Today we’d like to introduce you to Imani Earls.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Imani. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I get asked how I got started with my lash extensions business quite often. My normal answer is that I cut my hair completely off in April 2018, amber rose style and didn’t wear or know how to beat my face, but I could apply some strip lashes. I had gotten extensions done for my birthday, in December 2017, prior to cutting my hair, but it was a one-time thing.
To keep my hair cut so short and still be confident, I didn’t really want to wear makeup, so lashes and lipgloss was my way of a “natural beat face”. The only way to consistently wear lashes was to make it a normal thing, but I didn’t know how. I knew I didn’t want to sell lashes because it seemed like a hassle to find the perfect product to sell that stood out. I had seen girls promoting their lash business on Instagram and how much they were earning. There was my way of consistently wearing lashes. I decided to do lashes.
At the same time, my twin sister had decided to take a nail certification class, so it made perfect sense. I had looked up classes and compared the cost and content I would be receiving from various lash techs I have been influenced by. I had taken a class with Rashonda of Bossy Winks, and it was the best decision I made. That class really taught me how to do lashes and offered excellent marketing training. It was the first brick I needed to build my brand into its continuous growth today. I had decided to market clients in my hometown, Gainesville, GA; which is an hour outside of downtown. It’s a small town, so lash extensions weren’t a big thing in my community.
Most of the women either wore strips or clusters/individuals. I lived in Decatur, so I wanted to bring a piece of the “city life” to a small, traditional town. With the support I got in the beginning, word spread that my lash sets were so “pretty and natural” (I could only do classic at the time). I introduced hybrid and volume sets, and business continued to grow. I went from 6 clients to about 15 clients, between May and December, only doing lashes on the weekends or when I was off from work at a barbershop. I became obsessed with doing lashes because I wanted to get better. I knew I could have one of the hottest lash brands out. I practiced how my lash sets should look, and I did research and tested products to find my look.
The more clients I booked, the more I got to practice how they should look. Although my work was improving, I didn’t have the clientele I needed to becoming a full-time lash tech. A turn of events happened where I quit my job of 3 years in February 2019. I had begun servicing 6-10 women in a weekend, and the noticeable improvements of my lash set brought in consistent business. God gave me a sign that turning my side hustle into a brand was his plan for me, and I took it. Since becoming full time, my work is being more and more recognized. I now have serviced over 70+ clients in just a year of starting this business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Honestly, no it has not been a smooth road. When you’re starting from the bottom (no clout), it’s hard to get people to notice you. Marketing is a struggle every small business owner struggles with at some point. Society today is based on trend. If you’re not trending or know someone that is that will promote your business, you have to focus on your word of mouth business. There have been times where I’ve taken risks that resulted in losses, and I didn’t think it was worth it. The clients that have been with me through my growth is what kept me going. They tell their friends, who tell their sisters, who tell their cousins.
Being a single mom and an undergraduate student at Georgia State running a business that provides a service can be very demanding. I’m still trying to balance it all. My daughter is very patient with me while I’m learning how to be patient with myself. I graduate from Georgia State in May, so the demands of my academic program put me in the middle of prioritizing education and business.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the iCatcher Lashes & Co story. Tell us more about the business.
iCatcher Lashes & Co was originally iCatcher Lash Extensions by Imani founded by me. We specialize in lash extensions but will be offering brow and other cosmetic services coming Fall 2019. A mink strip lash line and more cosmetic products will be releasing by 2020.
As a company, I am proud of the diversity within my clients that brings out the originality of each of their sets. Not one person can say they have an exact replica of the next client because I design them to fit each of them. What sets my business apart from other lash techs is the originality. Yes, there are lash techs that produce beautiful lashes, but every set resembles the one before. My mission is for my clients to have lashes that they can be their true selves in. Lash extensions are supposed to be unique. Everyone has different eye shapes, lash lines, eye colors, etc., so everyone shouldn’t look the same. Because I’m a twin, I’ve always strived for originality.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Good and bad luck have had major impacts on my life and business. I’ve experienced high and low times, but those times keep me going. When I experience bad luck, various emotions run through me and I’m not sure how to move forward. It’s the good luck that I may receive afterward that helps me find the solution to the bad luck.
Pricing:
- Most popular set: Volume $125
- Private & Group Training $500-$375
Contact Info:
- Website: https://icatcherlashextensions.as.me/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/icatcherlashextensions?igshid=1epgf6xvc410c
Image Credit:
95th studio
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