What inspired you to become an educator?
I had been in the lash industry for 10 years and up to that time in my career I never had an interest in educating. I had been asked numerous times by people, but in my head I wasn't a teacher. I was a passionate lash artist. I say passionate because the only thing I love more than creating beautiful lash sets, is making people happy, lifting their spirits and making them feel good about themselves, especially women. I love lifting other women up and lashes can immediately lift you up from any mood you're in "mark my words".
So after lashing for 10 years I started to get a lot more clients than usual (new or even my own who tried someone cheaper) coming in for removals due to irritations. Most common was little to NO isolation. This is where I was first inspired to become an educator.
I never once looked to the new lash artist who had done this work, I looked at who had trained this girl. There were many new lash artists around with little to no education and I saw this myself with the many MANY removals I was doing. I wanted to help these girls. We are in the best industry in the world and I didn't want the industry standards dropping. So then started to teach purely so I knew these girls were going to receive proper education, which lifts the standards back up and also keeps these young woman in business rather than getting disheartened and put off completely.
I'm not one to pull people up for a terrible lash service, I prefer to work with that person privately and teach them the correct way. I then also created a refresher course for these lash artists to gain more knowledge. We need to lift one another up, not dampen others work, because that can be so upsetting to someone, you can potentially turn them off what they love doing which I do not want.
Tell us about your academy.
I'm a very new educator, been teaching now going on 4 months and I am so very proud of my students. I have now already trained over 20 women all over NZ and they are all doing amazing. I wish that I could share their work. I’m available ongoing afterwards to my students for mentoring. This educating is lifetime for me. I am personally fully invested in my students. I am based in Hastings, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. As a Lash artist I specialize in Mega Volume and as an educator I specialize in lifting the lash standards here in New Zealand and empowering women all over the world.
What do you find most rewarding about being an educator?
Definitely knowing that students are getting the correct and full education. I love to see beautiful lash sets where the natural lashes are still healthy and not being damaged due to poorly educated lash artists. I love creating amazing lash artists and making people happy and excited for their own careers.
What obstacles did you have to overcome on your journey to become an educator?
I also do hair, I actually learnt lashes from being in the hair and beauty industry. I then opened my own salon doing hair and lashes called "Jazzys Hair & Beauty''. So on my journey to becoming an educator I was working and running my very busy salon doing hair and lashes working back to back 6 days a week without staff. As well I am a solo mum, my daughter is 6 years old and I have near no support around to help me with her, I literally do it all on my own which is ok I am used to that, it's actually what gives me my drive to work as hard as I do. Also financial obstacles were very difficult as I didn't have credit to finance my business loans. However I had a mission, and decided what I wanted and I truly felt like I not only WANT to educate, but people here NEED me to. From there I started running raffles from my salon page to all my clients and friends around us who all were supportive. I was also able to find funding available and thankfully got 10k from an amazing organization called "Te Puni Kokiri". I just worked my butt off, working late nights, picking my daughter up from aftercare and taking her back to the salon. I have TV there, and I would play movies for her so I could continue working, and on other nights I studied.
There were a lot of sacrifices over this year, my daughter hasn't got to play sports or any activities in school outside of school hours due to me being so very busy doing what I had to do to become an educator. It was very hard. I had a lot of sleepless nights, and moments when I wanted to give up. It was a long, exhausting journey but I had to keep going. I couldn't give up as my little girl, as well as women all over Hawkes bay depended on me, so that drove me. I always knew I wanted to be NALA Accredited because NALA is the "BEST" and I wanted to be able to offer the best education so my passion is what pushed me to pull off all that I did.
Why did you enroll in NALA School for Lash Trainers?
NALA is the BEST and I want the best. I need to know that I am giving the best education that I possibly could, so that I feel truly confident as an educator and I am so glad I chose NALA. Not only is the education and standards super high but they are amazing to work with. I have had a lot of stressful moments throughout this journey but they are there every step of the way. I'm SO proud to be a certified lash educator and a NALA Accredited Academy. To be able to certify my students with the NALA gold seal makes me smile so much that I get sore cheeks lol. It was hard work to complete, but I did it and I proudly brag about NALA.
As a NALA School for Lash Trainers alumni, would you say that investing in a program like this is worth it?
If anyone is interested in becoming a lash educator I highly recommend investing in NALA which is actually investing in yourself. I work off of love and passion for what I do, so to be guided by women with the same passion helped me in so many ways, especially in my exhausted moments.
Tell us about your upcoming plans?
I've just created a lash workshop which I'm very excited about. This is not a course but more an introduction into my lash courses so that people can come and see what it's all about and then decide if it is what they want, then have the opportunity to enroll. I'm also working on the mega volume lash manual so I can introduce my master class, covering mega volume & handmade fans. I do have a lot more up my sleeve but you'll have to stay tuned and keep following me to see.
What else would you like to add to this interview?
I didn't come from the nicest of backgrounds... But I am proud of my entire journey because I turned my life around and so can you!! Before my daughter I really didn't feel I had any real direction in life. I enjoyed lashing very much but I was living carelessly and after many abusive relationships I ended up pregnant and in prison. I served 3 months. I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter when I got out and I had literally nothing. I went into a motel, which put me at the top of the list for emergency housing. After 2 weeks, I got a little flat and with the help of the government I got the necessities to live, washing machine, fridge freezer and a card with x amount of money to buy bedding, kitchen stuff, towels etc. I had a single bed and a fan I found at an op shop.
I wanted and needed everything for my little girl, so I started doing lashes on that single bed very very cheaply. This was purely to get myself known. I was advertising lash sets for only $30 nzd. I started to do very well for myself and within 4 months I managed to fully furnish my house and buy my baby girl all she needed brand new, the prettiest cutest clothes, blankets, newborn car seat. I had my baby then 2 weeks later I was lashing again. I just couldn't stop. I'd do 1 person a day at that time with my girl in the room in her bassinet. I carried on working from home building my clientele. Then just before my girl turned 2 I opened my 1st salon which was amazing and successful but I ended up in another abusive relationship so after 18 months in that salon I gave it up so I could take time to heal.
Fast forward to now, my daughter is 6, she will be 7 next month and we are in our 2nd salon and have been there for over 2 years, and we have my academy. Over the last 4 years I've been in another abusive relationship, which became violent. I had turned up to work with black eyes one time... I never ever gave up, through all of it I persevered. I have now been single and solo for almost 1 year, really just doing ME, learning about myself, healing and sort of gone through a whole transformation all while raising my daughter, running my salon and studying to be able to open my academy. I did it, and with near no help. I've had people talk down to me many times, trying to bring me down but my little girl needs me, and wanting the best for her has always been my drive, my passion and my own inspiration that I can't give up!
I need to be the best me that I can be for her and for those who look up to me and that's how I found NALA because I strive to be the best in all I do. I share my story in hopes to empower and uplift women around the world because if I can do it then anyone can!
Find your passion and you'll be unstoppable! ✨️
To learn more about Jasmine and Jazzys Lashys Eyelash Academy. visit her website and follow her on social media.
www.jazzyslashys.com
IG - Jazzys Hair and Beauty
FB - Jazzys Hair and Beauty