We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jae’la Moody a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jae’la thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

When I first began lashing I wasn’t as focused as now. I had to realize my lack of dedication was holding me back from my ideal success. I showed my dedication by learning to discipline myself. I had to be more consistent, chose my priorities over fun at times, and just really get focused on the bigger picture. This was a game changer for my business but most importantly for me as a entrepreneur. While success can mean a variety of things, dedication and discipline is most valuable for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My love for this craft began at 17 years old, I was in high school experimenting on myself with store bought individuals. I would sit in front of the mirror with my tweezers, individuals and bonnet glue, and place the cluster lashes on my eyes one by one. This went on for a while, it was a new addition to my beauty routine and I was obsessed. My mom began to notice and it was actually her that gave me the idea to transform into lash extensions. The transformation from individuals to extensions was very difficult because I was teaching myself, but with my mothers constructrive criticism and YouTube I was able to perfect my craft. I would practice sets on her and she would critique me to perfection— or the closest thing to it. I remember after I did her first set, she was so excited and proud and it was in that moment I realized I found my passion.

My versatility is something I take pride in, over the years I’ve learned many techniques to cater various lash styles. I’m always open to try new things and lash styles. Something I love about this craft is you can never stop learning. I’m proud to say that because, the beauty industry is fast growing and always changing. Of course i’ll never change how I lash but being closed minded is not always the best in this fast changing industry.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I recently experienced a slow season, I went from being booked weeks in advance to having same day openings. As humbling as this was for me I knew it was a way I had to approach a new business strategy. I’ve learned in business you have to market your product to always be in demand, and due to the current inflation some of my clients had to cut back on non essential activities– sadly this included eyelash extensions. To satisfy my clients and I, in this case I had to sell customized strip lashes. That way my clients could always get the eyelash extension look for a one time price.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

There are many ways to market and attract new clientele but I believe Word of mouth has always worked best for me. I have many clients telling me they were referred to by a friend who comes to me. I feel like satisfied clients will market for you and this works best for me because when my client brags on my service, those who trust her/him will be more likely to book with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.italklashsupplies.com www.italklashh.as.me
• Instagram: @Italklash @Itlsupplies @Italksmiles