We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Kircher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I am the happiest in my career than I’ve ever been or thought to be possible. The ups and downs of owning a business can be overwhelming at times, it’s about getting through the hard parts so that you can appreciate the good ones. Who knew working for yourself would be both defeating and exhilarating all at the same time. I don’t think I was ever meant to pursue a “normal” job, no job title I ever came across ever felt like it was truly meant for me. The thought of a normal job crosses my mind from time to time, as there is less stress since I would be a follower waiting for the next task rather than a leader giving out that task. It would be much easier, but the easy route is never much fun, is it? The amount of gratitude for where I am in my self-curated career is insurmountable and no matter how easy breezy a normal job may feel at times, I know I’m right where I belong, doing what I was meant to do, and LOVING it.
Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a self taught Lash Artist with certifications in Microblading and Permanent Makeup. My business, called Cloud9 Beauty, is run out of Loft 14 inside of Salon Lofts in Des Peres. I spend my work days helping women feel beautiful and confident, with a little boost! Lash extensions and Microblading/PMU can make you feel more put together, give you confidence, and saves tons of time getting ready in the morning. Clients come to be for both a boost of confidence and for convenience purposes, you really can’t go wrong with any of the services I offer. Especially since I am a perfectionist and only offer services I am confident in and would get done to myself.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of poorly done sets of lashes and brows since the start of my career. I have built my reputation based on honesty with my clients and the quality of my work. It is important to me that I stay realistic with clients who come in wanting a certain type of lashes or brows that may not suit their natural lashes or unique skin type. I pride myself in offering only what will benefit that client, rather than what will bring in the most profit. Clients are walking billboards, I want them to look stunning when showing off what I created for them. As far as quality of work, I have never and will never let myself give someone less than perfect lashes and/or brows. If you spend your hard earned money on a service with me you will not be disappointed.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Getting started was a bit tricky for me. I was bartending at the time and all of my money was going towards my bills, so I had to set aside a little at a time in order to buy the basics. To my surprise, doing lashes required more than just a bed, tweezers, lash trays and adhesive. There are a lot of little things you may not need to get started, but come in handy as you become more advanced. Keeping my bartending job until I built up consistent clientele was the best thing I did for the success of my career. It provided financial stability and a safe transition from bartender to lash artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/cloud9beauty.llc?fbclid=PAAabWrQH9Ux5J8sN3G1zfyJoRLs8Pa4gf-lO13OHaV3npq7fs4-DjKQnQRbk_aem_Aa23wfqrfTZ0IwyOyTkx7ovBQOn3pLzqKAXWfHbYVcKmxRpn0ZcuipLXcvRypXnPBbM
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cloud9beauty.llc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cloud9beauty.llc
- Other: https://salonlofts.com/jessica_kircher https://cloud9beautyllc.square.site
Image Credits
Alissa Hildebrand – A Shooting Starr Collective