Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Amelia Kevan, Owner of BeLashii, located in Saint Paul, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
BeLashii is a Lash and Brow studio located in Saint Paul, MN. We offer high-quality eyelash services and eyebrow services, and our customers come to us for just that! At BeLashii, we have High Standards, and our customers do too!
Tell us about yourself
I started my BeLashii in 2017 when lashes were just becoming a trend. I decided to go out on my own because my skill was being taken advantage of by my employer. I was always fixing everyone's work, and he wanted me to train his other employees without paying me. Fixing other people's work didn't stop there, as when I opened up BeLashii, I still found clients coming in to get their lashes fixed. It was because of this that I found my niche. Not only was I able to build a business off of fixing other people's bad work, but I was also able to build up skills and techniques of my own, making my lashes some of the best in the biz. Now, five years later, I am able to lash 100% of lashes in half the time of other techs, my lashes last 2-3X longer than other techs, and my business has grown organically from word of mouth ( people see my lashes and need to know where to get them).
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I keep doing what I do because as I grow, so does BeLashii. It is a representation of myself. I love my clients and being able to give them a place to come to get the services they deserve. Building my business from the straight hustle, I worked three jobs while being a single mother with little support to get BeLashii on its feet. I have never taken out any loans to build my business; I just put almost everything I made right back in.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Having no one to hold you accountable would be number one, and number two would defiantly be not giving up when things get tough. I cannot tell you how many times I have struggled with feelings of self-doubt. Being a business owner, trying to scale is hard. When I hear people say they want to start their own business, part of me screams inside, "Whyyyy? Why would anyone want to do this? It is so hard!" Then I remember why I do it because I am passionate because I get to wake up every day and do what I love.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be dedicated - you have to put your business first before anything and everything.
- Be disciplined - you have to be able to hold yourself accountable.
- Imagination - have faith in the make-believe, even if you are the only one who believes it. If it makes sense to you, that's all that matters - making others believe it is a part of building your dream.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Don't listen to the haters; shine right through to them.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://mnbelashii.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mnbelashii
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belashiibeautylounge/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliakevan/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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