At 16, Shakiya is on her way to taking the business world by storm. As the founder of Glamorous Lashes n Co, Shakiya is working hard to build her client base and further her skillset one set of lashes at a time.
Young, ambitious and with a bright future ahead of her, Shakiya Andersen is already showing promising signs in the business world. Shakiya is the face behind Glamorous Lashes n Co, a growing business that she started in 2023 with the help of a program from The ASE group called Creating Your Future Job. It’s hard to imagine that Shakiya is just 16 years old, but this now confident entrepreneur from Burpengary already has plans for the future of her business and also growing her skills in other avenues.
Who would have thought at the start of 2023 that by the year’s end, Shakiya would find herself running a business in the beauty industry? But after joining The ASE Group Creating Your Future Job (CYFJ) program, Shakiya launched herself on a path to success.
“I joined ASE at the beginning of 2023 through a school program for young entrepreneurs to help them starting out,” Shakiya says. “The program gave me a head start into creating my own business and even now is still giving me opportunities to grow my business further.
“I didn’t really have anything to do with the beauty industry before this and it only came to my interest recently through social media. But I’m glad it did and from that Glamorous Lashes n Co came to life.”
For Shakiya the idea behind starting her business came about because she found a passion for lashes and saw the result of her efforts. And the idea behind the name? Shakiya wanted something a little different to the many businesses she discovered were already called “lashes with…”.
“Even though it’s still early days, my business is currently going really well and I’ve found I’m being booked out a lot quicker than when I first started,” Shakiya says. “My client base is growing extremely quickly and I love how my clients are comfortable to come to me for all their beauty needs.
Mature well beyond her teen years, did Shakiya expect to be able to call herself both a business owner and a young entrepreneur? It seems her achievements have well and truly exceeded her expectations.
“I never thought to see myself being in the beauty industry let alone having my own business and I'm extremely thankful for all the opportunities I've had with The ASE Group,” Shakiya says. “I love working in the beauty industry and seeing the smiles on the faces of my clients, as well as meeting new people and seeing improvement in my work.”
The CYFJ program is a seven-week self-employment initiative, which is designed to empower local youth (aged 15 to 21) within the community to explore passions, start their own micro-businesses, or venture into traditional employment. Co-founder and general manager of The ASE Group Tionne Young couldn’t speak more highly of having Shakiya as a participant in the CYFJ program, which is backed and supported by the City of Moreton Bay council.
“Shakiya thrived in our CYFJ program,” Tionne says. “Participants, like Shakiya, tackle real-world problems, developing essential skills like financial literacy, public speaking, customer service and networking.
“The hands-on program includes a group business venture which provides students with a 'seed investment'—Shakiya used hers for lash supplies, which helped her at the start of her business Glamorous Lashes. We have loved seeing her thrive post-program and being consistently booked after school, on weekends and school holidays.
“Shakiya is a testament to the transformative impact of programs centred on core life skills, not only instilling empowerment during the program, but also laying the groundwork for sustainable, confident, and flourishing futures.
“We have seen the transformation that this program had for young people who are now confident young business owners, proving that self-employment isn't just an unattainable option but a viable career path for young people to consider.”
If there is anyone out there who has backed Shakiya 100% on this venture, it’s her mum Jemma.
“I’m very proud of her achievements and her work ethic towards building her future,” Jemma says. “She has done so much in a short space of time and has built great relationships with her clients as well.
“It’s also a great bonus to have a daughter working in the beauty industry when I want to get my lashes done as well, she does an amazing job!”
Despite running her own business and tending to the needs of others, Shakiya still finds time to be a teenager, heading out on the water and motorbike riding when she can. But she’s already thinking ahead, with plans forming for the future.
“I do see myself doing lashes well into the future and I would also really like to own a salon one day as well,” Shakiya says. “But I’m also thinking about other things, including the opportunity to start teaching other young people to find their start in the beauty industry.
“But I’ve also been thinking about the business side of things in the future and I would like to start in accounting for something a bit different.”
Creating Your Future Job 2024 is open for expressions of interest, welcoming schools and community centres to nominate groups of local youth for this fully-funded seven-week journey. This opportunity incurs no cost to the school or student. For more details and applications, visit ase.edu.au/moretonbay.
If you would like to know more about Shakiya and her business, you can follow her on Instagram at glamourous_lashes.co
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