Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Gamez.
Hi Adriana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Growing up loving fashion and beauty influenced my career path. My first step into the beauty industry was becoming a freelance makeup artist at 17. I had always gotten compliments on my makeup, which made me think, “Well, why not help others feel just as beautiful!” Around two years later, at 19 years old, I enrolled in the Esthetics program at The Milan Institute of Cosmetology. In that program, I hoped to learn more about the canvas I’d be working on professionally (the skin), but while taking a miniature side course in lash extensions, I realized my true passion for lashing! From then on, I was hyper-focused on the art of Eyelash Extensions and hopefully having my own business. I worked on my own at a well-known chain salon and under commission with one of the best lash artists in the city. After that, I had the opportunity to rent my space with the clientele I had gained over the years. The business was very successful, but I needed to add a piece independently after the first two years. I had decided to go with my gut and rebrand into an “Alternative” style salon to suit my gothic fashion-loving soul better. You know, dark, dim setting with candles giving an eerie yet cozy vibe, eclectic decor hung up on the walls and across shelves, and my collection of adorable and not-so-creepy-looking clowns. I have never been more comfortable or happier in a workplace setting! I now spend my days working full-time hours talking to my clients, whom I consider my best friends, and making them look just as beautiful as they all are. This is all I could ever ask for.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
If you were to look through my earnings each year, you would think of me as highly successful. I’m sure every business owner knows that even if you are financially successful, you’re most likely struggling in another aspect of your life. Almost a year into working at my first salon, I had my daughter. I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare myself mentally for becoming a mother since I found out I was pregnant at 23 weeks. Raising a child while having dreams of one day owning your own business was such a stressful thing to deal with at a young age. I worked long hours to afford everything that came with raising a child and ensured I had the energy to be the best parent I could be. I am curious to know how anyone does it. I’ve also dealt a lot with trying to understand myself and who I am as a person, which came from me losing myself and my personality once becoming a mother. It very much affected my mood and my work daily for years. I would come in some days feeling like a shell of a person and wondering what I was doing with my life if I wasn’t happy with myself. I had to do a lot of self-healing and surround myself with loved ones to remind me that I could be my own person and that I didn’t have to define myself by being a mom. I’m a strong, funny, loving, bad-ass woman that just so happens to own her own business and is damn good at it!
As you know, we’re big fans of Lash Mami. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
My business solely provides my clients with a safe and comforting space while they get a set of gorgeous and fascinating eyelash extensions customized to enhance their beauty. I specifically specialize in doing the industry’s “Textured” sets. They give the lashes a more natural and wispy nature than most styles other artists do. I’m very proud of my artistry and the uniqueness of my social media branding. Most brands and businesses have businesses with the same aesthetic, and it’s hard to tell who is who when they are all very similar. The lash world is growing daily, so standing out in a big city is tough. My darker alternative style to my page and sets helps bring in clientele others may need help to reach and make comfortable. I pride myself in finding that being myself in my aesthetic can help surround me with like-minded individuals who will love me and my brand for what we truly are. With all this said, I’d love to have all types of clientele from all walks of life welcomed into my chair. I offer anywhere from soft, wispy natural lashes to va-va-voom long dark extensions. I know to work out any style in any person’s eyes and ensure they leave extremely happy.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m usually one to keep myself in the safe zone when it comes to risk, but changing my brand from being a safe, girly, all-pink type of salon to being dingy, dark, and different, was a big risk, considering it could’ve pushed away potential clients as well as current ones.
Pricing:
- $150 Anime Sets
- $160 Light Volume Sets
- $180 Volume Sets
- $200 Mega Volume Sets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Lashmammi
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lashmammi
