We recently connected with Gabriela Herrera and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Gabriela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
In the fall of 2020, I am 23 years old freshly out of college with a degree I had no idea on how to pursue. At this time Covid was at its peak and I couldn’t help but to feel trapped in a mice race working as an essential worker in corporate America. I stood on the sidelines watching the beauty industry flourish and I dreamed of the day I would take a leap of faith to attend a hands on workshop with some of the top estheticians in my area. I finally had enough of my 9-5 horror job and built up the courage to sign up for a 3 day beginners workshop with Venus Lash Studio in Houston Texas. I soaked up everything I could from my Instructors at the time and received my very first Certificate of completion in the Eyelash Industry on February of 2021. This was such a huge milestone for me because it marked a step into me building a life of financial freedom. I was excited about this new skill I learned and I worked day and night to perfect it. I started off by practicing on my closest relatives and friends for free. I did not feel all that comfortable applying eyelash extensions to the public until about 6 months into my Journey of learning. I took a few more workshops to continue my education within that same year. Finally, in August of 2021 I launched 444 Lash Beauty Bar LLC. I registered my business legally and created my business website as well as promoted it on Instagram and Facebook. Many ask where and how I thought of 444 Lash, and to be honest throughout my journey of graduating college and working long hours at my corporate job, to researching about the Eyelash Industry every time I looked up 444 would be the repeated numbers on my clock, or my television, or just anywhere. I couldn’t help but feel a spiritual connection and awareness during those moments. I began to research what these numerical signs truly meant and I understood it to be Angel Numbers¨. Angel numbers are a repetitive sequence of numbers that signifies guidance for spiritual exploration and conveyed messages from angels. Once I understood the true meaning of 444 and what my guardian angel was relaying to me I knew that my business name would gravitate to other people around the world. When it came to gaining clientele, I focused mainly on costumer service. I provided professional relationships with my clients and made sure to create a well organized experience for them. I created an easy accessible booking website, and required safety forms with deposits to be submitted before any service. Most importantly I believe trust and loyalty played a significant role in retaining my clients. The next three years of running 444 Lash and Beauty Bar LLC I would describe to be an on going roller coaster. I began to dabble in manufacturing my own product line which consisted of eyelash tweezers, eyelash trays, professional glue, primer, and remover. I would say this was the most challenging business venture because I risked much of my time and money to find the perfect manufacture to bring my vision to life. Thankfully, I have found great quality supplies and will soon drop my collection, so stay tuned for that! I will say that I have met so many wonderful people and have retained great relationships with other entrepreneurs. Finding a mentor and inserting yourself in a room with likeminded people is the biggest cheat code I believe in successfully running a business. Being an entrepreneur is not for the weak, being your own boss requires great determination, hustle, and creativeness.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Gabriela Herrera, I am 26 years old from Houston, Texas. I am a first-generation covid graduate from the University of North Texas. My parents migrated to the United States from Panama and El Salvador, they came to this country in search of a better opportunity for not only themselves but for their family. I hold 444 Lash & Beauty LLC dearest to my heart because it signifies the journey I am taken to one day relieve my family from the financial oppression minorities experience in this country. Now going on three years I have legitimized my Beauty business through not only being a three-time certified EyeLash Technician but, also becoming a Licensed Master Eyelash Technician with the state of Texas. 444 Lash & Beauty LLC provides women with luxury eyelash extensions all across the Dallas – ForthWorth Metroplex. As a Licensed Technician, I apply one mink eyelash to every single natural lash on the client’s eye. This luxurious service takes about 2.5 hours to complete and may last for up to five weeks. I take pride in my specialty sets which are Volume Lash Extensions and Wispy Lash Extensions as well as my Lash Art. Lash art consists of colored lashes, and lash decals such as glitter, hearts, butterflies, and rhinestones. I am also curating my own lash extension product line that will consist of lash shampoo kits, mink eyelash trays, and specialty eyelash tweezers for professional use only. I believe my hospitality and professionalism sets me apart the most from others. My business name is very authentic and resonates positively across my community. My workspace is known for its soothing aromas, r&b feel, and most importantly cleanliness. My clients call it the “444 angelic experience” when they refer my lash business to others.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media presence is the most important tool in scaling your business. At the beginning of 444 lash & Beauty I went old school and printed out flyers as well as business cards in hopes of establishing my first clients. I wouldn’t totally knock that method out because It did work but, I would say it required an excessive amount of time to pass out my business cards and place flyers on peoples windshields. I instead looked into creating ads online. Purchasing ads on Google, Instagram, Facebook was a huge game changer for 444 Lash. It was very quick and easy to get my business out there through social media because everyone is on the internet! My advice to anyone just starting is to stay consistent. Even if its just two posts and one Ad a day keep the algorithm going.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
At the start of 444 Lash & Beauty LLC I experienced a hard time communicating important information to my clients. I wanted a platform outside of social media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) to allow me too announce important dates, deals, and last minute openings without having to wait on them to look at my social media posts. I remember one day the Instagram platform was down for about six hours and I had no way of communicating with my clients or no way of posting content. I felt very uncomfortable that social media was the middle man in communicating my business with my clients. Therefore, I looked into SMS and Email notifications. With this new innovation I am allowed to reach out to my clients personally through text message about any last minute openings or exclusive sales without depending on social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: Https://444lashbeautybar.as.me
- Instagram: @444Lash
Image Credits
Rodney Wheeler, Gabriela Herrera