Working as a NovaLash lash artist can be one of the most rewarding jobs out there. As a lash artist, or lasheprenuer, you own your own business, set your own schedule, be your own boss, and best of all, you make your own hard-earned money. But becoming a successful NovaLash lash artist takes time, dedication to your craft, business savvy, and great time management skills. While our NovaLash training courses are designed to help prepare you for the amazingly rewarding work of being a lash artist, as with any solo business venture, there are plenty of surprises that crop up along the way.

Related: What I Wish I Knew When I Became a Lash Artist

We spoke with ong-time lash artist, working mom, and gym owner, Ashley Higgins from LASH LOVE at Polished Spa in New Hampshire. Ashley was the Fan’s Choice winner of the 2022 NovaLash LASHoff, and for good reason! Not only do her clients love the pretty, delicate application of Ashley’s lash extensions, they also love her for going above and beyond to accommodate their needs. Ashley is a shining example of what it means to be a NovaLash lash artist. While Ashley started working as a lash artist in 2017, she switched over to NovaLash in late 2018, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Are you thinking about becoming NovaLash certified and curious about what it’s like working as a lash professional? We interviewed Ashley about what her work as a NovaLash lash artist looks like day-to-day.

How Do You Plan Your Day as a Lash Artist?

Ashley: “I get myself up, get the kids up, and get them off to daycare. Then I’m basically pulling in on two wheels to get to the spa where I set up for the day. I turn my bed on to get it nice and warm for my clients. I check my humidity and my temperature to make sure that my adhesive will set correctly. And then I get started.”

How Many Days A Week Do You Work?

Ashley: “I work only three days a week and I do it around my kids’ daycare schedule. So I really schedule clients within a day, so that I just can see everyone and max out my time potential that way. I see people from pretty much 9:00 AM until about three o’clock with about 15 minutes in between each client. And I’ll see probably four for sure, sometimes around five clients a day just to get in and get them all done and taken care of before I have to zip off and go pick up my kids.

That being said, the work doesn’t stop. Typically, I get a message a few times a day about someone either needing to reschedule or who are looking to get help  booking online. On Mondays, I do have a day where my kiddos do go to daycare and I have the day to myself to handle things like tax information or office tasks, or if I’m lucky, relax!”

What Surprised You About Your Work as a Lash Professional?

Ashley: “What’s funny is that my husband is an entrepreneur, so I should have known that, “oh yeah, if I’m going to start this business, it’s going to require more than just putting lashes on.” And that really did surprise me—I thought, okay, I’m going to work at a reputable spa with an existing client base, and the clients are just going to come running to me. I realized pretty quickly that I really needed to put some effort into advertising and marketing. So that did surprise me. But also, so much surprised me for the better, too.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know about NovaLash until about two years into lashing. It was just so many tears, and the frustration of feeling that my clients just didn’t have good retention.

No matter what I did, the retention just wasn’t there. So then I signed up for NovaLash. I like how they respect the natural growth cycle and like how much sense that makes. Learning how to use the NovaLash adhesive was also great because it’s unlike any other adhesive.

It was definitely NovaLash that built my confidence. And when you’re confident in your own business, people feel confident in you.”

Do You Use Any Tools to Help Your Lash Business Grow?

Ashley: “The spa operates through square appointments, so that’s what I use since I run my business through the spa. We have also inserted a booking link into the spa’s website, and I have my own personal website that you can go on and book through as well.

I also have a lash business coach named Tara Walsh. She’s the most incredible human being. She realized that there was a need for lash artists who, like me, just thought that becoming a lash artist meant putting lashes on and that’s it. Tara was a business major, so she developed an entire business plan for how to start, grow, and build your lash business. Her group is called the Lashpreneur Society. She helps lash artists understand what they need with regard to getting your insurance, getting your taxes set up, figuring out your pricing point, and so on.  Because Tara’s work is brand agnostic, having a strong foundation with a high-quality course like NovaLash, and then adding on her business advice takes you to the next level.”

Related: Starting Your Own Lash Business Vs. Working in a Salon

How Much Money Do You Make Doing Eyelash Extensions?

Ashley: Before I became a full-time lash artist, I was working as a dental hygienist, from 9-5, five days a week. But then I met someone at the gym, and we started training personal training sessions for lash sessions. Eventually I learned how much she made doing lash extensions, and I decided to try it. I knew I could make decent money, but since I’ve started really working as a lash artist, it has blown me away how much I make. Blown me away. I’ll just say that I make more now than I did as a dental hygienist working full time. And instead of working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, I only work three, sometimes four days a week from nine to three. It’s pretty amazing.

How Do You Manage Your Lash Product Inventory?

Ashley: I just order so many 8’s and 10’s. I usually have to order more inventory quarterly, but I also order as needed—when I’m down to one or two lashes in a cassette, I’ll order more. Also, anytime NovaLash has a special on offer or a deal going on, of course I order then, too.

How Do You Find Lash Extension Clients?

Ashley: “I have a lot of long-term clients, and a lot of my clients are my friends. But I also get a lot of work through word-of-mouth. My business coach would get mad at me, probably—I need to get better about marketing and advertising, but I usually just lean on word-of-mouth.

When I launched my website, I knew I needed to do more marketing. So when I was just starting out, I definitely did more marketing. Now I’ve gotten to a place where I’m fully booked and don’t need to do as much marketing, thankfully! These days, I just do what I can. If I have one slow day in a month, and I really need to make a post or something, I’ll do it. That’s how I go about it.”

What is the Most Rewarding Part of Being a Lash Artist?

Ashley: “Getting to see how women feel after their lashes are done. It can literally change their face for the better, and you can see a wave of confidence over them. Sometimes all you need is just your lashes. Then of course, I love having my own financial and personal freedom when it comes to my time and my money.

Being a lash artist is so rewarding for me as a mom and as a woman in business. It’s awesome to have a career that is so women-driven. I love that it’s so empowering—not only being an entrepreneur, but getting to uplift the women who are coming to see you too. It’s a really cool connection.”

Any Advice for Lash Artists that are Just Starting Out?

Ashley: “Honestly? Just do it. It is so worth it. Also, start with NovaLash. If someone could have told me back in the day, I would have  just started with NovaLash, because you’ll never go back. I recommend putting your time and your energy and your finances, even into making investments, into your business through NovaLash.

You’re going to get really great results and your clients are going to be so happy. I charge more than some of the lash artists in my area because I buy the quality products that cost more, but my clients get great retention. That’s the one thing that clients want—lashes that last.”

For more information on how to become NovaLash certified, check out our class offerings here. Special thanks to Ashley Higgins for providing NovaLash with this exclusive interview!