Meet our featured beauty with brains Lucy Peters, a businesswoman based in Sydney, Australia. She owns Lulu Beauty Bar (http://www.lulubeautybar.com.au/).

“My name is Lucy Peters and I own Lulu Beauty Bar. I am a committed small business owner with a serious passion for beauty and all things pretty! My interest in beauty started at a young age, however I didn’t enter the industry until a few years ago when I trained in London, England to become a fully qualified Eyelash Technician. Alongside lash extensions and lifts I also offer spray tanning, nails & brows at my friendly and cosy home salon in Castle Hill, NSW. I am fully passionate about what I do and I aim to make women feel amazing and confident in themselves!” – Lucy.

Here is an interview with her.

1. Who or what inspires you?

To be honest, I don’t have one particular role model. I admire many successful entrepreneurs who have overcome a plethora of obstacles throughout their lives, such as financial hardship or class barriers, in order to achieve their dreams. Michelle Mone (founder of Ultimo, the UK Wonderbra) is amazing and continues to inspire me to this day. If you ever get the chance to read up on her rags to riches story starting out on a Glasgow council estate to now being a hugely successful multi-millionaire, it’s well worth the read! Gary Vaynerchuck is also one of the most fascinating and driven people I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

2. What are your aims and goals in life? Have you achieved them?

I always knew I wanted to travel and explore the different cultures of the world, so I spent most of my 20’s traveling and working my way around the globe. I have definitely ticked a large majority of my travel goals but naturally I still have more! At a young age, I expressed an interest in entering the beauty industry, however I was discouraged to do so by certain family members (which is why I only came into beauty later in life) so instead I pursued a career in music. My music career enabled me to experience some insane achievements like singing for the Queen on multiple occasions, performing on TV and appearing at some infamous music venues. I still have many more goals and I am currently in the process of updating my bucket list.

3. How has the pandemic impacted your business?

So, a quick back story; I returned to the UK for about 2 years as I am originally from England and having spent 11 years prior to that living in Sydney, I felt I needed to spend some quality time with my elderly parents. Having absolutely no idea that we would be hit by an international pandemic, my partner and I planned to and subsequently moved back to Australia in March this year (great timing, hey?!).

Fast forward through mandatory quarantine, then lockdown, I finally set about opening my salon from 1st June. It has definitely been a bit of a tricky road to navigate given I’m building my business again in the current climate. The major positive from all of this is that I have received a huge amount of support from the community who are actively choosing to shop local and support small businesses, which has been amazing.

4. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

My aim is to grow Lulu Beauty Bar into a large salon focussing on multiple facets of beauty i.e. lashes, semi-permanent makeup, injectables, hair extensions. Somewhere in that mix I’d also like to have a child but one thing I can guarantee is that I won’t be moving away from the beautiful shores of Sydney ever again!

Check out her website and social media:

http://www.lulubeautybar.com.au/

http://www.instagram.com/lulu_beauty_bar

http://www.facebook.com/beautifymelulu

Meet our featured beauty with brains Poonam Kumar, a makeup artist based in Sydney, Australia.

“My name is Poonam Kumar. Sydney has been home for the past 23 plus years, I moved here with my family when I was only 13. All through my life, I knew I wanted to be my own boss, as working for an hourly pay wasn’t my thing.

Life’s moral was to always work smarter not harder.
I always wanted to follow my heart and do something that I really loved and I have always been passionate about making women feel and look beautiful.

I have dedicated years in perfecting my skills as a makeup artist learning from the best celebrity artist
out there so I am able to give my ladies the same red carpet look the stars get .I decided that I will
open up my own hair and makeup studio 5 years ago.

I feel very blessed to have my hard work pay off as I saw my business flourish as years went by. A single mother with 3 kids wasn’t an easy task as depression and anxiety attacks became a part of me after my divorce, but I kept fighting through so I can be a role model to my kids. I needed to know that even through the hardest of times quitting was not an option.

I believe in empowering women to be the very best they can be, even though it can be hard as we are burdened with life duties, I believe we all need to find our passion and follow it to the very end. Happiness is when you achieve your dreams
and you know you have worked your butt off for it. I want every woman to know that they are the strongest and the most valuable thing God created.” – Poonam

Feel free to check out her Instagram

Www.instagram.com/glamuaruzhairandbeauty

Meet our featured beauty with brains Shalina Lodhia, a businesswoman based in Sydney, Australia.

Here is her story:

“I was never the smartest one in the classroom. Never the popular one in school, and by no means was I confident in myself either – it was quite the opposite when I was growing up. My school life was filled with bullying and racism which had affected me a lot. The only thing which kept me sane, was a diary and a pen. I used to write in this personal diary, which was also like a creative journal where I would write about my experiences and turn them into creative writing pieces and poetry. It was a form of self-reflection and healing. I began singing at the age of 8 and performed a few times on stage as well. I chose to keep music and writing as a hobby instead of turning it into a career. But I knew I wanted to use my voice one day to stand up for what I believed in and to make music.

Growing up and experiencing life and its challenges made me develop an avid interest in human behaviour – particularly the criminal mind. I always questioned the motives of people and what led them to commit crimes. Out of pure interest, I eventually ended up graduating from university with a bachelors in social science with my majors being criminology and criminal justice.

I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss and do my own thing, my way, one day. After years of experience in the public sector, I now have my own business as a career counsellor and business writer. It felt like the right thing to do as I enjoy guiding people to achieve their highest potential. I will always tell you everything you can do, not everything you cannot do. I love being able to give my clients options and clarity of what their future could look like – it opens up a world of opportunity where potential is limitless.

Apart from this, I am a human rights activist. I raise awareness and share my experiences about topics that need to be heard – domestic violence, mental health, sexual assault and bullying, just to name a few. I endeavour to be the voice of the voiceless and to provide people with as much insight and knowledge as I can. If I don’t know the answer, you can rest assured I will find you one. These issues are close to my heart.

I am currently also working as an independent artist under the stage name of SED8. I sing, write, produce and record my own music. I just released my fourth single called “Higher”. I stay raw and real with my work – unapologetically me. Art in its truest form is intensely beautiful. I do not expect everyone to enjoy what they hear, but my goal is to reach out to anyone who can resonate with my experiences and feel understood.

It is a common known fact that women are multitaskers. Why stop at one thing when you have the capacity to do plenty?” – Shalina

Here is an interview with her:

1. What is a typical day in your life like?

I love to balance out my day with a mix of things. I exercise in the morning – brisk walk/run on the treadmill or do some boxing; I love cardio. I am trying to be vegan (was previously vegetarian), so my health is important to me – I cook fresh food almost every day and am still learning new recipes. I believe your health is your wealth. No matter how much money you accumulate, it won’t save you from health issues, so I try to take preventative measures – my diet and exercise is imperative to me.

I work remotely from home, so I will then check my emails and start working. If it is a quiet day work-wise, I will research about current events/trends on the news or social media and post my take about them, or I will research topics less talked about and write articles or posts about that. Music and writing are something I do almost every night as I feel the most creative at that time. If I am not making music, I’m still thinking of rhymes and lyrics in my head and writing them down throughout the day. Even though I work from home, balance is essential. I’m always doing something until I sleep. It keeps me going.

2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I see myself continuing with career counselling, business writing and my activism work. I want to continue to help the underprivileged by always being approachable, reliable and ‘one call away’. One day, I hope to be recognised as an Australian born Indian singer/songwriter and producer – working and collaborating with other artists would be on the list of things I’d love to accomplish. Marriage and kids are something I look forward too, I love children. But I could never give up my passions – it’s all about balance and making sure your family, partner and friends know your dreams and goals. These cannot and should not be taken away from you.

3. What does women empowerment mean to you?

It means individually working towards continuously bettering ourselves and collectively working together to create a positive experience with the people around us. It’s about challenging social norms and expectations and changing the way the world sees women without belittling anyone. I think women already know, and need to always remember, that we are indestructible – we always were and always will be. Social constructs have made women believe they are not capable or worthy of certain things and that is absolutely false. Throughout history, women have endured and have also overcome A LOT. We still have a long way to go and we need to stick together and support one another to get the recognition and respect we rightfully deserve.

Feel free to check out her FB pages:

https://www.facebook.com/whythesilence/

http://www.facebook.com/SED8official

Meet our featured beauty with brains Surjeet Bawa, a fashion designer and stylist based in Sydney, Australia.

She is the owner of the label ‘Coco By Bawa’. She is very passionate towards her work and her designs are very unique and trendy.

Surjeet started her career as a model. Since childhood, fashion was her passion. She took up modelling offers and assignments while studying at college in Delhi (India). She also achieved fame in the field of fashion design and styling and is known for her distinctive designs. Her taste and ideas have always different from the rest.

Label ‘Coco By Bawa’ has been a part of many distinguished fashion shows. Surjeet Bawa is not only a master of design but also of creativity and innovation. This lady is going global!

Feel free to check out her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/CocobyBawa/

Meet our featured beauty with brains Pragati Jain, a makeup artist based in Sydney, Australia.

Here is an interview with her:

1. Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, passions etc.

Well, for the basics, I am a 20 years old girl pursuing my degree in business administration from SP Jain School of Global Management, Sydney. As for my hobbies, I love to dabble between things and explore new skills. I am an avid bathroom singer, hahaha. Besides that I really like to dance, sketch and write. I even have an instagram page where I portray a bit of my writing and sketching (@doodlesbypaggy). Currently I have started a new venture called BreakThruu that advocates mental health and wellbeing (www.breakthruu.com) I am sure you see what I mean by dabbling between new things. Apart from that I really love to travel. I’ve visited a lot of countries and explored lots of new cultures.

2. Who or what inspired you to become a makeup artist? To be honest, I’ve been drawing and painting ever since I was a kid and makeup just expands those boundaries. I mean with makeup being added to the list, you are not just constricted or confined to the canvas or a sketchbook, you have much more to explore. Apart from that I love meeting new people and makeup allows me to connect with amazing people with really powerful personalities. I learn something new from every client of mine and that’s what I really really like. This is why I decided to become a makeup artist and this was my inspiration.
3. If you could give any celebrity a makeover, who would it be and why?

Ummm, this is a tough one actually because there are so many people I would love to give a makeover to. But if I have to come down to one person, I think it would be Emma Watson. She inspires me. Ever since I was a kid I have been a potter head, plus she is the one person who fights for things she is passionate about. She has done so much for the world. She is a true feminist and has constantly fought for gender equality and sexual harassment. I really admire her. We need more women like her.

4. Who is your style icon and why?

I have 4 style icons and they are my mom, my grandma and my aunts (bua) (masi). All four of them are strong, independent women who carry themselves with a certain class and elegance. I’ve really admired the way they wear what their heart desires but still look refined and sophisticated and I think that’s really rare. I’ve always looked up to them and will continue to do so my entire life.

Feel free to check out her makeup page on Instagram:

Www.instagram.com/mascara_by_pragatijain

Now a multi business award winner. I am an independent health & wellness advocate who has always had a passion for fitness and well-being as well as helping others.

I am single, 33 year old. I live and was born and raised in Perth Western Australia. I am self-employed and have worked for myself since 2013. I am the founder and owner of Beyond Body and my soul aim when I created my business was to provide a holistic approach for the health and wellbeing of others, to guide, support, inspire and empower others strive to be the best versions of themselves, to find their own self-created happiness and balanced lifestyles.

I provide services which include fitness, wellness and wellbeing, coaching and helping others find their true potential in most avenues of life.

I consider myself to be a wise person who has been through many adversities which have shaped me, strengthened me and has allowed me to grow into the independent woman I am today. I have done most things myself, the hard way or taken the non-easy road.

I am someone who is confident and secure in not only my own skin and who I am and have grown to be but the life I have created for myself. I have been nominated for over 10 business awards and named the winner of two. (nationally and state wide)

I built my own first home in 2016. My business is successfully going into its 6th year of business and I have created a lifestyle and career which offers flexibility amongst the hard work.

1. What are your goals in life? Have you achieved them? Something I always wanted to achieve in life was to build/buy my own home. I sacrificed a lot in my 20s to be able to have saved and had enough money to buy my first home and mostly new things to go within. I did achieve this in 2016 where I was very blessed to be able to build my very own first home. I have a lot of business goals which I still work towards. I believe I have accomplished a lot within my business, doing it all by myself and with little to no help from outside parties. Although I set my goals high, I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. 

2. What is a typical day in your life like?

A typical day in my life is go go go haha. My days never are the same, I am never one to sit still and I am always buzzing around doing something. I generally wake up about 4.45am/5am every day, I tuck into a quick nutritious breakfast, my go to at the moment, now that it’s cooler weather again is oats, nuts, seeds, a dollop of peanut butter with berries. I start my first class at 6am. Then depending on what day it is I will either go straight on to private sessions and or afterwards admin duties for my biz. I prepare food / food  prep meals at least once a fortnight. As I live by myself, my general household bits and bobs are completed in and around my work and business commitments, study .. etc. I like to stay on top of all my bookkeeping and stay super organised with all aspects of my business. I also help out my parents who are getting older now any way possible with my older brother, who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Afternoons will see me working on my goals, I will normally complete my own workout around 4/4.30pm before I get ready and head off for my evening classes. I eat dinner about 8pm and aim to be in bed for about 10pm. 

3. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

I would like to see myself in a bigger, more positively established business/company. I hope to be more financially secure and in a position to make a bigger impact in people’s lives. (If ultimate dreams did come true, my ultimate dream would be, to be the Ellen Degeneres of Australia.) 

I also hope to in the future, be able to provide and care for my old brother and allow him to live the best life possible. (this is something which does weigh heavily upon me) 

Feel free to check out her website, FB page and Instagram.

Website: http://www.beyondbody.com.au

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/BeyondBodyWA

Insta: @beyondbody

• 

Meet our featured beauty with brains Shom Pal, a personal stylist based in Sydney, Australia. Here is her story:

“I’m a personal stylist but before that I am a wife, a mum and a Full time Quality Specialist. I love writing for my lifestyle blog – Styled By Shom.

After I was awarded the ‘Best Fashion Designer’ title in my city in 2000, I got to showcase my fashion concept at the Smirnoff Fashion Show. In September 2015 I got to visit New York to work for Oxford Fashion Studio’s signature participation in the New York Fashion Week. OFS based in London hired me to work as Backstage dresser for the show. That one week working with reputed fashion designers ignited my passion for fashion and style.

As a personal stylist, I understand that a regular woman managing home and work and thus would prefer more practical fashion options & that’s where my expertise as a stylist comes in. I love dressing my clients in outfits that best suit their body shapes and allows them to express their individuality with confidence.

Background: How I became a stylist

Every birthday I try doing something spectacular for my personal growth. In 2019, I graduated from Professional Styling Academy. Brand new in this profession as a stylist, I faced many difficulties including very discouraging judgements that I will not make it. That, I took as a challenge which I turned into an opportunity as I morphed myself and built my empire single handedly my styling business I call- Styled By Shom.

I didn’t get to have the luxuries of using the services of professional photographers & agencies so I relied entirely on the genius of my beloved iPhone and husband to build my portfolio for success.

I have one single mission as a stylist and that is to instil confidence and glamour in every client I work with.

Here’s a recent verbatim from a very kind well-wisher :

‘U inspire…a certain age group, like for ex, married ones, someone who is not that young, people who had weight issues. U know the 36-26-36 types. Not everyone is that. What we see in models is often this body, which makes us feel more guiltier and sad. But your photos are real. U r gonna be a star, I’m telling you… u have put ur heart & soul in this.’ – Komal Priya

Today, I blog weekly about style, make-up, fitness, everyday fashion tips and a whole range of lifestyle topics.

My blog is called – http://www.styledbyshom.com
My facebook ID: http://www.facebook.com/styledbyshom
My Insta grid: http://www.instagram.com/styledbyshom”

• 

Given the situation in the US right now, we asked a few empowered women about their thoughts and feelings on the issue. One of them is fitness coach Jasneet Jhinger, owner of Livfit Lifestyle (https://www.livfitlifestyle.com). She opened our eyes to a different sort of racism that exists, people discriminating against people of the same race! This is what she shared with us:

“I have something to say about #Blacklivesmatter , we are all standing up for this wonderful movement. ⁣Showcasing our support by using hashtags, sharing protest videos, trying to bring awareness to this harsh reality of racism and discrimination. ⁣
⁣
Do you know how real change will happen?⁣
⁣
When we look inside ourselves⁣.
⁣
A much needed self-reflection & a wake up call⁣.
⁣
We’ve got to re-wire our brains to wash out the generations worth of conditioning that we grew up with⁣
⁣
Myself being an Indian, I have this to say…⁣
⁣
In India, fair skin people are considered superior to dark skin people⁣. The very reason why there is a huge industry of skin ‘whitening’ creams in India⁣.
⁣
‘Don’t go in the sun because your skin will get dark!’— don’t give a damn about damaging your skin in the sun BUT afraid of getting dark because it is not considered a superior colour⁣. Dark skin people will struggle to get married because of their skin colour. ⁣
⁣
With that kind of conditioning, imagine what we would think about the blacks? ⁣
⁣
Unfortunately, we bring this mindset to anywhere and everywhere we go…⁣
⁣
We might not be doing this consciously but after years of limiting beliefs, we might end up doing it subconsciously. So beware!⁣
⁣
I request all to do little self-reflection and start re-wiring that little brain of ours so we can pass on the much needed equality to our future generations. ⁣
⁣
I am freaking proud to say that some of my best friends and biggest support system back in Canada was from my African friends. The most kind and loving people. I miss you all.” – Jasneet
⁣

Given the situation in the US right now, we asked a few empowered women about their thoughts and feelings on the issue. One of them is social media influencer Mikaela Michelle, who has a huge fan following on Instagram, more than 22,000!
(www.instagram.com/mikaelaamichelle)

Here is what she shared with us:

“Social media is not only the biggest platform I have, the audience I have here is also highly influential. I feel like I have a responsibility to address the horrible events of last week with the unfair, disgusting death of George Floyd. I’m sorry if it took me a while to talk about it here, I have so many thoughts I didn’t know where to start.

I am so sad to be living in a world where racism is still SO PRESENT. You know it is, even if you’re not subject to it. As influencers, it is our duty to speak up about these issues, fight for what is right and fight against racism online AND offline.

If you think your voice doesn’t matter, you are wrong. You’re an influencer on social media and you’re an influencer within your close circle of family and friends. Your words have an impact, whether you believe it or not.

We have to educate ourselves and others and fight together against racism and the unfair treatment of people of color around the world. PLEASE USE YOUR PLATFORMS to spread knowledge and awareness.

Being non-racist is not enough. We all need to be activists. Don’t be scared to take a stand on social media and fight for what is right. You might get unfollowed by some but guess what, whoever remains will be that much more loyal and engaged. That is who you want in your audience. Don’t be afraid to lose a brand deal either! If you can’t stand behind a brand just as much as their product, the collaboration is not worth doing! That should never keep you from speaking up against racism.

If you are a person of color, I am with you. I am so sorry for the missed opportunities you may have had, sorry if you have ever felt like you needed to change who you are or how you act to please a broken society and system, sorry if anyone has treated you poorly just for being who you are, sorry if you’ve been through traumatic experiences just because of the color of your skin. My heart breaks for you. I promise I will do better to fight this fight with you.

If you’re a white person, please acknowledge your privilege and stop challenging the way people of color feel when they speak about their experiences, just listen. Educate yourself and PLEASE, educate others around you that you know engage in racism. It’s uncomfortable to call out people in person, but it’s necessary at this point and I feel like having these conversations in person is the best way to change someone’s way of thinking. Please don’t be afraid to speak on your platforms. I know you might be scared of phrasing your thoughts in a way that will be perceived wrong but at some point, we can’t stay silent.

Here are some resources :

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ “ – Mikaela

• 

• 

Given the situation in the US right now, we asked a few empowered women about their thoughts and feelings on the issue. One of them is entrepreneur Lua Jones, who runs ‘Dear Teenage Me’ (https://dearteenageme.com).

Here is what she shared with us:

“At school, when I was about 11, I remember being shown a video about slavery, racism and the civil rights movement. It rocked me to my core. I felt my first huge flush of white guilt. I was outraged by my own skin colour, at how people that looked like me had done such despicable things. I was knocked sideways and it stirred up in me a great ‘need’ to do something about it!

However, in reality, I did a whole lot of nothing, nothing of any repute. I simply began identifying myself as ‘non-racist’. Soon after that, I embraced everything black culture and upheld it, celebrated it, exalted it. I wanted to be on ‘their’ side. I looked to black music, language, countries for my redemption and solace and to quell this white guilt. And, as I have talked about before, in fact, what I now realise I did, was in fact to appropriate black culture. My own naive and uneducated way of attempting to be an anti-racist. I know now to do better.

Looking back, I see that I felt stopped in my plight, the plight so clear to my 11yo self who felt called to address the racial injustices of the world, and be an ally. Instead, I worried; about what others would think, whether I could even make any difference, about getting it right/wrong, or what might happen to me if I stood out in a crowd and be the only one to speak up. I was also scared of being vilified by those I was trying to ‘help’, or that I would be called-out for being racist, a ‘white saviour’ or bad feminist, and that I might lose credibility, or admittedly, even lose some of my own privileges, god forbid! Also, at play, was ultimately how much energy I needed to ‘give’ to this, when in reality I could totally ‘get away’ without addressing it, because it didn’t affect me directly. And hey, there are other battles to fight right? All this, clearly my own white fragility and privilege at play with a good ol’ dose of ‘not my problem’.

I am now seeing so many people ‘stand up’ that haven’t before. And, I am so pleased to see this happening, it’s a shame of course that it hasn’t happened sooner, but I do believe it is never too late, what matters is right now, who we are being about it RIGHT NOW, and we must stand up now!

To those who remain silent, your silence is deafening!! Because finally, this is erupting and we are already late to the party. I personally can see how much of a coward I have been. That there have been so many things that I believe in and have wanted to bring to light, and yet I’ve stood back, held my tongue and waited until others would go first, because I wanted to feel safe amongst a crowd. I have been a fraud with no conviction.

This shows me just how much it takes to be a leader, and although I identify as a leader, I often do not act as so. This is how I must do better.

And.. I am human and admittedly it is difficult to step up sometimes, so we must forgive ourselves for that – guilt is not useful here! I know that I could keep on endlessly educating myself before I act, but this is no excuse anymore, the time is now!

I have to take risks, speak up and be prepared to fail. If I get it wrong, I will learn, and I am learning.

I am committed to being a part of the solution.

I am in awe of those who stood with Malcom X and marched peacefully in 1963, knowing that their lives would be at mortal risk.

So please, white people, we need to stand up, and we need to be the MAJORITY of people marching and protesting and making these waves, and be of service to POC, using our white privilege so that they can no longer be hurt by systemic racism.

And we must act with peace. Take your egos out of the equation, do not make this situation worse, it is not about you!

The only way to overcome this plight is through love – as with anything. We must bring gentleness, understanding, innocence, goodwill, modesty, generosity, flexibility, proper principles, honesty…

White people can make a huge difference, we cannot expect POC to be always calm when the system has been hurting them for so long, they are disproportionately affected by EVERYTHING right now!

I have privilege and I will do my best to use it correctly, and though I am very upset and want to cry today over all this, I will not, because I am grateful, I know how lucky I am to be able to live with this privilege of being white in the world today, and not feel as if my life is at risk or considered to be worth less than another – every single day of my life.

I am making my own reparations and I hope you are too.”