 |
Process The PodcastAuthor: Arielle Thomas
Welcome to Process the podcast, where we welcome guests of all creative disciplines and bridge the gap between art and commerce as leaders in their lane. We dive into their unique process to actualize their ideas and get our hands dirty with - the work. Host Arielle Thomas hopes you love these creative conversations with some of the most celebrated names in the Australian fashion, media, and design landscape! Language: en Genres: Arts, Fashion & Beauty Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Estée Lalonde on Building Mirror Water and finally asking for help
Monday, 26 October, 2026
“I love a trier. It doesn’t matter where it goes. If you are actually out there trying, that’s the special sauce right there.” - Estée Lalonde Estée Lalonde has spent 16 years as a content creator, building an audience of more than a million YouTube subscribers. When she launched her body care brand Mirror Water, she’d never had a corporate job and had never used a spreadsheet. Five years later, the brand is mostly self-funded and has grown entirely organically, with no paid media until recently. It’s stocked in Space NK, Liberty, Selfridges and Cult Beauty. In this episode, Estée gets honest about the difference between building an audience and building a business. She talks about why followers don’t automatically become customers, why she still doesn’t take a salary from her own brand, and what it really takes to launch a beauty brand on a fraction of the usual budget. For aspiring female entrepreneurs and creators who want to build a brand that stands on its own, this is a candid look at creator-led brands and retail. Estée shares the founder mistakes she’d undo (hello, expensive office), how landing her first stockist and one glowing press review changed everything, and why she’s always asking other founders for help. She also covers how she weighs raising investment against staying independent, how she splits her time between Mirror Water and her YouTube channel, and how she’s keeping the brand distinct on an increasingly crowded body care shelf. She also opens up about the year she finally asked for help, why “good enough” isn’t good enough anymore, and why networking in person still matters. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Estée Lalonde 02:26 — The Year She Finally Asked for Help 09:48 — Nobody’s Coming to Save You 12:59 — Why You Have to Be in the Room 18:45 — Why “Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough Anymore 23:16 — Founder Mistakes, Motherhood & Having It All 30:07 — Falling Back in Love With YouTube 33:07 — How Mirror Water Started 37:09 — A Brand That Never Tells You to Do More 41:03 — Raising Money vs Staying Self-Funded 44:42 — Running a Brand and a Channel at Once 47:45 — Why Followers Don’t Equal Customers 50:33 — What Moved the Needle: Stockists, Press & Founder Friends 53:55 — Standing Out on a Crowded Shelf 56:32 — Setting the Tone for What’s Next + Where to Find Estée Connect with our Guest: Estée Lalonde on Instagram: @esteelalonde Mirror Water on Instagram: @mirrorwater.earth Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, retailers, creators and publications (including Space NK, Liberty, Selfridges and Cult Beauty) discussed for educational commentary. Nothing in this episode is financial or investment advice. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact hello@cinemathom.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
