Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Yamamoto.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Women aren’t born strong, they were born with a strong figure or surround themselves with strong people. iLashU was created by the force of many influences that was incremental to what it is now. My name is Kaylee, and my bumpy past was the catalyst of now owning my own business. I grew up with two working parents. My dad worked in construction, while my mom was a physical therapist who had to juggle work plus care for my brother and I. I consider my mom to be the first strong figure in my life. She taught me that you can have anything you want as long as you believe in yourself and put in the work. Samantha is my business partner and together, we created iLashU! Just like me, Sam was guided by a strong women who happened to be her mother. Growing up in Mexico, her mother was one of the few working moms of her social circle. As an accountant she was able to handle both a career and her family with the support from her husband, Sam’s dad. Sam came to be just like her mother a trailblazer, independent, and a hard working women.
Sam and I met in beauty school, both working towards our Esthetician license. After four years, both working in the industry, we kept in touch and finally decided to unite forces and open a storefront. To be honest, how we opened iLashU was a blur. The way I explain it is that we trusted the process of finding a storefront and researching how to open a lash studio and didn’t let it scare us away. I believe most people are afraid of opening a storefront because of all the uncertainty but, for Sam and I, we both didn’t let fear stop us. All the odds were stacked against us from the start because our budget to open the store was very small. Not only did we have to jump over hurdles that didn’t stop us, we had to open the shop on a nearly impossible budget. In order to make it happen, we had to do all the hard labor ourselves. We gave the whole shop fresh paint, we built the front desk and updated the floors ourselves. Our budget had to get us through the refresh of the shop, first month’s rent and deposit, plus buy all the equipment, supplies, and furniture! It was very challenging but somehow we did it and the shop ended up looking like a million dollars. Now we could open up our doors to the public!
On September 1st, 2021 we opened the shop and had the amazing support of our family and friends! For Sam and I, we had a strong vision for iLashU from the start, and that was to build a community to support any person who walked through our doors. Being in the beauty industry and talking to numerous people, we felt honored to have the opportunity to learn from every person we serviced. In servicing thousands of people we noticed a commonality in topic… the struggles of being a women, specifically, societal norms and self-esteem. With that being said, we choose to empower and support every client that we see with positivity and no judgment.
Being able to provide a service with an outcome of confidence is why we love being a lash artists. The moment they open their eyes to see their lashes, their reaction tells us a thousand words. We can see the demeanor of an already beautiful person, even more bright. Sometimes happy tears come as a reaction. And that’s why we love what we do! Sam and I both still Lash and want to put ourselves in all positions of our business so we are well equipped to teach and understand our employees. Another important vision for iLashU was to support others in the beauty industry. From Sam and I’s accumulative work experience in the beauty industry, we took everything we disliked about it and are focused on being there for our employees which includes paying fair wages. iLashU was born with the task of forming a community to support, motivate, and empower. From our fortunate chance of growing up with strong moms, we want to pass down the strength and to push you to the best, happiest you. We welcome you with no judgment, all ears to our shop.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Sam and I opened up iLashU during covid, had an almost impossible budget, completely new to owning a corporation, plus had the challenge of gaining new clients to support our business expenses. We had everything to overcome and somehow, still cannot believe but, we did it! Sam and I make a great team because we are complete opposites of each other and balance each other out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
iLashU is everything lash-related. We do lash extensions (classic, hybrid, volume) which is serviced by placing one lash extension to one natural lash at a time. We also do lash lifts which is a process of curling your natural lashes.
We are most proud of the tight-knit and supportive community we are building, along with having the ability to support our employees monetarily and understanding the struggles of being a lash artist.
What were you like growing up?
Kaylee: I grew up in Hawaii so I always found myself at the beach diving for shells or on a hike. Other than loving nature, I was that kid that would always be creating things. I remember rearranging my room every few months. Anything artsy, I was into it such as making jewelry. I was always into intricate types of work which is exactly what lashing is!
Pricing:
- Classic Lash Extension Full set: $125
- Hybrid Lash Extension Full Set: $150
- Volume Lash Extension Full Set: $185
- $20 off all full sets for new clients
Contact Info:
- Email: info@iLash-u.com
- Website: iLash-u.com
- Instagram: @ilashu.sd
