Megan Potter and Amanda Hawtin believe that they truly grew into themselves when they first started their makeup brand ‘Megan Potter Cosmetics’ together. Shania OBrien chatted with the duo about their success, the highs and lows of working with family, and what’s in store for the future.
The inception of Megan Potter Cosmetics
Megan Potter has worked in the beauty industry for almost two decades — but struggled to find her calling until she started her own business with her cousin, Amanda Hawtin. “I completed my Beauty Therapy Diploma back in 2007, and I’ve jumped around lots in the industry since then,” she said. “I’ve worked in salons, I’ve done administrative work, I’ve been a personal stylist; but nothing truly seemed to fit until Amanda came to me with an idea that changed our lives.”
Amanda’s background was a great asset when it came to starting their own brand. The Managing Director has an MBA and always knew she wanted to have her own business and make sense of
the theory she had studied so vigorously. “It was like a lightbulb lit up when I thought of it — of course Megan should expand her personal styling business by offering up makeup and skincare her clients could trust.” Amanda has also decided to go back to studying, and is presently completing her qualifications to become a cosmetic chemist.
“As a personal stylist, I was never comfortable 100% recommending anything on the market either because of the ingredients or because I just thought the colours looked wrong with Australian skin,” said Megan.
So when Megan Potter the brand was born, both Megan and Amanda were able to rest easy knowing they had truly filled a gap in the Australian-made market. “It’s truly comforting to know we’re making meaningful change and putting out products that are in high demand,” said Megan.
Highs and lows of working with family
When asked about the highs and lows of owning a family business, both Megan and Amanda were happy to reveal that the pros far outweigh the cons. “I love being my own boss,” said Amanda. “Both of us have children and working together ensures we can set hours that fit in with life and personal commitments, not the other way around.”
“A great thing about working with family as well is that there is always someone to help and pick up the slack when work gets super busy,” said Megan. “Our mums offer to babysit, and several other members will come in and help with attaching labels and packing boxes.”
Amanda also admitted that her teenagers often come in and help with the business. “I have three children and they’ve been a godsend when it comes to helping Megan and I with our work.”
But everything is not as rosy as it seems. Megan confessed to feeling overwhelmed by how ‘switched on’ she always is — and how she finds it difficult to try and take a break from work even on her days off. “It’s always on our minds,” she said. “Even if we’re running errands and have five minutes to spare, we’re on our phones checking our emails or jotting down new ideas to work on as soon as possible.”
A focus on skincare
A pleasant surprise, however, was when the duo discovered that their clients were extremely interested in their skincare products, even more so than the makeup. They revealed that the past twelve months had been extremely transformative for the brand. “It honestly wasn’t something we expected, but we have started to focus on Certified Organic products and will start manufacturing them in December,” said Megan.
“Makeup was a great way to get us off the ground, and I’m so proud of every product we’ve put out so far — but our customers are just loving Amanda’s skincare so much!” Amanda was humbled by the positive response, and cited going back to school to be a cosmetic chemist as a formative step for her career. “I think I can do so much more for our customers now, and the floodgates really opened when we asked our clients what they wanted to see from us next.”
The future of Megan Potter is their vegan skincare, with the brand committing to expanding their reach and transitioning to all Certified Organic products. “There’s a lot in store for us for the future, and we’re so excited for what is to come. We’re looking for stockists and trying to get our products in brick and mortar stores where people can touch and feel each product’s exceptional quality.”
“We’re also collaborating with the Koala Sanctuary and donating one dollar from each Certified Organic product sale towards purchasing trees in koala sanctuaries,” said Megan. “We are doing what we can to help Australia rebuild and reforest after the catastrophic bushfires and help provide a safe environment for our animals.”
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