We’re looking forward to introducing you to Raquel Johnson. Check out our conversation below.
Raquel, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity anchors everything — it’s character, honesty, and doing the right thing even when no one’s watching.As we go through life You have to ask yourself when you meet people is it their mind, their vibe or values? Values to me matter the most.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Raquel Nava, and I’m the proud owner of The Lash Emporium and Spa — a place that started as just me, my vision, and a single lash bed over ten years ago, and has now grown into a thriving team of incredible women.
My journey has been anything but easy, yet it’s shaped every part of who I am and what my brand stands for. I was born with a cleft lip, something that taught me from an early age about true beauty — the kind that comes from resilience, self-love, and confidence beyond appearance. Fast forward to today, at 35 years old, I’m walking through another chapter of my story after being diagnosed with cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, I’ve found a deeper purpose — to help women not just look beautiful, but feel beautiful inside and out.
The Lash Emporium is more than a salon — it’s a space of empowerment, healing, and transformation. Every service, every conversation, every lash set represents strength, confidence, and self-worth. My mission now goes beyond beauty; it’s about inspiring others to embrace their journey, find light in their struggles, and remember that they are worthy, powerful, and seen.
This brand is the reflection of my heart — The Lash Emporium is me, my story, and the beauty of never giving up.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the expectations, before the titles, before the scars… I was just me. The girl who dreamed big, laughed loud, and loved deeply. Somewhere along the way, life tried to shape me — to make me smaller, quieter, more “acceptable.” But healing has a way of reminding you of who you were before the world changed you.
Through every challenge, from being born with a cleft lip to walking through cancer, I’ve learned that the real me has always been there — strong, soft, yet loud when needed to be and brave all at once. She’s the woman who refuses to be defined by what’s happened to her, but rather by how she rises from it.
I’m still finding her again… the version of me untouched by fear, judgment, or pain.
And maybe that’s the most beautiful part of healing — coming home to yourself.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me depth.
It taught me patience, humility, and the beauty of slowing down when life forces you to. It showed me who really stands by your side when the world goes quiet.
Success never taught me how to breathe through pain, but suffering did.
It stripped away everything that wasn’t real — the noise, the image, the pressure — and left me face to face with my faith, my strength, and my purpose.
It taught me that healing is success too.
That surviving is something to be proud of.
That peace is far more valuable than applause.
Suffering taught me gratitude — not for the pain itself, but for the person it’s helped me become.
Because now I see life through softer eyes, love through a stronger heart, and move through every day with a quiet kind of power that success alone could’ve never given me.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That beauty comes from perfection.
That filters and fillers make you “enough.”
That your worth is tied to how flawless your skin looks or how full your lashes are.
But here’s the truth beauty isn’t something we apply; it’s something we remember.
It’s the confidence that comes from healing, from growth, from walking through pain and still showing up.
As someone who’s seen both sides the glam and the grit I know now that the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is self-acceptance.
Enhancements are art, but your spirit… that’s the masterpiece.
So no, you don’t need to be perfect you just need to be real.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Lately, I’ve been asking myself where my time, heart, and peace are going — because the truth is, not everything we do today will matter years from now. And I don’t want to spend my life feeding things that won’t feed me back.
Healing taught me that peace is an investment.
Faith is an investment.
Self-worth is an investment.
I want to make choices that my future self will thank me for not ones she’ll have to recover from.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Raqnbeauty.com
- Instagram: Htxlashboss
- Facebook: Raquel Nava
