What inspired you to become an educator?
I became a lash artist in 2012 and my first training could be described as sketchy. She was weird and lovely but the course was NOT comprehensive in any way, and had a lot of misinformation. I took a much better class after that experience and knew I had been doing things the wrong way. I competed in Lash Wars at the Vegas IBS show in 2015. I met so many incredible lash artists and educators on that trip. Everyone was so open and shared so many amazing facts about the lash industry that I had been curious about but didn't know how to find out the truth. Things like using a nano mister or not, masks, volume lashing. These people inspired me to want to help others and to finally create a good program to teach others. I always wanted to figure out how to be an educator, and this felt right. I had some lumps and bumps along the way, but always knew that I wanted to create a program to be proud of. I offered my first lash class (it was a 1:1) in January 2016, and have never stopped creating and adding to the program. My manual has gone from a basic 74 page 3 hole punched binder that I printed out to a 215 page professionally designed book! My goal is to lengthen the expectation for the initial education period. I would love to see a minimum 2 week program for lash artists who are learning from scratch! I want to help as many people as I can to receive a great start in the lash industry with the best possible information available!
Tell us about your academy.
I have a home based studio in Vernon BC, Canada. I hold most of my trainings here, or at a larger training facility in town. I've been teaching since 2016, and took my first NALA educator training in 2017! I love teaching beginners, and live for the AHA moments that I get to see when they finally click in and start to really get it! My program is a hybrid model where the student starts with 14 hours of theory/videos/practice on sponges & mannequin head. Then they arrive for 3 days of hands on after a short refresher/review. They work on 5 models over the 3 days, and it is so beneficial to have that much hands on with supervision. I have won/placed in a few live lash competitions.. starting in 2016 with Lash Wars! I also won a Gold & Silver Medals at The Royal Canadian Lash Championship in 2018. I have been the NALA Lash Artist of the Year for 3 years in a row and was also awarded Lash Artist Integrity in 2019! Most recently I had the honor of being one of the judges for the Lash Competition of The Skin Games!
What do you find most rewarding about being an educator?
I absolutely love seeing my students lean into their talents, become great lash artists that I am proud of and get so much fulfillment from their careers. I love watching them support their families while enjoying what they do to make a living!
What obstacles did you have to overcome on your journey to become an educator?
There were a few roadblocks when starting out. After I developed my original manual, I trusted the wrong people who promised everything and just took my hard work instead. I decided that I was perfectly able to do it on my own, but on a smaller scale so that is what I did! My husband and I started a family in my first year of being an educator, so I had to struggle through finding a balance to my new life, and I love what I do! I think it would have been easier to want to take a break if you didn't love your job or want to be doing it! I used some of that time to renovate my home studio and start to perfect my program and the delivery of it. I never stopped. I kept my nose down and my eyes on the prize. I grew organically, because it was all I could have handled at the time. I want to deliver great education to as many people as I can possibly reach!
Why did you enroll in NALA School for Lash Trainers?
I wanted to find a group of like minded people who are dedicated to helping the lash industry and I found that in NALA! I want to give the best info I can to anyone who trusts me with their education, and I love the high standards that NALA has, so I thought that the school for lash trainers would be a great guideline. If I was missing anything in my program, I knew that I would get the answers in the school for lash trainers!
As a NALA School for Lash Trainers alumni, would you say that investing in a program like this is worth it?
I definitely do recommend the program! If you are a lash artist who wants to develop your own program, this is the best option to learn how to structure your class, and how to develop the most comprehensive manual around! The table of contents is worth its weight in gold! :-P
Tell us about your upcoming plans.
I have just finished a redesign of my course, and have really dialed in the online portion of the class. We have some really big things coming this year.. it will help with the delivery of classes, for both educators and students! I will be launching a few online workshops and a couple of collaborations as well as the possibility of a new kind of program that I'm workshopping currently! I would love to incorporate a spa experience with lash education/trainings so we will see what can come of that.. I am local to Sparkling Hill and am a huge fan of the saunas/spas there, so stay tuned. :D
Would you like to add anything to this article?
I love that we have the opportunity to meet other lash artists through spotlights like this. I read these and then get to follow or know about other people like me! I love the community that NALA provides, and am happy to be a part of it!
To learn more about Liz and Glow Lashes & Training Academy Inc. visit her website and follow her on social media.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace formal business advice, financial advice, government regulations, or any other form of legal advice.