February 2021: Top 3 Questions I Got on Instagram this Month

Instagram is the main channel I use to communicate with you guys and I absolutely love building relationships and chatting back and forth about what you need help with to level up your business. The comments section in my feed is usually filled with lots of questions, but I also get so many REALLY GOOD questions in my DMs. Questions that really make me think, that help me become more connected to you and that, by answering, allow me to help others.

Since DMs are obviously private, I thought I would share the top 3 most-asked questions HERE on the blog and do this at the end of every month so you can see questions others ask often and maybe get some clarity from my answers. I'll leave out the random ass (yet funny) questions and convos some of us have but I will say, based on my recent IG stories, we all love cream cheese lol (you've got to peep my stories to understand this)!

QUESTION #1

Q: I want to go out on my own but I'm not sure if I'm ready...

A: You will never feel totally ready and that's a fact. What you can do to be more prepared and confident about your decision is to write out the pros and cons of going solo and really ask yourself if you can afford it. Look, I'm all for just going for it, but either you're willing to dip into some savings or you're not, and if not then maybe instead it's time to save and prepare.

What helped me when I moved into my own studio was doing some simple math to see how many extra clients I needed to pay for my space. I also considered quality of life, commute, more clients and opportunities that would come from having my OWN space and was willing to risk my spending money until I was in the black. However, with that said, I was not willing to spend my life savings just to have my own space.

When I launched my apparel line in 2015 I spent my extra $$ AFTER first putting money into savings to build that part of my business. I was just not willing to pull money from my emergency fund (that is just what worked for me). I do know that there is a certain level of confidence that comes from having your own space, decorating how you want and playing by your own rules and I want you all to get there if that's what you want, but my truth is that I want you to save your money for life's unexpected moments first THEN work towards the next goal of having your own place. If you've already done that, then GO FOR IT!! I never sat on my ass wondering WHAT IF. I just DID. 

Pro tip: Find someone who would be willing to rent from you and cover part of the expenses if you find a place with multiple rooms. This is the only reason I signed the lease on my place in 2015 - because another lash artist was renting the back space. :)

QUESTION #2

Q: I'm ready to hire another lash artist - what should I do next?

A: To answer this one, I'll just quickly break down things I thought of when looking to bring on another artist and what I did.

+Write a list of what you are looking for/what your vibe is/what you're about then put out an ad via Indeed or IG. Ask for resumes to be sent via email ONLY. First and foremost... you want someone who follows directions.

+Pick one day for interviews. I'd start with phone then zoom or in person. I can tell if I like someone via phone just fine before meeting in person. 

+Meet with them, get to know them and have them ask you questions (if they do on their own this is a bonus). Make sure they are open to doing ANYTHING. You want someone who wants to WORK and this might mean being a team player and taking out the trash. Are they willing to do anything else besides lashing (or insert your service). I always wanted someone who was down to get dirty.

+Think about pay. Are they renting or are they an employee? Check your state for specifics. For me, I wanted to avoid an employee so I stuck with a weekly rent. However, I nicely asked that they dress appropriately, followed the rules I set in place, etc. This is what contracts are for!

+Please have them take models and also work on you. I think it's totally ok to do a trial run, too. I want to see how they work, act and show up for a month before saying YES, I want you. 

+Lastly... I think having backup is always a good idea. I don't think any of us want to lash forever so thinking about this now is smart.

QUESTION #3

Q: I'm struggling with what to post on IG... help!

A: For me, I like to show my business (what I sell), myself (what I do) and a few things unrelated that I connect with others on. Like my dog, Hoops, and coffee. Plus I think these are "life" things people enjoy seeing every once in a while.

The easiest way for me to show up on IG is to think about what others want. It's not about me - if I feel like it's only self-serving I just can't do it. So for you, think about what your clients are interested in and what they ask about but you also have to sell what you're offering. This will require being consistent and creating interesting content. It will require getting comfortable talking about what you do because people need to feel your excitement and see your skillset to trust you.

Honestly, it's about showing up every day and doing what feels good for you, being yourself and finding your thing. Don't be afraid to BE YOURSELF. Think of IG as an extension of your space and your chats with clients, which is a great way to connect with your clients outside the lash room as well as followers on social media!

My last piece of advice: get over yourself. This is about business. If you're over social media, take a break, but staying on schedule and showing up IS part of a business these days. All the pieces to the puzzle should fit: website, social platforms, newsletters, branding, etc. If this totally overwhelms you, book a call with me and we can get you feeling good about everything I've suggested! Not to mention I have a million resources for getting started here on my blog. Start here, here and here if you're in doubt!

Until next month!