Speaker 1: 0:30

My name is Jessica Andara. I have a business named Element Lash and Brow Bar and I have been open since 2021. And I have moved once and then I started hiring employees and now I have three employees and an office manager. Yeah, and I'm located in Sterling I don't know if I said that, but yeah.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Wow, that's amazing. Now take me back. What kind of drew you to the world of aesthetics? Give me a quick overview of your journey from the start.

Speaker 1: 1:05

So I had been a musician my whole life. I grew up in Sterling and I loved music and I went to college for music. It was my dream school. But I came back and I didn't really want to do music here anymore, but I wasn't ready to move. So I basically decided to take a different path and just try to make as much money as like humanly possible and just do anything I could to make money. And then I transitioned into like doing that and being very unhappy.

Speaker 1: 1:40

And then I was like, okay, I want to do something that I'm really passionate about and I've always done like my friend's brows and makeup in high school and even in college with all the performers that were around me I would do their makeup and stuff like that. So I was like, maybe I can get into that field or be a makeup artist. And then in 2020, I was like, maybe I can get into that field or be a makeup artist. And then in 2020 I was like, okay, I really can't sing anymore. Like I have to go like all in on this and really take it seriously. So then I decided that I wanted to take my journey into being an esthetician and I went to school and, thank god, something was open, because it was 2020 and I really was unsure. But I was like, okay, let me start this journey.

Speaker 1: 2:21

I started taking classes, graduated at the end of 2020 and then I started working for someone else in the lash and brow industry but I didn't like how, like I felt controlled and I didn't have the opportunity to do all the things that I wanted to do and I was like I feel like I can create this for myself and I worked really hard to build that confidence within me to like take that next step into starting my own business. And then I just took the leap and went for it and then I opened my own small little salon suite in 2021. And then it grew up from there in 2021 and then grew it from there. But it was definitely like a huge part of me is like I'm an artist, like at heart. No matter what I do, I like to create and like I really found that outlet in being an esthetician as well. So in creating a business was also very fulfilling for me. So that's kind of my journey in a nutshell, yeah that's so beautiful.

Speaker 2: 3:19

I love that. The arts really allow us to explore so many things in our lives, and I mean even me. In this job I use my background as a musician and what I learned as well going to school for music, so it's great to kind of connect with someone else who's integrating their artistic background into a business.

Speaker 1: 3:41

Yeah, 100% Very cool. It's all joined together, it all flows. It's just that creative inside of us that needs to come out in some shape or form, or else I feel like we don't feel fulfilled. I don't want to speak for you, but I feel like you need to feel fulfilled as an artist.

Speaker 2: 3:57

Yeah, yeah, All right. So kind of switching gears a little bit. Um, getting a little more specific about element elements known for using very high quality products. What do you look for when choosing products and brands to give to your clients or to use?

Speaker 1: 4:13

That is a really good question. I would say I had this conversation with someone that I'm kind of like menteeing right now. She asked me is it more important to have like good products or like a good technique? And I really feel my answer to her was I feel it's 30% product and 70% technique. So I think that the product is very important because you want to rule out whether or not the product that you're using is the issue if you start to have issues with your outcome.

Speaker 1: 4:46

So, like I was, like I need to make sure that that is something I never question. So straight off the bat, I knew I had to have some type of high quality product. When it came to what type of lash lift solution I was using, type of lashes, what type of wax, all that stuff I wanted to make sure is the highest quality. So if there was ever any issue with any of my services, I knew it was a technique issue, it wasn't a product issue. So I would say it's like that's kind of my answer. It's like I want to make sure that that is never questioned and that my clients get the highest quality products. It's not really um a question when it comes to like how the service turns out okay, yeah, I love that approach to it.

Speaker 2: 5:26

It kind of simplifies it for you but also puts the client first and their needs first so exactly, yeah, yeah, 100%, all right? What's your philosophy on enhancing natural beauty versus transforming a look, and how do you guide clients to find the right balance?

Speaker 1: 5:44

I think I'm all about natural beauty. Honestly, like even from even from the beginning, I definitely didn't want to be someone who gave results that people looked at and were like, oh, you know what I mean. I wanted to make sure that the clients that I did serve felt like their beauty was enhanced, not that they were that their beauty was being taken away by the service that I provided. You know that's always a fine line, but I think the biggest thing is that communication.

Speaker 1: 6:14

As long as I'm communicating actively with my client and we're agreeing on an end result, then I think that the client's going to be happy, and I like to focus on lash health and the health of the eye area and the health of the skin, and so when it comes to providing a service, I like to make sure that the client comes first, no matter what, and usually a natural look is like better. Someone comes in and they want something super dramatic or something that I don't necessarily align with, I will turn a client away. You know, I'm not all about just making money. I'm about making sure that both me I'm proud of my work and my client is happy with their result. So I always make sure that we align before we even start any type of service, and usually it's more of a natural look. Yeah, yeah, that's great, all right.

Speaker 2: 7:04

How has the beauty industry evolved since you started and what trends do you think will shape the future of lashes and brows and kind of aesthetics in general?

Speaker 1: 7:13

That's a great question. I think when I first started even in 2020, 2021, it was lash extensions were a huge thing. I think everyone is trying to jump on the lash extension train and now it's more of like lash lifts, like lash lifts are more of the thing now, and it's because that it girl look is in that natural, that clean aesthetic, that like barely there look but still put together, is in right now, and I think that's how the beauty industry has kind of changed. It's like now we're tilting the total opposite from being like super heavy brows, super heavy lashes, to like very natural, like maybe working with what you have, rather than like adding, and I think that it's definitely transformed into a more natural, embracing your own features type of beauty industry, which I love. I think that's beautiful. So, yeah, I think it's definitely changed a lot, but I think for the better, honestly, yeah.

Speaker 2: 8:12

Yeah, and that's really good for your approach too, because, as you said, you kind of like to maintain that more natural result and it just is better for you and better for the client 100%. Yeah, I agree. Do you think trends will kind of swing back around and that the lash extensions will come back, or what are your predictions? The lash extensions?

Speaker 1: 8:35

will come back, or what are your predictions? I fear the lash extension industry has definitely suffered a lot because of how many people try to jump on the train of providing extensions but didn't understand how delicate and intricate the service itself is. We're working with microscopic hairs, like we're taking tiny extensions that are the size of one individual eyelash or even smaller, and then creating a fan and then trying to place them on one individual eyelash. This is like surgeon type work. It is not a joke. I don't think everyone should do it. I think people who are interested should try, and I think some people are naturally going to be more detail oriented and more surgeon, like you know, with their techniques, and I think those people are the people who should continue down that path and really hone in on that craft.

Speaker 1: 9:24

But I don't think lash extensions are for everyone and I think that that's okay. But I do think for a while there, everyone was trying to do it and so it scared a lot of people. People were getting eye infections, they were getting these lashes that were itchy and uncomfortable and then in their mind, that is what extensions are to them now. So it's trying to break that mentality or that kind of stigma, stigma around extensions that isn't true. So I really feel like the lash extension community has suffered a lot. I don't know if it's ever going to go back, but I do think it's important to keep them around for people who really want them and really love them.

Speaker 1: 10:06

But I think I honestly prefer lifts a little bit more than I do extensions. I don't know if we will. I don't know if the lash extension community will ever be able to bounce back to the capacity it was before, just because of all the damaging stigmas around it. But maybe there's a place for, like colorful extensions. I've seen a lot of people do like color matching to their hair, like maybe that is a way to kind of bring it back. But again, I think you have to find a specialist who does extensions, not just anyone who does extensions. So I think that's where it goes kind of back on the client to make sure they do their research and the artists educate their clients, so then they can get the type of clients that they want and the clients will get the artists that they want, and it's like a relationship, yeah that makes sense, and I think a lot of times with aesthetics and aesthetic services, people you know will go to whoever or whoever's cheapest or wherever they have a coupon.

Speaker 2: 11:11

But like the way that I think about it, would you go to any doctor?

Speaker 1: 11:15

Probably not so it's on your face, yeah it's the first thing that people see when they talk to you. That's why it's so important that you pick an artist that has reliable, like outcomes and knows what you want and is willing to listen and also is educated, like. If a client, if a artist can't explain to you what they're doing to your face while they're doing it, they probably don't know what they're doing you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 11:41

They're just like, oh okay, I'm just gonna do this thing. Like having that communication is such a huge factor in the end result, I think a lot of people miss that and they go to the cheapest person. I literally had someone come to me yesterday and was like I cheated on you, but I came back because I they messed up my brows and I just really want my shape back and no one could get like what I wanted and I was like that's low key, the best feeling in the world, like like no hate to them, but like that makes me feel good because that means that I was able to give you a result that you wanted and I have a service that is of a caliber that you want to keep coming back for. So it was just very reassuring that, like your clients will come back to you if you have a service that's good enough and you have that relationship with them. So it felt really good.

Speaker 2: 12:28

Yeah, I can tell you're very diligent in the way that you offer these services and you're an expert in the field. I can already tell just by speaking to you. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:40

I'm really passionate about it and I love people and I love service providing and I really love educating as well. I love mentoring people who want to be in the industry and who want to start their own businesses Like I'm such an advocate for, you know, helping people get from point A to point B and I just love seeing the transformation and I love helping people who were where I was. And that's kind of also the journey that I'm in right now, as I'm shifting from only being a service provider and only having a small business to also mentoring people into how to start a small business and how to provide these services, because that's where a lot of my passion lies is like helping other people be able to provide for their families and make some of their dreams come true in the way that I did when I first started. So that's where I'm like kind of heading towards. I'm really excited about that as well.

Speaker 2: 13:33

Yeah, that's a beautiful sentiment of paying it forward, thank you. So thank you for doing that. Of course, I wanted to ask what's been the most rewarding part of growing your team, as you mentioned at Element, and how do you foster a positive and collaborative culture?

Speaker 1: 13:49

That is such a good topic. I think it's very difficult, but I also feel it comes naturally to me. I wouldn't say it's easy for everyone to be able to foster a positive work environment, and I have been so fortunate to have amazing girls. I would say the main things that foster a positive work environment are being slow to hire. So when you hire people, make sure that they don't have to be exactly like you, but they need to be a good person. And being able to see through that first facade of those interviews and see who, what their core values are, is very important when you hire. And then the teachability is also very important. If someone comes in and they're already set in their ways and they don't want to learn and they don't want to grow, then I think that it would be really hard to mold and shape them into a good artist. So I think choosing someone who is has good core values, who is moldable and ready to learn, and then also someone who works well with others, someone who can be respectful of other people and have good communication, is also very important, because I, with my mentor mindset, like I want to give everything to my employees. I want them to provide excellent service and feel confident and feel happy and secure, and I want them to come to work and feel like they're not being shoved into a schedule that doesn't work for them. So when I do hire people, they are very much kind of like free to work around the schedule that works for them. They're able to have this flexibility that I never had working for other people, because I wanted to be able to provide that for my employees. There's a very fine line between like how much freedom is too much freedom and how much I should allow them to have, because I want them to be comfortable and I want them to stay and I want them to feel like coming to work is something they look forward to and I want them to feel like they're constantly growing as well. So like harboring that all of that and not being controlling and not being too carefree. Having that, that balance, is very hard, but I think if you have good intentions and they see that and you connect with them and you know that they're not, that they have good, if you know that they're a good person, then it'll work out. So I think it's a great question. It's very like, it's very true right now, actually, my first employee that I ever hired.

Speaker 1: 16:27

She was with me. She is with me for like two years and then her last day is actually this coming Wednesday. She's starting her own business and so, like I'm so happy for her and but it's also hard to see her go. Like I have invested so much into her and I want her to grow, but this transition was very hard. You know, I'm like I want you to succeed, but also I need to protect the business that I've grown. Like I was. I'm still a small business.

Speaker 1: 16:50

So there was a fine line between being like let's set boundaries, but also like communicate in a way that, like if clients have come to only see you, like you can still take those. I'm not going to be trying to control who you take and who you don't. I'm not going to try to control where you work and where you don't. My end goal was for you to feel so confident that you could start your own business, and that's what she was able to do, so I'm happy about that. I just want to make sure that I also don't risk my whole business and being too giving. There was just a really fine line that we actually sat down this morning and talked about, and because we both knew each other's intentions and we had that trust within each other, we were able to like part ways and feel like neither of us are going to try to control or restrict the other person's growth and so, like we ended on a really good note. And having that is incredible, like I don't know anyone else who has that type of relationship.

Speaker 1: 17:44

I've heard horror stories about people leaving their companies like and then starting their own business and then they're suing them and they're like running after them Like. I've heard absolutely horrible things that I never wanted that, and so now I think I'm going to start to shift my hiring process into a higher work for the company and then switch after a certain timeline to then be a mentorship opportunity, because I feel like with that they'll get the confidence and they'll be able to serve the clients and also serve the business. But when the timeline ends they'll be able to start to transition and have that confidence and that guidance from me into starting their own business, and then I can feel like we're both getting something out of it and then they can go off on their own. So I'm like trying to figure out this fine line of like mentoring, but also keeping the business that I have, you know, functioning and happy and flourishing as well. So I'm trying to figure it out, but I think it's definitely possible to do.

Speaker 2: 18:43

Yeah, yeah. I liked the idea that you just mentioned. I mean, you're certainly such an innovator and even in terms of, like, who you hire and kind of their track with their time with you, it seems like you're even innovate. You're innovating when it comes to aesthetics, but you're also innovating and thinking about the future and thinking about thinking um, thinking of like having your employees in mind when it comes to the trajectory of your business too, because I know what it's like to be that employee.

Speaker 1: 19:13

You know. I know what it's like to feel put in a box and like limited, and I don't want that for them, you know, and I don't think I don't think there's a a place that I know of that does. And I appreciate you saying that I'm like innovative, because I was thinking about that today. I was like I don't think there's a place that I know of that is trying to do what I am trying to do right now. But how many times have has this story happened where someone comes to work for you, they get the training happened? Where someone comes to work for you, they get the training, they grow their clientele and they turn around and they leave.

Speaker 1: 19:53

You know, and trying to control that person and trying to stop them from leaving never works. If that never works, then something has to change. So if I can start a, if I can create an opportunity for someone to get the training they need, gain the experience and the confidence, and then I can help them transition into their next period of starting their own business and we can mutually benefit from it, like, why would I not, you know? So that's where I'm at right now. I think that there's definitely a place in the industry for that and I'm ready to try to figure that out and make it happen.

Speaker 2: 20:25

So yeah, absolutely Well said, thank you. All right, kind of shifting gears a little bit, to like client experience when clients walk out of Element, how do you hope they feel and what lasting impression do you want them to carry with them?

Speaker 1: 20:40

I really want them to feel heard. I want them to feel relaxed. I want them to feel like they got the lashes and the brows that they've always wanted. I want them to feel like a prettier, happier version of themselves, and I like to say that most of the time that happens like the amount of times that someone gets up from the chair and they're like this is better than I expected, or this is the best lash that I've ever gotten, or I feel so pretty, I look so much better, blah, blah, blah Like the amount of times I hear that makes what I do like so worth it, and that's what I hope that clients get every single time they come in and out.

Speaker 1: 21:26

I also want my clients to feel they get the same consistent results among everyone that works for me as well.

Speaker 1: 21:33

So many times you come to one salon to get your nails done or to get whatever, and then you go to a different provider and the service is not up to the same caliber.

Speaker 1: 21:43

So, like my training is extensive, and until my employees are able to provide a service that I deem worthy to be on clients, then I don't let them keep going.

Speaker 1: 21:59

You know I don't allow them to start working on clients until they're at a level where I'm like this is really good and it's consistent, because I don't want them to lose confidence within themselves and providing a service that it that the client's going to turn on and be not be happy with it feels horrible If you provide a service that isn't up to you know. Your best work isn't up to your standards, let alone a service happening on a client and then the client not being happy and then them being like, well, this sucks, you know, I didn't get what I wanted. So I never want either the client or my employee to feel like they failed or that they didn't get what they wanted out of it, and so I. That's the only reason I don't let them continue to move forward in actually providing the services is to protect the confidence of the employee and then also protect my clients from a bad service.

Speaker 2: 22:47

Yeah, yeah, and I think I mean most people probably appreciate that you do that, whether they know or not, just because I mean you could put people out that aren't fully trained and get the business and kind of see what happens, throw them to the wolves. You could do that and I feel like a lot of people do yeah. So I really respect that you have this high level of um discretion over who is able to provide services. They have to be up to up to the mark and up to standard.

Speaker 2: 23:18

So I'm sure that that's what sets element apart and really keeps people coming back. Thank you Back to like the positive impact you want to leave on people? Is there like a specific moment or story where you knew you'd made a positive impact on someone's confidence? If you can think of any to share, we can come back to it too. I was just curious.

Speaker 1: 23:38

I would say definitely a lot more so on the employee side than the client side. Like I recently did a class where I taught someone lash extensions and she had never done extensions before and I wanted to get some footage of like her experience. So I had my office manager, maddie, sit down and kind of like give her a really short interview with her and asked her how her experience was. And she said her confidence went from like zero to a hundred with extensions. And I like I literally watched the video back because I waited to get home before I watched it, because I was like I don't know what she said. I think it's positive but I don't want to like I don't know. I want to watch it when I'm home and I'm by myself. I went home and and I watched it and like while she was like saying how amazing her experience was, I was like crying. I was so happy that I was able to transform someone's confidence in their work in like literally one day and one model. She went from being like I don't know how to do extensions to now I can do a full set of extensions. Like that was wild to me and that made brought me to tears with how proud I was in the fact that I can change people's careers and their lives, like by teaching them a skill in you know a short period of time and by building them up, like by giving them positive affirmations, telling them they can do it, working with them.

Speaker 1: 25:01

And there was points during that training where she was struggling and I was like you can do it, working with them. And there was points during that training where she was struggling and I was like you can do this, like take a breath, keep focusing, keep working, make these minor adjustments. And then she like things would click. I would see them click. And then she would be like, okay, I got it, I got it. And then she would keep going and by the end she felt like confident enough to like continue to do fills on her sister and take more people at home and like work on it, work on the skill, and I set expectations that it would take a while for her to master it, but like she now knew how to do extensions and was excited to move forward with that in the future. So that was really like impactful to me, like being able change someone, someone's confidence in their skills in a short period of time for sure. Yeah, thank you for sharing that story yeah, my pleasure.

Speaker 2: 25:49

Yeah, um, I wanted to ask for someone who's never had a professional lash or brow service. What would you say is the biggest misconception about?

Speaker 1: 26:00

these treatments.

Speaker 1: 26:05

I think the biggest misconception I think it's kind of that stigma we talked about is that these services are going to damage, you know, the lashes and the brows. I really believe, if you go to the correct service provider, who is knowledgeable and who is mindful and considerate and has good communication, I think that they can prioritize your lashes and your brows and you're not going to leave with damaged lashes and brows. I think that's the biggest misconception is that, you know, people are scared, and I don't think that they need to be. This is a service that's supposed to make you feel pretty, it's supposed to make your life easier, and a lot of people are hesitant to even get any of these services done because they're scared of all their lashes falling out or all someone waxing their entire brow off. It's like there are service providers out there that want to give you the service that you want. You just have to find them and the ones that are putting themselves out there they're pretty easy to find. If you like, search for them, yeah.

Speaker 2: 27:18

What advice would you give to someone who dreams of opening their own salon or beauty business but feels a little bit overwhelmed by the process?

Speaker 1: 27:26

Wow, I would say I have a lot of advice to give on that. Go ahead, can you?

Speaker 2: 27:34

repeat the question one more time. Yeah, you can choose like one thing, or it doesn't have to be Just like advice. Yeah, just like a general piece of advice for someone who dreams of opening their own salon or business but feels kind of overwhelmed oh my God, Okay so the first piece of advice I would have is just start.

Speaker 1: 27:54

Like it doesn't have to be perfect. You just need to start and then you need to make it good. Like just like we have so many resources, we have so many resources available online to us right now. Like you can start a whole business by using ChatGPT. Like ChatGPT is not great for the environment.

Speaker 1: 28:13

But it is a tool that we've never had before in our whole lives and now we have it at our fingertips and we're able to ask it any question we want in the whole world and it can give us answers. It can tell me like things about like medical stuff, like it can be your therapist there's so many things that you can do for that. But, like, when it comes to asking it like, what do I need to start a business? It's as simple as just typing it in chat GPT and figuring it out. It'll give you a list. I'll be in chat to you between figuring it out, it'll give you a list. But, like, I think my biggest piece of advice would probably be to also fix your mindset.

Speaker 1: 28:51

I think so many people are so scared and the mind of an entrepreneur is like, taking great risks will give you great reward. So I think a lot of people are like I'm scared to take the leap, I'm scared to blah, blah, blah. You need to focus on yourself and your mindset and get out of your own way, like, if this is something you really want, if you want this freedom, if you want to take this venture into investing in yourself and being able to provide fully, 100% for yourself. You're going to have to have almost a ridiculous amount of confidence and belief in yourself to be able to take that leap. But I think focusing on your mindset, focusing on, like, changing beliefs that don't serve you, beliefs that are, like, negative about yourself, about how much you're capable of, about how much money you're capable of making, focusing on those things and then starting to take action on a daily basis, there's a lot of things you can get done in a week's time.

Speaker 1: 29:47

If you really go all in, if you spend hours a day, or even just like an hour a day, the amount of things you can get done in an hour is like mind blowing. You can go and you can start an LLC right now. You can go and you can, you know, find a business name and make it your own and then, you know, get a document for it. Like there's like there's so many things that you can do that you have built up in your mind that are way too big for you to tackle, but they're honestly not that hard. So like just starting is my biggest piece of advice Just do something right now, today, like it's, it is so important.

Speaker 2: 30:25

Yeah, I think maybe we just need to get out of our own way a little bit. No, I hate to say it, I'm not trying to be harsh, but I'm like it's possible If someone else has it.

Speaker 1: 30:35

If someone else has it, then you can have it too. Absolutely Like I have a business, you can have a business.

Speaker 2: 30:42

Yep.

Speaker 1: 30:42

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:43

Well, thank you for the amazing conversation, of course, and, yeah, thank you for taking the time to talk to me today about element and your journey. It's been such a fascinating conversation and I've just loved speaking with you, um, but yeah, I'm sure our audience will love this episode as well.

Speaker 1: 31:01

I hope so too. Thank you, Jessica. Thank you so much.