For Kim Jaynes, founder of Borboleta Beauty, it’s not a numbers game. It’s about empowering women by providing them with education and tools to always be better. At the beginning of her lashing career more than a decade ago, she started searching for a product line that was “artistically inspiring,” that made women feel amazing. But she realized that what she was looking for didn’t exist.
“I fell into a product line because I had a full clientele that I wanted to give the best products and service to,” she says.
Borboleta Beauty clients include celebrities like Katherine Heigl, not to mention our own HER Magazine Founder Nineveh Madsen. In the early days of the business, Madsen used to visit Jaynes’ rented booth space at a salon — and even receive the occasional home visit. Jaynes was, in fact, one of the earliest contributors to HER Magazine.
“Being the entrepreneur she is today, Kim definitely isn’t doing lashes anymore! She’s running a lash empire,” says Madsen. “She had a big vision for her business back then, and it’s been so amazing to watch the growth.”
COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION
In search of quality products that would make women feel amazing, Jaynes knew she was on to something. She researched and developed her own lash line of soft, natural-feeling lash extensions with clean adhesives for her clients. It wasn’t long before other artists wanted to buy from her.
“I wanted women to have support and not feel judged. The beauty industry can be very ugly, and I wanted to raise it and be an example that we can be kind and successful and not tear each other apart,” she tells HER Magazine.
Named after the Portuguese word for butterfly, Borboleta is a beauty brand and lash line that honors the ideal of empowering beauty by embracing diversity. The beauty company empowers thousands of women every year to take control of their professional lives through training programs like The Lash Academy, which provides both aspiring and seasoned lash artists the chance to keep growing. “I wanted to provide training and education that brought unmatched value to lash artists, to continuously master their craft and create successful, long-lasting careers in the industry,” she says.
From the beginning, Jaynes wanted to create a brand that stood for something.
“She’s a collaborator, not a competitor, and we need more women like her in business,” says Madsen, who is a big fan of Jaynes’ personal style and work ethic.
“I think, like with any entrepreneur, what’s helped her reach success is that she has kept going. She didn’t stop. I remember that it seemed like almost overnight her business exploded, but it’s been years and years of hard, consistent work. She gives a lot of credit to her team, and that’s so important as a CEO — being a good leader,” says Madsen.
Inspired by her love for working women, Jaynes attributes her company’s success to doing whatever it takes to make things happen.
These days, the lash entrepreneur starts her day in the office at 8:30 am in meetings with her different teams.
“I check in on all of our employees and see how they’re doing, and what projects they’re working on. I go through social media and see what is happening in our industry,” Jaynes says. “I strategize a lot with marketing and product and forecast latest trends in our industry. I usually end my day with a yoga class in the evening.”
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
When the training program was just getting started, Jaynes was running everything. “I was very overwhelmed, and I constantly found myself hitting obstacles,” she says.
During one of her first eyelash extension training sessions in New York City, the hotel she was presenting at refused to provide tables for models to lay on for the demonstration, she recalls. Instead of panicking, Jaynes realized she needed to find a solution without wasting any time.
“I caught a cab, ran to Home Depot, and bought 6 X 4 picnic tables and loaded them back into a cab. We had a successful training, and no one even knew about the tables and how we got them,” she says.
“Today our education program is the most sought out in our industry and we are considered the largest training program for lash extensions. We no longer lay our models on picnic tables,” she adds.
Without any formal business training or experience, Jaynes created a product line that was “artistically inspiring,” and a training program for lash artists. “I learned from mentors, past bosses, managers, and other professionals in my life — I never went to business school,” she says.
By being available 24/7, hiring the right people, and never giving up, Jaynes was able to create one of the leading lash extension companies in the industry.
“In the end, this is what brings me the most joy; to help others achieve their goals and love what they do.”
Follow Borboleta Beauty on Instagram @BorboletaBeauty
