We recently connected with Chanla Frederickson and have shared our conversation below.
Chanla, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I have a small business. An award-winning skincare line that’s clean and natural. I’m in the beauty industry and it’s a very saturated market. You can type in “anti-aging” moisturizer and thousands of products can come up. There are the big brands, the indie brands on social media, and the makers on etsy. There is a sea full of skincare lines out there. Because it’s so saturated, it was hard not to get caught up in comparing myself to other brands.
Running my own social media, I follow and see many other brands out there. I see the amount of “likes”, comments, and follower count. As some brands were growing in follower size, mine wasn’t. I would see some brands growing to tens of thousands of followers and I was stuck, or hardly growing. It felt like I should be getting more business, more followers, more everything. They are doing it, why can’t I? It was very unhealthy to think this way. I had to learn how to retrain my brain.
Once I realized social media is truly a highlight reel, even for small businesses, I made sure not to compare myself or my business to them. Most only show the good. Some people were buying followers, or posting fake numbers, went viral, or were really growing organically.
I also realized, instead of feeling like a failure, and making it about me, I should be celebrating the fact that some of these brands were becoming more and more successful. It felt amazing to let go of feeling like a failure, and just be happy for the other brands that were growing, no matter how they were doing it. It was such a simple lightbulb moment that changed so much for me.
Now I’m focusing on my skincare line and could not be happier. I don’t want to put my energy into negativity, especially towards myself. That can be so draining when it doesn’t have to be. Why do that to yourself, you know?
Let go. It’s freeing.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an esthetician with almost 2 decades of experience in the beauty industry. I formulate, create, make and ship natural skincare products that are clean, natural, and made in small batches to ensure freshness and potency. My skincare line has won multiple awards which I am proud of. Keeping toxic ingredients out of my skincare line and keeping earth at the forefront of my values is important to me.
Right now I am focusing on getting my skincare line in the hands of new people. To do this, I’ve been more active in participating or running in person events/workshops as well as showing up on social media more often.
As someone who’s more reserved, the thought of running these events was scary, but after I kept at it, I realized, I actually love it! They are one of my favorite things to do now! The connections made are so special.
I have loved in person events because I get to meet some of my current customers and meet new ones! It’s great to put the face to the names I’ve seen behind orders. I also love getting to see my regulars and getting to know them more. They make me feel at home at every event, no matter where I am. Seeing their faces and warm embraces are pure comfort for me!
I’m really excited for the next big event I have coming up. This is going to be a celebration for an award I just won- “Best Small- Batch Skincare Range 2024” by LuxLife Magazine. And I was just awarded another one, “Green Product of the Year” by the International Spa Awards. It’s at one of my favorite places, The Graceful Ordinary. We will be on the beautiful south terrace located in the heart of downtown St. Charles on the river. The space is gorgeous. Not only is the vibe amazing, the drinks, food, and service are exceptional. The sunset views here are incredible! It checks all the boxes and more, so I couldn’t think of a better place for this! The celebration will be happening Thursday June 13th! I can’t wait to see everyone! I’m hoping some of my current customers will bring a new friend who hasn’t tried my line yet.
Spots are limited– you can grab your ticket on my website when they go live: www.chanlachaucosmetics.com
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It’s been a long journey being an entrepreneur. Looking back, I know that persistency, positivity, and consistency are qualities that were most impactful on getting me where I am today.
If I stopped trying to sell my skincare or services when a few people said no, or there were crickets when I posted a sale.. I would have quit in the beginning. But I kept showing up throughout the years, dabbling in more and more skincare eventually finding myself being consistent. Once these two went together, they were a dream team! Then, sprinkle in positivity because you have to when you’re a small business. You have to find the good in situations, be optimistic and believe you can do big things and crush goals. And you will.
For those starting early in their journey, remember we all start somewhere. One foot in front of the other. Take small steps daily to help you reach your goals. Invest in yourself. Find a mentor, join a mastermind, and surround yourself with people who are positive, encouraging and doing what you want to be doing. Learn from them. You’ll waste less time and money by doing this. This will help you move forward more than anything.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My husband, Dave, has been my rock throughout my entire journey. He was there in the beginning when a dream was born, an idea to become an entrepreneur. Throughout the years, I needed ideas or feedback, and he was always there to provide honest and unbiased feedback to help my business. He was also the only reason I was able to start a skincare line because I was a stay at home mom making no money. He bought me all the supplies and ingredients I needed to start my line. This little hobby turned into quite the business over time.
I was being called to go back to the makeup and skincare world during my time as a stay at home mom. At the time, I was following a world renowned educator, Donna Mee, who was hosting a makeup artist class in California. I flew from Chicago to take her 4 day class and was very inspired by Donna and everything she had to teach. While there, she said I should come to her beauty boot camp which was happening the next week in Mexico.. for 4 weeks! I thought, “um okay”, and only dreamt of going. When I called my husband to tell him how the makeup classes were going, I told him about the beauty boot camp, he said “well you better get your passport situated”. With that, and shock, I went home, drove into the city and had the same day passport service done. Before I knew it, I was on a plane and headed to Cancun for a month to learn in depth skincare, eyebrows and makeup!
Throughout the years, in my skincare business, there were many times I wanted to quit during times I felt overwhelmed, or felt like I was failing. Dave saw so much potential in me, and knew my dreams. He never gave up on me and always encouraged me. I remember one day telling him I wasn’t sure if this was for me anymore. He said that I light up everytime I talk about my clients and skincare. It was these simple but profound reminders that kept me going. He has always believed in me, even when I did not believe in myself.
Without his support, I would have quit by now. I am so grateful for his encouragement all these years.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chanlachaucosmetics.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chanla.chau.cosmetics
- Facebook: chanla chau cosmetics
Image Credits
Dana Chaplin of Preservation Heart Photography Charlotte Frederickson
