Artistry99: Building a
personalized beauty experience
from home in
Olympia, Washington.
In the competitive lash sector, Alondra Franco has carved out a unique space with her business, Artistry99, based in Olympia, Washington. Starting from her home, this passionate lash artist offers customized lash extensions that focus on enhancing each client's natural beauty. This article explores Alondra's journey into entrepreneurship, the challenges she's faced, and her vision for the future in the lash industry.
The beginnings of Artistry99
Alondra's journey in the beauty world began when she earned her cosmetology license in 2020 after attending beauty school during her senior year of high school. Initially working at various salons, she gained valuable experience but eventually felt the need for something more personalized.
“I have experience working at multiple salons throughout the years and they have all taught me many things about working in the service industry, but it has inspired me to start my own business” she explains. “I just wanted to have full creative control and just be able to offer a personalized experience for my clients. And that's something that I felt was missing in other traditional salons.”
This desire for creative freedom led her to establish Artistry99, a home-based beauty studio where clients could feel comfortable and valued. “I wanted to create something of a cozy, safe space right in my home where my clients could feel beautiful, relaxed, and confident,” Alondra shares. Her goal has always been to “enhance natural beauty and make self-care feel luxurious and approachable" for all her clients.
“I just wanted to have full creative control and be able to offer a personalized experience for my clients ”
The challenges of solo entrepreneurship
Starting a business wasn't without its difficulties. Alondra highlights three main challenges she faced when striking out on her own:
The first was the lack of guidance. “Not having someone to guide me, it's me on my own trying to figure everything out. I am the business owner, and that's a scary role that I've never had before. I've always had mentors telling me what to do, where to go,” Alondra admits.
The second challenge was balancing her time. Currently, Alondra maintains a part-time job alongside her beauty business, making personal time scarce. “I do work a part-time job, so it's very limited that I have actual time to myself, but when I do, it's usually late at night,” she explains.
Finally, she mentioned the emotional journey of entrepreneurship. “Sometimes when I doubt myself or get overwhelmed, I remind myself that this is all part of the growth, and fear and excitement go hand in hand,” she reflects.
Despite these challenges, Alondra has developed strategies to manage her time effectively, dedicating specific days to lash services during the week while balancing her part-time job.
Learning the business ropes
With no formal business training, Alondra had to teach herself how to run a successful enterprise. “I've learned to trust the process and to take it one day at a time,” she says. Her approach combines extensive research, seeking advice from others in the industry, and implementing her own creative ideas.
Community support has played a crucial role in her learning journey. “I've connected with a lot of women in the beauty community, reaching out to those in the lash business and even the bridal industry”, she explains. These connections help her stay current with trends and overcome common challenges in the beauty field.
About Artistry99
The name Artistry99 reflects Alondra's creative approach to lash services: “I'm a very creative person. I've always loved to paint, and I'm just very detail-oriented,” she shares. This creativity translates into her work, where she explores innovative trends popular in her area.
What sets her business apart is her commitment to personalization and creativity. “I don't want to put a 'one size fits all' on all my clients. Everyone has their own unique style,” Alondra emphasizes. She specializes in custom lash styles, particularly exploring trends like anime sets and wispy sets that are gaining popularity in Olympia. “It's exciting to customize a specific look to each person. A lot of clients in the area are very interested in anime or wispy sets, which are becoming popular. So I'm doing my best to look for new trends that I can branch out into and showcase for other people,” she explains, tailoring each design to her client's eye shape and personal style.
Her training journey has been comprehensive, beginning with her cosmetology license and expanding through different courses, one on one training, and networking to continually develop her skills.
Vev as a business management tool
After trying several booking platforms, Alondra discovered Vev through the app store. The platform's purple design, which matches her brand color, initially caught her attention. “I was in the market for a new booking site when I came across Vev. I noticed it was purple, one of my business colors and also my favorite, so I knew it was meant to be!” she recalls.
Alondra appreciates several features that Vev offers:
- Customizability: “I love that you can customize the booking site to fit your unique brand, that really stood out to me.”
- Schedule management: “It's amazing how easy it is to manage my own schedule, and it makes rebooking simple for my clients too. It’s especially helpful when I need to block off personal time without any hassle.”
- Client reviews: “I get so excited when clients leave reviews, and I always make sure to share them on my social media.”
The platform has proven to be user-friendly both for her and her clients, eliminating issues she experienced with previous booking systems.
“It's amazing how easy it is to manage my own schedule, and it makes rebooking simple for my clients too”
Marketing and growing the business
Alondra relies heavily on social media for marketing, with Instagram being her primary platform. “I started using Instagram, then branched out to Facebook, and now TikTok. I’ve realized the importance of putting myself out there to showcase my work and attract more potential clients,” she explains. She recently began investing in paid advertisements, which has noticeably increased her business momentum.
Beyond digital marketing, Alondra has employed creative promotional strategies in the past to encourage client loyalty and referrals:
- Referral discounts: “Word of mouth is the best way to build local trust. My clients can refer me, and the new client will receive 25% off their first appointment”
- Reward programs: “love giving back to my clients, if they bring in five new referrals, they receive a free fill”
- Punch cards: “I’ve used punch cards to reward loyalty, on their 5th visit, clients get 50% off as a thank-you!”
These approaches not only attract new clients but also foster a sense of community and loyalty among existing ones.
“I’ve realized the importance of putting myself out there to showcase my work and attract more potential clients ”
The future of Artistry99
Alondra has ambitious plans for her business. “I want to continue growing my business, and I really want to step into the role of a full-time entrepreneur and beauty artist,” she declares. Her vision includes expanding beyond her home-based studio to establish a full salon.
Education is also part of her long-term goals. “I would like to start mentoring and teaching people how to style and do lashes, makeup, and hair,” she shares, expressing interest in passing on her knowledge and skills to the next generation of beauty professionals.
Advice for lash stylist entrepreneurs
Drawing from her experience, Alondra offers three key pieces of advice for those looking to start their own lash stylist business:
- Take the leap: “Just go for it. I was nervous, but you’ve got to believe in yourself. The best way to learn is by actually doing it"
- Be adaptable: “Things won’t always go as planned, but just roll with it, it always works out in the end"
- Invest in promotion: “I’ve been promoting a lot more lately, I recently started paying for ads and noticed some great momentum from it. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner, but it’s definitely made a difference."
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