Meet Emma Rosenthal | Lash Artist/ Esthetician

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

Hi Emma, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is what got me started with Free Spirit Lash. But let me give a little back story to when I was younger before I was even in this industry (so about 18 years old). I was always in my comfortable little bubble of ‘getting by’ or ‘playing it safe on the sidelines’ while everyone else I knew was going to college, getting good jobs, etc… I never did the “normal” route after high school. I went to community college not knowing what the heck I was doing for about a year. I just knew it wasn’t for me. While working retail at my local shopping mall and going to school part time I just felt completely LOST. I wasn’t happy. One day while walking into work I saw that there was new business that opened up in the mall and it was a ‘Lash Salon & Boutique’. I was intrigued. What girl doesn’t love a beauty service and clothing? The owner of that salon a few days later ironically came into the store I worked at and we started to chat about lash extensions… a service that I didn’t even know existed. I ended up booking an appointment with her and after that let’s just say I fell in love with the subtle enhancement of lash extensions. After being a client for a few months i was offered a job at that salon as a receptionist, again.. ironically, after I had just put my 2 week notice in at my retail job. In my eyes, it was totally meant to be. Months go by I realized I wanted to be a part of the behind the scenes and learn lashes. So I decided to go to beauty school as I was receptionist… getting the real life experience of a salon while learning about it in class. I got my license and I was eager to get going. I started apprenticing/practicing on anyone I could and after a few months I became a full time last artist at that salon. I loved it there and I knew I found my calling but I wasn’t completely satisfied. My friends and family were pushing me to start my own lash business after they saw the hard work and long hours I was putting in. Not knowing what they saw in me, the thought of that made me completely terrified but deep down I knew I wanted/had to do it. So I made the big leap and quit my job. I quickly came up with a business name, found a salon room in Solana Beach, and went into it full force. With no experience being on my own and being a total newbie to this industry. I marketed myself on Craigslist (this makes me giggle to this day), Facebook, you name it. I wanted to get my name out there. While just getting started I would drive from Temecula (where I was living with my parents) to Solana Beach for sometimes only 1 client a day. I wanted to make it happen and was itching for more. A year went by of doing this and I had a full clientele made for myself, moved out into my first apartment, and made the life that I always wanted in San Diego. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I wouldn’t be where I am today without taking those big risks that I did when I was younger. I’m a strong a believer that if you really want something then you gotta put your mind to it and make it happen. Scared? Good. That’s how you should feel be when you are starting something new or going after something truly great. That’s when you know it’s about to get good. I think that anything you ever wanted or dreamed of is always on other side of fear. Set goals. Say prayers. Make it happen.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I specialize in customized lash extensions. I really like to turn being a lash tech into a very artistic thing. I think it should be like that for every lash artist out there. Every eye shape is different so there has to be thought put into each set I do because my main goal is to perfectly accentuate your eyes/natural eyelashes. I want everyone to know that I put a lot into Free Spirit Lash being the best that it can be. I want the work I perform to be trustworthy, stylish, and nothing but amazing for each one of my clients that walk out of my door.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego is the most beautiful city ever. It definitely has everything to offer. My go-to is always being by the water. You can never go wrong with sunshine, a view of the ocean, and a drink in hand. It’s that simple. But I’ll let you in on a secret of my favorite place ever which is Port Side Pier in Little Italy. To me, that’s where I get the full experience of where I live. And if you really want to top off the day you can visit the oldest tavern in San Diego Waterfront Bar and Grill and see my sister Lucy with her beautiful lashes 😉

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family has always been my rock with everything in my life. We are a very close knit family and support each other every step of the way with whatever it is one of us is doing. They were my #1 fans since the beginning. From my mom and sister being my guniea pigs to my brother helping me tape off & paint my very first shared studio. But I will say the person that really inspired me to get the ball rolling and to take big risks was my dad. When I was working under somebody as a lash artist I would come home from work so dissatisfied and my dad would always say “you should just start your own lash business”. I remember one day I posted on Instagram out on the town for a coffee date with one of my girlfriends and my dad commented on my picture and said “Why aren’t you building your empire? No time for hooky” and as cheesy as that sounds it stuck with me ever since. I didn’t have time to waste, if i wanted this I needed to put the time & work in. I definitely got my creative side from my pops and not to mention the hard work ethic. He always wanted my mom to stay home and to take care of us (my parents never believed in a nanny or someone else raising us) when we were little in result he worked hard to make that happen/provide for the entire family. I will always admire that about my dad. He definitely deserves credit for where I am at today.

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