JAN

This is a podcast episode featuring host Jeanne Ann Kenning, who helps beauty business owners with marketing, mindset, finance, and social help. The guest, Jeanne, shares her journey in the beauty industry, starting from her background in ophthalmology to becoming an esthetician and specializing in eyelash extensions. She talks about the challenges she faced and how she built her own brand, eventually quitting her full-time job to focus on her beauty business. Jeanne also discusses the changes in the industry over the years, including the rise of social media and the increasing popularity of eyelash extensions. Welcome to the Beauty Pro Elite Podcast. I'm your host Jeanne Ann Kenning and my mission is to help beauty business owners create a dynamic business they can be proud of with marketing, mindset, finance, and social help so you can start attracting those dream clients and building a brand you always wanted and deserve. If you are ready to explode your beauty biz then this is the place for you. It's time to get started. All right here we go we are back in action for those of you who don't know what you wouldn't know. This is season 1 episode 3 of the Beauty Pro Elite Podcast and this is actually round 2 of interviewing Jeanne. We tried this the other day. I tried a new website. It didn't work. It's quite comical. I may share it with you. I'm going to actually I'm not prepared and get out your bio that you sent me. So we're doing it a round 2 so here we are trying to try it again. So Jeanne is actually a client of mine and the reason why I asked her is she's like an OG in the beauty industry. So she's been with us in the beauty industry since 2006. So it's like what better person to know all the ups and downs and the highs and the lows of being a beauty business owner than somebody who's been in the business that long. So she's from Colorado in the United States. She took her first class last class in 2006. She's worked in ophthalmology doing surgery and medical technician prior to aesthetics. So most people do like a corporate type of job or a regular job before they dive into aesthetics. So we're going to talk about that. She's been a brand educator, a franchise educator. She created her own brand, sold that in 2016 and went back to doing lashes in 2016 on her own and now has a team of five, two locations and the best part married for 33 years with three grown sons. Welcome to the podcast. So happy to have you again. Thank you. I'm so glad to be here again. Yeah, it's so sad. But it's great. So anybody can do this stuff people like I'm telling you. So that's right. So anybody can do this and you just you figure it out, right? Okay, so let's start right from the beginning. So you were in ophthalmology. Tell me about what was it that made you when you were in ophthalmology go, Hmm, I don't know if this is for me, I might want to switch it up or try aesthetics. Um, well, I never really, I never I always felt I always tell everybody, I felt like a square peg in a round hole that no matter how much I succeeded in the my career field, because I had been in ophthalmology, and I had been a lead technician, surgical technician, I was an educator at a community college, I was president of my professional society, I was, I did all of these things, right to try. And I kept trying harder and harder to get better and better at my job, more education, more, more, more, and I was just never satisfied. And I every three years, I would hop from specialty to specialty to specialty, I did ocular plastic, so like plastic surgery for the eye, and then I did glaucoma, and then I did pediatrics. And, and I would get bored because it's very the same at once you learn it, it's just you repeat it time and time and again, it's just very monotonous. And it needs to be because you have people's vision at risk, right? So it needs to be very predictable. So I just thought, okay, what can I do now? And I'd always had acne growing up, I started seeing a dermatologist when I was 12. And so I thought, and it was so interesting, I love to tell the story because my optimal I mean, my dermatologist used to have me for my acne, I was in all the different creams and all the different antibiotics for years. And, and then all that, and he had me using dial antibacterial soap for my face wash. Yeah, that's what we used to use back in the day. Yeah, dial, antibacterial, and my face would be so dry and so crusty. So then I did a direct sales company brand and, and then I just got tired. I said, Okay, wait a second. I went to the dermatologist. And now that's when cosmeceuticals Oh, this is really aging me. But in the 90s, yeah, when cosmeceuticals first started coming out alpha hydroxy acids, and from six months from when I was still using dial soap, all of a sudden, his nurse said, Hey, we're going to have you start this new skincare regimen. It's a five piece regimen, and it's $500. And I just was like, in addition to all the antibiotics and all the prescriptions, a lot back then. Yeah, like $1,000 now. Yeah. And, and you just need to use this. And I'm like, Wait a second, six months ago, it was dial soap. And now it's this five piece $500 regimen, in addition to all the prescriptions. So I kind of was really fed up with the whole like dermatology, beauty, I said, Okay, I want to go to esthetician school and find out like the chemistry, I just started really digging in. And so when I was in esthetician school, my mom called and they were in New York City and said, Hey, we found something that's perfect for you. And I said, What is that? And she says, eyelash extensions. And I went what? Like hair extensions? What year was that? That was 2005. So it was just coming into the month. Nobody knew anything about that. Nope. And, and I said, What? But your lashes fall out. And she goes, But that's the beauty of it. They have to come back for fills. Yeah. And at the time, she's like, it's perfect with your eye surgery background. And you have to be an esthetician to do this. This is the perfect job for you. And I'm like, you're crazy. This is crazy. No, we can't even get women in Colorado to wear mascara hardly. Like they're still they're going to pay five at the time in New York City with $500. And it may still be $500. I don't know for a full set of lashes. And and that was it was different. Now remember, we had J curl lashes. Yeah, so we have these little slip mirrors that had two sides. So they'd hold it up in front of their face. And then off to the side because when with J curls, and nobody knows J curls, I don't think anymore. But when you look at yourself, you can't even see the lashes. Yeah, look at them from the side. And you said this is what you're paying for is what everybody else can see not what you can see. And I was charging $300 a set. It was ridiculous. And a full set a full set then was like 40 lashes. 40.10s. Yeah, yeah. So when I first learned 20 was a natural set 40 was a mascara set and 80 was a dramatic and it was .10s with .15s only reserved for the best quality big lashes. Can we just talk about that goes to show how much the industry has changed because now girls are charging $40 $50 for a set like just wrap your head around that $300 $400. Yeah, I used to make $1,000 a day just doing lashes. Yeah, I used to. So how long did you do the lashes then during that period? So I stayed in ophthalmology. And then I let's see, I took my first lash class January 2006. And then I took my second lash class, probably March 2006. Because I just couldn't get them to look like what everybody else's like what the pictures we didn't have everybody else. We didn't have Instagram, we didn't have Facebook, we didn't know what everybody else was doing. We just had our our brands, right? We just had three or four brands at the time. And I just started it as a side hustle. I really started doing like one night a week in a nail salon. Then I was two nights a week and three nights a week and half a day Saturday. And that's why I stayed for a long time. For about six years. I did it as a side hustle. Yeah, a long time still doing ophthalmology. Yes. Wow. Yeah. So I would start now, like 90% of people that come into the beauty industry are like, testing the water, so to speak first before they actually go, Okay, I can do this full time. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and it allowed me to do a lot of things like we talked about last time, it allowed me to go on vacations that we hadn't been able to afford before. I mean, we were a dual working, we had three sons, we were, we're not wealthy. We so this allowed us this extra income, the wire is making really good money was allowing us to go on vacations to allow our kids to play really expensive sports. My one son was in motocross, my other son did hockey. So those are very expensive sports. And then we were able to pay off all of our bills and put some savings away. So it really served a purpose until my kids went to college. And then my husband was like, uh, I'm all alone. Listen, I think you ought to make a choice here. Like you're making more doing lashes part time than you are working in ophthalmology. And so, so you quit your full time job? Yeah. And so what did you do? Did you get a room? Like what did you do when you went out on your own? My first space, when I was part time, I had a space and it was just an office space because I have chemical based asthma. And I found that out when I was working in the nail salon, I started having a lot of breathing problems. The more I worked, the more my breathing got worse. So I rented a room in an office suite. And I had a website and I paid $100 a month for my rent, which is unbelievable. You can only go back. Yeah, yeah. Now people are paying like eight, nine, 10, $1,200 a month. So and then charging $50 a month. So how long were you in that space then? For several years, because I actually, I stayed there a long time, probably five years. Yeah. And then what was it? Did you start training? Did you start opening your own lash brand? Like what was the next succession step for you? Because when you're in ophthalmology, you're constantly looking for something new and learn more and be more. So what was the difference in lashes? I should put this up. I always on my podcast, I was just doing my initial podcast. And I said, I'll put these pictures up. I've been doing lashes probably eight or nine months. And I, the company that I was certified by, they were like, we're looking for trainers. And I'm like, Oh, I'm you know, I've been an educator in a community college setting. I, I can do this and I want to do this. So I sent my pictures in and I sent all these things in and they're like, well, they invited me to the trainer, trainer, trainer training. And I look back at those pictures now. And no, I should never. It was funny because I see girls do that now, right? They, you know, they have these lashes on really wonky and they have, they're like, I'm going to be a trainer. And it's just like, oh, there's so much you don't know that you don't know. But I became about a year and a half in two years and I became a brand trainer. And so I became that brand trainer. And then I kind of became disillusioned because at the time for every 10 people that would take the course, only one or two people would actually do lashes. And this was very expensive back then. Now, now it's more expensive. It's the same now as it was back then, I think about $2,200. But that was for a one day class. I paid $2,200 for a one day class that was about six hours long. And I've practiced on a model for an hour and a half. And so that was all the training. One model for an hour and a half. One model for an hour and a half. And I didn't, didn't learn about full removal. I learned about individual removal. And we didn't do banana peel or anything like that. Back then we would isolate the lash, put removal, it was ridiculous. I mean, but we were just starting. It's just amazing that this industry, the manufacturers, the amount of ingenuity that has like blossomed, this industry has become so amazing compared to, it's amazing that it kept going. What did you think about training? Because you were doing, you were doing your own lashes, and you were training for another company. So what was it that made you want to do your own thing? So own training, own products? What was that decision making for you? The decision making for me was the amount of people like me who didn't have a lot of resources to spend on trainings. We got very poor training, right? We got, like, there was so much they didn't tell us. Like what, we didn't even discuss allergic reactions. I don't even know if the company I learned with even knew about allergic reactions at the time. I mean, the first time I had allergic reaction, I was lucky because I knew that's what it was. She called me and she was going to Hawaii and her daughter's wedding and her eyes, she was, my eyes are swollen and itchy. And I'm like, oh my gosh. So I came in, took them off. I sent her to, took her over to the doctor where I worked. And he's like, yeah, she's having an allergic reaction, gave her some steroid drops, gave her some, you know, topical steroids and then drops and then sent her to Hawaii without any lashes. Yeah. But you were smart enough to know. So your decision making to do your own thing was just a lack of... The investment that you had to pay for the amount of education you were getting. Yeah. Yeah. Which, I mean, in all transparency, I mean, we could talk about this all day because it's a hot topic. It's still kind of like that. It is. Oh, yeah. I can, I can tell you in Colorado, there's a company that does lashes here. They teach a four hour class for $175. They give you your tweezers, your adhesive, your remover and one length of lashes. And... Right. Which is incredibly sad. I mean, here in Canada, it's much different than in the United States. I mean, anybody in it, anybody can walk into this industry and, you know, take a course and start touching people tomorrow. And I know it's much more strict in the United States, but still, the fact remains that it's so, like, underutilized and so poorly done. Like, it's crazy. And they don't even realize. You know, the bad thing for the new esthetician or the person wanting to learn lashes is they don't know what they don't know and they don't know what to look for. Some of them look for price. Some of them look at the photographs and they don't know. They'll ask, I saw someone on a lash board yesterday, again, in Colorado, where I'm at. And she had made arrangements to have the photos were beautiful. Who knows if they're even her photos. But she canceled on the gal at the last minute and the girl had a $250 non-refundable deposit. But it was the instructor who canceled and she's having trouble getting the money back. And that's why in Colorado we are supposed to be certified to teach, but there's so many that don't. And then it turns out that this girl is teaching lashes and does lashes and doesn't even have a license. And she's teaching us. It's the same, right? And it's not just lashes. It's like, you know, it's everything. It's microblading. It's everything, right? Like, people are so under-trained. It's crazy. So when you tell us about when you started your own company. Training, products. What was that like? Yeah, so I just, back in the day, I was paying, we had a pot. Do you remember the lash pots? The little pots of lashes? Now we put little samples of stuff in there. Yeah, they're the loose lashes, pot lashes. And so there were about $2,500, which is the same amount that's in a tray now. And we were paying $65 for one of those. Which is $65. Which is like three trays now. Yeah, three or four. Yeah, right. And so at 17, I'd say the average is about $19 a tray now, would you say? Yeah, so about three trays. And I just felt like what we were paying for, there just had to be a way. I mean, I just knew that this didn't cost this much. And I said, where are they getting this? Where does it come from? And I just started investigating. I just started looking. I just started reaching out, looking, and it took me a few months. And I really wanted to create a brand. And I didn't even know I was creating a brand. Excuse me for a second. I just wanted to create a training program that had products that were reasonably priced. I just thought, if eight of you are not going to be doing lashes, because it's harder than what we imagine to do it correctly, then you should be able to have an entry level to see if it's where you want to go. And my whole thing is, do this for a year. If this works for you, then take a $2,500 class. Don't take, you know, spend $800 or $900 instead of $2,200, $2,500. Or take like a beginner entry level and then advance your skills or that sort of thing. Yeah, exactly. That's what I decided to do. So that's why I started mine is because of the cost of the product. And then the amount of we were spending for training in a one day training, and not even really a full day, it was like six hours worth of training. And I just felt that was just ridiculous. So I just wanted to create a really and my background in ophthalmology was really helpful. And so it I just tried to create the best training program I could. Right. And have product on the side. And you took on a partner. Yeah, I started my company in 2009. And then in 2012, one of my clients, she had taken a lash course a couple months before that. And we decided we wanted to take an advanced class. So we paid $1,800 for an advanced class for a one day advanced class, we flew out of state. And four hours of it was just roundtable discussion, questions and answers. And then four hours and literally the person who came in, she goes, Oh, you've been doing this for a while, you're great and walked out. And that was my $1,800 advance lash class. Oh, my God, you're doing great. You're great. Like, good. She gave me her blessing and then walked out. I was just like, what? I want to learn something that I don't know. Yeah. So how was that decision? That's when we said, yeah, that's when we said, let's do this. And let's do a bit. Let's go bigger. Let's go bolder. Let's if they can do this, and they're a big multinational company, we can do it better. Right. And so taking on a partner, you know, there's obviously advantages and disadvantages to all of that. I'm a big believer that, you know, you got to be your own hero. And at the end of the day, the only person you can really rely on is yourself. And that's my viewpoint. But there's also advantages and disadvantages to having a partner, obviously, and all that. So eventually, you parted ways. Yeah. After about three years, we parted ways. We are still friends to this day. There's a lot. You know, the lash industry is so big, and it's so small. At the same time, there was a lot of people saying things that were not true about our delusion. Of course, people like to gossip, too. But I was just, I got to the point where I still wanted to do lashes. Part time, I was doing lashes two days a week. And she really wanted me to just really focus on growing the business. And we kept crossing, like, this is your lane, this is my lane. We kept crossing lanes, both of us. All right, we're back. We had a little temporary pause, technical difficulties, but we're back in action. We had a laptop overheat. I'm telling you, people, anybody can do this business. I'm telling you, you know, it was just so, tenacity is how it shows up. Okay, so back to where we were. So you basically were on different paths. You were kind of like, wanting different things from the business. So you decided to sell to her, correct? Yeah, we were just had different visions for the business and different visions for what we wanted in general. So we just, I just decided to sell the business to her and go back to being an independent lash artist. Right. And was that a relief for you? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, you really liked the client and doing the services and that sort of stuff. Now, here's the money, like the million dollar question. So how long were you doing lashes on your own? Before you decided to open a brick holder? Like before you started, before you decided to stop and all that? About four years, like, well, between 2016 and 2020, it was during 2020 that I hired my first coach. Okay. And that's when my coach because at the time 2020, for me, it was the busiest year I ever had. I think there was a lot of new meetings. Yeah, it was I was so overloaded that I was referring people out to other people. Yeah, I would like people would call and I say, you know, I am completely booked. And but where do you work? Where do you live? Oh, like, Jean Anne does lashes over in your area. Let me give you her contact information and go see her. And that is when I hired a coach. Okay, how can I be more efficient my business? How can I grow my business? Because by this time, I was out of non-competes. I was out of, you know, there's a grieving period, no matter if you make a conscious decision to let go of a business of a person of a relationship, any kind of thing, that I was done grieving. And, and not that it was an awful thing, like, right, I wasn't like, No, but I've been in that position, too. You definitely grew up like you grieve that past part of your life and the connections and just everything about it, the business, everything. Everything. Right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. And so I decided that I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something bigger. I wanted to start a podcast, I wanted to have a training program of my own that was really intensive, that really had ophthalmology and, and lashes and all the things that I had learned about business and partnerships and all of the things. And they're like, well, you just really need to hire a team. Right. And so it wasn't something that your intuition was telling you to do. It was something that you were more like pushed a little bit, maybe, I hate that word pushed, but led into maybe, would you say? Yeah. And, yeah, and this was a multimillion dollar earning business coach, and I paid a lot of money to be with him. And looking back now, four years later, because it's about four years ago that I hired him. You know, he left a brick and mortar business with a team, he was in the fitness industry. And he left that to do business coaching online, like have an online business. Yeah. And so I look back now, and he's a great guy, but it just, I didn't trust myself or my own intuition. Because, like I had said before, I have this like, and I know this gets a little woo for some people, but I have this like stream of energy that runs up and down. And it's like you're in a canoe, and you're just going down this river, and all of a sudden, something goes sideways, and your canoe is sideways. And I had that feeling the whole time about adding a team. When I had a partner, we had had a team before, and we failed miserably at having a team. Yeah. But I thought with a business coach who's had a team with a business coach beside me, I guess this is probably he was like, this is the next logical step. This is the next logical step, even though I was like, this is not what I really want to do. And he says, this will give you the time and the money to do what you want to do. And that's what people think. Like, it is such a, it's such a hard topic for me, because I think most people believe that the next logical succession, if you're a solo beautypreneur, is I'm going to open a brick and mortar, I'm going to get stuff. But that's like a whole big bear on its own, like every day, like it doesn't, you know, every day. Yeah, every day nonstop. So it's like having that intuition. And I don't think you have that when you start, I think that's the problem. I think you think that somebody else is going to know better, but you have to be almost like do an inventory of yourself to say, is this really like, because it adds a whole like, and I'm not saying that it's bad. But you have to be prepared for the whole thing that it's going to add to your business. Yeah, it's a whole it's like going to college, like on the job training. It is every day for years and years. Yeah, I'm a year and a half in now. And I'm just like, Oh, my gosh, is this ever going to end? Because it's just not for me. And like I said, I got after about six or eight months with that business coach, and I just did not feel aligned. And I am one of those people who won't stay just because I've spent the money. I'm not going to just stay and be unhappy when I've spent the money, because the money is gone no matter what. And why would I just continue to be miserable every single day. So I got another business coach, this time a woman business coach, and she told me exactly the same thing. And I'm just like, gosh, okay, I guess this is what I need to do. Because now I've had two different business coaches from two different settings, completely different people. And they're telling me the same thing. So I must be wrong. I must be wanting the wrong thing. I was not trusting my intuition. And so and what people don't tell you is building a team is not just hiring people. It's not just hiring people and showing them how to do a service. Yeah, there's so much legality and, and insurance and drama, organization. Right? Yeah, there's, you know, customer service issues, retention issues. Girls don't show up to work, they walk out on the job, they, it's just so... Sometimes it can be an amazing thing, too. Like, I don't want to, for it to come across that we're like poo-pooing all over, you know, brick and mortars, because it can be a positive thing, too. Lots of people that I know, yes, I know lots of people, especially because I became a franchise trainer in between during, during this time, and leaving my, my business, my my education and product business, I became a franchise educator for an international franchise. And, and I say international, because they're in Canada and the US, they're not anywhere else. But and it was amazing to watch. And there were some who struggled. And there were some who just really like took off and made it work. And they're successful. But I think it takes a certain person and you really have to know you have to have a lot of grit. Yes, you have to have a lot of resilience, tenacity. Yeah. And willing to just be prepared that it's not most people believe, okay, I'm a full, I'm fully booked. I'm working six days a week. Okay, so the next session is this. But you have to be prepared that if you're not going to go to working part time, you almost work the whole night. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Especially in the beginning, especially in that first year, because I grew so fast. I mean, I went from, you know, myself in a year to five of us. And so and that just shows you how many, you know, their big thing was you're building other people's businesses, which I'm okay with, you know, and now I didn't, like, okay, like, I'm sharing the there's more than enough for everybody. That's always been my philosophy. And so and and like I said, some of these franchise owner, it's amazing to watch them. It's amazing to talk to them. I'm just not that person. And it's taken me a lot to find that out. And I think that I think that this is a really important topic to just touch on for a few moments that everything is different for everybody. So it's like, at the end of the day, if you're making $100,000 as a solo beautypreneur, and you're busy, and you're you have a harmonious life, don't always assume that you're losing out if you don't take that next step, what is it that you want out of this journey? Right? Because we all feel pushed to go in a certain direction and do something. And that's definitely how I felt. I just felt pressure from like, just the industry in general, that that was the next step. If you're the best at by yourself, then the next step is to open a brick and mortar. That's what you do. Right. But at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, what is it that I want? What makes me happy? I'm happy making $100,000. And you know, I'm by myself, do that. If you want to open up business, and you're prepared to, you know, have the resilience to deal with that stuff. It's not horrible. It just takes time and tenacity. And, you know, pulling up your socks some days when you don't want to. Yeah, and I think that the other thing that it's not just to get rich quick, it's not like you're going to be I want to be it's not like I want to be a stay at home or with my kids. So I'm going to hire some people to do this so that I can be at home with my kids. That is not and, and maybe it has happened, like we don't know everybody, right? Maybe that has happened for some people. Maybe they're much more organized, much more whatever than I am. But all of the owners of brick and mortars that I've talked to that has not been their experience. They are some of them are very rewarded, very fulfilled, but it does not give them more time back. Right, exactly. And that's the thing that people think is that, oh, well, I'll just do this. And then I'm not going to have to do lashes so much. Well, it just comes out with more problems, payroll, legal problems, unhappy clients, like we said, right? So it's like, where do you see your what do you think? I'm going to rephrase that. How do you stay motivated every day? What is it that brings you know, when you have like, I know for me some days, like today, you're just like, man, I could really just stay in bed all day and do nothing. So but you know, then that's not what is an option. So what is it that you do to stay motivated by running a business by being a wife being a mom, you know, doing right now you have some girls off on a girl off on maternity leave. So you're doing some of her clients, like, how do you stay motivated? Because that's a big thing for any beauty business owner. Well, going back to, like, going back to where we talked about going against what I felt was good for me, you have to, you have to, like, sit with yourself and say, What do I want out of this business? What do I envision out of this business? And how do I get there? And if you love doing lashes, and you love the people and you love the industry, then that in itself, for me, just is motivating, like, what can I create today? What is this? It's, it's like, what problem do I get to solve today? Yeah, like, like, that can be enough. Yeah. Like, I don't think people realize how much money like people don't assume that you can make a ton of money as a solo beauty printer. You can make a ton of money as a solo beauty printer. You and I have both done it. Right? So yeah, sorry, go ahead. No, and I just think that that gets back to what like, what do you want? Like, what do you want? Do you want to spend more time with your kids, then, then you need to, like, create a schedule and create a client and niche that is paying the amount that you need to make to be able to stay home more trips? Is this like me for a long time, it was just to pay off extra bills, that you have to see what motivates you? What is that why that you're doing lashes? And for me now, at this point, it's very different than what it was then. And now it's like to teach and mentor and coach the next generation of like, these are the mistakes that are out there. This marketing is huge. We didn't have Instagram, we didn't have Facebook, and they everybody think it is the end all be all. And it's not you can build a very good business. We did it for years without them. And we can do it. I'm not saying not to do it. But you have to do it. I do. I say it every day. I'm like, stop posting so much. Like people assume and I know you and I've talked about this, like people assume that if you just post on social media, that the clients are going to rain from the sky. Well, it doesn't happen like that. That's not how it happens. There's got to be a whole strategy behind it. And every day I talk to girls in my DMS, and they're frustrated because they're like, I'm posting on social media every day, but nobody's booking. Well, so are you and 500 other 1000 beauty business owners. So you're all doing the same thing. And what happens? The consumers scrolling and getting frustrated because they're all seeing the same thing. So you got to kick it old school. Like I strongly you and I've had discussions about this about it's time to go back to the old school methods for sure referrals. Right building relationships, building real relationships, not the fake Instagram ones, because I find that and I find to a lot of new lash and brow beauty professionals really get discouraged. Like I can't because I'm not at that level. Well, what they don't know is there is a difference between like building your portfolio and then building a media portfolio. They are completely different photographs. They're completely different. They are very different in most cases, not at all. But I think that my goal now is just to show the next generation of lash artists like how do you get to where you want to be? What do you want? How do you figure out what you want? That you're enough in this industry and you have your people you there are people no matter I don't care if you have purple hair and are all tatted and have nose rings and like they're still your people. And it doesn't matter if you have are the stay at home mom that's a mouth and you're working out of your home. There are people for you too. Yeah, there are people for everybody in it and not just the glam and fam and and not relying on social media. Like if it's not working being like, well, I'm a failure. So it's not working. Like I hear that 2030 times a day, like it's that much, right? That's not what you should be viewing. There's so many other ways. I've got my whole entire business on referrals. I've talked about it a million times. I may be posted on two or three times on social media. I knew nothing about social media. I all I did was I was kind. I was a nice person. I was grateful and I asked for referral. And I and I built $100,000 business in three months. Like that's the thing that I think people have lost sight of that relationship building and that connect human connection. And customer service. Yeah. I mean, and I think that's one of the things that I feel like and I have a really great team but I and but I think that going above and beyond in your customer service is is that's how I built my business and your niche. Right? How do you serve? We are estheticians, most of us, some cosmetologists. Yeah, you're an esthetician, right? Yeah. Yeah. And and we are in the service. We are an esthetician to me and I think is a very giving, very, we're in service to other people. And you have to look at it instead of making pretty lashes, like, how can I serve this client? How can I serve this woman? In most cases, women, I have a couple of men clients, but how can I serve this woman? And what does she need for me? And how can I do not getting walked on and having policies and procedures, all of that, but how can I serve her to the best of my ability and what she needs from me? Right, because this is what I say to in our mastermind. In my mastermind, I always say, what is it that separates Jan from Jean Ann? That's what gets you clients. We're not the same. We're different people. So why would I book with you over somebody else? What is it? Are you extra hygienic and sanitation? Do you do an extra thorough job? Are you grateful? Do you follow up? Do you introduce yourself before they even come into your space? What are the extra things that you are doing to set yourself apart from everybody else? That's going to get you clients. Posting before and afters on social media is not going to get you clients. I'm sorry. I said it. It's the truth. And that goes against a lot of what people say. And a lot of beauty business coaches will talk about, you got to post on social media. You got to have the content. Yeah, it helps, but it ain't going to make you $100,000 for sure. Well, because that's what they're selling, right? And not to diss anyone, because for a long time, you could. Before COVID, it was a lot different. And it's changed. And now people are making money. They're telling you this because they're making money, teaching you how to make money on social media. And so, you know, I, yeah, I, we have our thoughts about that. Yeah, we do. I have very strong faith about it, as you can tell. Like, do I believe that, you know, social media helps your business? Absolutely. I am proof in putting in the last 10 months, I went to a seven-day posting schedule, my business grew 400%. Like, that's just it. But it's not the only thing I do. That's the thing. Most people are like, well, I post every day and nothing happens. Well, what else are you doing? Do you have Google Ads? Do you have Instagram ads? Do you have Facebook ads? Do you have a referral system? Are you going out and giving your card to a really nice waitress that gave you good service? Like, what are you doing outside of just social media? I think is probably the message that we want to send, right? I can get like, really heated over that discussion. Yeah, and I think it all is like, it's all like this big pie, right? There's this being true to yourself, being true to the business you want to create in the life you want to have, being true to your customers and serving them to the best of the ability. And it all comes together. And it's all culmination. And I mean, I know a lot, and I don't consider myself a lash artist. Let's get that out of the way. I am a lash technician. I am very good at the technical aspect of lashing. But like, I do three maps, pretty much on the majority of my clients. And they're happy. It's what makes your client happy. And half the time, they don't know what the wispy look is, or the anime look is, or the kitten eye versus the cat eye versus the fox eye versus the squirrel. Like, they're like, what? And I just feel like there's so much marketing in the lash industry right now. And it just drives me crazy at the marketing of, you have to have multiple curls with multiple lengths, with multiple diameters, in multiple ways, in order to make your clients happy in order to be a real lash artist. Now, is there lash artistry? Absolutely. I am just not one of them. And I have made good money. I have made a living. It changed my life, my family's life, being a lash professional. And that's why I say lash professional a lot, lash technician, because I don't, and I want people to know that when they see that their pictures, my pictures don't look anything like Instagram. And yet, I still have a very successful business with women who are very happy. Do I try new things on them? Absolutely. But I'm not using B curls, C curls, CC curls, 0.07s, 0.10s. And who has the time for that? That takes a lot of time to get... There are different people for that type of profession. Yes, for sure. Right. And there's clients for people that... And not at $50. And if you're doing that, you better not be charging $50. Because no wonder you're poor. Girl, we could talk about that till next weekend. Like, that's a hot topic for me. So... Yeah, that's another day, right? So tell me what's next for you? What's on the horizon? What's new and exciting? Spill the beans. Tell us all. So I'm taking all of that, right? In between there, I went to life coach school too. So, you know, so that I could coach. So I want to coach and mentor, you know, that new and beginning struggling Lash artists to create the business to get clear clarity and confidence in a community. So in the world of Lash, in the international world, there's this beautiful, big, and it's amazing all that we can talk to people in Japan and UK and Russia and all of the things. But I feel like I felt like so many of us were not even connected in our own home area, that we saw each other as competitors and not colleagues, that we really get lost in the big fishbowl of the world. And so I thought, and we have wonderful trainers here in Colorado, we have really good brands, we have two or three really national brands here in Colorado. We have some smaller independent brands. And so we have screening, we have products. We have a lot here that we don't have to fly to LA or to New York or to Houston or Chicago to take a course. But we have Lash professionals here teaching really well, teaching quality courses, without having to leave. And I felt like so I created what's called, I'm calling Colorado Lash Society. And there's going to be an app. And I'm in the middle of revamping all that now. It's out there now. If people want to download it, they can go and check it out. Yeah, there is a learning curve with that. I'm learning about like, I'm old school, big, long chunks. And everybody nowadays, little chunks, little bits at a time. So I like to get into the weeds. And so the Colorado Lash Society, the app, Colorado Lash Society, the community, and then there's going to be of course, and I'm not teaching courses per se, I really am here to help those who have spent money on a Lash class, either in their esthetician school, or they took an independent course. And now what do I do? How do I start a business? There's tons of people out there. Right. And, and, and I don't even remember from my course, now that it's been six months, which tweezers to use. And, and I just need a refresher. So I have a foundation. Maybe there's somebody out there, too, that's like, they tried it, and it was really tough for them. And they need some guidance, like those, you know, those types of people, how can they follow you find you all that stuff? Give us your Instagram. So at Colorado Lash Society. Okay. And what about your other, I'm trying not to make noise with my chair. What about other methods to find you? What about email? Can they email you? Yeah, they can email me, Jan, J-A-N, at Colorado Lash dot com. Perfect. Yeah. And they can keep in touch with your journey, because your app is going to be up and going in the next month. And it's going to be so amazing. I'll have a podcast. I'll have a podcast, too. Colorado Lash podcast. Okay. Yeah, so they can listen. When is that going to come out? Oh, gosh, I knew you were going to ask me that. It's been like, I have by, by March 1st, which seems like such a long time from now. That's a long way. Let's go, girl. That's February 1st. I know. March 1st. Like, that's March 1st. Okay, March 1st. So you can check. You can check before then, if it's there. If you're a Lash artist out there, and you're looking for some encouragement and some guidance, you know, definitely follow her. Definitely download the app. Definitely keep an eye out for the podcast, for sure. Yeah, and it's not just for Colorado Lash artists. I mean, surrounding the Rocky Mountain area, you know, anybody who wants to listen, there's just going to be a few times that we have things that only pertain to Colorado. If, you know, new legislation or things like that, but pretty much everything that I am passionate about is things that every Lash artist, especially the beginning and new Lash artists can benefit from. Yeah, and, you know, I just have to say on a personal note to end the call. I'm very proud of you for the intuition and the guidance that you've taken over the last. July, August, September. Six months. Six months. I had to do the math there. I'm not good at math. In finding your own intuition and your path, I really feel like you should be very proud of yourself that you have discovered, you know, that we've been working together, that you are on the right path to where you want to be, which is ultimately, at the end of the day, that's the most important thing. Well, and I have to thank you for allowing me to uncover that instead of telling me what I should do, because other people are like, oh, no, Colorado Lash. Like, no. Like, you need to go nationwide. You need to go international. If you want to make money. And I'm like, listen, I just want to serve this group of people right now. Maybe that'll change later. But right now, that's what it is. So thank you for allowing me to uncover that within myself, which is what other coaches have not allowed me to do. Yeah, I appreciate you. My pleasure. Goes to show people, you just got to follow your instinct. Your intuition is never wrong. Never wrong, I'm telling you. All right. Well, thank you so much again. Make sure you go and follow her and we'll see you soon. Thank you. Hey, thanks so much for tuning in today. It means everything to me to have your support. My mission is to help thousands of beauty business owners grow as big as they possibly can. So if you found today's episode valuable, the best way to share the love is to screenshot this episode, share to your socials, or even better, share with another business owner. Perhaps you could leave me a review, however you're listening to this podcast. And if you are looking for additional support, please reach out to me at beautydefinedcoach on Instagram. Can't wait to see you next week.