Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Del Rosario
Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Tacoma/Seattle, Washington state area my whole life. I had a random notion to pick up and move to Austin, Texas just for the hell of it in December of 2015. I didn’t know a single soul but I figured what better time than now. It’s a chance to have a fresh start in a brand new city. I was on the no plan-plan. I didn’t have a job lined up and only planned on not working and having fun for the first three months. Well needless to say, I got bored pretty quickly and within the first month of living in Austin, I got my first job as an esthetician working as a Lash Artist at a franchised lash studio. I figured since I was new to the city and didn’t have clients, working at a fast paced franchise Lash studio quickly grow my clientele base. Not only did I get that one job, I also got a second job at a popular Restaurant/bar in downtown Austin as a way to keep myself extra busy and to also meet new people and find friends in this new city. I worked extra hard and endless hours to gain and maintain lash clients in order to move up in the beauty industry. At the two year mark, a new opportunity came along to work at a well known high-end salon In downtown Austin. I quickly jumped on the opportunity, and of course, all of my clients followed. I continued to grow substantially with this company. I worked with like-minded women in the beauty industry that really wanted to make a name for them selves as well. We all worked really well with one another in supporting eachother and cross promoting the services we offer to clients. The salon was a full operating salon providing services such as hair, skincare, microblading tattoo, nails and lashes. I took pride in my work and the connections I created with every single one of my clients. That is the one thing I have always loved about the beauty industry, is the connections and friendship you get to create with clients and also within the salon team. In August of 2019 I decided to take a leap of faith and go into business for myself. At the time, it felt risky but a risk worth taking. I felt as though I will never know if I could be a successful business owner unless I tried, even if I failed. But the determination lit a fire in me that I have never felt before. There is so much to do to start a business but I had everything ready to roll within two weeks of making this decision. At this point there was no turning back. Fast forward, August 2024 I hit my 5 year anniversary of owning Lash Rehab between downtown and East Austin. There have been a lot of highs and low in those 5 years. Between dealing with the COVID pandemic and keeping my business alive, to being able to celebrate each anniversary. The pandemic hit the beauty industry in such negative ways. I watched first hand accounts of fellow beauty business owners having to close their salon doors due to lack of clients returning for their daily services. At first it became the new norm for clients to work from home and not have to “look presentable” in the office. It seemed as though beauty services fell to the bottom of the list of things to do. Luckily I was able to maintain my clients and continue to grow my business and clientele. I feel blessed to continue to do what I love. As of lately, I’ve been wanting to start a new business venture. I wanted to get into permanent jewelry and I didn’t know where to start. So needless to say, I did a deep dive in researching and training in the permanent jewelry realm. I recently started Linked by Lisa Permanent Jewelry. I hit the ground running immediately after I was trained and certified. Ever since I got this second business started, I have been booked out every weekend as a permanent jewelry vendor at local markets and private jewelry parties. It is also an added service I am able to offer to my current Lash Rehab clients. It has been a wild ride so far and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Linked by Lisa. I found that Austin has been a great home for both of my businesses to strive in. Austin’s community is such a great support system for small business owners. I have also connected with other small business owners to brainstorm how we can work together. It has never been about competition, but how can we encourage one another to strive higher and reach our goals. I believe all of my achievements are credited to my clients, especially those who have been with me since day one. It has been a huge encouragement and reminder to keep doing what I’m doing. I am on the right path. I find happiness in working for myself. I have the financial freedom to work hard and play hard. Whatever I put in, is exactly what I will gain. I had a conversation with my mom a while back and she said “you are nothing like your siblings. I didn’t know how to raise you. You were always wild and wanted to do things your way. It wasn’t until recently I understood why you are the way you are. Your siblings don’t have the guts to move to a city where you don’t know anyone. Work really hard and eventually start a business. And on top of maintaining one business, you start a second one. Remember to rest.” And my response is, “I’ll rest when I’m dead. I’m busy doing things I want to do and creating a life I love.”
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?
You can’t gain success without struggles. I think they go hand in hand. My struggles were to overcome the fear of becoming a business owner. The biggest fear was the financial overhead I would have every month such as studio rent and product cost. I quickly realized that I just needed to take each day as it comes and to not stress out. Another struggle was the pandemic and how that was an enormous hurdle to over come. Texas shut down business so I was unable to legally work. Going from 10 hour fully booked days to nada-nothing was a hard pill to swallow. I have a routine that I usually do not like to disrupt. I am a creature of habit and there was nothing I could do about that but to keep moving forward with whatever was thrown my way. I eventually found light at the end of that tunnel with a sense of relief that my business survived.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I first became a lash artist, people were surprised in ways such as, how can you make a living off “just doing lashes.” I’ve always thought of it as more than “doing lashes.” I believe there is an art to doing this kind of work. I am a licensed medical esthetician and I specialize in lash extensions. Could I have done more with my esthetic license? Absolutely! But I chose to become a lash artist. I love being able to create a unique look for every client. I do thorough consultations with every new client to know exactly what they are trying to achieve with a lash enhancement. I always check in with returning clients to make sure I am up to date with their wants from the appointment. Every lash appointment is customizable. It really is more than lashes though. I have been through a lot with my clients. I have watched them grow over the years. Ranging from graduating college, first dates, breakups, long term relationships into marriages, to having children and watching their families grow, to creating life long friendships that I can’t live without and also experiencing low points in their lives. I have created a lash studio where my clients can feel safe and comfortable, also a moment to have to themselves out of their busy schedules. This is what I take pride in the most. Creating and nurturing these connections I have.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Hand down my favorite childhood memory was summer break from school. The moment the sun came up, you could find me outside playing with my neighborhood friends until the late night sunsets of Washington state. We would play outside until our parents would start hollering from the porch to call us kids to come home. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the good ole days of not having a worry in the world of simply being a kid!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lashrehab.as.me/schedule/2f4ac134
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisadelro/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/linkedatxbylisa/
