Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaleena Cooperwood.
Kaleena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
First, I would like to say Thank you for allowing my story to be told. I’ve been nominated twice to be featured in this magazine so that’s when I knew it was time to share my story. I’m a God-fearing woman first, single mother of two beautiful girls secondly and third a business owner, serial entrepreneur, author, educator and motivational speaker. I’m originally from Arkansas in a small town called Kensett with a population of about 1,6oo people. I moved to Texas back in 2008 with my oldest daughter to continue my education in finance where I then got a corporate job at Frito-Lay headquarters for about six years. I’m a domestic violence survivor and I have my salon color “purple” to represent that I have overcome that chapter in my life.
Also, back in 2012, I learned how to do eyelash extensions but I soon realized it wasn’t for me at that time and I decided to continue to work at a “real job” retire and live the good life so I thought but boy was I wrong. One day, sitting in my cubicle, I had a heaviness that came up over me like I wanted to just scream at the top of my lungs, enough was enough! I didn’t want to be in this position for the next 20 years of my life. I felt like there was more for me to do. That’s when I decided back in 2015 to get back in school and get my Esthetics licenses in order to become an instructor. I went to school part-time for 11 months. I would get up at 4 am get the kids dressed and have to be at work at 6 am. I would than have to rush out the door at 3 pm to get to McKinney to get the kids from school and daycare, feed them and drive to Addison in 5 o’clock traffic to be at school at 6 pm to get out of school at 10 pm to make it home at 11 pm get the kids to bed then study and lay down at about 12 am. Again, this went on for 11 months. Not to mention, I was doing lashes on the weekends at my apartment from 8 in the morning to 7 in the evening. I’m talking about straight hustling for my dream to become a reality. I have seen the boom in the eyelash industry so I knew it was time to grind. I disciplined myself mentally, physically, spiritually and financially. When I say I didn’t go out shopping, hanging with friends, going out to eat for that whole two years, I ended up saving $20,000 because I knew it was going to take a couple of dollars to fund my education as well as my future school. I literally would go days without eating or eating roman noodles daily which I think I need to be an ambassador for them (joking). Now, fast forward, I’m now a Master Esthetician and getting ready to open up my Esthetics, Eyelash Extensions and Instructor program in the McKinney area. I’m also the founder of the private Facebook group called “Beginners Eyelash Extension Group.” In that group, there are about 10,000 people from all over the world such as South Africa all the way to South Korea which is all organic. We uplift, motivate and share knowledge about the lash world.
Has it been a smooth road?
In my country voice: “Heck nawl!” Whoever made that saying “blood, sweat and tears” was completely right on about that because becoming an entrepreneur I’ve experienced all of that plus some. There was a lot of tears shed, friends lost and even some days I would question my faith but I knew that I didn’t come this far to give up now. My favorite saying is “if they can do it so can I.” I basically live by that saying. I’m thankful that I did work for corporate because it taught me about systems and how to structure the business that I have today. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong and wrong again. In the end, it was all worth it. As a single mother, it’s hard to tell your kids that we can’t go out because I didn’t have the extra money to spend. It just worked, school and home for basically the last three years. With barely any help with the kids, it was very hard. Life felt like auto-piloted every day back in those days. I was told that in your first five years of business is the hardest and I agree 100% because I’m in my year three now. Obstacles I faced were being challenged at work. It was always a battle dealing with negative people and how people would try to make work harder for me when they knew that I was getting ready to exit let just say that. I continued to keep my eyes on the goals that I set for myself and failure or quitting was not an option at this point.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
My business name is called FLAVOUS BEAUTY. I took the word flavor, dropped the “r” off and added “us” at the end. I’m a Master Esthetician and educator. I offer eyelash extensions, customized facials, brows, and waxing. I teach eyelash extension classes to Cosmetologists and Estheticians. In 2017, I signed a contract with the Texas Legends NBA G-League Dancers to be a sponsor to do their lashes and waxing for the last two years. I have my own eyelash extension mink lash product line. I’m working on publishing my first lash and business book by the end of this year. I specialize specifically in eyelash extensions. I also have a mentor group called “Lashing with Confidence.” I go around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area speaking to both teens and adults about overcoming domestic violence and help to build their self-esteem with confidence inside and out. When I go speak at different centers or schools, there are women and teens who have dealt with substances abuse also so I also teach them about home skincare routines that are inexpensive as well as showing them how to add eyelash strips on to enhance their outside appearance. This is the fun part because those strips are all over their eyelids and they laugh so hard trying to put them lashes on correctly. Overall, who would have thought that a country girl from a small town come to the city to create her own destiny by teaching and touching those from all over the world from just one goal of doing eyelashes!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I have seen the lash boom back in 2015 and that’s why I dove head in. There will be eyelash salons, spas, medical spas, dermatology, and plastic surgery centers on every corner throughout the DFW area in the near future because the beauty industry is growing and will soon to be a trillion dollar industry. I want to not just a part of the beauty industry but become an icon meaning that the everyday corporate woman or single mom can do or be just about anything she sets her mind to just look at Kaleena Cooperwood. I literally started from the bottom and I’m still going. I’m all for women empowerment and boss babes!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1203 N KENTUCKY ST
Ste #C
McKinney, TX 75069 - Website: FLAVOUS BEAUTY
- Phone: (469) 636-7176
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavousbeauty/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flavousbeauty/
- Other: https://flavousbeauty.com
Image Credit:
Graziella Justafort Photography @thrugrazouslens
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
