The Beauty Specialist

Pooja Garg, Beauty Entrepreneur and Owner of Insiya Skin and Bridal Studio, Mumbai, talks to Kanishka Ramchandani about changing the perception of professional skincare with a space that’s designed to make holistic grooming a part of every customer’s lifestyle.

Take us through your journey in the beauty industry. When did you think of starting a salon?

I have never planned anything in my life and I am always up for challenges. Starting a salon was one of them. Beauty is my passion. I am a certified cosmetologist and make-up artist. Having worked in the beauty industry, predominantly with brands, for two decades, I stepped out of my comfort zone to do something different. After quitting my job in sales with a beauty brand, I connected with Naunihal Singh who proved to be an ideal and knowledgeable mentor to me. When I was working with the beauty brand, I was on the other side of the fence. All the top salons of the country were my accounts as I was handling pan-India sales, except the Mumbai region. Transitioning to this side of the fence - setting up a salon - was definitely challenging. Sales is my forte and although I don’t have an MBA degree, it’s the hands-on experience and upgrading myself with beauty courses that has kept me ahead of the curve. Today, this experience has helped me in good stead as a salon owner and beauty consultant.

Another quality that is helping me today is that I am people’s person. Even as a VP -Sales, I never restricted myself to my cabin; I was always out meeting and connecting with people.

What was the main challenge in setting up a premium salon?

Mumbai has been difficult for me as I didn’t know much about the region. Salon owners here looked at me as competition. I would like to dispel this myth.

Salons are not actually a competition for each other as there is enough business for everyone. However, a dermatologist or a trichologist next door is the real competition, as is a freelance make-up artist. I tried to put this point across even during my social media live sessions in the pandemic. During lockdown, all salons appeared to be friends as everyone was closed. Now they are back to competing with each other.

At Insiya, we don’t have any hierarchy. We don’t believe in the fad of pricing services as per the artist’s designation. Another very important aspect that I am quite strict about is poaching. I have never, and I shall never, poach talent from another salon. That is one point of ethics that we at Insiya strictly adhere to.

What made you put more focus on skin while designing Insiya?

During my market research, I realised that salons have to rely heavily on hair services for revenue because their skin business has gone to dermatologists and the make-up business has gone to freelancers.

Salons don’t do Rs 1 lakh brides. They are the prerogative of the freelancer who can be with the bride throughout the D-day. For skin services, salons have received a setback due to unhygienic practices. Today the customer is aware, educated and well-travelled. They want good service and want professionals that are well-versed in product, ingredients and service knowledge. So, when I designed the menu for Insiya, I thought of focussing more on skin and make-up and drawing the new-age customers back to the salons for professional services.

I have created three luxuriously appointed rooms for skin treatments where high standards of hygiene are maintained in interiors that are aesthetically designed.

Clients want to know what you are offering them. We offer them the same luxury and expertise that they expect from a dermatologist. In terms of brands, we have three top notch brands -Dermalogica, Casmara and Algotherm. We are more focused on ingredients. I think this concept will flourish in the near future.

As an entrepreneur, how are you liking your new role?

I’m very happy. I’ve been through this journey before as I had headed a business for seven years. Now after 15 years, I am back to being an entrepreneur. I am looking forward to making corrections in the way we work, especially on the skin. For instance, using machines instead of just palms.

As an entrepreneur, a lot goes into planning a business. What is your strategy for Insiya’s revenue?

When we planned on launching a premium salon, we knew what we were getting into. A regular salon can break even in 2-3 months but you need an incubation period of 6-9 months for a premium salon.

You need to establish a brand name, nurture your clientele, train your staff and position yourself in the market to be able to even consider the profit margins.

What is your plan going forward?

Everyone in the industry knows my forte, and we have received support from all quarters, including brands and professionals. We want to move ahead from the concept that salons are only for haircuts and massages. We have launched Insiya in Mumbai with a franchise model and we are looking forward to expanding the brand to other regions as well. PBHJ