Entrepreneur goals!
HOLR is excited to sit down and chat with Canadian beauty business owner, Raquel DaSilva, of LASHGOD, to learn all about her brand and how she got started in the industry.
Tell us about yourself and how you started your business.
My name is Raquel DaSilva and I’m the proud founder of LASHGOD, a Canadian beauty company that provides premium, trend-forward eyelash extension services as well as designs, produces and retails professional lash extension products and beauty accessories. Today, LASHGOD operates an e-commerce retail business as well as two storefront locations – LASHGOD Don Mills (1310 Don Mills Rd.) that opened in 2019 and LASHGOD Yorkville (236 Avenue Rd.) that is opening soon; both locations feature a salon and retail space, with the Yorkville location also offering training studios.
I started my business when I was 18 years old – I worked 10–15-hour days offering lash services out of my parent’s basement. I was committed to being self-employed. I took my first eyelash course in 2015 and it gave me the basic knowledge that I needed to get started in the beauty business. I practiced on my friends over and over again (for hours each day!) until I felt confident to service paying clients.
It was my persistence and willingness to practice my skill that allowed me to build the brands that I have today.
How has your business grown since its inception?
The funny thing about a start-up business is that you never really know what will happen. Since the days of my tiny (10 feet by 11 feet) office in 2015, we’ve made some major progress! The last 6 years have been packed with growing pains, obstacles and of course, successes that make everything worth it. Back in 2015, I was praying for appointments and doing a few clients here and there. One year later, I was booked morning to night and working up to 16-hour days. Once I had a solid clientele, I opened my first flagship LASHGOD store/salon at 1310 Don Mills Rd. When it opened, I began to focus primarily on teaching others through Modern Aesthetics College, an academy I founded in 2020. We offer in-person and online medical aesthetic programs to train and certify lash and brow technicians, hairstylists, nail artists and aestheticians.
Fast forward to today, LASHGOD is a 35-person team! And we’ve become a one-stop destination for lash technicians and everyday beauty gurus alike. We’re also opening our second LASHGOD store/salon location in Yorkville soon!
Tell us all about the different areas of your beauty business – LASHGOD, HAIRGOD, GIRLGOD, and NAILGOD.
When LASHGOD first launched I saw an opportunity to partner with experts in other beauty categories, including hair, nails and fashion, turning it into its own multifaceted business. Having business partners was never my original plan, but I came to realize that there is strength in numbers and my business partners are incredible. LASHGOD is the parent company of GIRLGOD, NAILGOD and HAIRGOD, which each offer the most on-trend and cutting-edge services and products.
GIRLGOD is our newest addition to these sister companies. It’s a clothing line that offers easy-to-style pieces and accessories designed for women. By adding clothing into our stores, makes us a one-stop destination for all things beauty and style – and maintains the exceptional quality we’ve provided to our clients.
Did you always have a passion for the beauty industry?
I’ve always had a love affair with beauty and testing new beauty products/tools. My friends and family were not surprised when I decided to launch LASHGOD. I think deep down I always knew that I would end up in the beauty industry. I always loved doing makeup on my friends and enhancing a person’s natural beauty. I have so many old photos of myself, beginning at the age of two, breaking into my mom’s MAC makeup drawer and painting my face! I believe that if you have a calling, it will eventually come to the surface.
You’re building a beauty empire! What does the future have in store for your business? Any exciting plans in the works?
When I look at my business I see a newborn baby. This is just the beginning, not only for LASHGOD, but for my sister companies as well. Post-pandemic, you can expect to see many more LASHGOD locations nationwide. My main goal is to scale my companies and help other beauty aficionados achieve successful careers that they love!
I’m not one to reveal too many details before anything is official, but what I can say is that we have a ton of new, never-before-seen products and expansions planned for late 2021. So stay tuned for more!
Check out LASHGOD for more information and to shop for the latest products!