We were lucky to catch up with Allison Barbera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Allison with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Growing up, I watched both of my parents give their all to their careers. I don’t remember them complaining about their jobs or taking shortcuts. I only ever saw them take their jobs seriously and advance, or in the case of my father after he left his first career in education, open businesses until he found the one that worked. I assumed everyone not only did what they were supposed to do at their job, but went above and beyond, because that’s what I saw my parents do.
I’m also naturally very goal driven and I like the feeling of accomplishment, so I have internal motivation that helps with my work ethic. I like to do things right and do a good job so that people who are affected by me doing whatever my job tasks are are happy. Doing a job correctly and conscientiously has a positive impact on our clients/customers, coworkers, employees, bosses, etc., and I’d much rather make a positive impact on the world–even if it’s a small one–than a negative impact.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve owned an onsite beauty company, Allison Barbera Beauty, since 2008, and have watched a lot of my fellow beauty business owners/freelancers struggle, or leave the industry all together. I noticed that many of them struggled or left not because they weren’t talented enough, but because they were frustrated, stressed or overwhelmed with the business side of things.
I’ve helped countless beauty pros I know over the years with organization and various issues they encountered with the business side of beauty. I decided I wanted to help beauty pros on a larger scale, so I opened Allison Barbera Academy, which offers business support for beauty business owners and freelancers. I currently offer a variety of coaching services, with some new services launching this fall.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Time management has been a huge part of my success. I utilize techniques like batching and the Pomodoro Technique to help me be productive and efficient.
I’ve found organization to be immensely helpful in my business. Email labels, calendar reminders, workflows, and systems all fall under the organizational umbrella in my mind.
Having a background working in small businesses before I opened my own business was also very impactful. I learned what to do–and what not to do–from observing my bosses at those jobs, and being aware of what did and didn’t work in each business helped me when I became my own boss. I didn’t know that I’d open my own business someday, but I guess my subconscious was taking notes!
For anyone starting out on their entrepreneurial journey, time management and organization are key elements. If those don’t come naturally to you, I recommend hiring a coach who can help. If that’s not in the budget, learning about things like batching, The Pomodoro Technique, email labels, calendar reminders, etc. and then actually doing or using them will be huge. If you begin your career as an organized business owner who knows how to prioritize and budget your time, success will be much easier to achieve!
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The beauty industry is full of incredibly talented people. However, much of the focus within the industry is on developing technical skills as opposed to developing business skills. Both are important, but without a solid business foundation, it’s impossible for beauty pros to reach their highest income potential and achieve schedule freedom.
My biggest challenge has been getting beauty business owners/freelancers to understand that the business side of beauty is just as important as the services they provide. They might be quick to spend $300+ on a class to learn a new technical skill, but wouldn’t consider spending that much on an attorney, accountant or business coach.
To overcome this challenge, I frequently share free beauty business advice on the Allison Barbera Academy Instagram, Beauty Pro Business Advice Facebook group I created, and in my weekly email “The Business Side of Beauty.” My hope is that if they hear it enough, beauty pros will start to understand why running their business like a business is important, and how it will help them become successful more quickly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allisonbarbera.com/allison-barbera-academy/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonbarberaacademy/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/722252876191541
- Other: Free guide for beauty business owners/freelancers https://allison-barbera-academy.ck.page/beauty-boss-starter-guide
