Beauty Expo Australia sat down with Jazz Pampling, brow educator, about coping in lockdown, personally and professionally.

Tell us a little about you and how you got into the beauty industry

My name is Jazz and I specialise in shaping brows here in Sydney. When I'm not shaping eyebrows I am teaching beauty therapists and makeup artists how to shape brows. I stumbled into the beauty industry by accident. I decided I needed to know how to apply makeup, which introduced me to brows and the next thing I knew I was working for myself. I’ve worked with industry legends like Rae Morris, Sharon Blain, and Sarah Laidlaw. I've shaped brows for celebrities and worked backstage at fashion weeks. I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I have had so far.

What do you enjoy most about working in the beauty industry?

I love the before and after of brow shaping. I really enjoy fixing brows that were damaged from incorrect hair removal. Many people have had their brows damaged over the years and it's nice to be able to undo that damage both physically and mentally. 

From an educational standpoint, I really enjoy teaching other professionals how to create great brows. I want other people to be as successful as possible in their own endeavours, and If I can be a small part of that, it's a nice feeling.

How do you manage your business, Jazz Pampling, through lockdown?

Gosh what a ride Covid has been. I genuinely don’t know how I would have survived if I was in lockdown in Melbourne. I most likely would have lost my brow studio. I'm lucky enough to have a strong client base, I really feel for the Victorian beauty industry. 

I personally like to keep booking clients in, even though I am closed. I book people in and continue to push them back on my calendar. It means that I prioritise the people who were meant to see me pre lock down, and I have a business ready to go as soon as the doors open. It's a great way to have your clients feel cared for and prioritised. 

I’m also taking this time to double check my website info, google info, online booking links etc, are all working. I never have time for this admin and I like to make the most of this time. 

What is your business advice for small beauty salons/freelance artists during lockdown?

Listen to everyone, and listen to no one! Essentially act on the advice that works for you. It's easy to get swept away with the angry people on social media. The ones demanding this and that and whatever else they feel is best. At the end of the day, these are unprecedented times and you know your business better than anyone else. 

Don’t act on emotion. If it takes you a week to calm down and find headspace on a particular issue, so be it. Acting on impulse, anger, sadness, frustration won't help. Find someone to talk too, write down all your concerns, whatever you need to do to process your emotions, so you can step outside them and act with a calm mind.

I personally decided to not have people prepay for their upcoming appointments. This will only delay the inevitable, and will make it harder to claim government business grants. If you have retail to sell, absolutely go for the sell where ever you can. I have sent a group text to my clients asking them to keep booking in with me, to share my website and social media pages, and leave google reviews, so I am more visible online. For me personally this is the most helpful action my clients can take.

Is there anything different small businesses may not have heard about that could help them in this difficult time?

Keep an eye out for businesses that have stepped up through this time to help the beauty community. I personally have found the people at Timely Salon and Spa software have gone above and beyond with the hair and beauty communities in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The team at Sustainable salons are not only saving the Earth, they are helping businesses in lock down by waiving fees. I personally don't work at “Salon Lane '' but they have been very supportive to the people using their facilities during covid. I highly recommend you check them out if you are a freelancer needing a professional space to work from.

Align yourself with the people who have stepped up through this time, doing business with good people is important.