Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vonnie Gonzales . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Vonnie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
This is a great question and one of the reasons I was so excited to branch off on my own. I truly feel that your typical corporate Lash Studios or Spas don’t understand that the clients develop a real relationship with their service providers in the treatment rooms. We connect with our clients on the deepest levels and are there with them through the highs and lows of their lives.
I truly believe that our clients not only return for the services they enjoy but also for the conversation and connection they have with the provider they continue to see each time they come in. My point is, corporate companies often think anyone is replaceable but the connection we make with clients is worth so much more.
Vonnie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Vonnie and I have been in the beauty industry now for 8+ years. I originally went into an Esthetic program with the mindset of getting strictly in the makeup realm of the industry. Amongst learning so much more in this program- this is when I was first introduced to lash extensions back in 2013. Since then, I have been able to work for multiple prestige makeup companies as a freelance makeup artist while also tackling a career as a Lash Artist on the side as a VERY part time job because I did not want to lose the skill.
In 2019 I knew I wanted to focus on being a Lash Artist full time and ventured into doing that. However, after working for somebody else and feeling like I was being held back in my craft and unable to be self expressive I knew branching off on my own would be something I could do if I truly worked hard enough. Now, I am a year and a half into being a business owner and the journey has been amazing.
I would say that I am most proud of being able to create a space where clients feel comfortable and can be themselves. When my clients come in there is no middle man, just us. They know this is a safe space and this time is for them whether they want to gossip, nap or just have an appointment of silence– the communication we have is there and we respect each other.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Since lashing had been put on the back burner for me throughout the years it did turn into a side hustle while I did other things in the beauty industry. I went from being a traveling lash artist to doing lashes out of my 300 sq ft studio apartment. Its silly to say now but I was honestly embarrassed to advertise and market my work because I was working out of my personal and might I add- very tiny space. I was mostly working on friends and friends of friends. The goal was to build clientele and have my own space where I could take any and all inquiries for my business and the clients I had at the time were a huge support in wanting that for me as well. I realized quickly with no social media presence or advertising I wouldn’t get close to building that dream for myself. Making the right connections with two boss babes with the same vision is really where the milestone hit. After taking the jump and trusting the process of getting into an actual space everything took off from there.
Have you ever had to pivot?
After I received my New Mexico Esthetics license in 2014 I was really making a dive into being a traveling Lash Artist. I decided to make a move to Texas completely unaware that everything I just finished schooling for would not be easily transferred to a new state. I eagerly wanted to get a start on my new career but Texas required more hours of education and unfortunately, I really needed to get to work to be able to afford the move I had made.
I found out that if I waited a year to gain residency in the state I could transfer my license over without issue. As you can imagine this set my plans back but I used this time to get into the makeup industry. This part of my career was honestly what launched me into so many different doors and opportunities. The men and women I met became friends and great sources for future jobs and positions that I took on later in the years.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Portrait done by: Seth Talkington @sethtakesshots