Published on June 1st, 2021 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Driven by Passion, Pulled by Purpose

In a world full of distractions, being focused is a trait possessed by few people. They possess a different kind of energy that keeps them motivated and determined towards their goal in life. Famous celebrities and successful business moguls are prime examples of strong-willed personalities who believed in their dreams and transformed them into reality. Similar is the case with Elena Meluk, the lash artist, instructor, and business owner. Her story of coming from nothing and having everything is inspirational. Being a woman of substance, she had a clear vision of her goals in life and began working for them as soon as she realized it.

Starting from the Bottom, Now Here We Are

A person during their childhood has several dreams and aspirations. Unfortunately, not all of them come true. Due to unforeseen circumstances and various pressures in life, they have to give up their dream and indulge in something they are not passionate about. Meluk, as a child, had dreams too, but she also had the courage to make them come true. Coming from a poor family in Russia, Elena was always inspired to make money. Like others, she too wished to have all the luxuries in life and desired to live in a foreign country. For this reason, at the tender age of 13, she got her first job in a flower shop. From there, it was the restaurant industry and then retail as she got older. Although all these odd jobs did not benefit her career-wise, they did build in her the skill of money management and financial independence. As Elena was young and earning, she observed many girls being dependent on their families for everything. She disliked asking for anything from her parents, which is also one of the reasons she began earning so soon. She was driven by self-sufficiency and creating an income. 13 years was the last year her parents bought her clothes and shoes as she always had her own money since that age.

During her 13th year, her family immigrated to Israel, but Elena had other plans. As she wished to live in Europe, she began working hard for it. At 17, she took up two jobs. At this point, working two shifts and managing studies became difficult for her, so she quit her studies. Elena believed in her dreams and worked hard for them. Then at 20, she moved to Sweden. Although living in Europe was her lifelong dream, she did not like it for some reason. Her next stop was the US. She came to the States for a month but was so impressed by the country and its people that she decided to move there forever. This is where her interaction with lashes began.

As Elena had been exposed to working from an early age, her mind was trained to seek opportunities where she could grow. And the lash industry was one of them. When she moved to Miami in 2008, she sensed great potential in this field as it was relatively new, and not many people were involved in it. Making most of the chance, Elena began learning the skill. Her professional skills today are a combination of teachings of various private artists and self-learning. As soon as she felt confident with her lash artistry, she decided to take it a notch higher and launched LashMakers.

Hard work + Dreams + Dedication = Success

Self-belief and hard work always result in success, just like it did for Elena. Setting up a business in any industry is tough. Due to her determination, she bravely fought an uphill battle and came out victorious. Today she not only owns and runs a company but also trains hundreds of young aspirants with this skill and helps them become independent.

Being in the professional industry for a long time, Elena concluded that there was a strong need for women to be financially independent. Over the years, she has seen many talented heads giving up their dreams only because of financial constraints. To empower young girls and give them a chance to achieve their goals, she began lash training. At first, she trained students at her home on a smaller scale, but as the demand rose, she had to expand. This led to a series named Lash Money. Comprising of only ten episodes, the show targeted the financial, entrepreneurial, and marketing sides of the lash art industry. Elena Meluk herself led the show and taught the students to make money in this industry regardless of their current skill level. Her company is now educating over 400 lash makers annually from all across the globe.

Meluk’s hard work to establish herself and make it big in the beauty industry paid off. Being a recipient of the ‘Industry Impact Award’ by Beauty Factor proved that this woman is a force to be reckoned with as she possessed all the qualities of a successful businesswoman. Truly, a source of inspiration for many.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.