Cosmina Esanu, lash artist, left
Mark Zuckerberg started arguably the world's first social media platform from his dorm room at the age of 20; Jeff Bezos quit a good job as an investment banker and started Amazon from the garage of his rented home in Seattle, Washington; Oprah is the world's first self-made black female billionaire.
These people's successes and that of many others are awe-inspiring and motivate us towards our most creative and productive selves. But it's arguable that most of what we know is a highlight reel.
Cosmina Esanu puts it this way, "A person's success story only leaves a lasting impression when you dig beyond the gloss, the runways, and the paparazzi, and cast your vision back to the beginning of their journey. Many leaders who have maintained the heights they hit didn't have the best of cards dealt to them by life; in most cases, they started at a disadvantaged position and had to claw their way out first, then up the ladder. The strongest attribute they had that pushed them to the success you now admire was their sheer, unadulterated grit and tenacity."
Cosmina is the founder of Limitlashes, a learning hub for lash artists. She is also a licensed esthetician, lash trainer, and entrepreneur who has built an uber-successful brand for herself as a professional lash stylist, YouTuber, and podcaster. But her journey started from a disadvantaged position and is a strong reminder that tenacity is the fuel every dream needs to become a reality. Here we'll be pulling some sage lessons from her experiences.
Keep an eye on your Ps
Purpose, passion, and persistence—the three Ps of leadership—are key ingredients for building success, even if you've been dealt the worst possible hand. Born and raised in Romania, Cosmina as a child was in love with the idea of feminine beauty and wanted women to look their best at all times. This idea grew into a near obsession as she grew older.
"The unrelenting nature of this idea was how I realized my purpose. This was my calling and I knew the time to take action was immediately. When a business idea entrenches itself in your mind that strongly, you may just have found your purpose too. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get started; that dream won't go anywhere."
Purpose without passion is like taking on a job just because you have a strong sense of responsibility and duty, not desire. Personal fulfillment only comes if you love what you do—that's passion, and it rubs off on those you work with and boosts their drive to keep working.
"Having a purpose is your north star; it's what helps you make business moves and choices with a strong sense of direction. But passion is the fire that enables you to get up every day to keep working at it without grumbling or resignation even if things go bad."
When Cosmina and her family arrived in the United States, she only had $500 to her name and had to work multiple jobs for several years before she could adequately kick start her dream as a lash artist. "I had to undergo a massive mental shift to contend with a new economy, new culture, and language. It was tough, but that period proved and grew my persistence to turn my circumstances around."
The three leadership Ps are a must in every leader's arsenal; without them, they won't have the right mindset and direction, and no venture can grow beyond the leader's potential.
Find a mentor
The importance of having a mentor cannot be overlooked. Not only does it help one get started quickly, but it also helps you make the fewest possible mistakes on the way to fulfilling your purpose. This is something this lashpreneur didn't have, and she admits how much it delayed her success.
"Whatever path you believe your life should take, someone else has probably taken that path before you and made all the mistakes so you don't have to. If you can afford it, find a niche-specific mentor, and glean from their wealth of experience and knowledge. If you don't have the budget for it, find such mentors and work for them for free if you have to. Let them help you nurture your dream to fruition while navigating around traps and potholes."
Don't wait for the stars to align—start executing your dream immediately and fail your way to success.
Become a mentor; pass on your knowledge
When Cosmina wanted to start her lash salon in Boston, she spent a considerable amount of her hard-earned money to get her esthetician license. $15,000 later, however, she discovered she still didn't know the proper techniques to kick-start her lash extension business.
"Rather than pout and transfer my frustrations to others in my network, my dissatisfaction inspired me to become the tutor and mentor I didn't have."
Rather than let circumstance embitter her, she let it be the fuel to curating world-class lash training programs online and offline with huge success. She launched Limitlashes Academy, which offers comprehensive lash extension training, among other things. She's also very active on her podcast, Limited Beauty Boss, and her YouTube channel, where she shares invaluable tips and tricks of the lash extensions trade for free.
"The unavailability of capable mentors and proper training when I was starting sparked in me a desire to be as open and transparent as possible to my students and customers about the process of applying lash extensions. I held nothing back from them while teaching. This set me apart from my competition, dissipated my clients' worries, and built my students' confidence as they learned.”
This brings the journey full circle. Find a mentor, and after you learn all you need and become experienced,, become one yourself for the up-and-coming in your sector. You and your brand will never lose relevance."
Cosmina had the fortitude to keep moving forward. Vision is great, but it's no use if you don't have the passion and perseverance to move you toward it. Cosmina's story demonstrates that leaders are often born out of adversity and tenacity, making their success that much sweeter.
