Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace.
Candace, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in America’s finest city of San Diego, CA. The only daughter of a successful single mother, I was determined to make a name for myself the way she had some day. Over eight years ago, I created a truly one-of-a-kind small business: one that was fresh, fun and constantly evolving. While attending beauty school from 2012-2013, I fell in love with eyelash extensions. At the time, they were the newest beauty service on the market and being an avid falsie wearer, I knew I was the perfect candidate to offer the service.
I graduated May of 2013 and passed my California State Board exam that same month. Like most new licensees, I landed an Esthetician job that required me to offer a multitude of services including full body waxing (Brazilians), facials, spray tanning, and occasionally eyelash extensions. By 2015, I had steady flow of clientele and decided to branch out on my own. I opened up shop in a small, modest studio in Downtown, San Diego that August. Since then, I’ve now been operating as a traveling lash artist, commuting from my current home in Los Angeles to San Diego and serving over thousands of clients in between.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to success as an entrepreneur is never a smooth one. When I first started working as a lash artist, it was easy to keep track of things like finances and shipment. However, once I expanded and the business grew to a total of six people, I knew I was going to need some major help. That’s when my husband quit his full-time job to help manage tasks I was struggling to keep up with.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned that has immensely helped me on my journey it’s that work-home balance is essential. You can pretend to have it all together and fail miserably, or trust in someone that has the qualifications to help ease the load. As a small business owner, it can be scary entrusting anyone else to uphold the same standards you do but my husband Mike has truly been a Godsend.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Tenderoni Lashes – what should we know?
Originally based in San Diego, Tenderoni Lashes first opened it’s doors in 2013 and was created with the intention of making lashcare more inclusive for people of all backgrounds. As a Filipina-American, I grew up in the southside and all my friends and family were ‘of color’. I understand firsthand the struggle of having beauty providers not be able to meet my expectations due to their lack of experience working with people who look like me. Since becoming a small business owner, I’ve made it my mission to service every type of lash curl pattern, texture and density with the utmost ease, care and intention.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I feel it’s fair to say that everyone in my life has helped shape Tenderoni Lashes to be what it is, in some shape or form, by offering inspiration through both tragedy and joy. My husband, however, deserves the most credit for his unwavering love for both myself and this business. He likes to tell me that he doesn’t want me worrying about anything other than the services I provide.
My line of work requires a lot of endurance since 2-3 hour eyelash applications require you to be in a hunched position the whole time. I am typically exhausted after a day’s worth of applications so Mike manages bookkeeping, tracks shipment loads my traveling equipment into the car and helps with communication between ourselves and clients. I am beyond blessed to have such a supportive teammate.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8000 Sunset Blvd Suite B-200 #39, West Hollywood, CA 90046
- Website: www.tenderonilashes.com
- Phone: 323-377-0723
- Email: info@tenderonilashes.com
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