Magnify Your Natural Beauty

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rebecca Russell, Founder of Lash My World, located in Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Lash My World is a full-service salon. It first gained its reputation by being known for doing quality work when performing eyelash extension services. Located on Wasatch boulevard, with a scenic route that brings thousands of visitors to Salt Lake City every year, this busy salon has 12 trained and certified lash techs taking on a full clientele.

We turned Lash My World into a full-service salon during the pandemic! We added eight hair stylists, one esthetician specializing in skin care, and a full-service nail technician. Our talented team has years of experience! We offer every service from eyelash extensions, relaxing facials, body waxing, nails, and all hair. We love what we do, and our clients love coming here! Award-winning 3 years in a row!

Tell us about yourself

Here is my story: My dad passed away, and my mom has been suffering from a disease known as multiple sclerosis. This has put her permanently in a wheelchair for the past 19 years. My mom cannot physically take care of herself and cannot raise her remaining children living at home. My grandma was the one taking care of my family. She has been caring for my parents and my two youngest siblings for many years. It was such a burden on my grandma; it took so much out of her to care for my mother and my younger siblings, who at the time were preteens. I was asked if I would take custody of my siblings. The same day I was asked to take custody of my siblings, I found out the medical spa I worked for was going out of business. This means I would be without a job. When this happened, I was not married and solely provided for myself. Not knowing what the future had in store for me, I agreed to take full custody of my siblings and move them to Salt Lake City, Utah. As I began searching for another job, I realized how much my sisters needed me.

I remember many times, being at work about to step into an appointment when my sister would call crying because she had anxiety adjusting to all of these new changes. My boss told me I could no longer talk on the phone and needed to stay professional at work. If only my boss understood why I kept answering the phone. My sisters required transportation back and forth to school, sports, friend's houses, and anything else they wanted to do. Working for a boss started to get harder and harder because of all the other demands my siblings put on me. I realized I needed to start working for myself. I set a goal for myself. I would be ready to work on my own, renting out a booth and bringing in my income by the end of the year.

On February 1st, 2013, I officially started working for myself, renting out a booth doing eyelash extensions. I built a full clientele in under 12 months. My load became so heavy that I started hiring aestheticians certified in eyelash extension to work for me. In three years, we outgrew our little space, and I knew to continue to grow, I needed to find a bigger space. In 2017, we built a brand-new space that tripled the size of the last space capacity. During the pandemic, I turned it into a full-service salon. I love coming to work every single day! I love the staff I work with! We currently have 23 stylists and growing! We have created a great environment that offers a full day of pampering for all clients to come and relax!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is seeing a successful full-service salon thrive! The full staff I have has years of experience! We have a great team; our clients love it here! We started getting recognized about three years ago, being nominated for multiple awards, being chosen as the best small business in Salt Lake in 2020, and winning the hall of fame award in 2022. This in itself is a huge accomplishment!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I love being my own boss! Being a business owner has its pros and cons. One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is the responsibility that falls on you! Every challenge you face could be financial or dealing with a flooded floor, a pipe in the wall that burst, and some other freak thing that happened and is out of your control. It can be very discouraging to keep going and not give up. You have to go into owning a business knowing that your role has changed a little. You are now the person that is the problem solver. If you don't know how to solve whatever the issue may be, you just figure it out!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

You need to be passionate about doing what you truly love and have dreamed about to run a successful business. You will work harder than any of your employees, and it will take time to see all of your hard work pay off!
Take really good care of your employees. Treat them well! It will cost you more to train a new person vs. taking good care of your employees or staff, making them want to stay and grow with you.
You are now the person that is the problem solver. If you don't know how to solve whatever the issue may be, you just figure it out!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lashmyworld.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lashmyworldstudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lashmyworldstudio/

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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