Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Ngo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jennifer. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We got started in 2011. We weren’t necessarily looking to open up an eyelash extension salon – it sort of fell on our laps. We both had previously started companies before but at the time were working for corporate America, with our background in healthcare and oil and gas. We were working to save up in order to open up a business of our own. We evaluated all types of businesses, in all different industries. We searched for inefficiencies in each market and determined whether we could capitalize off of creating solutions for these inefficiencies. We went through many evaluations, many meetings, and many spreadsheet calculations. And one day it hit me. I was getting my eyelashes done at a very popular and now almost ubiquitous eyelash salon, during each session I would interview the employee, evaluate the costs, and determine client flow. I asked my partner to run the numbers and voila! The numbers worked. The driving point wasn’t just the numbers though, back then the current market for eyelash extensions was not near the saturation point it is now and there were major inefficiencies in the market. Many of the artists were not trained properly and clients were still coming. I myself had stopped going to this particular salon because the artist glued my eyelid shut and upon removal I had gaps and almost non-existent lashes. I knew there had to be a better way to offer this service without damaging or hurting the clients. So we asked ourselves, if we did it right, brought on the right employees that are properly trained, would we be able to charge a little more and would we be able to grab a large enough population that truly cared about quality and proper lash health to pay these prices? As time has proven, the answer became an outstanding yes. The people of Houston needed a high quality lash salon that educated them, cared about reduction in employee turnover, and maintained proper lash health and protocols. Our success has been in the selection and care of our employees. The beauty industry is notorious for yearly turnover rates of employees. We are proud to say we have employees that have been with us since day one. We love our clients and we love the amount of care and detail they notice and require for each service.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a completely smooth road, as all great things come with their hurdles. I am humbled and would not change any of the obstacles we encountered as it has strengthened our company culture and infrastructure. The greatest struggle, which I believe would be for any company, is creating systems to manage employees. We believe in taking care of our employees, having open communication and walking through each problem, as this is the best way to enhance the system. We have also struggled with delayed openings. We currently have 3 locations, the location off mid lane was delayed for 2 years after we signed the lease. We had all the same contractors and the architectural plans laid out. Unfortunately, there were delays on the landlord’s end which set us back quite a bit as we pulled out a loan to open this location. With the location being delayed and most of the commercial real estate being a nonstarter for us, we didn’t have many great options so we opted to wait. During this time we invested our monies into another company in order to get a return and we set into motion the opening of a 3rd location which was close to the same time frame as the 2nd location. It all ended up working out and it was frustrating during the situation but I believe we made the best financial decisions given the circumstances. The employees who were holding out for more hours or to be brought on to the 2nd location were also great and fully understood the situation which we absolutely appreciate.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Chic Lash Boutique is an eyelash extension salon. We offer eyelash extensions, eyebrow threading, lash lifting, tinting, facials, and microblading. We are best known for eyelash extensions and brow work (threading and microblading). I am most proud of the company culture we have built, the agility in which we move, and the ability for us to improve every day. I am extremely proud of the employees and the quality of work we put out every day. We operate as a large company but our culture and the way we treat our employees is full of joy and love. We believe in being vulnerable, open in our communication, transparent, and providing the best quality of work while protecting all parties’ interest. I believe this is also what sets us apart from other competitors. We have no problem turning clients away if we believe the service is not suited for them or their natural lashes are not healthy enough for the service. People come before the dollar, we try to never lose sight of this message. It has worked well for us as many of our clients are from word of mouth. We love the city of Houston and are glad we can contribute to its beauty as artists.
What were you like growing up?
Oh, what was I like growing up?! I was very different, outspoken, and really didn’t subscribe to any popular way of life. I grew up on a farm in Florida, so I had a natural love and respect for all animals. I eat mainly a plant based diet and maybe have fish once a month. I loved and still love the same hobbies. I love reading – mainly nonfiction, self-help, business, psychology, and neuroscience. I love sports and physical activity – when I was younger I ran cross country, track, played basketball, and tennis. I’ve run 3 marathons but now I mainly do hot yoga and rock climb. When I was in college I didn’t have much money so I tutored and waitressed for money. At 19 I started my first company which was an engineering staffing firm for the aerospace industry. We actually got a contract with Honeywell! I was so excited but unfortunately my partners and I had a falling out. I’m glad I went through that experience as it helped me grow emotionally and mentally. Throughout my life I have believed that living in doubt is a good thing, it has forced me to explore avenues to test the outcome. I believe every day is an opportunity for growth and learning – if we are always 100% confident and believe everything we do is always right, we create this echo chamber that reinforces our thoughts, I think this limits you from finding the chinks in your armor and continuing to grow. I try to learn from those I interact with every day. Sometimes, it all feels like bullshiz but with an open, calm mind I have found that many of the interactions I have been able to find some applicability or functionality to the lessons learned through man.
Pricing:
- Eyebrow Threading $15
- Microblading $595 includes touch-up
- Fullset of Eyelashes $225
- Eyelash Refill (1 hr) $75 non member/ $60 Member
- Eyelash Refill (30min) $55 non member / $30 Member
- Lash Lifting $75
Contact Info:
- Address: Chic Lash Boutiqe – Montrose
544 A Waugh Dr.
Houston, Tx 77019 - Website: chiclashboutique.com
- Phone: 7138740114
- Email: info@chiclashboutique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiclashboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicLashBoutique/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chic_lash
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chic-lash-boutique-houston-9
Image Credit:
All images are the sole property of Chic Lash Boutique LLC
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