The Rise of LashTek: A Trinidadian Beauty Entrepreneur's Raw Journey
My name is Lori Williams, a 23-year-old lash entrepreneur from Trinidad, and this is the real story behind LashTek - my home-based lash studio that became my salvation. When COVID-19 shut down the island in 2020, I found myself unemployed with mounting bills and no backup plan. With nothing but time and desperation, I invested my last $300 in a basic lash kit, watching YouTube tutorials until my eyes burned. Those early months were brutal - practicing on my patient but skeptical little sister, ruining countless clusters, and realizing how little I actually knew about running a business.
I remember my first paying client clearly - a friend's cousin who took pity on me. The set took me four hours (should've been ninety minutes) and the retention was terrible, but she paid me 50anyway.That50anyway.That50 might as well have been $5,000 for how proud I felt. Soon after, a local hairstylist let me set up in her salon's corner on Saturdays. I'd arrive at 5 AM to clean the space and stay until midnight, determined to prove myself. The stylists laughed at my dedication until they saw my appointment book filling up.
The real turning point came when I did a free set for a popular soca artist before Carnival season. When she posted my work, my phone didn't stop ringing for weeks. Suddenly I had more clients than I could handle, but my skills weren't ready for prime time. I'll never forget the humiliation when a bride's mother demanded I remove her daughter's lashes right in my studio because they weren't "wedding-ready." That night, I nearly quit. Instead, I liquidated my savings for a masterclass with a Venezuelan lash artist and practiced on mannequin heads until my neck permanently ached.
Building this business in Trinidad tested me in ways I never expected. There were months when customs held my lash supplies for weeks, forcing me to apologize to booked clients. Tropical storms knocked out power during appointments. Established studios badmouthed me as "that girl working from her bedroom." But each challenge forced me to innovate - I learned to stockpile supplies, invested in a generator, and started documenting every client's before-and-after to let my work speak for itself.
What truly changed everything was shifting from just providing a service to creating an experience. I turned my cramped studio into a sanctuary with aromatherapy, curated playlists, and real conversations. My clients weren't just getting lashes - they were getting confidence, therapy sessions, and a safe space to feel beautiful. When I started sharing their transformation stories (with permission), my Instagram became a portfolio that attracted clients from Tobago and even a few visiting celebrities.
Now at 23, LashTek has evolved beyond anything I imagined. I'm mentoring three apprentices, developing a lash serum for tropical climates, and planning my first pop-up studio in Port of Spain. But my greatest accomplishment isn't the financial freedom - it's proving that a young Trinbagonian woman with no fancy degree or rich parents can build something meaningful through pure grit.
The Hard-Won Lessons That Shaped Me:
Your rock bottom is your foundation - My worst failures became my most valuable lessons
Invest in skills before profits - The masterclasses I nearly couldn't afford paid for themselves tenfold.
Differentiate through service - People remember how you made them feel more than your technical skills.
Turn haters into motivators - Every doubter fueled my determination to succeed
Embrace the journey - If I'd achieved overnight success, I wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much.
This is just chapter one for LashTek. My five-year vision includes a lash academy to empower other Caribbean women and a product line formulated for our climate. To every young entrepreneur reading this: Your struggles aren't roadblocks - they're proof you're on the path to something great. The late nights, the mistakes, the moments of wanting to quit - they're all preparing you for what's coming. Stay the course.
Lori Williams
Founder & Lead Artist, LashTek Trinidad
Follow our journey @LashTekTT | Bookings: lashtektt@gmail.com