Esther Bolkin, founder of Glad Lash and Glad Girl, always had a passion for the beauty industry as well as for running her own business. In the early ‘80s, Bolkin obtained an esthetician license, and in 1981, she started working as an esthetician. In 1983, she sought out opportunities to expand her business. She discovered a company that distributed the best are lashes in the industry, and understanding the potential, she purchased this company and suddenly had a handful of new clients in her Rolodex, which helped grow her business. Business was good, and in the 1990s, she took her business online and purchased the domain name, eyelashextensions.com.
The early 2000s was a turning point for the eyelash extension business, as innovative new trends and products started coming out of Asia, such as single-strand eyelash extensions—hair-on-hair techniques that were new to the U.S. market. Single-strand eyelash extensions took Bolkin's small business to new heights, and by the mid-2000s, her ability to manage her quickly growing small business was no longer a reality.
In 2016, as the demand for Glad Lash products from both professionals as well as non-professionals grew, Bolkin and Glad Lash launched a new website and now have developed two entirely unique brands: Glad Lash for professionals and Glad Girl for consumers. In 2018, Esther spearheaded plans for Glad Lash to open its first retail location in Northridge, CA, and the company is planning to launch an additional store in Orange County, CA in summer 2019.
Here, get to know Bolkin and the success behind Glad Girl with this Behind the Brand video interview.
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