Meet Jessica Lara | Beauty School Owner & Global Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Lara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Three things that helped me succeed in my business that I encourage everyone to practice are;

#1 Discipline, without discipline you will not get anywhere. Discipline requires removing any distractions from your life, at all costs. Working when most people aren’t and staying focused. Going above and beyond your limits. This will get you places you couldn’t imagine.

#2. Consistency, never giving up. Pushing through even when you think you can’t. This requires putting one foot in front of the other regardless of whether you’re taking small or big steps. Just Stay consistent and you will eventually get to where you want to be.

#3 Finding your passion. This is by far the most important one. Without finding your passion first. Nothing else matters. Finding something that you are truly driven will make your journey a lot more satisfying.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was 18 years old, my family asked what I wanted to do for a career and I said, Nails. This was about 15 years ago when the nail industry was not what it is today and nail techs didn’t earn as much income. So I then decided to go to college to get a degree instead because that’s what my parents wanted me to do. I attended UCLA for about 4 years and graduated as a Counselor. After working in the mental health field for 3 years I realized that I didn’t feel content with my career and wasn’t fulfilled. At the age of 27, I realized that I wanted to go to school to get my nail technician license and pursue that dream I had when I was 18 of doing nails. So I decided to take a leap of faith and enroll in manicuring school. And that’s when I found my passion. My passion for doing nails. Doing nails sparked my creativity and my love for the beauty industry. And that’s where my journey begun. I started doing nails, which then lead me to start teaching others who also wanted to learn the artistry of nails. To now owning a successful Beauty Academy of 4 years located in the city of Burbank, where we teach 9 different courses and have taught over 10,000 students worldwide.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a big time foodie. I think food is happiness and if I don’t eat I get hangry. My Últimate favorite food is Sushi, I love Japanese food. Aside from food, I also enjoy fishing. Fun Fact: I have been fishing since the age of 5, or as young as I could remember. During the summer I enjoying going to the lake with my family and fishing all day. I also enjoying traveling. This is a past time of mine, any chance I get I always like to explore new cities, countries or new hiking trails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Coming from a family who immigrated from Guatemala, they are the ones who showed me how to be resilient, strong and hard working. Seeing my mother raise 4 children on her own, working two jobs and not speak any English, showed me that everything was possible with hard work and determination. Being raised in a family that didn’t have much growing up, instilled fearlessness in me. It made me not be afraid of taking risks because I already knew what it felt like being poor. That’s what made me decide to start my Beauty Academy and see what would happen if I would just give it my all and see how far I could get. My family deserves all of the recognition for always supporting me unconditionally from a young age. They are my number one supporters..

Website: https://www.jessnailedit.com

Instagram: @jess_nailed_it