Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Rodriguez.
Hi Barbara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Barbara but I hate my name so everyone calls me Barbie. ❤️ I am just a girl that really isn’t the most girly very basic very outgoing but I love everything BEAUTY, like everything!! I have a beautiful relationship with my other half for 11 years, and we have two beautiful daughters. I was born and raised in Miami but proudly consider myself Cuban. I moved to North Carolina and was there for about three years and had to return to Miami for so many reasons, once, I moved back home after being adjusted to an entire different lifestyle and cost of living, coming back to the city was a shock, I caught myself stuck and broke – everything was just so expensive just so different! I started working once my baby was six months in mount Sinai medical center- met so many wonderful people and loved what I did but was going through so much emotional distress and battled anxiety but not just any anxiety like BAD anxiety to the point where I would go through bad paranoia and much more. Just a very dark place. One morning one of my beautiful co-workers at the time and now good friend @lashville mentioned a lash course promo that @SlayyBeautyBar was having at the time, and we both did it, if you now ask me how I came up with the funds, I promise you I have no idea!!! But I did it – and after that my life has completely changed.
Lashing for me was never about the money I saw that everytime, I would lash someone it would be the only time I wouldn’t feel anxious. I felt safe I felt in place. I started asking people to let me practice, and I would charge $25 to lash and be there about 4 hours, maybe even more. I would spend so many nights with horrible back pains, in tears, watching videos asking other local artist for tips to help me gain speed, help with retention and even gain clients and would just be left on read. It was so hard at first for me, Specially because I was living in an efficiency had to do house calls, and just felt like even if I wanted to get my work better, I needed better stability for my little side hobby. So we saved up and moved to a two bedroom apartment where I decided to set up my lash area in my living room. Once I moved to our apartment, my little side hobby started to become my side hustle. Slowly I felt like my work was getting better, I was feeling more comfortable, my clientele was slowly growing, my technique was not where I wanted it to be but definitely heading in the right direction. At the time, I only offered classic lashes, wanted to add more but did not have the money to take a volume course, so I started using premades and easy fans definitely brought me a good chunk of people to the point where work and lashing was becoming very overwhelming but also to the point where I knew I wanted to lash forever and do this for a living, so little fast forward, I gave in my two week at hospital and took a little part-time at massage envy, lasted a week before COVID hit me and my family.
Thankfully we were all fine but gave me a lot of time to practice my craft and the courage to take my business full time once I recovered, not lashing for about a month killed me, had me feeling my worst. That’s when I knew it was game time. After lashing full-time about five months and being able to juggle being a mother, a wife, busy days at home & school still wasn’t enough. January comes along, and I won a giveaway from @dazzlingbeautybar, my deposit for a course was pretty much granted, and that has changed my life so far. Did my class, loved the entire technique and felt like this time around my work would transform to better – started hustling harder from home but shortly two weeks after my course, Gaby from @dazzlingbeautybar asked me to join her at her new location and that my friends had changed my life. In a matter of a month, my business has transformed into everything I thought I could never achieve, and have so much hope to only keep striving for more. Moral of my story is don’t give up on what you love. No matter how hard things can get, keep pushing through and always think about if I just go for it what’s the worst that can happen, where would I be this day a year from now and take risk! I use to be so scared of change! Now I need change more frequently than I thought I would ever. ❤️
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh lord no!!! It’s been super hard – super challenging. A career as a lash artist, at least for my self has not been easy at all, at least not like a lot of people make it seem. It took lots of commitment and lots of patience, and sleepless nights. And even lots of time away from my hubby and kids. I struggled so much with mainly myself always doubting my work, sets not lasting, or not mapping correctly or just having strangers at my house was very difficult.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Lashes lashes & more lashes!! From lash lifts to classic set, hybrids Volume to megaaaa. ❤️ All sorts of lashes, and now I will be offering brows and I am so excited! But on a serious note, my work really represents me! And those who have ever done their lashes with me know I take so much pride in striving for perfection. Of course impossible!! But I will do anything and spend as much time and research or learn all I can to give you what you want or ace what I offer. Only BOMB work 😌 I feel like what sets me apart from many is that I want us all to make it, I want us all to succeed, I really don’t care if we are in the same business or complete opposite if I can help, I will, I don’t fear someone stealing “a client” or feeling threatened by someone else’s work. I love to learn, I love to help and that sets me apart from many and that makes me so proud of myself, cause I can be the most insecure girl out there but secure enough to know that my family my friend my clients and those who surround me know I mean everything I say, know I love what I do and most know where I come from and that I have been at my worst and also at my greatest and never have lost my self in between.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My clients!!!! They mean everything to me, if it wasn’t for the love and support I have received from every individual that I have attended, I would not be where I am today. And that fills my heart with so much fulfillment. Even though every client that makes an appointment with me is a guaranteed friend by the time they leave there appointment, it means a lot to me that they enjoyed there service, that they are happy and pleased and that they return!
Pricing:
- Classic $130
- Hybrid $150
- Volume $180
- Lash lift and tint $75
- Wax, tint, brow lamination starting at $25
Contact Info:
- Email: Bombilash@gmail.com
- Website: https://bombilash.as.me/
- Instagram: @bomb.iLash
- Facebook: Bomb.iLash
