Lash extensions boosted Brighton woman during cancer battle. Now she's in the business
BRIGHTON — After battling breast cancer and getting laid off, a Brighton woman wanted to start a business she could be passionate about.
After entertaining different ideas, Beth Williams decided to launch a line of do-it-yourself eyelash extensions and sell kits through her own website and Amazon. Getting her lashes done helped her "feel pretty" during her breast reconstruction surgeries, Williams said.
Her line, Dolce Catalina, includes lashes, bonder and sealant sticks to apply them, combs, and lash spoolies. The kit also comes with a sleep mask designed to protect the lashes, so they'll last longer.
Williams said her next goal is to help women battling cancer by supplying free kits to patients.
"I'm hoping this year, I want to create a 501c3 and start being able to give some away," she said. "First, I want to focus on women with breast cancer, but also other cancers."
Her plan is to start with cancer wards, where "often times there are little shops," which carry products like wigs and head wraps.
While she hasn't needed to go through chemotherapy, Williams said many women battling cancer must contend with losing their hair, including their eyelashes.
She said once her business is more established, she'd like to work with organizations like the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.
"Lashes made me feel pretty during a time when you’re feeling really crappy," she said. After a double mastectomy, "your breast don't look the same."
She said wearing lash extensions boosted her self-confidence.
"When you look in the mirror: I don’t look as bad as I feel," she said.
Cancer wasn't the only life setback William has to overcome. After a long career working as a paralegal, the mortgage company she worked for was sold and she was out of a job.
She signed up for e-commerce coaching and considered how she could improve an existing product.
"I was finding things, but it wasn’t very exciting," she said.
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After researching other lash sellers on Amazon, "I realized nobody was bundling lashes with a mask," she said.
Her kits have two different styles of lashes of varying lengths: wispy and full. The kits also feature a scannable QR code for tutorials.
Her company name is also meaningful. Catalina is her daughter's name. "Dolce" is an homage to Italy, her favorite travel destination. The word means "sweet."
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Lash extensions boosted Brighton entrepreneur during cancer battle
