Beauty with a Twist – Episode Summary

Podcast: Beauty with a Twist
Host: Dede
Guest: Wednesday (Wednesday the Lasher, owner of Wicked Esthetics outside Houston, TX)
Episode Title: Build Your Clientele by ALWAYS being Available, Pricing Your Lash Sets by the Hour & Bad Lash Trends
Date: October 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into building a successful career in the lash and beauty industry, featuring seasoned lash artist and business owner Wednesday. Together, Dede and Wednesday tackle practical business strategies, the realities of entrepreneurship, effective branding, pricing, industry “tea,” and the power of networking—with plenty of advice for “baby” beauty pros and candid conversation about mean-girl culture, social media, trends, and more. The episode is packed with actionable tips and honest reflections from two industry insiders.

Key Discussion Points

1. Lash Conferences, Networking, and the Power of Community

(00:00–05:16, 46:42–55:00)

• LashCon & Industry Events: Wednesday describes LashCon as "the Coachella of the lash industry"—a lively hybrid of festival, education, and networking (00:55). Although she admits the events can seem overwhelming, even non-lash artists can benefit from their focus on business and marketing strategies.
• Networking: Both Dede and Wednesday highlight the importance of industry events for forming connections and collaborations (01:53, 48:59). Wednesday emphasizes putting yourself out there, even as an introvert.
  • Quote: “You gotta put in the work first. I’ve paid thousands of dollars to go to events as an attendee, just so I can get in the room with people I want to be like and want to work with.” – Wednesday (52:11)
• Cliques vs. Community: They tackle the perception of “mean-girl energy” at conferences, clarifying that these are often friendships forged over years and not intentional exclusivity (47:36). Wednesday reframes being called “cliquey” as often rooted in onlookers’ insecurities, not genuine exclusion (49:08).

2. Wednesday’s Journey: Hustle, Learning, Flexibility

(02:56–12:41)

• Starting Out: Wednesday began in esthetics focused on waxing, noting the industry’s growth since 2014. “I almost didn’t even finish high school ... I had very little parental guidance. I knew I loved makeup and wanted to make a difference” (05:16).
• Transitioning to Lashes: Took her first lash course in 2017 after recognizing waxing alone couldn’t fulfill her ambitions (07:23). She hustled, doing lashes for co-workers and friends from her apartment.
• Strategic Moves: Wednesday recommends new artists rent a room at a salon offering complementary services (like hair or nails) rather than a crowded salon suite (09:29–10:42).

3. Building a Clientele: Hustle & Availability

(11:17–14:26)

• Always Being Available: Wednesday attributes much of her early success to extreme flexibility: “I would work at literally any time ... I feel like you have to be flexible. When people are first trying to get into the beauty industry and they’re like, 'Oh, I’m just going to work like 9 to 3,' I’m like, how are you gonna get clients?” (11:20).
• Drive and Motivation: Both agree, “You have to be hungry. You have to be driven, you have to be motivated” (11:41).

4. Business Evolution: From Salon Suites to Storefront

(14:26–16:56)

• Negotiation is Key: Wednesday advises negotiating all parts of your lease—everything is up for negotiation, from build-outs to repairs (14:28).
• Employees vs. Renters: She describes trying both and ultimately preferring renters for a better work/life balance. "Do you want to work that hard? I don’t ... I don’t want to be giving my son a bath and my employee is texting me" (15:19).

5. Branding & Booking: Setting Yourself Apart

(26:22–29:08)

• Branding as a Layered Cake: Wednesday's signature branding analogy: “Most people think branding is just logos, fonts, colors ... Your brand is really like a layered cake ... you have to figure out all those other elements – your story, your mission, your client experience – before you can really figure out your colors and your logos and the fun stuff” (27:41).
• Consistency and Authenticity: Repeated emphasis on being cohesive and showing up as your authentic self: “People aren’t just booking a service, they’re booking you and your vibe. Who do they want to hang out with?” (28:27).

6. Pricing Lash Services by the Hour

(31:26–36:47)

• Hourly Rate Model: To simplify booking and reflect her true skill, Wednesday charges $95/hour regardless of lash style (classic, hybrid, volume, etc.): “My service menu is literally: full set, fill, extended fill. It’s not up to the client to tell me what they want; I’m the artist.” (33:44)
• No More Over-complication: She resists offering a menu full of options that confuse clients: “Clients don’t know what they want ... that’s information overload” (34:44).
• If you're not earning enough: "If lashing is taking a toll on your body, you do not have the correct setup" (31:26).

7. Industry Tea: Trends, Drama & Social Media

(18:32–20:30, 36:47–41:33)

• Mean-girl Energy & Drama: “Let me tell you something about this lash industry – y’all are drama. Straight up.” – Dede (18:53). Wednesday ties much of the drama to the pressures of social media and perceptions vs. reality.
• Social Media: Flex vs. Connection: Both have mixed feelings about the trend of posting daily or weekly earnings. “Stop posting how much you make on social media. ... It just felt icky. ... You don’t see lawyers posting how much they make” – Wednesday (38:13).
• Trends They Love/Hate: Both critique certain trends:
  • "Anime/korean spike lashes" – not wearable for Wednesday's clientele (37:04).
  • Posting income on social media is an “ick” now for both (38:43).
  • Colored lashes: “Cool, but not for my older, professional clientele” (37:38).

8. The Lash Industry: Is it Dying?

(41:36–45:36)

• Industry Panic is Overblown: Wednesday dismisses talk of the industry “dying.” Most negativity comes from discouraged lash artists, not clients: "If your business is slow, that's because you're saying it's slow and thinking it's slow. Mindset is everything" (43:41).
• DIY Lashes and Clusters: Not a real threat to pros: "Good luck. ... There's a difference between getting something done by someone who knows what they're doing versus DIY" (41:53).
• Business Ebbs & Flows: It's normal to have slow seasons—even for established pros. "You're not going to be booked 24/7," and that's okay (45:36).

9. Advice for New (Baby) Lash Artists

(55:06–57:22)

• Focus on Current Clients: “Instead of focusing so much on trying to get new clients in the door, just focus on catering to the clients you already have and giving them the best experience possible. They'll build your clientele for you” (55:56).
• Be Generous with Incentives: Dede and Wednesday agree small referral discounts don't move the needle. "You gotta do better... $5 off a fill is not gonna get anyone to work for you. Do $50 off and they’ll tell everyone” (56:43).
• Mind Your Reviews: Google My Business and Apple Connect presence matters more than Instagram. "Believe it or not, most of my new clients are from Google – typing in 'lash extensions near me'" (58:02).

10. Growth, Focus, and the Future

(59:00–60:51)

• Narrowing Down: Wednesday isn't planning to start a product line, focusing instead on clarifying her direction—education, multiple salons, or creative design work. She encourages finding what you want to be known for instead of trying to do everything at once (59:32).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Hustle & Availability:

“When people are first trying to get into the beauty industry ... like, ‘Oh, I’m just going to work 9 to 3’—how are you gonna get clients?”
– Wednesday [11:20]

On Branding:

“Branding is not just, okay, these are what colors I’m going to use ... That’s important, but you have to dig deep. There’s layers to your business.”
– Wednesday [27:41]

On Drama:

"Let me tell you something about this lash industry. Y’all are drama. Straight up."
– Dede [18:53]

On Pricing:

“My service menu is literally: full set, fill, extended fill. ... It’s not up to the client to tell me what they want. I’m the artist.”
– Wednesday [33:44]

On Mindset:

“If your business is slow, that’s because you’re saying it’s slow and you’re thinking it’s slow.”
– Wednesday [43:41]

On Referral Incentives:

“Not $5 off a fill. ... Do better. Do $50 off and they’ll tell everyone.”
– Wednesday [56:43]

On Handling Haters:

“If they hate, then let them hate and watch the money pile up.” (50 Cent lyric)
– Wednesday [61:35]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• LashCon & Industry Events: [00:55], [46:42–55:00]
• Getting Started & Early Hustle: [02:56–12:41]
• Salon Business & Branding: [14:26–16:56], [26:22–29:08]
• Hourly Pricing Discussion: [31:26–36:47]
• Industry Trends & Tea: [36:47–41:33], [18:32–20:30]
• Industry “Death” Talk & Mindset: [41:36–45:36]
• Advice for Baby Lash Artists: [55:06–57:22]
• Google Presence & Reviews: [58:02–59:00]
• Future Plans: [59:00–60:51]
• Final Quote & Wrap-up: [61:20–62:07]

Takeaways

• Building a clientele takes more than talent; it requires relentless availability and the willingness to go above and beyond early in your career.
• Branding is foundational: invest time in defining your story, mission, and experience—not just colors and logos.
• Consider hourly pricing for transparency and to simplify your service menu.
• Focus on relationships—both with clients and within the industry. Put yourself out there.
• Mindset matters: speak your vision into existence, and don’t get distracted by social media flexing or industry doomsaying.
• Value your clients, invest in Google presence, and don’t underestimate generous referral incentives.

Closing Quote:

“If they hate, then let them hate and watch the money pile up.” (50 Cent)
— Wednesday [61:35]