Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michelle Rath, Founder of Sinful Lashes, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a product line and academy for women and men looking to ditch their 9-5 and get into the lucrative world of lash extensions and lash lifts. Most of our customers are licensed or aspiring cosmetologists and estheticians.
Tell us about yourself
In 2011 I was desperately looking for a change in my career and was hopelessly stuck in a direction. I saw an ad for an eyelash extension class, and that changed the trajectory of my life. That was in October of 2011, and by December 2012, I opened my first 10x10 room doing lashes. I was booked out for the first week. And because I started it with an optimized website and was good at networking, I was able to hire my first employee six months later. She also became booked out. It was then that I knew this was going to be my life; I was in love. From 2012-2014. I started my product line and training academy. It was also during this time that I hired three more employees while building out my first location. This location was going to be our lash bar, retail store, and academy. We were successful from day 1. We were seeing 160+ clients a week, our classes were booked each month, and our store was busy. In 2019 it was time to make an important decision, take on investors to help with the workload or eliminate 1 part of the business. In 2019 we closed our lash bar and moved into our new location, which is a beautiful retail location and academy. During the pandemic, we were closed for almost two years, and I stayed on the island of Kauai while we were shut down. I found I could easily run Sinful Lashes from Kauai and come back monthly to teach our classes. It’s a dream life, and I’m so grateful for it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Creating a company when I didn’t fully believe in myself. I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence in the beginning; I just knew I loved this industry. I would tell myself just to take the first step, and the rest will make sense. The self-confidence came after I had success. I am also proud that I have had the opportunity to travel all across the globe to be a speaker in our industry and inspire other women.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The sheer panic when things don’t go according to plan. I had a lot of this during the pandemic. And the climb back up the ladder has not been an easy one. But I have a great team, and together we have recreated this business and expanded it in the best way possible.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get a well-optimized website created by a professional. This should include an SEO expert. Your website should be optimized every 2-3 months to keep up with the ever-changing algorithms.
- Turn off the negative voice in your head. It’s not doing you justice. If you take the first step, the other steps are much easier.
- Know your financials at all times. Growth does not happen without careful planning. You can do this!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sinfullashes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinfullashesLA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinful_lashes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SinfulLashes
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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