Lashes by Asena

I'd like to begin by telling you about my story as a way of inspiring you on this journey. It's my way of establishing a connection with you and letting you know that no matter what your intentions are for taking this course, they're valid. 

I'm a 33-year-old woman, born and raised in Australia with a Turkish background. I didn't just become a Lash Technician overnight. In fact, after I completed my VCE, I was studying at RMIT University to become an Interior Designer & Decorator. As it turned out, my interest in it was not inspiring, and so I had to defer my course. 

Consequently, I would go on to attain a bit of professionalism in retails, foreign exchange, legal assistant and office administration. Then I took a switch in my career path where I settled to study Diploma Of Beauty Therapy with the Beauty EDU. 

It got a bit tough for me as studying and working while looking after a baby was very challenging for me. It was one I didn't know I would overcome, but I did. And it got very interesting when my life was a beehive of activity after graduating as Qualified Beauty Therapist while having my second child. At that point, I was working in beauty salons, spas,  laser clinics, and also working from home on models to build my portfolio. 

Working from home on models, coupled with other places where I put my skill set gave birth to the desire to venture into eyelash extensions. I loved its intricacies, and it didn't take long for me to decide that this was where I wanted to focus on. So, I decided the best thing to do was to expand my knowledge in this industry. I did certified training while working in between and later became a Qualified Lash Technician.

I must confess after so many years of working for people, it became daunting for me. I was working long hours, and the minimum wage from my job was not making life easier for me. I wanted more out of my life. I wanted things to change and become better. I decided to become bold with decisions pertaining to my life by starting my own business in 2016 which I called ASENA BEAUTY; it was a dream I had been nursing for years. I later rebranded to LASHES by ASENA and finally quitted my job, while working from home, focusing on building my business. It was a little scary at first. But I realized I could set my own hours to work and be flexible with it. I was my own boss, and did not need to work under pressure as it had been in the past. There was a burst of freedom I suddenly started experiencing . Not just for me, but for my family.   Life was easy, and I could raise my kids and spend more time with my family. 

Was it rosy at first? Not really! I started off with having 3-5 clients a week. And over time I have built my clientele base of 50+ regular clients—having about 15-20 clients per week in just lashes alone. Interestingly, my best advertisement has been client referrals, and it has helped me in spending little to less in advertisement. The secret to this is because I understand reputation and client satisfaction and how it goes a long way to impress clients. That's why I put in so much effort to ensure my clients are satisfied, and it's one thing we would talk about in detail in this course as we progress. 

My dedication has endeared clients to travel hours to see me from many parts of Melbourne and Victoria, Australia. Today, I have built an empire with this business on my terms, and importantly, I owe the support I've also gotten from my family to accomplish my dreams. As much as I feel accomplished, I have goals I still want to achieve—one of them was being able to train students like you and show you how to become a lash extension technician, an entrepreneur, and a successful business woman. Today you're going through my course. 

You see, anything is possible if you just work hard and put your mind to it. This is one thing I tell people I meet on a daily basis, and those that I mentor. If you have a dream, you can make it your reality by taking a leap of faith to work towards it. I am a perfect example of a woman with such dreams, and today it's playing out in reality. 

As I have said earlier, the reason why you've decided to take this course is a valid one, and I believe that with your dedication and commitment towards this course while putting into practice what you will learn, you will succeed just like me.