Meet Lola Klova | Permanent Make-Up Instructor & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lola Klova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lola, how do you think about risk?
For someone who loves to plan, prepare, and map out the future in every possible way, taking risks can be very frightening. Just as well, it can be extremely rewarding. In life and especially in my career, I am the girl that prepares Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C – just in case Plans A & B don’t work out. I like to have an order and a routine in my daily life because not knowing the future makes me very uncomfortable, therefore, you can imagine, venturing on new and untried ideas for your career is sure to bring on some discomfort.
Being a young entrepreneur, I didn’t realize that taking risks was already in my nature, because I took myself for someone who lived in my comfort zone, but looking back, having started my own business at the age of 18 is the prime example of my nature for experimenting with new possibilities.

Throughout my career, the best decisions I’ve made have all come from short defining moments of eagerness, elevated confidence in myself and my abilities, and an unwavering fear of the possible negative outcomes of this decision.

Through this, I’ve learned that decisions that make you feel scared will be one of the best things you’ll do for yourself and your career. If you’re not scared, that means you know what’s to come, and that also means staying within your comfort zone, not pushing yourself to change, grow, or learn something new. My motto is: take risks, because nothing will change if you don’t. My career and life may be going well at any point and time, but if I dream of better, even just a little bit, then I know that I must change my routine, my plan, or my route, which will instantly add thousands of new possibilities. I love that. I love taking new risks, positive risks that can only bear growth, whether I succeed or fail, because even if I fail, my knowledge and experience will still grow, making me better in some shape or form. Historically, every six months to a year, I took a new risk in making a brand new change to my business, and it always paid off, even if it did scare the living soul out of me at first.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is Lola Klova and I am a permanent make-up expert from Toronto, Canada.

Over the years, I’ve amassed a large portfolio of over ten thousand clientele, over a thousand students, and multiple staff. I started my business at 18 on a whim, I bought my first property at 21 years old, I opened my own salon at 23, created my own line of permanent make-up products, started a YouTube channel dedicated to permanent make-up professionals, and have helped thousands of my students start their own successful businesses within the industry.

I got to where I am today by accident. I never imagined being in the beauty industry. I had planned for myself to get into law or psychology, and during my third year of my undergrad, working also as a bank teller and a waitress, I decided to take a permanent make-up course to add a third stream of income. I had only planned for my role as a permanent make-up artist to be a part-time gig. But after just a few months into the job, I began to take on the role very seriously and I absolutely fell in love with the art of permanent make-up. I was, and still am, constantly learning more about the craft, practicing different variations, trying new products and inventions, and continuing my education to feed my never-ending thirst knowledge. I refused to become just another mediocre artist amongst the hundreds of thousands of artists around the world.
I wanted to set myself apart, elevate from being just an artist, so I created my own brand of products, launched an online presence on Instagram and Youtube, and began teaching students, who either travel or tune in from around the world.

In my role as an instructor, I consider myself to be one of the most passionate educators in the permanent make-up world. Anyone who has taken my courses can vouch for my dedication, sincere concern for my students, utmost attention to detail in all regards, and my never-ending patience when teaching. The reason behind this is that I strive to be the teacher I would have liked to have when I was new to the industry. I’ve also invested in my permanent make-up education and have taken 9 professional trainings around the world so that I can teach my students knowledge from around the globe.

It was certainly not easy to get to where I am today. I had to sacrifice many years of my young life to 12, 14, 16-hour work days, 7 days a week, to get to where I am. I started my business at 18 years old, and within 6 months, I was able to start steadily filling up my schedule with new and regular clients. After about 8 months into my new business, I had to quit both of my other jobs, because juggling all three, plus my classes at university, and somewhat of a social life, because extremely difficult. At 19, I began solely focusing on my business. From the ages of 19 to 22, I was steadily working seven days a week, starting in the morning around 8 A.M. and finishing up my last client around 11 P.M. I had a soft spot for clients and could never say “no”.

The busier I got and the more booked up I was, the better I felt about my career and my skill, and even if I had a day off, I would still work on my computer or my phone. For almost two years, I actually didn’t take a day off once. After about three years, I finally began taking off weekends and focused on pricing my services differently, to reflect my experience and dedication, which allowed me to cope with so much time off, without having to sacrifice my income. I am a living example of “working smarter, not harder.” Having dedicated those early years of my life to my career paid off incredibly well, in so many ways, and it gave me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, but it also took a toll on my mental and physical health.

I learned the importance of a work-life balance the hard way. My mental health was in distress; as a young girl dealing with every aspect of owning a business, not having enough time to focus on my well-being, not dedicating time to see my friends or family, or maintaining a social life like others my age, I suffered a lot, but the successes I achieved in my career made it feel better, which is why I kept up my lifestyle for so long. But no matter how much money you’re making or how much success you’re achieving, I’ve learned that nothing beats a healthy balance between your work and your personal life. Since then, I’ve made some major changes to my career, to prioritize more time for my own life, my husband, family, and friends, and I’ve never been happier. I finally found the perfect balance for myself, but this is all thanks to the years I dedicated working as hard as I did, because it gave me the opportunity to be able to create my own schedule like this,

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve lived in 4 different countries, and I’m currently living in Miami, Florida, which is a dream of a city. If my friend were to be visiting, the options are endless in a city like Miami. Being a coastal city, my first trip with my best friend would be to the beach; Sunny Isles Beach, to be exact. The clear waters, white sand, and splashing waves are some of my favourite aspects to the perfect day in South Florida. Living so close to the water, it can be easy to forget how beautiful our beaches are, but to a new set of eyes, it never fails to mesmerize. I would make it a point to visit the water as many times as possible. In South Florida, there is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, which makes it easy to find something for everyone.

For breakfast, my first option would be B Bistro in Brickell, and their to-die-for freshly baked croissants and pancakes. It’s a small place but they do their best to accommodate the herds of people that line up every morning, and they definitely make it worth the wait. After breakfast, I’d show them around Brickell, where my husband and I live, and take them through the beautiful indoor-outdoor mall.

For lunch, I wouldn’t even hesitate on where to go. Coyo Taco in Wynwood, hands down! A local, popular joint that makes killer tacos. Again, this restaurant is not new to line-ups and big crowds, but once again, their food and ambiance are well worth the wait.

For dinner, the best restaurant in town, cooking up one of my favourite cuisines, is Forte Dei Marmi on Ocean Drive. Having lived in Vaughan, Ontario, where 80% of the population was Italian and subsequently being surrounded by Italian cuisine, we have a high standard for Italian food. Forte Dei Marmi presents the best Italian food we’ve ever had, and my favourite, the best pistachio gelato you’ll ever taste in your lifetime.

Nightlife is a given in Miami, and so the options are vast and wide. Every once in a while, my friends and I like to dance until our feet fall off, so Kiki On The River would definitely be on the itinerary, if we haven’t placed ourselves into a food coma by this time of night.

The most entertaining factor of this city is its people, and so people-watching at any point, would be the most fun activity for my friends and I.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If it weren’t for my then-boyfriend and now-husband Kourosh, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today. It was him who pushed me to take on the first risk that I was juggling with: starting my own business. It was him who talked me into making myself believe that I could do anything I set my mind on, countless times. It was also him who was there to pick me up at my lowest points of being a business-owner, and believe me, there are many. It was him who had the idea to go virtual with my talents and knowledge, adding on Youtube, now a major player in my success. If it weren’t for my husband, I wouldn’t be who I am today, let alone have the business I have.

Website: https://www.lolaklova.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lolaklova/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LolaKlova