What lessons you've learned as a female founder? A lot of people think I'm like this rich person. I'm like, no, I have worked my ass off to get where I'm at. Like, I take less money than some of my girls do home sometimes, you know? And we've all been there. We're at the beginning, sometimes you're not. And I think with the women, entrepreneurship is just hard because of the haters. Jennifer Wall is a pioneering, innovative and mentorship driven lash artist and entrepreneur and the founder known for her custom lash pads and apprenticeship program in Washington state. I put an ad out on a Facebook group and I just got eaten alive. Yeah, people love to do on social media. Just eat alive and she's a dumb bitch and just everything else. And I'm like, I don't even like what? And like, I'm actually like the coolest boss. Like, I've never told anybody they can't take time off. I've like literally hardly ever fired anybody. Like I'm I've taken like all my girls to Vegas. Like I'm a pretty cool boss. I always try to be the boss that I never had. I think that was the hardest thing is just the females just they can eat you alive online. It spans the globe like a super high is called into the eldest. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the fall. It's not over until I win. The Living Your Legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy. That's extraordinary. The impossible. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan. Open Chicago with the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream. Hello and welcome back to another episode. I'm sat here with Jen today. She's an entrepreneur, visionary, product owner and innovator, just like all of us. And she has a very successful studio and product line of herself. I'm going to talk about her journey and what she does. So, Jen, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thanks for having me. So let's talk about it from the ground up. You know, you've you've built this successful product line and business, but I'm sure it wasn't always that way. How did you tell us the journey? How did you get into all this? Well, funny story. My girlfriend was getting married and she said, let's go get Lush extensions. And I said, what the hell's that? She said she goes full. And I, you know, YouTube was fairly new back then. I looked up the video and I was like, let me check it out. So I went on YouTube and I was like, because I was in dentistry, I go, I have those same tweezers. I said, I literally sit like that all day every day for the last 12 years. I could do that. I was like, let me order some stuff. So order some stuff. It didn't show up because we ordered it from like China or somewhere crazy. And didn't have Amazon next day. No, I didn't have Amazon back then at all. So finally found a place that was only product. And in that short period, I realized, oh, you have to be licensed in order to order products. So my boss actually, the time was a dentist and she was really cool. And she was like, yeah, use the dental chair and do your friends Lashes. And I was like, okay. So we just kind of whipped it out. And then she went to work the next day. And the next thing I knew, I was basically like a drug dealer. Everybody wanted to come and get Lashes. They're like, can you see me? Can you do me? And I was like, yeah. And I'm like, I have no idea what to charge because there was only one other person. So this was really at the start of that, you know, big industry now, right? Most of industry. And you were really at the start of it all and doing that. Yeah. There was only one other person in Washington state doing them. Crazy. A lady in Bellevue. And I looked at her prices, which were crazy expensive. And I was like, well, I guess I'll just do a bit less. Do a little less than that. A lot less than that. And then I undercut myself quite a bit because the next thing I knew, I had people coming in and out of my house all day long. To the point where I was like, this actually could make me some money. Like let me kind of dive into it and see what I can do. And then, you know, tried to quit my dental job, which I did forever. And she was like, you can't leave me. You're like my best assistant. So I kind of tried to do both for a while. And she was kind of nice. She let me use the dental chair, which I missed that actually, because the chairs were really nice and the lighting was good. All that was great. So yeah. And then fast forward to today, how's that grown into what you've got now? Well, I had the first Lash Studio ever in Pierce County. Super successful. I've had, I moved from a smaller location to a bigger location now. Have lots of girls. They're all booked out. We're very busy. One of the most well-known Lash studios in Washington. So yeah, I mean, it's been really good that that part. It's all running itself pretty much at this point. And now you have a product line too. I opened the product line in 2008, actually, right after I started doing Lashes, because when I was trying to order a product, I couldn't find anything that was decent and everything was just very chintzy and just very plasticky. And just, it wasn't good. So I was like, well, you know, it started to get more and more busy. And I saw people would, they'd come watch me and they'd stand over with their friend and look what I was doing. The next thing I know they were doing Lashes at their house. You know, so I was like, if you can't beat them, join them. Like I might as well get a product line started that way. I could start selling to them once they're my competition. At least I could actually sell to them to, you know, can't beat them, join them. Good. And what's the, you know, what's the kind of biggest lessons you've learned from growing all this, you know, you kind of went from. Don't trust anybody. Okay. As I'm sure you know. Yeah, definitely have then taken advantage of more, more, I have a big heart. So I definitely have that thing. That's the hardest thing is just getting taken advantage of. Especially in your business, like you say, it's a people business and it's kind of like hairdressing and stuff. People come in and out and start their own thing on the side. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. All the time. I pack girls that come in and spy and they look and see what I do. And then they take them pictures and, you know, next thing you know, there's a studio looks just like mine, you know, which, which now I take that as a compliment back at the beginning, I would get, you know, upset about it. And I would, I would be upset, but now I'm like, well, you know, I'm, I'm successful, we're booked. I'm not worried about it. I've had employees burn me beyond no means numerous times. And then I see them not being as successful. And I'm like, yeah, well, you know, the biggest revenge is my success. Yeah. So, and, but I do have a very good relationship with most all employees that I've ever had, which is awesome. You know, there's a few people here and there that will burn you, but other than that, like I've always tried to keep it pretty. And what about some lessons, you know, it's, I always think great for everyone to hear a lot of people are in there like, Hey, I'm doing the thing myself. Right. And then you eventually go, well, my calendar's full. I'm too busy. I can't earn more than doing this, right? There's only so many hours in a day. So you obviously got into that and then had that and then started bringing someone on and getting a studio, then a bigger studio. Talk us through that process and what you learn. Well, I was put myself through school because I realized I had to have a license. Yeah. So I was, I was doing lashes at my house or something like friends and family and friends of friends, you know, things like that, keeping it legal. And then I was in esthetician school and it kind of blew up. And then I knew I needed a studio, like a place to do it at. And I remember my dad saying, like, this is just a trend. Like, don't quit your day job. Like, what are you doing? And then he came and visited and he was like, you look like a straight up drug dealer. He's like, you have girls in and out of your house, like every 30 minutes is crazy. You know, so, um, I told him, I go, I really want to open up the first lash studio. And at that point when he came to visit, he was like, yeah, I think you should. He goes, you guys, you should. And so I thought I needed a business partner because I wasn't legally licensed at the time when I was getting ready to open, you know, I was still, I was almost licensed at that point, which then I shortly got my license and realized I didn't need a business partner, um, to own a salon, which, you know, I was new. I was young. I was in my twenties. I didn't know. I was like, well, I thought that's what you had to be. But no. And then, um, open that. And then I hired a girl that was just kind of renting a bed from us. So meet her and end up becoming really good friends and close because we were working side by side together. And then meet her actually left together and open up a bigger, a bigger place at the time, just, and that's when we started training girls. So I had a separate little location that we drive to, like, um, in Bellevue and we would train the girls like every week. And then we, our training classes started getting booked up and more and more girls. And then we started selling products to them. And I had the product line before I had met her, but, um, it was just convenient. So we kind of just branched together and just kind of did all that. So. And what, what lessons kind of go in between all of that, you know, things you'd teach yourself or someone else that's going from trading their time to building out a team and a studio. I always say take it slow. I feel like people try to put themselves like they think they're bigger than they are. And that's how those, those are the slums that have failed. I'd noticed in the, in where we live, it's girls just go, go, go. And I'm like, you have to build that repertoire with your clients and I, yeah. And I've always tried to keep my prices, you know, very affordable for anybody that could come in, but I feel like so many girls see money, money, money. And they'd rather see three clients and overcharge them. And then those people aren't going to stick with you for long term. Well, I think a big thing for local businesses too, which you've probably seen is I think people have, you know, I see it here with restaurants, restaurants on Miami beach open all the time. And I mean, they assume you open a restaurant and people are just going to show up right. And they, you know, I'm sure your competitors open a saloon or a studio and people are just going to show up, but it's actually the hardest part. It's not the product or making the, having the chef to the meals. It's marketing. That's why I became good at marketing because I realized as a early on in my 20s, if you do that, you can do anything. Exactly. That's so true. So that's a good point. Yeah. Um, a lot of the girls, when they're new word, they, they think like, oh, Jen's house is so on and it's pretty pink and it's fun. She's so busy and she's so, but what they don't see is me. Um, I've done everything myself. Exactly. And they don't realize that I've been on Google to four AM all night and making my keywords and doing all my searches. And these girls open up the thing and all they have is Instagram. I'm like, that's cool. That'll get you so far. But, and if you don't have a Google page or you don't have a website or you don't have any YouTube or any, anything. Exactly. And for views I take very seriously. If I've ever had a bad review, I, I fix it within seconds. You know, I reach out to that customer and figure out what the issue is. And I feel like so many girls are just, like they say, they see money, money, money, money, money, money, money. And they don't focus on that client. Yeah. You have to, you have to have that relationship with them. Yeah. You know, those businesses hairdressers and everything. They're, they're long-term reputation businesses. Right. Like restaurants too. Right. Like a restaurant does well here in Miami beach because it has. 2000 reviews on, on a X, you know, Xperia, or the, you know, Yale, Port Google, right. And yours is the same. And I think it's great that people want to go out and start. Local businesses, but they have to realize if they don't have a marketing plan, how are you going to get hundreds of customers to leave the reviews and to fill it and cover your overheads and all of those things. Yep. And I tell all my girls that like do lashes, like you're doing your sisters lashes for her wedding, because you never know who that person knows. You don't know who that person is. You don't know who they're going to talk to when they leave here. You don't know they're going to go home and their sister does do lashes and they're going to check your work. Yeah. So you always have. And it's a referral business a lot of the time, right? You're walking billboard. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And I always tell the girls that when I, one of the things when I first started, I never made a website in my life and I was like, whatever, I'll figure it out. Like I've done everything myself. So watch the YouTube videos, figured it out. I made myself a website, made myself some cards. And the way I branded myself at the very beginning was because you got to get your word out there, right? But there wasn't a lot back then. There wasn't like a lot of social media really. It was pretty new. So I would take a stack of like 20 cards. Yeah. And I would write their name on the back of all my cards. Each client and I would hand it to them. And I would say anybody that comes in with your name on the card, they'll get a, you'll get a free fill. Oh, no. I had a lady, I'll never forget her. She's a yoga instructor. She literally brought me the most business because on her like teaching, she would hand out my cards. Yeah. So they would come get a full set, which made me, you know, the biggest amount of money, you know, in the lash world. And then so she'd get a free fill. That girl never paid for a freaking fill. I think for like two years. She's your top sales rep. She was, she was. And like, and so I've told like the girls that, you know, when I first hire them, I'm like, you got to cut some deals. You got to make some deals to put yourself out there. And so many of these girls, I think, oh, my work is the best. I'm not going to, I don't want to work late at night or I don't want to do a deal. And I'm like, oh. It's the instant gratification thing, right? Yeah. I, I, when I, I was a personal trainer at 17, 18, and I became one of the busiest in my gym because yeah, I'd be there all day trying to sell. And, but yeah, I would do tons of free sessions and buy one, get one free. I'd be able to bring a friend. And that's why I've always done well. Cause I hustle, you know, and a lot of people, they don't, they don't want to hustle. Right. There's a sign in my bathroom. It says hustle. Okay. There you go. Definitely. So, so last few questions here, we talked a lot about the salon and lessons there, but what about female entrepreneurship and women in power and what lessons you've learned as a female founder? Um, you know, being a female, I think it's harder in a sense. Like there's a lot of haters. I feel like in the female world, then there is like, no one really like just hates guys. I feel like they do like for girls, like if you look cute or if you're successful or a lot of people think I'm like this rich person. I'm like, no, I have worked my ass off to get where I'm at. Like I take less money than some of my girls do home sometimes, you know, and we've all been there. We're at the beginning, sometimes you're not. And I, I think what the women entrepreneurship is just hard because of the haters online. You know, I remember I put an ad out on a Facebook group and I just got eaten alive. Yeah. People left. Just eat a lot of life and she's a dumb bitch and just everything else. And I'm like, I don't even like what? And like, I'm actually like the coolest boss. Like I've never told anybody they can't take time off. I've like literally hardly ever fired anybody. Like I'm, I've taken like all my girls to Vegas. Like I'm a pretty cool boss. I always try to be the boss that I never had. Okay. You know? So it's, it's, I think that was the hardest thing is just the females just, they can eat you alive online. I think of a female's just saying, no, not the guys. It's just mostly females. Like being a female business owner, I feel like it's just really hard because everybody assumes you're rich and everybody assumes you're a bitch. Well, a lot of it, just like any meat bullying as a kid and haters online, it's often jealousy. It comes from right there, probably doing something they don't like or, you know, and sadly, sadly they translate that and transfer that onto to you. I have to, I have to tell myself that or else, you know, you drive yourself crazy. You have to, you know, any business owner male or female, you know, I still, I have prosy red hair and red officers and, you know, wear red coats and people say I'm a look like a drug dealer or a pimple. I've been called a drug dealer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You laugh it off. Over time you went learn to laugh it off. I, I, you know, I used to, I feel like as I got an older, it makes like it's worse. Now, I don't know why. Okay. I think ever since COVID, like ever since my salon got shut down, there was so many like haters out there that it's just, it was really, that was a tough one. So I'm always like, you know, you're more sensitive to it. Yeah. I think so. But before I was just, especially growing up, I never gave a shit what anybody thought about me and I'm like, why do I care now? You know, but I think people are just, I think it's social media. People are just so mean on there and they're so judgmental that it can really, it's like I always said, I'd never want to be famous because I just, I could. You have to have a certain, you know, I, I'm not famous, but I'm well known in my industry and you definitely have to work with a lot of very famous A-listers. Sure. You have to have a certain tolerance to do that. Yeah. Cause my daughter even said that she goes, mom, you're like, Pimus and Bonnie Lake. I'm like, I don't want to be. I like walk through the grocery store with my head down. I'm like, I don't want to see anybody cause I feel like everybody's just. Yeah. You know, I live on Miami beach and I'll be out walking or running and someone will stop me. Oh, for sure. Cause it's just funny cause you're always on almost, right? Yeah. Can we get to that point? So, so last question. People want to learn more about you, learn from you, watch what you do, follow you, where do they find you? Where do they find me? Um, well for my salon, obviously they find me, it's by me online. I feel like I'm pretty well known in the, in the, in the area. Website, social media. Lash divas day spa in Bonnie Lake for, to do, if you want to come in and get lashes. And then if you're an actual licensed esthetician or a cosmetologist, then, um, exotic eyelashes.com is the, um, where you buy the product. Great. And one last tip for, uh, you know, whether it's a female founder or a founder in general, uh, to start in or launch in or grow in that business. What would you say? Just take your time, build, build that clientele, build the relationships with the clients. I feel like that's the biggest thing in this type of industry is having word of mouth and having people like your product. And I think not only your product, but you know how the end results are and that's going to speak volumes, but you definitely need to definitely take the time to have relationship with the clients because the clients are what pays the bills. Love it. And the clients are what's going to bring in their friends. Good. Well, there you go, everyone. That's another episode in the wrap. Hope you enjoyed today's discussion and, uh, learning about the, the amazing businesses you built and the journey through it, right? The ups and the downs. That's what it's all about. Uh, check her out. And of course, keep working hard yourself and make an impact. I'll see you guys soon. Take care.
