Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Taylor.
Hi Kayla, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was first exposed to the beauty industry through my late grandma, Lorraine Taylor. She was a licensed cosmetologist with a full in-service salon. I started to experiment with hair and makeup late middle school. Towards the end of high school, my mom began to encourage me to follow my grandma’s footsteps and pursue cosmetology. I let fear talk me out of going and instead attended Michigan State University and graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology. While attending, my dad began to push myself and siblings to pursue entrepreneurship. Following this, I took my first lash class January 2019. Unfortunately, it covered the bare minimum and left me feeling defeated and scammed. I decided to get practice in by taking free model and soon moved on to charging $45 for full sets. Schoolwork started to overwhelm me so I slowed down lashing until I graduated and returned home. Once I was home, the anxiety set in. The first year after graduation is the hardest because you start to hear success stories of everyone you went to school with or grew up with. After a few months home, I found a job in my field as a foster care worker. I loved helping my families but I didn’t feel completely fulfilled. I lashed through this time but once Covid hit, I realized I wanted to focus more on my business and becoming financially free. August 2020 marks the day I finally bet on myself and began to promote my work and build my portfolio on Instagram. I was home-based the first year as I slowly grew my clientele. September 2021, I quit my full-time job and began to put all of my energy into building my brand. My Lash suite grand opening was October 2021 and I have so much more in store.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not, entrepreneurship is full of obstacles that force you to pay attention and constantly change your strategies. The hardest thing for me was overcoming Imposter Syndrome. This is when a person doubts their skill and accomplishments. I realized my business is a mere extension of myself. The success of my business is purely a result of my own faith, hard work, and perseverance. If you’re struggling with this, be patient with yourself and believe in your capabilities. You are where you are because you deserve to be. Then, I had to learn to work through procrastination. This was always a pitfall for me even before lashing. Now, I set goals for the week/month and reward myself for the little wins. I also look to my mom as my accountability partner.
Lastly, I was worried about building a loyal clientele. I thought people would avoid booking with me while I worked from home. It’s so true that when you’re walking in your purpose, everything else flows. All I can say is thank you to my clients for growing with me and continuously supporting my brand.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in unique and customized lash extensions. I also groom eyebrows and make handmade lash strips. I make my sets my own by also offering creative options like color, glitter, and glow-in-the-dark lashes. Most clients add these to their sets to highlight an upcoming event, accomplishment or celebration. My vision for Beauty Invasion goes much further than lashes and eyebrows. I plan to add on more services including micro-blading, facials & makeup. Beauty Invasion will one day become a full-service spa housing other service providers. The feel of my brand is luxury self-care. When my clients come for their appointments, I want them to be able to relax. I service many moms, students & hardworking women that cherish the few hours of “me time” they set aside for their session. I leave it to the client if they want to vent or take the infamous lash nap. With this, I still use my psychology degree, just not in the way I initially planned.
Lastly, Beauty Invasion is a vibe. I try to keep my business updated with binge-worthy content about what I do. This way, even if you aren’t my client, you may still resonate with the overall brand.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is believe in yourself. It doesn’t matter how big your dreams are, you can make them happen. Even if you don’t feel confident in your work post it and post it everywhere. Even if you don’t get many likes know that people are watching you. The key to good marketing is visibility. You can’t expect anyone else to root for you before you root for yourself. Your dream life is waiting on you and so is mine.
Pricing:
- Classic set $95
- Hybrid set $95
- Volume set $95
- Glam Volume set $115
- Handmade Strip lashes $35
Contact Info:
- Email: Beautyinvasion1@gmail.com
- Website: https://BeautyInvasion.as.me/
- Instagram: Beautyinvasion_
- Youtube: Clickfor Kay
Image Credits
Kapture_vp
Kory Barksdale
