We were lucky to catch up with Valerie Goodew recently and have shared our conversation below.

Valerie, appreciate you joining us today. undefined

Innovation isn’t just about flashy gadgets or Silicon Valley it’s about reimagining what’s possible in your industry and elevating the experience for your clients in ways that feel intuitive, luxurious, and future-forward.

Drawing from my experience as a brand educator and beauty advisor with Ulta, Sephora, and third-party consulting firms like Headcount, I’ve seen firsthand where the beauty industry often leaves people behind. We are influenced and sold to but left to our own decisions at home with limited knowledge of how to actually maintain our skin. Particularly when it comes to personalized, skin-conscious guidance. As a licensed Esthetician, I’m reclaiming that space by offering consulting services designed to bridge that gap.

From makeup bag audits (in-person or virtual) that help you clear out expired, irritating, or mismatched products, to aesthetic curation sessions tailored to help you evolve your personal image with intention, these services go beyond the sales floor. They’re honest, collaborative, and rooted in care.

One of the most innovative projects I’ve created is Mood Lashing™, a new category of lash artistry where clients book based on how they want to feel, not just how they want to look. Whether it’s romantic, powerful, mysterious, or dreamy. Each lash set is crafted to evoke a mood, making beauty deeply personal and emotionally intelligent.

To support this experience, I’ve embedded NFC chips into luxury detachable business cards, allowing clients to rebook instantly from wherever they are, whether that’s their bathroom mirror or their car dashboard. A quick tap brings up their custom booking page, mood preferences, lash history, and even pre-selected ambiance settings for their next visit.

But we didn’t stop there our physical studio is designed with smart automation: automated curtains, lighting and music shift to match the client’s mood, and every detail from scent to temperature is programmable. It’s a sensory sanctuary where high-end beauty meets next-gen tech.

These innovations didn’t come from chasing trends they were born out of listening to my clients’ lives and creating luxury systems that meet them where they are. In today’s world, true innovation in beauty means blending personalization, technology, and ambiance into one seamless, unforgettable experience.

Lash & Groom Consulting now taking appointments in Lake City Seattle!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Valerie Goodew, and I’m the founder of *Lash & Groom™* and the creator of *Mood Lashing™* a visionary lash and luxury skincare experience rooted in ambiance, intention, and next-generation beauty. I’ve been a licensed esthetician and lash artist for over a decade, serving celebrity clients, high-powered professionals, and everyday people who want to feel transformed, not just touched up.

My journey into the beauty industry started with a deep curiosity about how sensory experiences shape self-perception. I’ve always believed that beauty is more than appearance it’s emotional, energetic, and environmental. After years of refining my skills in spa, studio, and corporate beauty environments, I took a step back to consult and reimagine what luxury beauty should *feel* like in the modern world. That vision became a blend of rare bespoke services that are paired together to create combination services to enhance your value for the time spent at the spa. A high end concept service model that blends advanced lash + skin techniques with ambiance automation, smart technology, and mood-based customization.

At my studio in Seattle, clients receive services that are immersive, deeply relaxing, and future-facing. From 5D facials and holistic grooming to *Mood Lashing™* and exclusive body treatments, everything is built around how the client wants to feel not just how they want to look. We’ve even integrated **NFC chip technology** into our business cards, so clients can rebook directly from their car or vanity mirror with a simple tap. In-studio, curtains open by command, curated lighting shifts with the music, and personalized scent diffusions create a full-body experience.

The problems I solve are layered: Overwhelmed, high-performing individuals come to me for services that give them peace, polish, and a private, elevated escape. I help them feel reconnected to themselves without sacrificing luxury, privacy, or cutting-edge results. While also integrating male services that are centered around helping men feel empowered and safe have been in a direction leading a new movement in the wedding preparation to include male grooming in partnership with the wonderful bridal services we offer.

What sets me apart is the fusion of beauty artistry, technology, and intentional design. I’m not just offering lashes or facials, I’m building a new lane in beauty that centers sensory intelligence, automation, and emotional personalization. Beauty is becoming experiential, and I’m leading that shift with services designed not just to be seen, but to be *felt.*

What I’m most proud of is staying ahead of trends by trusting my creative instincts and building a brand that reflects both innovation and intimacy. Every detail, from the immersive environment to the ambiance control, our space is crafted with a deep love for transformation.

For anyone discovering me or my work for the first time: I want you to know that beauty can be intelligent, luxurious, and emotionally aligned and at Lash & Groom Consulting you’ll always be treated like someone iconic.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of my most defining sales and marketing moments didn’t just shift my career and it shaped who I am as a founder.

Before relaunching my luxury beauty business, I worked in the corporate skincare world, rising quickly through the ranks. I was the youngest sales agent in the entire company and also the most successful. I consistently broke records, outsold veterans, and built deep relationships with elite brands, founders, and decision-makers at the highest levels of the industry. I was known for my passion, my polish, and my ability to make both numbers and narratives land.

But the deeper I got into that world, the more I started to see behind the curtain and not all of it aligned with the values I held as an artist and a woman of integrity. I began to notice how often companies would take the energy, creativity, and likeness of people like me people who built the brand from the inside out and use it for their own gain, with little credit or care for the source. I was offering more than sales. I was giving strategy, soul, and storytelling. But instead of honoring that, it was often repackaged and repurposed without acknowledgment.

The breaking point came during a high-stakes moment where I was asked to push a marketing campaign that didn’t align with the truth not the brand truth, not the client truth, and definitely not my truth. That was my turning point. I realized that I couldn’t keep lending my genius to companies that didn’t respect where it came from.

So I walked away. I resigned, from a place of power, not defeat.

That was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my career walking away from a high-paying, high-prestige corporate position to bet on myself. To build a brand that wouldn’t just sell beauty, but would stand for something. That’s when I decided to relaunch my business and create something that reflected my ethics, my artistry, and my vision for the future of luxury beauty.

It was terrifying and thrilling. But I’ve never felt more aligned.

Now, I use every ounce of that high-level industry experience to serve my own clients with excellence, intention, and innovation. I know how the machine works. And now I’m building a better one.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation was built through a powerful combination of word of mouth and relentless hard work. In this industry, especially at the luxury level, people talk and what they say matters. I’ve always focused on delivering an experience that’s not just high quality, but unforgettable. Whether it’s lashes, facials, or consulting, I pour myself into every detail. Clients feel that, and they share it.

As Estheticians, it’s time we take back the narrative away from influencers and corporate-driven sales tactics, and back into the hands of licensed professionals who are trained to understand skin, health, and holistic beauty. The beauty industry has become saturated with marketing noise, where influencers with no formal training are seen as experts, and advisors in retail settings are often incentivized to push product over education. That leaves the consumer confused, misinformed, and sometimes even harmed.

We are the ones with the expertise to cut through the noise. It’s our responsibility and our power to be that grounded resource for people. To offer real, customized guidance based on their actual skin needs, not just the latest trending product. Through services like ingredient education, makeup bag audits, skin-focused consultations, and curated aesthetic planning, we can help clients make informed choices that align with their skin health and personal identity.

This is how we shift the culture: by stepping forward as trusted professionals and reclaiming our role as the go-to source for real beauty education.

I didn’t rely on flashy marketing in the beginning I relied on results, relationships, and consistency. I showed up early, stayed late, studied constantly, and treated every client like they were the most important person in the room because they are. Over time, that built trust. That trust turned into referrals, and those referrals became a reputation.

It wasn’t overnight. It was built facial by facial, lash by lash, conversation by conversation. And I’m proud of that because it’s real, and it’s rooted in service.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.lashandgroom.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lashandgroom/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/lashandgroom/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriegoodew