Today we’d like to introduce you to Janae Lykes.
Janae, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I moved to Austin I was going back to school to become a skincare therapist and make-up artist. I had no intentions of starting my own lash salon. I grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and attended Western Michigan University where I graduated with a degree in Film and Media studies. I had big dreams of becoming a Hollywood film editor. Instead, I moved home with my parents and worked as a technical media producer at a local news station. I worked there for about two years but I was ready for a change. I needed creativity, excitement, and a different city for new adventures. After my first trip to Texas in 2015, I fell in love and planned to move to Austin the following year. I figured I would get a job working in the film industry but I also wanted to be a make-up artist as a side hustle. I was heavily into my now-defunct makeup blog and wanted to start a YouTube channel. I figured I would have an advantage as a licensed esthetician and provide facials as well.
As soon as I moved here, I got a job waiting tables and enrolled in the Esthetics program at Paul Mitchell. I really enjoyed giving facials and waxing but the first time I learned how to apply lash extensions I was completely hooked. I wasn’t even thinking about makeup or film editing anymore. After I graduated, I worked at a lash salon in Round Rock for a year and a half. When I found out that the salon was closing I had to decide if I wanted to work for someone else or work for myself. My friends and family all encouraged me to take the leap and it was a decision that completely changed the course of my life. Lashing is a beautiful art that is impossible to learn overnight and takes years to master. It really changes how people see themselves and that gives me some of the greatest joy. I enjoy just about every part of this career except washing my towels. I get to be a creative, a therapist, and a permanent student of the craft. After about three years in business and four years in the lash game, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
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?
This journey has not always been smooth sailing but I’m fortunate to have a thriving business, especially during a pandemic and social unrest. As the sole owner and operator, one of the biggest struggles is separating work from personal life. When you start your own business you wear many hats and that can become physically and mentally exhausting. After three years I’m better at identifying when I feel a burnout coming and try to schedule weekends for me time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a licensed esthetician and certified lash artist. I specialize in classic and volume lash extensions as well as lash lifts. I started off being known for doing lash extensions but now my lash lifts have grown to be just as popular. I’m most proud of my body of work. I lash with the intention of long-term use so that the client may maintain the healthy lashes he or she started with.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters to me most is my relationship with my clients. After working 10+ years on and off in the service industry, I understand that it’s not always about the service you provide or the product you sell to people. It’s about how you treat them. How you made them feel. My goal at every appointment is to make a connection so that client leaves with a positive experience.
Contact Info:
- Email: cocoalashbeauty@gmail.com
- Website: www.cocoalashbeauty.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cocoalashbeauty
- Facebook: Facebook.com/cocoalashbeauty
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/Hkln9Eosfdb
Image Credits
Alia Alsaffar
