it would be more expensive.

I ended up meeting my husband. We decided to get married on our third date. Whirlwind, traveled the world, did lots of research at spas in Bali and Morocco. And brought some of those products home that I ended up or ingredients that I ended up putting in some of my formulas.

This has been brewing for years and years. And when my daughter was about one, it was time. And so I just like kind of the audacity of like I’m a stay-at-home mom and I’m going to create this beauty empire. Sure. And people are like, “Is this ever going to launch? What are you doing?” And I knew what I was doing or actually didn’t know what I was doing, but I believe in the message and the purpose and the products and the time and intention I put into it.

So I launched and I have, again, not really … I couldn’t afford agencies or marketing or coaches or any of that, and so I just started getting out there and showing up.

Stephen Semple:

Right. And this is the interesting part is, what did you do? When you say get out there and showing up, tell me specifically what you did?

Jyoti Lohman:

In person events. I brought that six-foot table and tablecloth and products to everything I could. I went to every single event that I was asked to be at. And again, because that’s where you’re connecting with people one-on-one.

And I do an activation. So I pour water over your hands, you get to use the polish, you get to use the cream, you get to smell it. We talk about the affirmations. And I have you for a few minutes because you’re doing this and I can talk about the story and help you fall in love with the brand. So that’s what I mean showing up. Quite literally lugging around a table and products and getting out there. And going to stores. Is your buyer here? Is your owner here? Never taking no for an answer.

Stephen Semple:

Right. And when you’ve done that, beyond making the sale, what are the things that you’ve learned when you’ve done that?

Jyoti Lohman:

This has been a huge part. It’s such a great question. And I think it’s something that people miss out on a lot. Because you can get that sale, but if they’re not reordering and it’s not selling, who cares? Now you’ve wasted all this time getting a sale.

Stephen Semple:

Correct. Yeah.

Jyoti Lohman:

I offer 100% support. So you are ordering it, if I can, I am hand delivering it, I am helping with merchandising and I am showing up to every event. I have an event today at 12 o’clock with a new account. And we’re doing a lunch and learn and they put an invite out to all their VIPs and they’re coming to meet me. And they’re going to feel the product and touch the product. And again, I get them there to talk about the story and they get to feel the results and smell it.

So really it’s that post-purchase support. And I don’t mean sending emails, I mean showing up, supporting their events, creating events with them. And in the ...