Elena Asher is the founder and President of LashMakers, the go-to academy for training lash ... [+] technicians in exceptional lash application while empowering them as businesspeople.

Elena Asher moved around a lot in her younger life. She was born in Siberia and spent the older part of her formative years in Israel to where her parents moved when she was 13. She was just shy of 21 when she arrived in the United States and barely spoke any English and had very little money. Now, 15 years later, she considers herself a product of the American Dream. “I can do anything here,” she says. And she has. With her business, LashMakers, where she educates and empowers the very highest quality of lash technicians, Asher has become one of the most well-known educators in this sector of the beauty industry. She has her own product line, seminars, and an army of graduate technicians who go into the world trained with the most exacting standards.

Headquartered in Miami, Asher’s business started in her living room when the trend of false lashes and lash extension was still new. She curated the top products from around the world to sell to her lash pros while teaching classes in the perfection of lash application. “Today, we hold classes, we are a certified academy, and we have a pro shop. We’re the only shop of entire Florida that carries the entire line of products for eyelash extensions–118 products to be exact.” she enthuses. “We are a Disneyland for lash artists.”

Although what she’s most proud of is that her school is as much about the art of applying lashes as it is about training women to become successful business people. One of her courses is titled Lash Money Series which is centered around empowering lash technicians as business people.

“We are about promoting financial independence for women through the lash industry,” she explains. “We teach our students how to actually make money and to understand the business and the financial aspects of the beauty industry, of which the lash industry is a $1.4 billion segment. There are so many women in my industry who enter this world and become millionaires and also become business people on a different level.”

Elena Asher believes she's achieved the American Dream by grasping the opportunities for which the ... [+] US is known.

So what makes exceptional lashes and what can consumers do to get them? Asher shares her insights below:

How do you define exceptional lash work?

It’s is about the details. To glue one lash on one lash, yes of course, a lot of people can do this. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly enough. In order to create a natural shape that runs perfectly along the lash line; it is very technical work. What it does take is a lot of patience and a lot of practice because it’s very tedious and detailed work. So as a consumer, you should look for no lashes stuck together and very long-wear from your lashes.

What is very long wear when it comes to lashes?

A good lash set will only fall off with natural lash shedding. Meaning, when your natural lash falls off that’s when the false lash should fall off–together. This is also a great indicator of how good and detailed your lash technician is.

What can consumers do at home to have healthy lashes?

To maintain healthy eyelashes at home, it’s essential to remove mascara at the end of the day, keep lashes hydrated, avoid rubbing the eyes in general, and use lash serums as part of a self-care regimen.

What is your business motto?

Go into business with discipline and love. Discipline will keep you learning and growing, love will make you work with purpose.

Interested in LashMakers pro tools for lashes? Here are a few of the lash leader’s top products below, and simply click the image to be redirected to the LashMakers website:

The LashMakers aftercare brush is designed to brush lashes after they've been applied with a ... [+] protective cap which keeps the brush clean.

Made of recycled water bottles, be a part of the LashMakers world with this sweatshirt.

LashMakers describe these scissors as the perfect pair, "not as short as manicure scissors but not ... [+] as long as barber’s is what we had in mind – 5” long, for ultimate comfort and multi use."