Rising Stars: Meet Jayron Afshar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayron Afshar.

Hi Jayron, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
I was working in the lending industry doing home loans. A friend of mine was doing lash extensions making lots of money. I wanted to take her class & make some extra money on the side. I took her class & I was so bad I glued my model’s eye shut. I thought I just wasted money that I couldn’t afford to waste. So, I kept it going. I was practicing on all my friends, anyone who’d let me practice on them. I would work my 9-5, then come home & lash 6-12. It was a hustle, a grind & really hard. But I kept getting better & better. That was in 2016. 8 years later, I’m thriving. I’ve been flown halfway across the world to do lashes & have serviced some of your favorite A-list celebrities. My friend & mentor, Yris Palmer, really helped me start out & put me in a lot of good positions to make a lot of money. But making my clients feel good is what really feeds my soul. I’ve recently opened my 2nd business, Handels Homemade Ice Cream. I partnered with my mom & sister. We have 2 shops opened & 3 more to go, plus an ice cream truck. It’s hard work but so rewarding. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing worth having comes easy. It was & is still hard. Late nights & early mornings. Working 7 days a week. Missing events & meals. Sometimes I look at the time & it’s 5 pm & I haven’t even taken a sip of water. But I feel like my biggest struggle was learning to save money. Because with lashing, the money comes in so fast that you have to save up for slow season. There was a time, I believe it was 2018 where it got really slow. I started selling my sneakers to keep up with my bills. It was a great lesson for me. Save, save, save! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own an eyelash extension company called Lash Life LA. I started my company in April 2016. I specialize in individual eyelash extensions & the Keratin Lash Lift. I think I’m most known for being very fast. That’s what most my clients will say about me. I am definitely most proud of my work ethic. I don’t call off; I am on time & I take my business very seriously. I don’t like when I go to an appointment & the person has me waiting. I respect my clients’ time, so I make sure to be on time for them always. 

I also own an ice cream shop called Handels Homemade Ice Cream. I partnered with my mom & sister to open 4 stores. My mom’s shop has been opened for over 6 years. I just opened my 1st store & we have 3 more to open. We also are in the process of building out a food truck/ice cream truck. We make our ice cream in-store daily, so you’re always enjoying fresh ice cream. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Never give up. I know it sounds corny, but there’s nothing truer. When I took my lash class, I was working a dead-end 9-5 where I was broke & stressed. I took my lash class & I did terrible. I thought I wasted my time & money. But I didn’t give up. I continued & put in the hard work & have been very successful, thank God. I now mentor other lash artists in their journey. 

When I was training for the ice cream shop, I was crying every day. My body hurt, I could barely walk, but I didn’t give up. I worked hard & now I own 2 businesses with 2 streams of income. It’s possible, but even when it gets hard, DON’T GIVE UP! 

Contact Info:

• Website: LashLifeLA2.Fullslate.com
• Instagram: @lashlife_ la & @handels818