Turning Dreams into Reality: Building a Successful Online Business

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Becci Hollis, where we are talking all about how she stopped trading her time for money and created an online business that has meant she now has the freedom to be able to work from anywhere in the world. In this episode, Becci shares her story so far, what was necessary to have in place to create the online business she has today, as well as some invaluable insights and tips for people who want to work more passively. Becci is a nail technician, beauty educator and the owner of Blossom Academy. She started in the beauty industry just over 9 years ago and built her business from doing clients in between and after university lectures, to being fully booked and completely self employed. She became an educator so that she could pass on her knowledge and passion to help others to create their own successful beauty business.   KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST The importance of passion, hard work and being willing to invest, if you want to succeed The lessons Becci has learned and the key behind being able to scale an online business The marketing strategy behind Becci's success If you enjoyed this episode then please feel free to go and share it on your social media or head over to iTunes and give me a review, I would be so very grateful.   LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE Connect with Becci on Instagram Find out more about Blossom Academy Connect with Teresa on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook Transcript Teresa: Hello and welcome back to the Your Dream Business Podcast. How are you doing this week? I hope you're good. So this week I have another interview and  I have a very dear friend who I have known for a very long time. I was like, I said this the other day actually on an episode that I've been just interviewing people that I love, which is awesome because I just have conversations and like, I'd love to know what you lot think. Cause I think it makes a better. A better, I can't speak a better interview because we're just having a chat and I enjoy it more anyway. So today I am interviewing the very lovely Becci Hollis, who is a nail technician and beauty educator and the owner of Blossom Academy. She started in the beauty industry over nine years ago and has built her business from doing clients in between and after university lectures and now is fully booked and completely self employed. She then became an educator Educator. I hate reading as you well know everybody. So she could pass on her knowledge and her passion to help others and create their own successful beauty businesses. Becci Hollis, welcome to the podcast. Becci: Hello. Thank you for having me. Teresa: I am very happy to have you Becci. Not only am I happy because this is the last podcast I'm recording today, which as much as I love them, what I've done a lot. I'm happy about that. But because to have you on, because like, you're Becci Hollis, like, and people who are in my world and have been in the club will know Becci Hollis, but the, the story of how we've kept coming into each other's world is just amazing. So let's take us back to when you first reach out to me. Cause like that was a million years ago. So let's start the story there, Becci. Becci: Yeah. A lot's happened since then, hasn't it? Teresa: Boy has a lot happened. Becci: So how long ago would it have been? I mean, I was at university, I was doing my dissertation and my mum told me about this marketing lady that she'd heard of. And because my degree was in marketing. I needed an expert to interview. So I went onto your website, I think, and submitted a contact form or something like that. I don't even remember how it was now. And yeah, basically I interviewed you for my dissertation. You were my expert that I interviewed. Teresa: And I remember sitting at ADCA where my daughter used to go to school in the car park waiting to pick her up. And I'd booked this call with you and I was on my phone because we had an actual phone call. We didn't have a zoom back in those days. And, and I remember you interviewed me and I remember you said, would I like to see your finished dissertation? So I said, yes, that would be lovely. It was awesome. It was really, really good. You've done this whole like gamification thing to do with clothes and I can't remember the full details, but it was very good, Becci. Becci: Oh, thank you. I enjoyed doing it, actually. Teresa: So, so that was the first time. Well, what we thought was the first time we met. And then you had finished uni. And was that then when you said, could you come and do some work for free and come and just do some work experience with me? Becci: Yeah. Yeah, so I was just trying to get some experience because obviously, you know what it's like when you first graduate, nobody wants to actually give you that initial experience. You have the degree, but no experience. So yeah, you very kindly had me for, was it a week? Teresa: Yeah, maybe a week or two, I think. And then you came back into my world again because you worked for, you actually, and this is kind of the irony of it all, you worked for a company that taught beauty industry people, didn't you? Becci: Yeah. Yes, I did. Yeah. So I was doing their marketing, but then also used to help out on the courses as well. And I think that's when I sort of first started to realize how much I loved the beauty industry. Yeah. And yeah, we reached out to you for help with the marketing, didn't we? Teresa: Yeah. So I came and did some training or some consultancy or something. And then, and then the next time. You were working somewhere else in a completely different industry and Becci: I've tried a few things. Teresa: Yeah, well, you've got to, and you were young, like you were, like, how old are you now, Becci? You're 24, 25? Oh Becci: 27. Teresa: Oh, I've still, you're stuck in that age with me. But like, so you were pretty young then and you still are pretty young, much younger than I am, but then you worked for another company and. They reached out to me before you knew, and I rocked up and there's Becci Hollis working at this place. We were like, and then we did, I did some more training there and I did some consultancy there. And then you got in contact with me cause you were not very happy in that role. And as we later discovered Becci, just as like me, wouldn't be happy working for anybody. We are good working for ourselves. And then you did some more work experience with me. Becci: So, yeah, I was like, I just want to work for you again for free. Teresa: Which I was like, yeah, sure, go on. And then we got to the point where you then started working properly for me, didn't you? So you had set up. doing. So the nail thing you'd always done, you'd always done nails, like from, like you said, at university, that was how you made money go through uni, wasn't it? And when I say nails, in case someone isn't sure, explain to them what you mean by you do nails. Becci: Yeah. So I make people's nails pretty. So I do basically all types of gel nails and yeah, I can enhance them. I can do it on the natural nails. Yeah. Basically just make them pretty. Isn't it? Teresa: Yeah. So like, yeah. Not like fake, fake nails, but like, yeah, the gel thing. So, so you went back to doing a bit of that, to doing a marketing thing and part of doing the marketing thing was working for me in my team, which you did for, how long did you work in my team for? Becci: I reckon it was maybe 18 months to two years, because my role kind of kept on expanding, didn't it? I started with just a very small part, but then, yeah, it expanded. Teresa: Basically became my right arm. So obviously all this time, Becci keeps coming back into my world, back into my world, back into my world, and you're trying out things. So let's, let's take it from there then. So you have got three businesses at this point, no, technically two. Because you hadn't got the academy yet, had you? Becci: No, not quite. Teresa: Okay, so you were working as a nail technician, doing nails, and then working as a marketing person. Doing marketing for me and others, and then tell us what happened. Becci: So lockdown happened and obviously I then couldn't do any nails. That side of my business was completely closed. I panicked because I had a mortgage to pay and bills to pay. So, yeah, I was like, right. Well, the only thing I can do is ramp up the marketing, which luckily I had some good connections and good contacts. And once I sort of...