This Little Salon Changed My Life

 

When I signed the lease on this little Oakleigh building, I sat in my car afterwards wondering if I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life.

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The rent felt enormous.

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The salon looked nothing like it does today.

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And truthfully, I had no idea whether anyone would even walk through the door.

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Looking at these before and after photos now, it’s hard to believe they’re the same building.

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What most people don’t know is that this wasn’t where the story started.

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A few years earlier, I had travelled to Dublin to learn eyelash extensions at a time I’d never even seen a set of lash extensions before.

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Not long after returning to Melbourne, heavily pregnant with my first child, I started offering appointments from the front room of my home.

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There was no business plan.

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No team.

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No roadmap.

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Just a lash bed, a lot of determination and a hope that maybe I could build something of my own.

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What I never could have imagined was where that little salon would lead.

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Today, what started in Oakleigh has grown into six salon locations across Melbourne and a team of almost 50 incredible women.

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The thing I’m most proud of isn’t the growth, the awards or the salons themselves.

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It’s the opportunities.

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Over the years I’ve watched junior artists become leaders, trainers, managers and even co-owners. We’ve celebrated weddings, babies, first homes and career milestones together. We’ve built careers in an industry that didn’t always offer clear pathways for growth.

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Every now and then I stand outside our Oakleigh salon and think about how one decision changed the course of my life and created opportunities for so many others.

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And none of it would have been possible without the thousands of clients who have trusted us along the way.

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Thank you for being part of our story.

 

Angela ❤️

Founder, Lash Envy Melbourne