We recently connected with Jasmine Jasper and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jasmine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

To prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career, it’s crucial to incorporate financial literacy education. This should include teaching kids about the importance of responsible credit card usage, credit, investment strategies, and understanding taxes. This is essential life skills for financial success. If I would have known more about how credit and business credit works it would have helped me when opening my salon. I made lots of mistakes on using personal credit and credit cards and getting into debt for business purposes.

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?

I started out selling insurance for State Farm for 6 years. However, I always knew I wanted to own my own business and work for myself. I just wasn’t sure what that was for so many years. The beauty business sparked my interest. I paid $1000 and took an eyelash extension class in Atlanta. Not realizing all the work and practice it takes to actually become good let alone get a clientele. I lived there for a year and before relocating I was able to build a tiny clientele and have my 1st salon suite. Once moving back to vegas I realized I needed an estheticians license to provide the eyelash service. I then attended the Academy of hair design beauty school and got the license. After graduating I needed to build clientele in Vegas. I was pretty much starting over. I landed my 1st job at Axiom spa as an eyelash tech. It was there I mastered my craft and learned different lash styles and customizations. After 2 years the owner closed the shop down without my knowledge and locked me out of the client booking system. I found myself with no job, clients and starting all over again! I found a salon suite not far and set up shop. Went to social media, ran specials and ads and had a clientele again in no time! Then I got my second salon suite and rented chairs to new lash artists wanting to start their business. Also started teaching at this time and mentoring up and coming artists. After 4 years of salon suites I finally opened my salon. For me, looking back I am most proud that I never gave up. I seen my vision and didn’t quit. Even though it might have looked foolish to some of my family and friends.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

As an eyelash artist, I have always been particular with the products I use on my clients. I would buy other brands and I was never the happiest on the quality. I then looked for a vendor to have my own brand that I am most proud of and can use on my clients. I found vendors on Alibaba.com and amazon and also Instagram. I spent about two years buying samples from lots of vendors to test the products. During the covid shut down is when I found my vendor. I took the time to test and practice with different brands. I learned to just be patient and to only do business with verified vendors that have been in business a long time. Also, to create relationships with them. They will give you a great deal if you negotiate.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After a horrible break up I moved to Atlanta looking for a new start. Having my insurance license helped me find a job quickly. Took an eyelash course and started a side hustle of an eyelash business in hopes to make this my new career. To my surprise it took off better than expected and I got my 1st suite with not a lot of experience. After a year I had to relocate back home to vegas. I went back to selling insurance because that was what was safe. I knew I wanted to keep going working towards my own business. I went to beauty school and got my esthetician license and landed my 1st lash job at Axion Spa. I worked there for 2 years. While I was on my birthday vacation the owner shut the salon down without my knowledge. I came back to no job. Once again. The doors were locked and I couldn’t access my clients information. I found a salon suite and used the last of what I had to pay for the down payment. I made flyers and went to parking lots and put them on cars. Handed them out at nearby offices. Put ads on Instagram and Yelp. And had clients in no time! I then opened my second salon suite. I had 8 chairs being rented out at one time to lash artists. This lead me to search for a store front. After a year of “Nos” … I found one leasing office that said yes! I am still a work in progress but I do not quit. I’ve started over lots of times and I keep going. That’s an entrepreneur story

Contact Info:

• Website: Modlashstudio.com
• Instagram: Modlash
• Facebook: ModLash Studio
• Linkedin: Jasmine Jasper
• Twitter: Modlashstudio
• Yelp: ModLash Studio

Image Credits
Two photos by Jennifer Poser @jennyyyjenn