81 : Retail Revenue & Building a Business Before You’re Ready
What if your clients actually WANT to buy the products you recommend… but we’re making it too difficult for them to do it? In this episode of Confessions of a #BeautyBoss, Angela sits down with Rosie, the woman behind Selling Salons and a familiar face behind Beauty Expo Australia, where she has spent the past 10 years helping shape one of the beauty industry’s biggest events. Rosie shares her unconventional journey into beauty, from growing up immersed in dance and makeup, freelance artistry and moving from the UK to Australia, to building a career behind the scenes of the professional beauty industry. But the heart of this conversation is a problem Rosie couldn’t ignore: the enormous gap between the amount consumers spend on beauty products and the amount of retail revenue actually being captured by salons and clinics. That gap inspired Selling Salons, a new platform designed to make professional product recommendations easier for therapists, easier for clients to come back to, and ultimately easier for beauty businesses to turn their expertise into additional revenue. Angela and Rosie unpack why selling retail can feel so uncomfortable for beauty professionals, why a recommendation is part of the client experience rather than a pushy sales tactic, and how changing the system may be more effective than trying to change the therapist. They also dive into what it really looks like to build a business before everything is perfect, founder-led content, leveraging your network, collaborating with other businesses, embracing AI without losing your voice, understanding your numbers and learning to stay in your own lane. Rosie also opens up about the deeply personal WHY behind building Selling Salons: creating more freedom and flexibility for her family while showing her daughter what is possible when you believe in an idea and are willing to do the hard things. In this episode: Rosie’s journey from dance and freelance makeup to 10 years behind Beauty Expo Australia Why human connection will become even MORE valuable as AI continues to grow The retail revenue opportunity beauty salons and clinics could be missing Why clients often buy recommended products elsewhere after leaving their appointment The problem with expecting every therapist to naturally be a salesperson Why product recommendations are an important part of professional aftercare How Selling Salons is designed to keep recommendations connected to the salon or clinic Why Rosie chose to launch before everything was perfect Building a business through feedback, testing and iteration The power of leveraging your professional network Why partnerships and local business collaborations are still underused in beauty Founder-led content and letting your audience see more of the person behind the business How to use AI without allowing it to replace your creativity or voice Why knowing your numbers is a non-negotiable for growth Rosie’s personal motivation for creating a more flexible business and family life The belief about her intelligence Rosie had to unlearn after being diagnosed with ADHD Why sometimes you simply need to stop waiting and DO THE THING Rosie’s message throughout this episode is a powerful one: your clients already trust your expertise. Your recommendation has value. And whether it’s selling a product, posting the content, starting the business or pursuing the idea you can’t stop thinking about, it doesn’t have to be perfect before you begin. Connect with Rosie Learn more about Selling Salons at sellingsalons.com Follow @sellingsalons on Instagram. Rosie is currently preparing for the launch of Selling Salons and onboarding the first cohort of salons and clinics, with a focus on personally supporting businesses through the setup process.


