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A big brand  offered me $985 a month to promote their products.
Free samples. Commission. Cash incentives.

👉 I said no.

And in this episode, I explain exactly why.

I've invested over $80,000 into this podcast and $30,000 into the studio. So when one email from one of the biggest brands in the world landed in my inbox, it nearly tested everything I'd built. Not because the offer was bad, but because saying yes would have undone years of brand trust in a single Instagram story.

This is a real, honest breakdown of how the partnerships you choose, the products you stock, the people you hire, and the ambassadors you attach to your name will either elevate your brand or erode it.

In this episode:
→ Why I turned down a paid collaboration from a global brand, and what it taught me
→ The hidden cost of choosing products based on price alone
→ How to use established brands in your business to borrow trust while you build your own
→ Why the influencer I worked with had 60K followers but brought zero clients, and the demographic mistake behind it
→ The body sculpting launch party I attended that attracted the exact wrong audience
→ Why your dream client needs to see themselves in your content, not a picture-perfect model
→ How to explain premium equipment and products in language your clients actually understand
→ The difference between Chanel and Kmart, and how every product, person, and purchase in your business is placing you on that spectrum

If you've ever been tempted by a partnership that felt like easy money but didn't quite fit, this episode will give you the clarity and the confidence to say no, and the framework to say yes to the right ones.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy. Ready to become an industry powerhouse? Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you'd like me to answer on the show, or if you'd like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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He's raised over $60 million in capital, built an agency from scratch over 20 years, and his brand strategy breakdowns have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people online.

But when Sammy asked Es Chandra what advice he'd give his younger self, his answer wasn't about funnels or ad spend. 👉 It was, "Just chill the fuck out."

In this episode, Sammy sits down with Es Chandra, founder of Glide Agency and one of Perth's most respected marketing strategists, for a conversation that goes way beyond social media tips.

Es breaks down the real reasons most beauty and wellness businesses struggle with marketing, and it starts long before the ads are turned on. From booking systems that undo the work your content is doing, to businesses offering so many services that clients can't figure out what to book, to the difference between a brand and a logo, this episode is a strategy reset for anyone who's been guessing their way through growth.

In this episode:

👉Why most beauty businesses have a strategy problem, not a content problem
👉 What your website actually needs before you spend a cent on advertising
👉 Hero products vs. foot-in-the-door offers, and how to use both
👉 The "law of least resistance" behind McDonald's, Aldi, and Kmart, and how to apply it to your salon
👉 Google Ads vs. Meta Ads: when to use which and why
👉 Agency vs. in-house marketing: how to decide what's right for your stage
👉 Why building a personal brand is the most underused growth lever in the beauty industry
👉 The burnout, the ego, and the moment Es realized his business needed to match his life, not the other way around

This is one of those episodes you'll want to listen to twice. Once for the marketing frameworks, and once for the life lesson buried at the end.

Connect with Es Chandra: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/es_chandra/

Website: https://glideagency.com.au/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy. Ready to become an industry powerhouse? Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand. https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you'd like me to answer on the show, or if you'd like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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Her first employee was ready to leave the day after she went on maternity leave.
She was 38 weeks pregnant.
The stress was so severe her doctor induced her early.

And that was just the beginning.

In this episode, Sammy sits down with Isla Grace MacPherson — beauty salon owner, mum of two, and the woman behind one of Perth's fastest-growing brow and lash studios.

But this isn't a story of overnight success.

Isla started in her childhood bedroom with a dining chair pulled from the kitchen table. She had no clients, no qualifications worth bragging about, and at one point, she waxed her friend's entire arms before realising she had no strips.

When COVID hit, she turned a spare room into a home salon with nothing but a wax pot, a set of brow dyes, and 300 Instagram followers. Within months, she was fully booked. But being fully booked wasn't a business — it was a trap.

So she signed a lease, took a $50K loan under her partner's name, and started building the fitout from hell. Then she found out she was pregnant.

This episode gets into all of it:
👉 How a surprise pregnancy mid-fitout nearly derailed everything
👉 The employee who agreed to stay through Christmas — then resigned at midnight via email
👉 Why she was induced early due to extreme business-related stress
👉 The moment she sat in a termination clinic for her second pregnancy because she was terrified of losing the business
👉 How her partner Shawn took a personal loan, built the fitout by hand, and held the family together
👉 What a $45K surprise tax bill teaches you about actually understanding your numbers
👉 The $130K fitout reality vs. the $50K fantasy — and what she'd do differently
👉 Going from 300 followers to 15K and a post that reached 36 million people
👉 How she went from working 6 days a week on clients to 2 days on the tools and 1 CEO day
👉 Why she cut her own eyelashes with scissors as a kid — and how those same girls now pay to sit in her chair

If you're juggling kids, clients, a team, a fitout, or just trying to figure out how to build something real without losing yourself in the process — this one's for you.

Connect with Isla:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islagrace/
Website: https://islagracebbs.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isla.macpherson.7/

If this episode hit home, take a screenshot, share it to your stories and tag @beautyindustryleaders and @sammykennedycoach — we'd love to hear your biggest takeaway.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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I don't talk about this much. And honestly, I'm embarrassed by most of it.

But when I was interviewed for a book about my family, I was asked about my high school years — and I realized just how much I've been avoiding.

The rebellion. The self-destruction. The complete breakdown of my relationship with my parents. The shame I carried when I moved from Albany to Perth, trying to rebuild my life from scratch.

For years, I thought if I just didn't talk about it, I could leave it in the past. But here's what I've learned: the things we try to hide don't disappear. They shape us. And if we're brave enough to face them, they can become our greatest strength.

This episode is different. It's personal, it's heavy, and it's one of the most vulnerable conversations I've ever shared publicly.

I'm talking about learned helplessness — a psychology concept that explains why some people stay stuck even when the escape is right in front of them. And how it showed up in my own life in ways I didn't even realize.

In this episode, we get into: 

✅ The psychology experiment that changed how I see struggle (and why it matters for business owners) 
✅ What really happened in my high school years — and why I've kept it hidden for so long 
✅ How moving to Perth became my chance to completely rewrite my identity 
✅ The choice between being the hero or the victim in your own story 
✅ Why entrepreneurship is the biggest personal development journey you'll ever go on 
✅ How the hardest things you've been through can become your secret weapon in business 
✅ The one question you need to ask yourself if you keep self-sabotaging

If you've ever felt stuck in a pattern you can't break, if you're carrying shame about your past, or if you're trying to build something meaningful while dealing with your own stuff — this episode is for you.

Your past doesn't have to define your future. But you have to choose to rewrite it.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy. Ready to become an industry powerhouse? Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.

https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/ https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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She put $600,000 of her family's savings into a skincare brand at 42 years old. Her husband said the budget wouldn't stretch to 13 products. Her response? "Then the budget is wrong. Fix it."

Three weeks after winning the ABIA Hall of Fame — the highest honour in the Australian beauty industry — Maria Enna-Cocciolone lost her mum. She still hasn't celebrated that win.

This is one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations we've ever had on this podcast.

Maria is the founder of O Cosmedics, GINGER&ME, and INSKIN.CO — three brands, 85 staff, 40 years in the industry, and a business built from a million-dollar bet that had no room for failure.

But this episode isn't just about the wins. It's about the cost, the grief, the hard calls, and the mindset that kept her standing through all of it.

In this episode, we get into:
✅ How Maria raised $1M to launch O Cosmedics — including $300K from friends over breakfast
✅ Why she created an entirely new skincare category and trademarked it worldwide
✅ The moment she shut down a clinic's account on her first day back from leave
✅ Why she calls her stockists "partners" and will close accounts that don't meet the standard
✅ How she reframed retail selling from "confidence" to "accountability" — and why that shift changes everything
✅ The raw truth about grief, leadership, and showing up when your world is falling apart
✅ What she told her kids after losing her mum — and why they told her to stop talking
✅ Exit strategies, legacy planning, and why she brought in an equity partner before she needed to
Whether you're just starting out or you've been in this industry for decades, this conversation will challenge the way you think about brand, business, and what you're really building it all for.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy. Ready to become an industry powerhouse? Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.

https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

Connect with us:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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Most beauty professionals don’t have an offer problem… they have a clarity problem.

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the biggest mistakes I see when service providers step into education, coaching, or courses, trying to teach everything instead of selling a clear, specific result.

If your offer feels hard to explain, difficult to sell, or overwhelming to deliver, this will likely show you why.

I introduce my CLEAR Offer Framework, a simple but structured way to build offers that actually convert, by focusing on who it’s for, what problem it solves, and the transformation it delivers.

I also share lessons from my own experience rebuilding an early course that tried to do too much, and how refining my offers led to better results for both me and my clients.

In this episode:

✨ Why “more value” often makes your offer harder to sell
✨ How to define exactly who your offer is for (and who it’s not for)
✨ The three problem stages: start, fix, and scale
✨ Choosing the right delivery method for real client results
✨ How to position ROI using proof, outcomes, and guarantees

A practical breakdown for anyone ready to move beyond services and build an offer people actually want to buy.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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The past 72 hours were some of the craziest I’ve had in both life and business.

What started with speaking on an International Women’s Day panel in Perth quickly turned into a last-minute trip to Sydney for BitchCon… all sparked by a coaching call, a very specific “green frog” sign, and a decision to just back myself.

From there, it was chaos, losing my house keys, calling a locksmith, then finding out they’d been handed in at Crown valet, all before rushing to make my flight.

But within all of that, there were some powerful reminders.

Bitch Con had such a vibrant, community-driven energy, and it reinforced how important it is to build real connections and give first. I also heard incredible insights, including Kristina Karlsson’s story of losing and rebuilding her business, which really stayed with me.

In this episode:

✨ Why backing yourself can lead to unexpected opportunities
✨ The importance of community and personal brand
✨ Lessons on resilience, scaling, and repeat revenue
✨ Different ways to grow, from retail to one-to-many models
✨ Why taking calculated risks matters

A mix of story time and business lessons, and proof that sometimes the most chaotic moments bring the most clarity.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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Brooke Vulinovich joined me back in the Beauty Industry Leaders Podcast studio and this conversation felt extra special. Brooke has been a mentor and supporter through some of the most challenging seasons in my business, including a time when I was navigating near-bankruptcy, so it was incredible to sit down and reflect on how far things have come.

We kicked things off with a rapid-fire Q&A where Brooke shared some personal insights, from her favourite travel destinations to her biggest social media pet peeves and the reality behind so-called “overnight success.”

We also spoke about the discipline and consistency required to build a personal brand that actually lasts. Brooke shared how she’s navigated life as a business owner and mum, the lessons she’s learned through years of building her brand, and how she reinvented her business after Social Club through consulting and her Followers to Fortunes Academy.

In this episode:

✨ Why building a personal brand is one of the most valuable long-term assets you can have
✨ Brooke’s biggest social media pet peeves and the truth about “overnight success”
✨ The balance between personal content and client-focused content
✨ Different ways to monetise your personal brand
✨ Why discipline and long-term thinking matter in business

Connect with Brooke

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/brookevulinovich/

Website: https://www.brookevulinovich.com/

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

Send us Fan Mail

After returning from our Beauty Industry Leaders retreat in Vietnam, I found myself reflecting on something I know so many women in business quietly carry: self-doubt.

Even after receiving incredible feedback and seeing the impact the retreat had, I caught myself questioning whether I deserved to be in the room. That experience reminded me that imposter syndrome doesn’t disappear as you grow, in many cases, it actually gets louder the higher you level up.

In this episode, I unpack what imposter syndrome really is, why it’s actually a cognitive distortion rather than a truth, and the hidden ways it taxes your business growth.

I also share how it commonly shows up for women in business - from underpricing and overdelivering to delaying opportunities, shrinking in high-level rooms, overworking to prove ourselves, and downplaying our authority.

In this episode:

✨ What imposter syndrome actually is and why it intensifies as you grow
✨ The five common types of imposter syndrome described by Valerie Young
✨ How self-doubt quietly limits revenue, visibility, and leadership
✨ Why imposter feelings are often a sign of expansion, not inadequacy
✨ Practical strategies to move through doubt and lead with confidence

If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re truly qualified to be where you are, this episode will help you reframe those feelings and take action anyway.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/ 

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I’m recording the very first episode inside our new Beauty Industry Leaders Podcast studio, and I’m joined by husband-and-wife founders Kiri and Wesley of AMPERNA® - the topical postbiotic, microbiome-friendly skincare brand created for sensitive and reactive skin.

Kiri shares the deeply personal journey that led to building the brand, from pustular acne and rosacea to topical steroid withdrawal and the grief of losing her father. Wesley explains how his background in operational systems became the backbone of turning a personal solution into a globally recognised business. Together, we unpack what it really takes to bootstrap a skincare company in a competitive market.

This is an honest conversation about resilience, cashflow pressure, manufacturing stress, and choosing integrity over trend-chasing.

In this episode:

✨ How AMPERNA® was born from chronic skin struggles and personal loss
✨ The realities of bootstrapping: cashflow strain, product delays and contract lessons
✨ Navigating high-stakes manufacturing runs without external funding
✨ Founder-led marketing strategies: UGC, SEO, Meta ads and PR trade-offs
✨ Building genuine community - including gifting products to a young steroid withdrawal sufferer
✨ International expansion plans (US, UK, Japan), 3PL logistics and compliance risks

If you’re serious about building a product-based brand, this episode gives you a clear look at what sustainable growth actually demands - operational discipline, emotional resilience, and long-term thinking.

Connect with Kiri & Amperna

https://www.instagram.com/kiriyanchenko 

https://www.instagram.com/ampernaskin

https://amperna.com

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/