Meet Eliza Trendiak

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eliza Trendiak. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eliza , so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

When I say I burnt out, I mean I burnt to a crisp. I had spent most of my 20’s and 30’s building my career as a hair stylist and salon owner, a dream I had had since a little girl. I pictured myself building the brand for decades and maybe even taking the business across Canada. But when Covid hit, everything changed. The business that I had loved for so many years didn’t seem to be love me back anymore. Skyrocketing expenses, employee turnover, and a major upswing in vandalism and crime often led me to feeling like I was trapped in the career that I had once dreamed of. Then in 2021 I had my daughter and a year and a half later my son. With no maternity leave, undiagnosed post-partum depression and the mounting stress of my business I knew something needed to change. I had become a shell of my former self, uninspired, exhausted. I remember looking in my son’s eyes one day and realizing I couldn’t remember the first 8 months of his life. In that moment I knew I didn’t want to spend another moment missing out on this time in my children’s lives.

I decided to sell my business all the while slowly disassembling the identity that I had been clutching to. Who was I without this business? What would people think if I didn’t have this title of “owner” behind my name anymore? What brought me joy? What made me feel like the best version of myself? Through countless hours of self reflection, late night talks with my husband and months and months of therapy I began to heal. I sold the salons and begun working on my next project, but with very different parameters. I focused on a business that I could do from home, that sparked my creativity, and that aligned with the new found dreams I had for my life.

I look back on the past 4 years the way one looks back at a healed heartbreak; a dull ache at how deeply hard it was but so grateful that it led me to where I am today.

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 been an entrepreneur since before I even knew the meaning of the word. Whether operating a successful lemonade stand or charging the kids in the neighbourhood for gymnastics lessons (despite not being a gymnast), I have always loved turning an idea into a tangible business. I spent the first 15 years of my career in the hair styling industry, first as a stylist, and then as a salon owner. My experience in the beauty industry ultimately inspired me to start Lavoh, a brand of innovative, eco-friendly makeup remover facecloths that remove all makeup using ONLY WATER. I loved that this product truly simplified my routine, eliminated the need for disposable products, and was easy to use as a toddler mom with little time for self care.

Having only launched the brand in May 2024, I have absolutely loved the learning curve this project has taken me on. From package design to photoshoots and email marketing campaigns to in person trade shows and pop-ups, I have enjoyed every aspect of building this brand. Over the next year I plan to continue to scale online as well as pursue wholesale to reach more customers in boutiques and major retailers. Basically, if you wear makeup, I want you to know about Lavoh!

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?

Authenticity

Authenticity has always been a quality the I highly value and strive to live by in both my personal and entrepreneurial life. Showing up authentically whether as a boss, as a friend, or even online has allowed me to form deep connections with the people in my life. Nobody has it figured out, nobody has their life totally together, and I find their is so much more room for connection and encouragement and inspiration when we show our true selves, the messy parts and all. I regularly share my mistakes, downfalls, and insecurities with others because it creates a safe space for others to learn through failure and it takes away the shame in thinking you’re the only person who hasn’t figured things out yet.

Grit

As an entrepreneur you won’t survive without grit. Webster’s dictionary defines it as “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” and I like to think of it as a muscle that you must keep using so that it strengthens over time. There have been countless times over the years that I wanted to quit, thought the problem was insurmountable, or felt like the hardship was just too much to overcome. Each time my grit was what got me through. My husband and I came up with a little motto every time one of us needs to tap into our grit: “We can do the hard things.” And we will continue to flex that muscle and continue to do the hard things because we know grit is what it takes to achieve our goals.

Conflict Resolution

One of THE MOST important skills that I have had to develop over my life as a business owner is conflict resolution. Having hard conversations, no matter how uncomfortable, are just part of the gig and the only way to get better at it is to practice. I remember in the early days of owning my salons I was so scared of having difficult conversations with employees that it would make me physically ill. But as soon as I accepted that conflict was always going to happen and that the culture I was trying to create was worth having, it helped change my mind around conflict. I started viewing respectful conflict resolution as a way to strengthen relationships and build trust and I always learned something new about myself in the process.

If you are early in your journey, the sooner you can get comfortable with having difficult, honest but respectful conversations, the better off you will be.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

My biggest area of growth in the past 12 months has been learning to pace myself and keep my eyes on my own journey, rather than comparing it to others. If left to my own devices I want to move at warp speed. I want to grow quickly, take every opportunity that comes my way, and I can often bite off more than I can chew. After experiencing burnout last year I regularly have to remind myself that slow growth is sustainable growth and just because an opportunity presents itself does not mean I have to take it. It’s easy to compare myself to big companies and feel like I’m not doing enough but again I remind myself that I am only one woman (with 2 toddlers!) and there is no evidence to support that I am not exactly where I should be. My mental health, physical health, and the health of my family is more important than my business and the pinnacle of success is not productivity. Again, these are lessons I’ve learned over the past 12 months and I will need to continue to keep learning them and reminding myself of them as my journey continues.

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Image Credits

Rob Trendiak

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