We were lucky to catch up with Heidi Taylor recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Heidi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
Man, the family business. The idea of a family business is great; passing on something to your child that you’ve worked tremendously hard on just to have them work even harder to make it better for their child and so on and so forth. However I do believe there are pitfalls to this as well; such as the child not wanting to follow the footsteps of their parent or they take over the company and run it into the ground. I would be okay with my son joining my business but not as a lash artist but perhaps as a marketing manager or HR. There’s a company in the UK that I follow and one of the main accounts for posting is “Jamie” and Jamie is the son of the person who founded the company. The company has a decent following and he even came on Instagram once before that he was the son of the founder. He knows absolutely nothing about actually lashing but he knows how to run PR and track sales. I wouldn’t mind my son doing that (or if he wanted to lash that’s fine too) but only if he wanted to contribute to the family business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into this industry by complete accident. I followed a boy who I thought was the love of my life and got dumped pretty much as soon as I moved there but I was already approved and enrolled in cosmetology so I stuck it out and eventually left and got my bachelor degree in communication studies with a minor in American Sign Language. It took me 9 years to get back into this and that’s because there was a company that reached out to me and saw I was licensed and asked if I wanted to learn to lash and that they would pay me! I took the job and learned. I learned that the standard in this industry is far too low and I plan to raise it as high as humanly possible. When you come and get your lashes done, you’re not just getting lashes, you get a therapist if you need one, you get to unwind in a calming atmosphere, and best of all, you get a friend for life. I have some moms that come to me and that’s their only time to themselves, their only time to relax and unwind. I’m proud that I’ve made a business where people are comfortable and know they’re welcomed no matter what age, race, etc, they are.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I would say just getting into the community. Simple things such as going to holiday markets, farmer markets, street vendor shows and even talking to random people in Target or Walmart or wherever I am. I take any moment I can to talk to at least one person about my business if I’m out and about. If we go out for a meal then I make sure to leave a business card.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Google and word of mouth; those have been the best source of new clients. I currently have only 5 Star ratings on Google. That could change in the future but as of now I have some of the best reviews. My favorite referrals though will always be word of mouth. That someone’s friend enjoyed me and my business so much they told other people who sparked an interest and then came to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TayloredLashBar.GlossGenius.com
- Instagram: @TayloredLashBar
- Facebook: @TayloredLashBar
- Yelp: @TayloredLashBar
