Do you have a favorite adhesive you reach for every time you do lashes? Or, maybe you dream of starting your own successful lash product line someday?
Whatever the case, I’m sure you’ve heard about my guest on this episode because she’s making waves in the lash industry that have reached far and wide!
That’s right, Lindy Williams of EBL Lashes and I met up for a chat about her MASSIVELY successful product line.
We talk about what it’s like for her to work with her husband, the truth about running a successful product line and how you can make your next trade show an affair to remember.
{If you want to listen to the podcast episode on this topic, click on the player at the top of the post. You can watch a short video trailer below, or read on for more…}
The Start of EBL Lashes
I remember seeing Lindy back at her first ever trade show and let me tell you, she did not have the fancy booth she has today!
Back then, she didn’t have any booth. She and her aunt simply walked around the trade show and handed out products to passersby.
I thought the story of how EBL Lashes came into existence was super inspiring. After all, how many of you have held back from even thinking about launching a product line because you thought that you’d need to invest in a state-of-the-art booth?
Well, you don’t.
As Lindy proved, all it takes is dedication, self-belief and the willingness to go out and work hard to help spread awareness about your product.
Working with a Spouse
Would you ever consider working with your spouse?
Some people (including me) try it and discover that it’s not for them. However, there are a few lucky couples out there who make great teams both inside and outside the business. Lindy and her husband are one of those couples.
At first, they did everything together.
But after a while, they both discovered they had different zones of genius.
Her husband does all of the inventory work including the glue, lashes, tweezers and so on.
Lindy is the one who focuses on building the business and the brand. She’s the main visionary who plans for the future growth of EBL Lashes.
Focusing on different things in the business allowed them to work through conflict.
And these separate duties allow the couple to work better together since they both have their areas of expertise.
The Relationship Between the Visionary and Integrator in Business
In every business, there are at least two positions that need to be filled. The first position is the visionary, which is the creative one with all the ideas bubbling in their minds and the passion to see things through.
Most lash artists are the visionaries in the business because they have the vision.
They know where they want the business to go but they need help getting it there. This is where the integrator steps in to help scale the business.
The integrator takes control of the execution. They make things happen and are often the ones who are pros at things like organizing systems, developing processes and the logistics in the business.
With EBL Lashes, Lindy is the visionary, and her husband is the integrator. You could say that they’re literally the PERFECT team.
Misconceptions of Running a Product Line
When I asked Lindy what she believed was the biggest misconception people have about running a product line, she said it was having the idea that it’s easy. Many people assume that all you need is the product, and everything will start flying off your shelves as soon as you put up the ‘for sale’ sign.
The truth is that running a successful lash product line business doesn’t happen overnight!
Lindy started her business in 2010. It wasn’t until 2015 that she was at her first trade show where a lot of people still didn’t recognize her brand. By 2016, the brand grew and gained more popularity within the lash industry.
Success didn’t come easy for Lindy. It took a lot of hard work, dedication and sleepless nights.
Her business also offers shipment within 24 hours of completing an order, which means the team has to work hard to make sure products are shipped on time.
“On peak days, our employees don’t work a certain amount of hours. They work until the job is done.”
As you can see, it’s not just Lindy and her husband who are working hard to grow EBL Lashes. It’s a team effort.
What does Success Look Like for You?
When people look at Lindy and see how well her business is doing, they probably think that she is at the peak of success.
However, she didn’t start her business to make a certain amount of money or gain a large following on social media. Her goal was simple. She wanted to provide for her family.
“I wanted to make a living and provide for my family. I grew up with a single mom and I didn’t have much of anything growing up. So, I wanted to be able to provide for my children.”
When speaking about what success looks like for her, Lindy said:
“What success looks like to me is having enough, being inspiring, having people value what I say and do and what our company stands for. It’s also about making lash artists happy and staying happy while doing it and having a happy home life.”
Trade Show Tips
Trade shows are a great way to get your product out there and spread brand awareness. But, how can you make sure your first trade show is a success? Or, you know, doesn’t go up in flames?
When talking about her first trade show, Lindy revealed that her husband thought she was crazy. He thought the investment was far too much. But she knew the value of needing to spend money to make money. So, she set off to her first trade show and never looked back!
“If you want to do a trade show, go to one first and look at people’s booths. See what their backdrop is, what kind of shelving they have, what furniture they’re using, their handouts and prices.”
Basically, if you want to make sure your trade show goes as smoothly as possible, you’ve got to familiarize yourself with trade shows. Attend as many as you can, scope out the competition and see what’s working for everyone else. This is a great way to learn and it’ll even inspire you to have clarity on how you want your own booth to look like when it’s time for your first trade show.
Lindy’s #1 Piece of Advice
With the amount of success Lindy has achieved with her business and product line, I was curious to find out what is the one piece of advice she would give to herself five years ago. Of course, her advice is great for anyone starting out or thinking about starting a product line.
“I would say to hire help sooner. I used to think I can do it all. I’m super smart. But there are actually people that are smarter than me and know their field better than I do.”
I totally agree with Lindy on this one. You don’t have to be the jack of all trades. As a business owner, you might be tempted to wear all the hats to build a successful product line but when you try to do everything yourself, productivity and the quality of your work decreases.
You don’t have to hire a full team straight away. You can start off small by outsourcing tasks at home.
Consider hiring a housekeeper and having your groceries delivered to your door. This will help free up your time so you can get back to focusing on your business.
Get in Touch with Lindy
If you’d like to get in touch with Lindy and find out more about EBL Lashes, you can visit the website to learn more and connect with her via Instagram @EBLLashes.
Have a Good One!
Tara Walsh
The Lashpreneur
