Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Ta.
Catherine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my business at the beginning of 2016. I was in school to pursue a nursing degree. At that time, I had little interest in becoming a business owner, let alone a lash artist. I was, however, getting my eyelash extensions since 2013. I went to a woman I thought did a great job, but it turned out that I was losing lashes within two to three days! Which is not normal, and I knew something was wrong. I took it upon myself to find someone new, and I ended up meeting Melanie Brumsted. She took my horrible extensions off and told me I needed to use a serum to re-grow my lashes. She told me that the woman who had done them previously was gluing CHUNKS of pre-made fans while using so much adhesive on my little eyes. The result was that my natural lashes were being pulled out and making them weak. I then took it upon myself to take an eyelash extension course to become certified. I wanted to take the class because I wanted to make sure that the next artist I choose, I can ask the right questions to ensure she’s fantastic at what she does. After taking the class, I loved it and started taking clients. Within 6-8 months, I opened my first little studio at Sola Salon in Rockville, and now I have an entire book 3 weeks out!
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?
Becoming a business owner, there will always be adversity. I will say my transition to opening my own business was pretty smooth. I made sure I read books about starting a new business, watched youtube, and asked my friends and family who had a background in business / are business owners themselves. I learned a lot before starting and learned so much going through the process. Some of the struggles I did experience at first was learning how to market myself to prove to everyone that I am better than the next. On my slow weeks, how can I promote more or get more clients in? If my retention was bad, what am I doing wrong & how can I fix this? I tried starting my brand, but finding an amazing manufacturer is hard. Many of them are overseas & I did not have the funds to travel back and forth to quality control my products. I ended up concentrating on building my clientele and finding a bigger studio. After that, I was blessed to find a bigger studio and a whole book shortly after.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sen Lashes, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Here at Sen Lashes, we do eyelash extensions. I am the Master Lash Artist specializing in Volume / Mega Volume Sets. I am known to have amazing retention, natural yet full-looking sets, amazing cleansing products, and my bubbly personality. What sets me apart from others is that I always put my clients first. I get to know them personally and make sure that the whole studio is comfortable and a safe place for them. In this industry, it’s easy to do the job, collect the coin and move on. I don’t look at my business that way. I look at my clients like my family & I treat them all like so! I am super proud of the evolution of my brand. From name changes to aesthetic feels, I feel like my brand has matured very beautifully. Sen Lashes also offers training! I also offer wedding packages for new brides-to-be! If you’re interested in joining the industry, don’t be shy and reach out; let’s make your future dreams come true!
Can you talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy?
Many things make me happy, but I think my top happiness is my dog, Autumn. She is such a bundle of joy. All my clients enjoy her company; she will jump on top of the massage bed to lay on you while you get serviced. It’s the cutest thing ever. Other things that make me happy would be my family, friends, and business, of course. I love spending time outdoors and traveling as much as I can.
Pricing:
- Light Volume Set $200
- Volume Set $260
- Mega Volume Set $320
- Refills range from $120-165
- Training prices are listed on the website!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.senlashes.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/senlashes
- Facebook: facebook.com/senlashes
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sen-lash-studio-rockville
Image Credits
Image credits by Catherine Ta, Maya Askew, Mark Guant.
