Today we’d like to introduce you to Ally Holcomb.
Hi Ally, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey as a Lash Artist began back in 2017 in Seattle, WA. I always had an interest in the beauty industry, from being a makeup artist to taking a step further and enrolling myself into Esthetician school. I wanted to work for myself and eventually start a family. Around the time I started lashing, it wasn’t seen as a “career” as it is now. However, I didn’t want that to obstruct my future goal and vision to one day run my own lash business. I wanted to create something for myself, as well as maintain a healthy work-life balance. Fast forward to August 2020, we packed everything up and moved to Southern California. I had a lot of anxiety moving to a new state with my newborn baby, especially during a global pandemic and not knowing a single soul. I was trying to figure out how am I going to work through this while keeping my family safe! I didn’t want to work for anyone else. I’ve paid my dues. Around this time, my husband encouraged me to start my own lash business because he saw the passion and artistry I had for lashing. Being a new SoCal resident and entrepreneur has pushed me to grow in many new ways, such as gaining more confidence in my abilities to network with others and building a clientele within a year of living here.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’d like to view myself as an optimistic. I don’t like taking no for an answer! I will continue pushing until I get what I envisioned for myself. If plan “A” doesn’t work, I will find a way to make plan “B” successful before even thinking of entertaining plan C. I grew up with the mindset that failure isn’t an option for myself. So when I found out I was moving to California, I started advertising my business before the move. Meeting new people and getting to connect with others came naturally to me. I made sure to use social media to my advantage. It became a great resource to draw in potential clients. However, not having a true business background was definitely a challenge for me. Learning how to operate a business and becoming your own social media manager was very overwhelming at first. But as of late, things have been way easier to manage!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Known on social media as vllylashes, I am a Licensed Esthetician who specializes in Lash Extensions. Further into my career, I also took on training and mentoring beginner lash artists. You can find me on social media where I share my tips and tricks with other artists around the world. When I began my lash journey, the industry was very secretive and it would cost an arm and a leg to gain access to information. I wanted to break apart from the lash normalities and be open with my struggles as an evolving artist. I am proud to have helped hundreds of lash artists and build their confidence because I was once in their shoes.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As an Educator, lashing with integrity embodies what my brand is all about. As the professional, I set realistic expectations and also what’s expected with their lash goals. I take the time to educate my clients on proper aftercare. This will help to preserve their investment so no damage is done to their natural lashes. The industry is constantly growing and changing, so as an Artist I’m always investing in myself to further my education.
Contact Info:
- Website: vllylashes.me
- Instagram: vllylashes
- Other: Tiktok @vllylashes
Image Credits
palmerinphotography
