I’m recording the very first episode inside our new Beauty Industry Leaders Podcast studio, and I’m joined by husband-and-wife founders Kiri and Wesley of AMPERNA® - the topical postbiotic, microbiome-friendly skincare brand created for sensitive and reactive skin.

Kiri shares the deeply personal journey that led to building the brand, from pustular acne and rosacea to topical steroid withdrawal and the grief of losing her father. Wesley explains how his background in operational systems became the backbone of turning a personal solution into a globally recognised business. Together, we unpack what it really takes to bootstrap a skincare company in a competitive market.

This is an honest conversation about resilience, cashflow pressure, manufacturing stress, and choosing integrity over trend-chasing.

In this episode:

✨ How AMPERNA® was born from chronic skin struggles and personal loss
✨ The realities of bootstrapping: cashflow strain, product delays and contract lessons
✨ Navigating high-stakes manufacturing runs without external funding
✨ Founder-led marketing strategies: UGC, SEO, Meta ads and PR trade-offs
✨ Building genuine community - including gifting products to a young steroid withdrawal sufferer
✨ International expansion plans (US, UK, Japan), 3PL logistics and compliance risks

If you’re serious about building a product-based brand, this episode gives you a clear look at what sustainable growth actually demands - operational discipline, emotional resilience, and long-term thinking.

Connect with Kiri & Amperna

https://www.instagram.com/kiriyanchenko

https://www.instagram.com/ampernaskin

https://amperna.com

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

Business retreat in Vietnam
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/business-retreat-vietnam-feb-2026

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/

I’m breaking down what actually makes a business sustainable long term and why popularity or fast growth isn’t enough.

Drawing from my experience across multiple family ventures, from bowling alleys and arcades to festivals and Wild West Bowling - alongside my own journey in the beauty industry, I share the three important traits I believe every sustainable business must have.

In this episode:

✨ Why repeat customers matter more than reach
✨ The difference between revenue and profit
✨ How to build scalable income streams
✨ Why trends won’t protect your business
✨ The fundamentals that create longevity

If you’re serious about building something sustainable, this episode will help you assess whether your model is designed to last - or just to grow fast.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

Business retreat in Vietnam
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/business-retreat-vietnam-feb-2026

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a personal reflection on how the rooms you sit in shape the life and business you build.

At 19, during Miss Universe, I was navigating a cancelled university degree, a scoliosis diagnosis, and the physical strain of running a lash business that was hurting my body. Through a pageant sponsor, I stepped into a contractor role applying protective film to luxury watches, which allowed me to earn more, work fewer hours, and ultimately get into rooms with high-net-worth individuals and elite collectors. From handling watches worth tens of thousands to a $6.5M Tiffany & Co x Nautilus collaboration piece, my proximity completely shifted my perspective.

In those rooms, I didn’t pitch - I listened. I asked better questions. I stayed curious. One of my favourites: “What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?” I saw firsthand how powerful value exchange, referrals, and real conversations are in business and car communities, and I also share my honest experience with networking dynamics — both the toxic and the transformative.

Let's talk about what it actually takes to expand your network: leaving your comfort zone, doing your research, approaching with respect instead of entitlement, and intentionally putting yourself in higher-level spaces.

In this episode:

✨ How proximity changes perspective
✨ What high-level rooms really look like
✨ The power of asking better questions
✨ Why entitlement blocks opportunity
✨ How to intentionally upgrade your circle

If you’re feeling stuck in the same environment, this episode will challenge you to evaluate your current circles, define the rooms you want to be in 12 months from now, and start moving - because opportunities tend to show up when you do.

I want to empower women in the beauty industry to create an impact, build an empire, and leave their legacy!

Ready to become an industry powerhouse?
Get more clients, more income, and your time back without burning out. Be among the first to access exclusive scripts, strategies, and systems to get booked, banked, and in demand.
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/booked-banked-and-in-demand

Business retreat in Vietnam
https://beautyindustryleaders.com.au/business-retreat-vietnam-feb-2026

If you have any questions about the episode, or have a burning question you’d like me to answer on the show, or if you’d like to join our movement of ambitious beauty leaders, connect with me and the rest of our incredible community on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sammykennedycoach/
https://www.instagram.com/beautyindustryleaders/