Mia Roque unlocks the doors to reveal her pink decorated retreat to get ready for her first client of the morning.
She turns on her humidifier and opens her drawers revealing multiple sanitized tools and individual false lashes. Once her first client arrives, she brings out more tools to prepare for the appointment while going over her client’s requests.
With her eyes to measure, Roque evaluates a range of individualized lashes she has picked and chooses what lengths of lashes work with each client’s specific eye shape.
Mia’s lash business started during May 2020, with her practicing on esthetician practice doll heads and her very own twin sister with her case full of lash supplies. Once she had grown comfortable with her specialty she started to travel for house calls. She had started to get so many requests for availability she decided she wanted to turn this hobby into a business creating “EstheticsByMamaMia.”
“I restarted getting into lashes in 2020 and I ended up getting my esthetician license last year,” Roque said, reminiscing on her journey to get to where she is now.
She had originally started lashing pre-pandemic, originally practicing during January 2020 and going back to school officially during September 2021, while going to lash courses and managing school all while working full time at the same time. She decided to master her work before diving into the industry. This benefitted her work as she gained more and more knowledge of her craft.
Her motivation for this business started a bigger drive to own her own shop. She went from traveling client to client to owning her own place in Northern Stockton, California. It opened a new chapter for her to be able to work in her own space.
“Always keep striving to do better for you and your work. As long as you have that mindset of being consistent and being persistent in what you’re doing and believing in yourself I feel like you can achieve anything especially in business,” said Roque.
Roque uses Instagram to create content and grow her clientele.
The social media outlet allows her to communicate with new and returning clients and allows them to easily communicate with the lash artist. Instagram allows her to show off her skill and connect with an audience.
“With consistent posting about all of my services, clients tend to hear more through social media, which helps my clientele grow.” The page shows off her range of specialties from black and pink colored lashes to freshly waxed eyebrows. It gives her an outlet to organize her schedule as well as build her portfolio.
“At first I started with lashing and then I wanted to further my education, which ended up letting me branch out into facials and waxing, which can lead to more services added for my business.”
For Roque, lashing has opened doors for more opportunities for her to grow her business and prepare for her future in the esthetics industry.
Being an esthetician turned Roque into a businesswoman as well. She quickly picked up the role of self employment by letting her hobby bloom into the business it is today. She now has grown her business to having her own branded lash kits and lash courses. These lash courses train people who are looking into the industry and grow the same way Mia had grown her love for her business. She has also now extended her beauty services by adding facials, waxing, and lash lifts building confidence in her clients by helping them achieve the look they want while relying on her professional opinion.
