My Beloved Lash

Overview

My Beloved Lash began as an idea to create a better experience for both clients and service providers. What started as a concept eventually grew into a fully operational business serving hundreds of clients and supporting a team of lash technicians and front desk staff.

Over the course of building and operating the business, I was responsible for nearly every aspect of development and operations, including site selection, permitting, construction, hiring, process development, marketing, technology implementation, and day-to-day management.

Business Development & Project Management

Establishing the salon required coordinating a commercial build-out from the ground up. Responsibilities included identifying and securing a location, negotiating lease terms, designing the salon layout, obtaining permits and approvals, and coordinating with contractors, engineers, inspectors, and township officials.

I created the salon layout in SketchUp and worked alongside a licensed engineer to prepare construction documentation for approval. Throughout the project, I managed timelines, budgets, inspections, and regulatory requirements necessary to open the business.

The completed facility included five treatment rooms, a supply room, and a dedicated training and meeting space designed to support both daily operations and future employee development.

Operations & Team Leadership

As the business grew, I managed a team of up to six employees, including five technicians and a front desk coordinator. Responsibilities included hiring, onboarding, scheduling, payroll, performance management, customer service, inventory management, vendor coordination, budgeting, and daily operational oversight.

Maintaining consistent service quality required balancing the needs of both employees and clients while ensuring the business continued to operate efficiently. This experience strengthened my ability to lead teams, communicate expectations, solve problems, and make decisions in fast-moving situations.

Systems & Process Development

To support growth and consistency, I developed operational systems and policies that standardized many aspects of the business. These included employee onboarding procedures, technician handbooks, appointment policies, client intake processes, automated communications, and internal workflows.

These systems reduced administrative burden, improved consistency, and helped create a more predictable experience for both employees and clients. Maintaining organized processes became increasingly important as the client base expanded.

Over time, the business accumulated more than 870 client profiles and served a steady volume of recurring appointments each week.

Marketing & Technology

I managed the business's digital presence and customer acquisition efforts through website development, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email campaigns, and paid advertising.

Responsibilities also included managing online scheduling systems, payment processing platforms, domain registration, website hosting, and customer communication tools. These efforts helped establish a professional customer experience while supporting business growth and retention.

Key Takeaways

Running a business taught me that success depends on understanding both the people you work with and the people you serve. Employees need clear expectations, support, and systems that help them perform their work effectively, while customers need a reliable and consistent experience.

Building an organization that serves both groups well requires communication, accountability, process development, and continuous improvement. These lessons strengthened my leadership abilities and continue to influence how I approach problem-solving, project management, and teamwork today.