When a Beauty Frustration Becomes a Viral Brand With Sophie From Better Brow

Dahna Borg (00:00)

Hi, and welcome to the Bright Minds of eCommerce podcast. Today we’re here with Sophie from Better Brow. Welcome, Sophie.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (00:05)

Hi,thank you so much for having me.

Dahna Borg (00:08)

It’s so good to have you on the show. You have been showing up on my TikTok and I have been following your business journey for such a long time. So it’s so nice to have you on the show. Can you give us a little bit of context? Who is better brow and sort of what problem did you originally set out to solve?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (00:21)

Better Brow launched in May last year and the problem that I found was there is so many niche beauty products that are coming to the market that we can use at home. So instead of getting lash extensions, we can now use lashes at home.

And I just found with waxing my brows, was having to go to the salon every two weeks. I was spending way too much money. But then when I tried using waxing products at home, I didn’t find one that gave me the same results. And I’m also a very lazy type of beauty enthusiast. I don’t want to use something that has 30 steps. I didn’t want to weigh out wax beads. didn’t want to to put too much thought into it. that’s sort of where the idea came from of trying to find something to wax my brows at home with that is easy and quick but gives the same results as the salon.

Dahna Borg (01:18)

The creation that you’ve come up with is just so smart and so clever. It’s that like ADHD person’s dream there’s not 70 steps to do this. There’s not, you know, complication. So can you walk us through a little bit of that like product development process? Obviously you had this idea. You were trying to solve this problem. You have obviously not just gone and white labeled someone else’s product like you’ve designed this. Can you walk us through that?

process a little bit.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (01:45)

Yeah. So for context, I have always been business minded. I’ve always wanted to start my own business. looking back, I’ve tried to do lash extensions at home, but it was, that just didn’t work out. I thought about, bringing out a clothing label, but I’m like, what’s different about that? I’m, I don’t have a social media presence personally. So I always had in the back of my mind, I wanted to start a business, but I didn’t know what.

Then a couple of years ago, I went to Europe and that was where the brow inspiration came from because my brows were so grown out. it was my partner and I and we were just sitting at home and just, we had a piece of paper and we just started drawing. Like what can we come up with that would be amazing? And one of our ideas was actually sort of like a hot glue gun.

And we were thinking, can we wax, hot wax and like paint it on? So it was very much starting from scratch and just drawing out ideas. And then to find a manufacturer, there’s no cheat sheet. I’ve listened to so many podcasts where founders are talking, how do you find a manufacturer? And it honestly is Google is your best friend. It took me so long to just go through Google and message every single manufacturer I could find.

Dahna Borg (02:37)

You

Sophie – Better Brow AU (03:03)

And you’re asking them, do you do custom devices? And it was trying to find a manufacturer that I could work with collaboratively because I didn’t have that design a hundred percent down pat. had to work together. So that took me a while, but it was definitely just going through Google and messaging everyone to see who would take a chance, who wanted to design something with me and

Of course, when you are designing something new, there are a lot of costs involved because you’re having to open up a new mold, when you start a business in other aspects and there is white label out there, you can get samples to see if you like that manufacturer’s quality. For me, I didn’t have that luxury. just had to.

also take a chance on them. that I liked the way that they communicated. I felt like it was a good fit. I’m taking a chance as well. This is a great idea. Let’s just go for it.

Dahna Borg (03:59)

How did you manage the the privacy of that? So obviously you’ve come up with this great idea, there’s nothing like it on the market that I’ve ever seen. How do you manage that relationship of going, I’m giving you my idea here, please don’t take it. Like how did you manage that side of things?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (04:14)

Yeah, so that was a big worry of mine. when I was trying to find the manufacturer, it was more talking to them, I have a concept in mind, I didn’t share specific product details yet until I found someone that I felt we had that working connection and I thought, okay, I can trust them. But of course,

You can’t trust a hundred percent. So I did have to get a straight away. And I’m like, this is so crazy. I haven’t even started the business, but I’ve got a lawyer. They helped me come up with a manufacturing agreement. my manufacturer was happy to sign that and any design that I’ve come up with, they have signed to sell exclusively to me only.

Dahna Borg (04:35)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (04:57)

Then on the back of that, I had to start the pattern application, which also takes just as long and costs just as much.

Dahna Borg (05:05)

Yeah, you just gotta be really careful and like protect that idea. So it sounds like you’ve done all of the right things. Other than obviously like making sure your idea was safe, what would you say the biggest challenge was in that process and how did you handle that?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (05:16)

The process took around 18 months and it does get really frustrating because I did start to panic a little. You’d get your 10th sample and you’re thinking this is it. And then you open it and it’s not. it’s that little bit of disappointment because the amount of time that has to go back into the manufacturer.

trying to fix that problem and send it again. And then in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, I need to just get this out as soon as possible, but I can only put out something that I think is a hundred percent what we’re working for. So I think the time it takes and feeling that rush, I soon got over that,

Once you do get that last sample and you give them, this is perfect, it sort of all makes sense and it just, it feels really good at the end.

Dahna Borg (06:05)

Worth the wait at the end.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (06:06)

Yeah.

Dahna Borg (06:07)

Obviously this is a huge big time investment. I imagine it’s very emotional. There’s obviously a financial backing on your own ends Was there a moment that you were like, we’re doing this, this is real, this actually might be something?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (06:20)

I think in terms of the financial sort of risk or that moment like we’re doing it is that had to come pretty quick because I had to open a new mold straight away. So in those initial conversations, each manufacturer would send their pricing on what it would take to even start the process. And then it is a big figure, but

I think because I have such a supportive family and partner and we were all saying, this could be something. And if it wasn’t something, at least I was going to give it a try. this just felt right. I didn’t do it, I would always think in the back of my mind, if I had just done it. at the end of the day,

It was a big financial output, but I think I just always had that mindset. I can get the money back. I can work. it doesn’t go to plan, I can move on.

Dahna Borg (07:13)

I think there’s just a great attitude as well because you have genuinely come up with something that I have never seen before in the market. I think as you said, like it really does have a lot of potential. don’t think that’s just like your family, you know, being super supportive. I think you really have gotten something here. Obviously I found you on TikTok because you have a very strong presence on TikTok. You do it very, very well. Why did you decide to go TikTok? I actually don’t know if you’re on any.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (07:24)

Yeah.

Dahna Borg (07:37)

Social platforms, what social platforms are you using, why TikTok? Give us a little bit of a rundown.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (07:42)

So TikTok is something that I use on the daily. I love watching small businesses. Everything business is on my TikTok. So I knew I had to put Etterbrough on there, but it did not come natural to me at all. I remember the first video, the first video I put up, I think it was like a Friday night.

Dahna Borg (07:59)

Tell us more!

Sophie – Better Brow AU (08:05)

And it must have been about six weeks before launch and it voiceover of me just using the product and I hit post and I just ran out to my sister and I was like I did the whole like throw my phone I was like I can’t watch this I feel so embarrassed right now but it was just one of those things and you hear Fander say all the time you just have to do it

Dahna Borg (08:22)

You

Sophie – Better Brow AU (08:28)

Social media does not come naturally to me, but for Better Brow, because I was so passionate, I genuinely believe in the product. It was just like, I need as many people to see it as possible. I’m just going to post it. And then one of my first videos went viral. I can’t remember the exact number, but it was in the hundreds of thousands.

That sort of gave me a bit of confidence and from there I was getting so many positive comments you realize that people just like me myself, I’ll watch a video, you scroll and then that’s the end of it. Like no one’s there laughing at you and if they are, who cares? So I got over that really quickly.

Dahna Borg (09:09)

I think it’s a really good attitude with it as well. I hear a lot of people be really disheartened if 100 people or 200 people watch your video. if you could talk to 200 people about your product on the side of the road or at a shop, you would be, this is the greatest day ever. I think we get really stuck in, we need millions of views on things for things to be important. all you really need is a couple of people who are going to buy your product to be watching. It doesn’t matter if it’s hundreds of thousands or 200 people that are going to buy from that video, you find people that are going to buy.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (09:39)

Yeah. And I also like to use our TikTok now, ⁓ for education purposes to start helping people who have bought the device. Like if that’s how to clean or application tips. So it is also so much about finding new people, but it is to start building that community and nurturing people who have followed you or have bought from your business. So I think that’s really nice.

Dahna Borg (10:07)

I love that. had another podcast interview. But it was talking about that like community building being so important and like not everything being a sales pitch. And I think a product like yours, you really can build that community. And I just think that’s lovely.

Do you find there’s a difference between the kinds of content you were posting in those early days versus the kind of content that you’re posting now? Obviously you’re posting more educational content now, but other than that, is there a big difference in the kind of content you’re posting?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (10:32)

I would say the only difference is just trying to get that quality up there. The first couple of videos, I’ve had no experience from social media. you know, my camera probably wasn’t even wiped. I probably didn’t have the best angles. the type of content is probably the same, but it’s just to the quality

we’re really focusing on getting videos of other people using the device, which I think is really showing that the device can be used from anyone that’s like my age or my mum uses it. I’m trying to get her to do a video to show just how universal it is. So I don’t mind having me the face of the sick talk, but I really want to show that the better brow can be used by everyone.

Dahna Borg (11:20)

I think that’s great too because there is always that it’s your product. of course, you know how to use it, but I don’t know what I’m doing. Can I also use it? So the more you get different kinds of people using a product is always, always a good thing. And that’s just marketing in general,

Sophie – Better Brow AU (11:32)

You asked me about my other social media platforms. I do have Instagram, but I find there is a big difference between Instagram and TikTok. So from the very beginning, I was doing my TikTok myself because I felt like you didn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing. You could just post whatever and it was fine. Whereas Instagram is more polished. So I do work with an amazing

Dahna Borg (11:38)

Yeah.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (11:55)

I’m social media coordinator and she takes care of our Instagram and she has now also taken on our TikTok but I’m very much still doing the videos for the TikTok and being involved as much as I can.

Dahna Borg (12:10)

Yeah, I love that. Do you think there’s anything that people misunderstand about TikTok and that that obviously leads to them not having as good a time with it?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (12:18)

I was misunderstanding. I thought you had to have the most polished content. You had to have social media skills to use it, which you don’t. You don’t need followers. I remember Better Brow had 18 followers when I first put my first video up and that was all my friends and family.

I had 18 followers and I just posted the video and then from there I just tried to post every day. No fancy skills needed. So I think maybe there’s a misconception that you need experience to use it.

or prior followers.

Dahna Borg (12:52)

Yeah, wonderful.

Is there anything around your launch or TikTok where you really started to see those sales coming through? Like was there a moment that obviously you’ve launched it, you’re posting on TikTok. When did you sort of start to see that turn into actual sales?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (13:04)

From launch, but I was speaking to my sister about this before that. Social media is also not all what it seems. So I have a really big presence on TikTok, but I remember I think I was posting six weeks before launch and I was getting so much hype from that. And I thought, oh my gosh, I’m going to sell out on launch. I’m like, I’ve done it.

And I was so excited, and then launch came and I had so many expectations and for selling out. And obviously when I didn’t, I was disappointed. And then it took me a while to look back and I was like, that’s just unrealistic. it’s not realistic to have such high expectations of selling out on your launch night or likes don’t equal sales. So don’t get me wrong, we had a great launch and it did start from there, but having such high expectations that likes equals sales is not realistic

Dahna Borg (14:02)

Yeah, 100%. Looking back on the whole journey, so from the idea to the development to your launch to sort of Black Friday where you are now, what would you say is the thing that you are the most proud of

Sophie – Better Brow AU (14:15)

Like to celebrate a lot of small wins along the way. I looking back at my stock room when I first had my first shipment of stock, I, the room was full and I was like, my gosh, how am going to sell all this? And then looking now to see that I have my fourth shipment on the way we’ve sold out of our complete brow bundle twice like

That to me is such a big achievement in itself. We haven’t even been launched for one year. Might be small to other business owners, but you need to just focus on yourself. We also were featured in two lists in news articles for Black Friday, which I thought was so cool. even being a part of this podcast, like things like this, I just find it so exciting and I am very proud of.

Dahna Borg (14:49)

Incredible.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (15:04)

Myself and Betabrow.

Dahna Borg (15:06)

You 100 % should be. You’ve put a great product on the market and it’s still on my wishlist of things to buy because you have spectacular brows Is there anything that you would do differently in the way that you’ve done everything? Obviously you’ve had some great achievements, everything’s gone really well but looking back on that journey now, is there anything that you would have done differently knowing what you know now?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (15:11)

Yeah differently, I slow down a little and this ties into some great business advice I heard that not everything needs to be perfect. Just you can evolve and you can involve and upgrade any aspects of your business as you go. Your email marketing does not need to be a hundred percent perfect on day dot. you’re packaging. You don’t need the best, boxes, mailer boxes with all the logos on it to send out at the end of the day. It’s just packaging. So it’s just little things like that to not being so hard on myself and just taking every day as it comes probably the expectations I think I need to calm down on and not have such high expectations on myself to just slow down and enjoy the process.

Dahna Borg (16:22)

I love that. I think that’s just good business and realistically life advice along the way.

If people want to find you by their own brow kit or just follow your journey, what’s the best place for them to find

Sophie – Better Brow AU (16:32)

At betterbrowau also on Instagram but we post a lot more personal things on TikTok that really show the story and journey of betterbrow.

Dahna Borg (16:45)

Wonderful. And then before we wrap up, have a couple of questions we like to ask everyone. You mentioned earlier that you listen to a lot of podcasts So do you have a favorite business book or podcast?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (16:55)

My favorite podcast is Life, Money and Love by Dylan Mullen. I have listened to absolutely every one of his podcasts. He just interviews founders and he also has his own business in the electronic beauty device. So I found there was that connection there to really follow advice from him. So I felt, I feel like his podcast is really beneficial for small businesses or founders wanting to start their own business.

Dahna Borg (17:24)

Yeah, we love that. And you already sort of touched on this, but maybe you have a second piece. What would be your best piece of business advice?

Sophie – Better Brow AU (17:32)

So the business advice I was referring to was ⁓ from a podcast, Mia Plecket, the founder of Slick Stick. she was saying your business or product does not need to be perfect the moment you launch. if you’re always waiting on to have the perfect emails, have the perfect packaging, waiting to feel like you’re perfect, you’ll never launch.

So just get in there and launch and then evolve and take customer feedback. That is the biggest driver to evolve. You might think something is perfect, but then you really need to have that validation from your customers. So just get in and do it.

Dahna Borg (18:11)

I love that. Well, thank you so much for joining us. been an absolute pleasure having you on the show.

Sophie – Better Brow AU (18:15)

Thank you so much.