My story
Built from the living room up
I started Lash Religion in 2017 as a side hustle in my living room, raising three daughters as a solo mum. I needed to make good money, but I also needed the flexibility to be there for my kids and have a life outside of work.
I didn't have time to waste, so I couldn't afford to. Every appointment, every booking and every dollar had to count.
I learnt pretty quickly that being busy and making money weren't necessarily the same thing. I started looking at how I worked, where I was wasting time and what I could do differently. I refined my technique, developed my own methods and built systems that allowed me to do more in the hours I had available.
My background in corporate communications and marketing helped me turn those skills into a business. Lash Religion grew from my living room into an established studio and training academy. Along the way, I also founded Lash Industry New Zealand and the Lash Industry Awards, and I organise the Aotearoa Lash Conference.
Almost a decade later, I've built a career around doing things a little differently. I've made plenty of mistakes, learnt a hell of a lot and figured out what actually works, both behind the lash bed and behind the scenes of running a business.
Now I get to share those lessons with other people who want to build something of their own, without having to figure everything out the hard way.
