Hey Beauty Babes,

I'm not going to sugarcoat this -

This has been really hard on me.  The first couple of days all I wanted to do was cry and scream and throw something.  Let me back up a little bit. A few days ago the Las Vegas mayor ordered that all non-essential businesses were to be closed for 30 days.  This means only grocery stores, banks, convenience stores, government places, etc. This also means that I am currently out of work for 30 days.  No money, whatsoever.  I'm a solo lash artist, I don't work for anyone, my influencing doesn't bring in any money. For the first few days I was in a daze it feels like , I had no idea what was happening, no idea what day or time it was, and no idea what I was going to do.  I feel so bad for everyone in my position or worse, I can only imagine something worse.  

Instead of dwelling for too long, and I attribute a lot of this to my Aries nature ( shout out Aries season), I decided to let the universe guide me and turn this into something positive to move forward my beauty business and my personal well being.  I think it's important to look at the positive side of things, because misery loves company and I dont feel like being in that company right now. I think if I was given 30 days to sit on my butt at home, you best believe I won't be sitting around doing nothing. I have so many plans and it's time to execute them.  During my brain dump, I created a fun little list of things that can be seen as positivity during uncertain times. But these things will help you hopefully feel better, and give you a little insight on how you can turn tragedy into income( in the future).

I’ve also created a fun little worksheet for you to keep your goal getting on fire after you listen to this.  I recently read a book called Start With Why and it’s almost as if a lightbulb went off with the way I'm going to approach my business and how I market myself.  I want to share with you some of the takeaways on how you can get going during this weird time.

Freebie: Click Here

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

SHOWNOTES: http://stevenbeauty.com/startwithwhy

Hey Beauty Babes, this is episode number 11 of the Beauty By Boys Podcast.  I have been SO excited to post this interview. I chatted with Miss Candy Rein, the owner of the Candy Shop in Boston, which is a salon specializing in lashes, brows, cosmetic injections, trainings, and products.  We recorded this all the way back on New Years Eve, which I think was totally fitting for our conversation.

Candy is a one of a kind lash DIVA. She exudes confidence, love, and a passion for her career. If you have ever met Candy, you would know the type of personality she has.  She literally lights up any room that she walks into, and that’s what drew her to me initially. I was sitting at a Mexican restaurant with a bunch of my lash besties after the Lash Con festivities.  When Candy sat down, I knew that this was going to be someone i needed to be friends with. Every inch of her was on point, personality included. I looked her and said - “You need a Youtube like IMMEDIATELY.”  and the rest is history. 

Our hilarious episode included:

+Her start in the beauty industry
+The people she looks up to
+Is she moving to LA?
+How she empowers her employees
+Being yourself in the lash industry

Candy is truly an inspiring person.  This was one of the most conversational interviews i’ve ever done, she literally had me laughing the entire time.  I mean, we had a few drinks in hand, it was New Years Eve after all. We chatted away like we were long lost siblings in a huge lash sea.

CANDY'S INSTAGRAM: http://instragram.com/candyreinbeauty

CANDY SHOP INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thecandyshopboston

CANDY SHOP WEBSITE: http://thecandyshopboston.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

I still can’t believe we are at number 10. It feels like just yesterday I was scrambling to put together this listening experience for the first time, taking 6 hours to pump out an episode.  Now I’ve gotten the editing significantly down, because I’m taking a more raw approach.  

I guess you could say it was perfect that today’s guest be number 10.  In a few minutes you will hear an amazing interview by a girl named Lauren.  Lauren is the owner of Lasheyecon, a lash brand residing Canada. You also need to know that this girl is only in her early twenties with a product line, a clientele, a training program, and a store opening soon.  I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT.

For real though, I don’t know where she finds the time.  Because babes, she does all of this by herself! And when you check her out while you’re listening to this podcast, you will see what I mean. Her branding is dialed in.  Her voice is dialed in. Her whole vision seems so dialed in, that it makes me feel like I’m hella slacking sometimes. I work 3 days a week and I’m sitting over here wondering how I can find the time to keep up with everything.  THERE ARE NO EXCUSES WITH LAUREN AROUND.  

But that doesn’t mean that she is some robot that has an unlimited amount of energy.  She has those times of burnout. She feels the pressure of being a lash brand in a huge sea full of lash brands.  She knows what it’s like to want to give up and just call it a day. We dive deep into the mind of a normal girl with a huge dream.  The big takeaway is to take care of yourself.

Our chat:

+ Morning routine
+ How each of her career pathways started
+ Scared of branching out from being just a lash tech?
+ Putting too much on your plate
+ Dealing with lash burnout
+ Business and mental health
+ Lasheyecon's launches
+ Lash Line Bling Texting Service

CONNECT WITH US

LAUREN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/lasheyecon_

LASHEYECON'S WEBSITE: http://lash-eyecon.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

On this week's episode, I talk to my fellow Podcaster and friend, Paul Luebbers of Lashcast Podcast and The Lash Conference.  Last year, he and his wife Tussanee had to close their long-time lash salon because of a lawsuit.  To anyone else, this could seem like a HUGE setback, and I'm sure it did for them too at first.  The good thing is, they got out of that rut and kept the stamina going for future projects!

Paul is a super inspiring guy and I really wanted to hear his insight on how to feel good after such a setback and how to keep going with everything.  They took a hard time and they turned it into a new empire - A Podcast, trainings, Lash Conference, and the Lash Cruise!

We all go through different phases in our lives, and sometimes it can feel daunting to keep up with something that you may see as a failure.  I just want to stop you right there - everything you do is amazing.  Everything you do for you and your business and everything that happens, happens for a reason.  The reason is to push forward and the reason is to inspire others around you.  I don't ever want to see you babes falter, please don't give up.

Some of the things we talked about:

+ How he stays passionate and motivated to keep going after his dreams

+ Good advice he gives his children

+ What his future plans are for Lash Conference and Lash Cruise

Just know that you have a friend in the lash industry, and Paul is that friend.

PAULS INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/thelashconference or http://instagram.com/lashcastpodcast

LASH CRUISE: http://lashcruise.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

This is honestly been the pinnacle of my Podcast career so far.  I am so honored to have been able to sit down with the two people that have inspired me the most in this industry. I chat with Kimber, the founder of Borboleta Beauty, and her amazing husband Craig.

These two are extremely incredible human beings who I have learned so much from already and continue to be inspired by every single day. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t think of some way that I’ve been touched by what they’ve built, because the community and family they have going is truly something to be talked about.  The culture at Borboleta is unlike any other, I have never felt as accepted and loved by so many humans in real life before, and I honestly get emotional sometimes when I think about it.  

I feel as though i have grown so close to this woman, and when she introduced me to her husband Craig, I knew I would feel the same way about him. And I do. He is such an amazing person and a rock for Kim that I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life as well.

So I sat down with them both, because I felt like I owed them that.  They are a team, and I wanted to be able to speak to that team, because it takes more than one person to build  a brand so dialed in as Borboleta. I wanted to pick their brains to see the bigger picture of what each year looked like.  I think it’s important to see more than what you’re seeing online, because nothing is just an overnight success. When you hear the stories that they tell in this episode, you will be blown away and hopefully enlightened that these two have created a masterpiece in my eyes, and in no way was it the luck of the draw.  The amount of hours and tears and love that has been put into this brand is something to be said, and I need you guys to hear this.

Here are the main points:

+ The void they saw in the industry

+ Do they work well together?

+ Day to day as the founders

+ Years 1-6 of Borboleta Beauty

If you’ve ever wondered what its like behind the scenes of a massive lash company such as Borboleta, then take a listen.  I really hope you guys feel as proud for them as I do.

KIMBER'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/kimberjaynes

BORBOLETA'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/borboletabeauty

BORBOLETA WEBSITE: http://borboletabeauty.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

I had so much fun recording the raw and unedited episode number 4 with Cali Reeves, so I brought her back!  This time she drove down from St. George with her gal pal Ashley Gonzalez.  They have recently started a Monday ritual called #mentalhealthmonday where they talk about the things that need to be talked about, but isn't necessarily the topic of conversation within the beauty community.

Our main topic for this episode is getting comfortable being uncomfortable.  In your business, in your life, in your social media.  We break out the drinks and get chatting about the hard stuff, and I think you're going to really enjoy it.

The things we get into:

+ Mental health in the lash industry

+ Managing social media and life and my idea of authenticity

+ Public speaking

+ How I cope with mental illness

+ What makes you uncomfortable in your business?

+ What makes you uncomfortable on social media?

+ Why people are afraid to talk about the behind the scenes

+ Is networking and small talk hard?

+ Biggest 2020 goals

+ Unveiling what we might not normally share

To connect with all of us:

CALI'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/_calireeves

ASHLEY'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/ashleychanellebeauty

CALI'S WEBSITE: http://calireeves.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

On this episode of Beauty by Boys I interview the Skin Care King, Matthew Miller on what I needed to do to save my poor skin now and be on the road to flawless in person, FaceTune.

Up until a few months ago I was doing literally nothing to my skin...nothing.  I was waking up and going without putting a damn thing on it.  I thought I looked okay, so why not?  Little did I realize that age would start creeping up on me like a silent cat scaring the shit out of you.  I was like who gave me these lines?  Why the hell do I have acne scars when I never even had acne growing up?  What is the routine that I'm supposed to be doing every day?  Do I need botox at 28?

I ask Matthew all of these questions and more, because like I said, I know nothing about what I'm supposed to be doing with my skin.  Hopefully you learned something you've been wondering as well.

What I ask him:

+ What is the right daily skin care routine?

+ What are some products I could buy right now that aren't too expensive that will dramatically change my skin?

+ How can I get rid of acne scars?

+ Flawless skin tips.  3 of your favorite treatments and why each one will transform someone's skin.

+ Are there any alternatives to botox that you recommend?

+ I've been seeing a lot about CBD in skincare lately, have you seen any real benefits with that?

+ Okay, WHAT is an oxygen facial?  And WHY do I keep seeing all this jelly stuff all over people's faces?

+ Cleansing with oil.  What do you think about that?

+ What do you think about holistic skincare?  Are there any products you use in your salon and at home?

+ His pop-up's in other cities.

Let me know what you think of this episode!  To connect with Matthew and I:

MATTHEW'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/matthewmillerskin

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

Hey Beauty Babes,

I connected with Derek at Lash Con this year.  He owns Urban Routine Skin, a skincare and lash salon in Wichita, KS.  He is trying to push artistry in the lash community and hopes to do that through training, mentoring, and brand coaching.  If you are looking to build a staff or create a brand for yourself, this is a great episode to listen to.  Some of the great topics that come up are:

+ How Derek got into beauty

+ Did he always see himself as a salon owner or just a solo artist

+ His hiring and training process outline

+ How he keeps staff motivated and willing to work for him

+ Education in the lash industry

+ His BrandYOU program

+ How you can reach the full potential of your brand

+ How to keep up with client demand while also building a name for yourself

+ Bringing out the true artist inside of you

+ How he plans to make males more known in the lash industry

+ His fav adhesives

Thanks so much for listening, truly happy over here.  To connect with Derek and I:

DEREK'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/ddavlash

URBAN ROUTINE: http://urbanroutinewichita.com

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

Hey Beauty Babes,

Cali Reeves graced my Podcast this week, and she even drove down from St. George to record this in person with me.  If you know anything about her, you know that she is GREAT with video and educational content.  Before I met her I knew she was an authentic human being, and as I was going along editing this episode, I felt myself literally smiling the entire time because of how endearing her energy really was.  I couldn't live with myself if I gave you a chopped up version of her mind, so I decided to scrap the edit and give you a the full raw version of our conversation.

There are some of the things we chat about:

+ What got her into the beauty world

+ Mental health in the lash industry

+ Ways to stop negative thoughts from happening

+ Advice for staying genuine and humble when one starts to gain a following

+ The right and the wrong for Instagram/social media

+ Lash Community building

+ Educational courses (online & IRL)

Thanks again for listening beauty babes, to connect with Cali and me:

CALI'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/_calireeves

ONLINE COURSES: http://fanlikeapro.thinkific.com/collections

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy

I recently took a private training with none other than Lana Wyer of Lux Uncut, and we recorded this afterwards.

First of all, the training I received with her private artistry course is unparalleled.  The amount of private attention was nerve wracking, extremely mentally and physically exhausting, but ridiculously beneficial in my lash career.  To be completely candid, i was feeling overwhelmed and in a sort of rut with lashes for a few months. Even though I am still so new, I wasn’t feeling like I was up to par with the rest of my peers and I was just struggling during sets.  I signed up for this course in June, but it literally came at the right time in my life. She sat behind me the entire time and caught me at every move, every wrong turn, and had me think and really execute a full lash set in a different way.  She drilled face shapes into my brain. She gave me extreme confidence, while being a sweet soul and someone I could feel comfortable with. I was sweating at first, but throughout the two days I got my groove. I almost cried on the plane on my way home because I was just so excited to get back to work and take what I learned back to my clients.  Lana is truly an educator, beautiful soul, and a boss babe that deserves all the recognition in the world.

I wanted to dive deeper into the creative process of Lana’s mind, to kind of give you guys an inside view of how she ticks and give her more of a human view, because she is just like the rest of us. 

We talk about:

+ Her typical morning routine

+ When and why she went from clients to training

+ What she looks for in a brand for her kits

+ How starting the business has changed her

+ Her creative process

+ Lana's fav apps

+ Her favorite "failure"

+ Feel like something has been done already?  She has some advice

+ What she would tell 5 year-old Lana(Got this idea from Rupaul's Drag Race

Thank you so much for listening beauty babes, to connect:

LANA'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/luxuncut

STEVEN'S INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/theborbyboy