Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn how to grow a thriving lash business from scratch?
Wouldn’t it be even better if you could learn from someone who has been where you are now and found a way to go from ‘overlooked to fully booked’?
Say no more! I’ve heard your pleas, and I’ve brought someone onto Lessons of a Lashpreneur that I know you’re going to love. My guest is your everyday, hard-working lash artist that has taken her lash biz from a one-woman shop to becoming a fully booked lash and brow artist. She even added her mom to the team to help out with both the artistry and business side of things!
This special lady has become a sought-after Bordeaux.kz trainer AND an international speaker and educator specializing in Spanish-only training through her company “Lash Internacional.”
Who could this amazing lashpreneur be?
Her name is Manuela Ramirez, and she is a long-time student of mine. Manuela is one of our most successful lashpreneur legends inside The Lashpreneur Society. It was through her investment in herself as a business owner that she has made her dreams a reality and I’m so proud of her!
In my interview with Manuela, we talk all about how she started lashing, what inspired her to launch her business, and she also reveals the top three things she believes have been essential to her success in the lash industry.
{If you want to listen to the podcast episode on this topic, click on the player at the top of the post. Alternatively you can watch the video below, or read on…}
Q1. How did you get started in this industry?
Manuela never dreamed of becoming a business owner, much less a lash artist. But that all changed when she was first introduced to lashes a little over three years ago. She and her mom would travel two hours to the salon every few weeks to get their lashes done.
After a while, they realized they needed to find a way to do their own lashes. So, they both decided to learn. The idea was that Manuela would do her mom’s lashes and her mom would do hers – which, I think is one of the best things I’ve ever heard!
They both took lash training courses and learned the artistry of lashes reasonably quickly. It wasn’t long before other people in their lives noticed their amazing lashes and expressed an interest in their services. Manuela began doing people’s lashes from her home, and it developed into a business without any real intention – how amazing is that!?
Q2. When did you take the leap of faith and go all-in with your lash business?
When Manuela started doing people’s lashes from her home, she also had a full-time job. So, finding the time to do both became a struggle.
“It got weird. I had people that I didn’t know come to my house. One day, my husband got home, and he’s like, I just saw this great space that’s really beautiful. I think you should open up a lash place.”
At first, Manuela didn’t think it was a good idea. However, her mom and husband supported her and encouraged her to do it. Finally, she decided to go for it. She rented the space, quit her full-time job, and the rest is history!
Q3. How did you start to build a clientele?
When I asked whether Manuela hit the ground running or stumbled a little to get clients through the door in the beginning, she revealed something that many of us can relate to:
“I had some clients from home. But when I opened the space and raised my prices, those clients were gone. So, it wasn’t easy. Some weeks I had just three clients. But, I’m not going to say it was the hardest thing ever. Because everything in life is hard. But if you try hard enough, you’re going to get there.”
I couldn’t agree more with Manuela on this one! It’s important to remember that everything you’re going through (the good, the bad and the ugly) can help you to evolve into a better version of yourself.
The ups and downs of running a business are just part of the journey. Don’t let it get you down!
Q4. What made you look into learning about the business aspect of your artistry?
Interestingly, it was Manuela’s mom who first joined The Lashpreneur Society. However, she experienced a few language barriers because English wasn’t her first language. Manuela decided to transfer the membership to herself so that she could start learning from it and help her mom out.
I remember all of this very well. In fact, I can pinpoint one specific moment when I really saw a transformation in Manuela. She wanted to create a summer promotion using Facebook Ads. The only problem was figuring out the captions. As a coach, I love to empower my students to come up with their own answers.
So, I asked all of the right questions that sparked the answer in Manuela’s mind and all of a sudden, she got it. She became a marketer. She knew what the purpose of the ad was, how it related to her target audience and how she could use that ad to attract the right people. I’ll admit, I had a bit of a proud mama bear moment, but who can blame me?
Q5. What is it like to be fully booked?
Since joining The Lashpreneur Society, Manuela has put a lot of work, time and energy into growing her business. So much so, that she’s fully booked!
When people talk about being fully booked, it’s impressive. But, it’s also a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of time too, and when you have a fully booked schedule, it can be challenging to take time off because you’ve got clients who depend on you. These are the current struggles that Manuela faces in her business.
Q6. What three things do you think have been essential to your success in the lash industry?
Manuela said that a lot of her success has to do with three main things:
- Being a member of The Lashpreneur Society
- Not giving up
- Stopping to be grateful for the journey and how far you’ve come
When speaking about The Lashpreneur Society, Manuela talked about the positive and supportive community that comes with it. She also spoke about how important it is for lash artists and lash business owners to seek help and advice from someone who can coach them on the business side of things.
“I feel like everyone that is trying to become a business owner, even if they’re working from home, they need help, and this group is really great. Everyone helps.”
She then went on to talk about why you should never give up. Growing a business takes time, but if you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll get to where you want to be.
“Not giving up is the hardest thing. I give up every day. Well, I try to give up every day, but then I stop myself and keep going.”
Connect with Manuela
If you’d like to find out more about Manuela and her business, ‘Lash Internacional,’ you can connect with her via Facebook and Instagram @lashinternacional
Join The Lashpreneur Society
If Manuela’s story connects with you at all, I wanted to give you the opportunity to experience your very own transformation inside my signature group business coaching program, The Lashpreneur Society.
To find out more details about the program, head on over to thelashpreneur.com/society and if you have any questions about the program, feel free to shoot me a message on social media or send me an email at hi@thelashpreneur.com
And don’t forget to sign up for my FREE lash workshop to find out how you can turn your passion for lashin into a fully-fledged money-making career!
You never know…you could be the next Lashpreneur legend!
Have a Good One!
Tara Walsh
The Lashpreneur
