We recently connected with Vanessa Molica and have shared our conversation below.

Vanessa, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

The Lash Professional focuses on creating a space for entrepreneurs in the beauty industry. Our mission is to educate. The more success other artist have, the more success we have.

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

15 years ago I was obsessed with strip lashes. The time was different, not everyone was wearing them. It didn’t matter, I was obsessed. When I learned about eyelash extensions I was immediately hooked. I could have the strip look all day and night? Yes!!! Not only did I wear extensions I started applying them on all the girls in my circle. Everyone around me was wearing eyelash extensions. I decided to open my salon when eyelash extensions weren’t a thing. I just believed in the service and, thankfully, I was right. My business grew rapidly from salons to product lines to training.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’m a saver. I took all the money from my savings account, ya know all the money I’ve been saving since I was 5, and put it into my first salon. I was so scared. I couldn’t fail. It just wasn’t an option.

We’d appreciate any insights you can share with us about selling a business.

I sold two of my salons to a friend. I kept having this undeniable doubt that I was doing the right thing. With a contract, she only paid me 5% of of aggred purchase price. Within three years she ran the business completely down. The saddest part is that she took no responsibility and blamed me for her failure. I learned a lot from this experience. My biggest lesson is to always trust my instinct.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thelashprofessional.com
• Instagram: thelashprofessional
• Youtube: The Lash Professional