← Living Your Legacy
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- [00:00]
Rudy
I think the more people in the world that can see those stories, the better. Because I mean, a lot of big CEOs, it's like, oh, they came from Harvard and upper class families and they were born into it. Whereas 99% of the entrepreneurs I know, similar story to you, right?
- [00:14]
Elena
I ended up leaving a marriage at the age of 28. So I was so young, I was already a divorce day. I left an abusive relationship myself. And that's when I was just like, you know what? Fuck it. I have nothing to lose. I'm going to finally do what drives me. I'm going to finally take the steps. I've got nothing to lose. If I'm going to invest, I'm going to invest in the only sure thing, which is myself.
- [00:34]
Alana Beman
Alana Beman is a powerhouse in the beauty industry, a multi certified global master trainer and the founder of Cosmopolitan Academy, where she equips aspiring beauty professionals with world class education. She also leads the Diamond Society, helping women entrepreneurs build thriving, sustainable businesses while balancing life and success.
- [00:52]
Rudy
What was some of the biggest lessons along the way that you would share back to yourself or people listening?
- [00:57]
Elena
What are you saying? Where do I even start? It spans the globe like a super.
- [01:05]
Rudy
High cold Internet Elvis ready for free. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.
- [01:13]
Elena
It's not over until I win the.
- [01:16]
Alana Beman
Living your legacy podcast.
- [01:19]
Rudy
For those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible has.
- [01:26]
Elena
That is sensational.
- [01:28]
Rudy
Jordan open Chicago with the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Legacy Makers. Today we are diving into the beauty industry. I'm here diving into how to revolutionize it for entrepreneurs, for people that want to build a business, help people maybe from their own passion. So excited for this episode. Elena, welcome to the show.
- [02:01]
Elena
Thank you very much for having me, Rudy.
- [02:03]
Rudy
So let's talk about this. You know, I'm excited to dive into your journey, how you got started and now how you're helping other people. I meet a lot of people in the health space, the wellness space, the beauty space. They started as a passion fixing their own problems or going through it, and then they're like, hey, I love this so much. I want to turn it into a business. Right. And you're helping people do that.
- [02:24]
Elena
Yes.
- [02:24]
Rudy
So can you give me the minute or two overview on how you help people on the business side?
- [02:30]
Elena
On the business side. So we were doing beauty courses, anything from lashes to permanent makeup, and we noticed that the vast majority of certification students who were going through these beauty courses, they were not doing anything with it. So we really saw that there was a major need to fill that gap. And so that's when we started the Diamond Society. So I actually took my success. When I had started, I had a salon and I was doing the services myself. That's how I started. And so I reverse engineered the success of that, and that's now the infrastructure that we teach.
- [03:05]
Rudy
Yeah. So my. My story is very similar. I, you know, got into fitness. My parents are pro athletes, so I got into fitness myself, learn, you know, the fitness side, then struggled with the business side. So I learned marketing. Blew up my fitness business to, you know, millions in sales. And everyone started saying, rudy, how do you do that? Can you show me? Can you help me do it? And then I created an agency doing exactly that. So it kind of seemed exactly I.
- [03:28]
Elena
Did when I was doing the actual services. I was going from house to house when I first started and doing services. And it was before it was even cool to get your lashes done. We're like, wait a second, what, you glue lashes? My own lashes. Why would I ever do that? That's how long ago I started. And then people started jumping on board. They're like, okay, this makes sense. I don't. I'm saving so much time and energy. I've got kids. You know, I rolled out of bed, but it doesn't look like I just rolled out of bed.
- [03:52]
Rudy
Yeah, yeah.
- [03:52]
Elena
And now I can get my kids to school on time, so this makes sense. But can you teach me how to do this? Because you're making a living off of it now. I want to. You know, and I was such an advocate because I literally get paid to make women feel phenomenal. Like, it's a win win. It doesn't ever feel like I'm working well.
- [04:10]
Rudy
And I think that's the cool part about anything in the beauty, you know, beauty and space, wellness space. Like, at first it seems, you know, it's more surface level. Right. Making someone look prettier or hotter or sexier. But, you know, working. I came from the weight loss world, and it really changes their life because it's the confidence. And, you know, I remember when I helped people lose weight, Some of them would go on and get, you know, out of a toxic relationship and all those things. And. And then I, you know, we've had someone also in legacy makers that does a lot of fashion and. And it's like, how does fashion help people? But then you realize actually they become this whole new person.
- [04:46]
Elena
And the beauty is the same, it's 100% the same. And the industry has evolved just like everything else. So where we used to just do lashes and things like that, we're now doing paramedical tattooing. So we can do areola tattoos on a lady who's just had a mastectomy. I mean the amount of power that gives to that woman who's feeling so defeated at that time. We can change scars. We can take a C section scar from such a beautiful process. And not that anybody has to cover that up, but I had a C section scar and I didn't love it hanging out of my bathing suit. Right. So to have that tattooed and cover it up, I was, I was project, I was so different at the beach and you know, in different scenarios and to feel it myself and watch the transformation in my clients, there's nothing better.
- [05:33]
Rudy
Yeah, I love that. And then let's talk the business side because I also think there's a big, you know, a lot of people get into it because of passion. Right. And it's a, it's a great career and maybe a business, you know, way more interesting for them than a 9 to 5 they hate. But, but there is a massive lack, I know, in pretty much all the health, wellness or anything related in like learning the business skills. Right. You can be amazing as a personal trainer, you can be amazing at doing someone's hair or makeup or whatever or an amazing nurse. But if you don't know the business skills, doesn't matter how good you are. So how do you help those people on that side?
- [06:11]
Elena
So for myself, even when I first started, it was so much money in trial and error, that method, it sucks. You're spending. It takes you 10 years to get what should take you six months. So the moment that I got a mentor who has already done it, they've already succeeded, they've already been where I was. They could see my bottlenecks a lot quicker than I could. They could guide me. They were literally my business GPS to get to the next step. And so to ride off of that and to gain that knowledge to me is a no brainer. So now we've incorporated that N into the diamond society as well. So those who want to, they're ready, they're ready to start hiring, you know, other employees and to scale and things like that. They have that option as well because, you know, who better to learn from than somebody who has legit already done it themselves?
- [06:58]
Rudy
Yeah. So first step is you qualify them, train them on the skill and second step Is, hey, now you've got the skill if you want help on the business side. And I'm sure just like me, you know, people come to me for marketing, social media, blah, blah, blah, but really most of it evolves into mindset and helping them believe in themselves. And like you said, hiring teams, logistics, operations, you kind of COVID that360 mindset.
- [07:22]
Elena
I. It's, it's not an option in business. It is prerequisite to succeed. Without proper positive mindset and that growth mindset, you're going to just kind of sit still in the water. There's not too much. So we absolutely touch on that as well. And I live by that as well. Yeah, I think that there's no such thing as a successful person who's got a really shitty mindset.
- [07:43]
Rudy
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, and especially across every. I talk a lot about this because I came from a family of athletes, like pro sport, all the top athletes have great mindsets and that's why many do well in business and vice versa. You know, many entrepreneurs go into sport or whatever they want to do, and they do well there because there's so much crossover between just being the best. Right. And being disciplined and working through adversity and.
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Elena
Yeah.
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Rudy
And I'm sure you see the same.
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Elena
With your clients 100%. And you know, to touch on even being in the, the lifestyle growing up of such fitness, it's like marathon runners, you know, like they all show up to do the same thing, but very, very few of them actually show up to win the race. Most of them show up to say, hey, I was here, I ran.
- [08:26]
Rudy
Yeah, book it.
- [08:27]
Elena
And that's the difference between, you know, going the extra mile. Even in business, those people have that winning mindset and there's very few who actually embrace it and show up to do that.
- [08:37]
Rudy
Yeah, to totally. So what are some things, you know, now you've got, obviously the successful business and it keeps growing and you're helping lots of people. But what were some of the biggest lessons along the way that you would share back to yourself or people listening?
- [08:51]
Elena
Where do I even start? I think one of the biggest things would be that. So I was raised in poverty and so I learned very early on how to be incredibly hyper independent and depend on myself and things like that. And when I first started doing business, I tried to wear all the hats. I was trying to do it all and I was just a recipe for burnout. So we also, we want to teach that you don't have to burn yourself out. You don't Actually have to wear all the hats. There is something called delegation. There is something called growth and, you know, scaling, which includes bringing in a team. Build your community, you know, as you're building your business. And I would say the biggest thing is that I had to overcome mentally from my childhood would have been, you know, I don't have to be doing it alone. I can depend on other people and I can utilize other people's strengths, my weaknesses, things like that, to kind of fill those voids. So to, to take the one thing would be to overcome, you know, the, the mindset of having to do it all.
- [10:00]
Rudy
Yeah, it sounds, it sounds like, you know, the ability, I think when you start, not only do you not have the funds to hire, but even when you do, I see so many entrepreneurs, they're scared that people won't do it as good as them. Right. And they're scared about hiring. And I always teach, and quite a few big billionaires teach similar, like what I call the 80% rule. Right. If you can get other people in that can do 80% as well as you, that's a win. Right. And there's a couple of famous CEOs that have some of the biggest companies in the world, they have similar principles about, you know, don't have perfectionist syndrome and realize, yes, you can do 100 the best yourself, but you're only ever going to cap at one person 100.
- [10:40]
Elena
It's not scalable. It's not a scalable model, which means you're going to plateau.
- [10:43]
Rudy
Yep.
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Elena
And you're, you're going to hit that ceiling very early on if you're good. So.
- [10:47]
Rudy
And if you want to help a lot of people, you know, which we all do as part of legacy makers. It's not about helping one or two or five, which is still great. But we want, we generally, as a group, want to help thousands, tens of thousands.
- [10:58]
Elena
We want to change lives. Yeah. You do it on such a minimal scale when you got it alone.
- [11:03]
Rudy
Yes, definitely. So. So let's talk now the opposite side. We talked about, you know, biggest lesson as you grew and stuff, what was your biggest failure or struggle that, that you had to push through?
- [11:14]
Elena
Biggest failure. There's been a lot. There's been a ton. And I think that's all part of the mindset is, you know, understanding that failure is part of the process. You're not going to avoid it. So at first, when I first started, I was fearing that I started so many businesses that just went nowhere.
- [11:30]
Rudy
Yeah.
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Elena
Like you're. I think as entrepreneurs, we Want to build, right?
- [11:34]
Rudy
Yeah. Yeah.
- [11:35]
Elena
So I don't know if I can put my finger on one single failure. I've had many, but they've all catapulted me into a new direction and into what I have learned from the failures has taken what I'm already doing and, you know, projected it forward in an even quicker manner. So while I used to fear the failures, now, honestly, I just pop the champagne bottle, I'm like, holy, I didn't win this one. There's something to be learned here. And from that, I'm gonna go 10 steps further over here. And I know that I see that.
- [12:06]
Rudy
A lot with entrepreneurs. Like, another trend is when you're. When you're, you know, quote unquote young as an entrepreneur into your career, every failure you fear and you. You let it set you back. And a lot of people I coach, it's like if something goes wrong and they have to, like, take a rest for a few months. Right. But then as you get more seasoned and get better, you just get more used to it. I say it's a lot like boxing. Like, if you're a good boxer, you get. You're pretty used to getting punched in the face.
- [12:33]
Elena
Right.
- [12:33]
Rudy
Because it's part of the spot of going in a ring, you know? And I think as entrepreneur, you have to treat it the same way. Like, you can't play in this sport of business if you don't get used to being punched all the time and just keep getting on with it.
- [12:46]
Elena
Yeah. You just have to bounce right back.
- [12:48]
Rudy
Yeah.
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Elena
Take what you can from it.
- [12:49]
Rudy
Go. Yeah. So let's talk, you know, as we get towards the end today, about the legacy side. Right. So, you know, a lot of people might be seeing this before your episode is live, or maybe you haven't watched it yet. If that's the case, what are some of the things they're going to get to learn during your episode?
- [13:06]
Elena
So we're going to jump into mindset for sure. And then from there, we're going to go into some actionables that people can take home with them and start right away. So, $0 lead magnet. So for people who started the way I started, with no marketing budget, not a lot to depend on. How can we bring in clients without spending a ton on the ads? So we're going to get into that a lot more for those who are just starting out and don't have the same budget as everybody else.
- [13:29]
Rudy
Good. And what about your personal story side? What are they going to get to learn and take away? Maybe from, from your story.
- [13:35]
Elena
Yeah. So I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. And my mom, she was a single mom growing up. So it was not lavish to say the least. She was abs. She's absolutely wicked. I shouldn't say she was wicked. She's absolutely wicked. This girl is. She's a phoenix. She just takes these situations and turns them into something that my brother and I didn't even know that we were poor until we were old enough to understand that we were poor. Yeah, we would literally roll coins at the table, but she would make it a game. So we didn't think that it was like embarrassing to take these rolled co coins to get our groceries. And we had, we actually grew up the first house when she left my dad, who was very abusive, so that in its own was such a triumph for her. But she, she got this little one bedroom apartment. And I remember my brother used to put duct tape down the middle of the bedroom and he's like, alana, that's your side of the room. Don't put your toys on my side. Don't come on my side. I mean, this room was smaller. It was a closet. Okay. And my poor mom had to sleep on the couch. That's how I grew up. So to go from that to, to where I am now, you know, making the seven figures, it's. It's been a journey and it's, it's been very exciting.
- [14:51]
Rudy
Yeah. I mean that. And that's what this is all about. Like being inspired by other stories and showing that. Right. Like showing you going from that to, you know, generating a million dollars and building a million dollar plus business. And I mean, that's. The power of belief is so important. So, you know, my goal is to showcase as much of that as I can. I think the more people in the world that can see those stories, the better. Because, I mean, a lot of big CEOs, it's like, oh, they came from Harvard and upper class families and they're born into it. Whereas 99% of the entrepreneurs I know, similar story to you. Right. Grew up, you know, poor. Or maybe not poor, but like, I remember we weren't, I wouldn't say we were poor, but we had to like turn the radiator on an hour in the morning, at night to heat the house. We couldn't have it on all day. Yeah. And that's one of the big things for me as an entrepreneur. My AC runs 24, 7 all year just in, like comfortable now. Yeah. And I made it. My, my family and people are like, why do you leave it on? I'm like, it's like a mindset thing that I grew up without leaving it on. It's. It's always going to be on now.
- [15:52]
Elena
You have to almost overcome that. It's the abundance mindset. Right. If we start telling us that we have to turn it off, that we. We can't afford to keep it on. And it's funny how we evolve like that, because I do. When I first got my first apartment, same thing, I turn out all the lights. Constantly turn out the lights and making sure that, you know, I would wear an extra sweater instead of. And now my house stays so hot. Everybody comes over, they're like, atlanta, can we open a window? Like, yeah, yeah. Saying, I'm like, it's so nice. And here is like Miami. But we're not in Miami or in the freezing cold in Ontario.
- [16:21]
Rudy
But I think those stories and going from that A to the Z is so great for everyone to see because a lot of people are still in nearer the A part. Right. Or that starter part. And when you're there, get into the million dollars or whatever seems so far away, but really it's not. You just got to get started.
- [16:39]
Elena
It's still a new lifestyle. For myself, even I went through. So I actually became a statistic, just like my mom. So coming from a single mom, being, you know, growing up in poverty and, you know, watching the abuse as a child, I ended up leaving a marriage at the age of 28. So I was so young, I was already a divorce day. I left an abusive relationship myself. And that's when I was just like, you know what? Fuck it. I have nothing to lo. Yeah, I'm going to finally do what drives me. I'm going to finally take the steps. And I did it when it was just me and my daughter. So it was probably the most vulnerable time. But that's when, you know, it's just kind of. You're looking at your life and you're like, I've got nothing to lose. If I'm going to invest, I'm going to invest in the only sure thing, which is myself, because that's the only thing I have control over. So I'm going to go for it.
- [17:23]
Rudy
Yeah. And I think that mindset is good. Like sometimes, you know, people always say to me, oh, you know, because I have really big companies now. And they're like, well, if it all goes wrong, you lose it all. I'm like, if I lose it all, I just start where I started before.
- [17:34]
Elena
Yeah.
- [17:35]
Rudy
Yeah. You know, like, it's not like I had 2 million to start an inheritance, and I lost it. I started so. And that's, I think, think that's a good mindset to have, because you can get so obsessed with holding on to everything, but to achieve greatness, you sometimes got to be willing to let go and take a risk, you know, 100%.
- [17:53]
Elena
And when you're building from the ground up, I usually think, you know, we're at such an advantage than those who, you know, got it from dad or from grandpa or from wherever we actually get to build those systems and processes. So if we lose it all, we can rinse and repeat over somewhere else, the next niche, the next thing that pops up. And so I think that in its own is so valuable that we even have that opportunity to build that.
- [18:18]
Rudy
Yeah. And I mean, every time it, like, if you're listening to this now and you're in a place where stuff isn't going right, every time I've, like, shut a business down or move to the next thing, it's got better. You know, I've gone from an $8 million company to 15 to 30. It just, like, keeps growing. And that's, you know, it doesn't always seem that way in the moment when you got to pivot, but it always does.
- [18:39]
Elena
That's what I was saying is, you know, when you're like, oh, my God, this company's failing. I'm closing the doors. I've just lost so much money. I've never lost a million, but I did lose 150,000 over the last summer. And in the moment, I was just like, oh, my God. But then I realized that me putting all my energy over here was taking away. That was a much bigger revenue driver. And when I put my energy back over here, it's just like, yeah, off it goes again. Right. So everything happens exactly how it's meant to be. And that's the mindset of, you know, it's not happening to me. It's happening for me. And once you embrace that, there's really not a lot of fear left.
- [19:15]
Rudy
Yeah, it's like that. That mindset, I would say, is like a bulletproof vest for the entrepreneur.
- [19:19]
Elena
Yeah, it's wicked. It's pretty wicked Good.
- [19:21]
Rudy
So, last question. On the legacy side, just to wrap up today. What does a legacy mean to you?
- [19:26]
Elena
A legacy for me is changing lives, you know, leaving behind lives that have been changed, that have truly improved because of anything that an entrepreneur has done. And if you can take it a step further and you're changing those lives because you're filling a gap that wasn't even there to begin with. That's pretty special and standing the test of time.
- [19:45]
Rudy
So, final question. If people want to check out your social media websites, learn more about you, where do they go to do that?
- [19:51]
Elena
Cosmopolitanacademy.com and tdsociety.com for the business side.
- [19:56]
Rudy
Good, we'll put that in the show notes too. Guys, that's a wrap. Another Legacy Makers episode. Done. And go check out the full episode where you can obviously learn about the story, the challenges, all the lessons from it, all the marketing side to the Legion side, which I'm excited to dive into. And I'll see you all very soon. Take care.