Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Moua.
Annie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I believed I did everything right. I graduated with a degree from University, I landed the career, bought the house, got the car, and I was achieving the American dream. 14 years+ in non-profit organizations and I was burnt out. I felt guilt and shame because I should be thankful to not being a burden to society with this job. In University, as a student, I got to explore, learn, and play but in the workforce, I had to navigate unspoken office politics, and watch my boss take credit for my work. I have missed birthdays, holidays, and travel to work overtime to prove that I am a valuable asset instead of experiencing life. I was busy building someone else’s dream, while mine was in the backburner. I hustled but why did I still feel empty? Why is it that when I looked behind me on this journey, my empathy calls me to uplift my community with me?
One day, I decided to wait and watch my Team’s activities button turn Green to Yellow – immediately I get a Team’s call from my lead. That was the moment I knew: “Enough. No more excuses, I’m investing in myself.” That was the day the fog lifted and I could finally see the horizon clearer.
My deep love for gaming, beauty, climate change, and animal rights is what lead me to creating Pangolin Lashes. I wanted everyone who said our businesses name, to remember our mission and what we stood for. That every year, we donate 10% of our revenue to climate justice organizations and that collectively we can make change together. Beauty is not neutral, that we are not just lash technicians in this wheel of capitalism – we are philanthropists as well.
I knew there was a gap in the market here in Minneapolis, no one could execute Anime lashes. I reached out on social media to multiple Lash Technician’s to see if they would take me under their wing, but everyone said no. I knew I needed a teacher and unfortunately no one in the United States was offering to teach so I flew to Bangkok, Thailand to learn from Grand Master Pemika Iaowtrakul, Lasholic BBK. For an intense week of 12 hour days of lashing and lectures, I refined my skill in Anime lashes.
The reception was immediate, as I was posting in real-time I was abroad learning, I was getting booked and folks were waiting for me to come back with me new skills. I am proud to say that I have been booked out for three months back-to-back.
One of the most eye opening experience was to see the differences in the lashing community between the West and East. One thing we both have are competitiveness but they vary vastly. Here in the West, we have a gatekeeping culture where hording knowledge, resources, and clients define your success. Whereas in the East, they openly share knowledge and recourses to level the playing field therefore who is the most precise in their craft. It fueled a desire in me to cultivate a similar lash community back home where we hone and share our skills in order to compete on an international level and connect with the international lash community.
Not only is Pangolin Lashes a home for Anime lashes, but it’s also home for trainings for Anime lashes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the struggles was having no community and I knew no one who was a lash technician. As a Dance Director and a 2017 Knights Art Challenge recipient, our community is opening and welcoming. We share knowledge because innovation comes from overcoming challenges together. Many lash technician’s do not have the time to take on an apprentice because with that time, they’d rather be making money. Being a lash technician is not cheap. Jumping through the hops of State Laws, and the prices of school and licensure is a huge barrier for most individuals with little to no support. Therefore I created an a professional development pathway program for those who want to lash and feel supported with an apprentice pathway into the possibility of working for Pangolin Lashes. I would definitely say I am more driven and passionate about taking the challenge of leading the lash industry and it’s community into it’s next chapter.
Another struggle I came across that really bothered me, because I believe that in order to innovate the future we must understand how and where we got to where we are today. Everywhere I turned, no one could tell me the history of lash extensions! In the early 2000’s South Korea and Japan spearheaded the 1-to-1 lashing method that we now use and standardize. You can find early videos of Korean and Japanese beautician’s using a threading needle to apply lash extensions.
I also worried about what people would think. It was a total switch in career, my grandma was unsure about the future, my immediate family accepted it but there was radicle from extended family, and my husband worried because it’s a world he as a male knew nothing about. It was terrifying to make a bet on myself but I am so thankful that I did! I learned how to invest and build my own retirement funds like a CFO. I made operational processes like a COO. I updated my data charts, networked, fundraised and made sure I knew everything about my business like a CEO.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My name is Annie Moua and I am a licensed lash technician in the State of Minnesota. I specialize in Anime lashes, so much so that, that’s the only style I offer. If a client is looking for typical classic, hybrid, volumes I will always refer them to the many amazing lash technician’s we have in our city. It’s such a great way to support one another! What makes Anime lash extensions different is that they are a Chinese technique created by Xiao Shuang. You can find in early 2010’s on Douyin, otherwise internationally known as TikTok, videos of Anime lashes and her techniques. Due to the pandemic, her style and technique went internationally viral thanks to social media. I hope to take her classes soon because if you were a painter and Vincent Van Gogh teaches classes, you would go!
Not only is the style of lashes very striking due to it’s spikes, what makes us different entirely is our core value to being climate conscious. In the State of Minnesota, we have to follow strict rules of one-time use materials and consent sanitization to protect the public’s health. Our carbon footprint matters, and knowing that Pangolin Lashes invests in as much eco-friendly materials as possible.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I would say that they both play a part in my business. I was very lucky to be the first in Minnesota to bring Chinese technique Anime Lash Extensions and Korean Technique LED Lash Extensions. Because it’s viral on social media, clients are doing routine searches for someone who provides these services.
The bad luck is when unexpected life situations arise, like getting sick or having a family emergency. Unlike working in cooperate in this industry, if you don’t work you don’t get paid. As service providers, we are expected to take all sorts of energy from clients without treating us like we’re human beings as well. So please if you happen to be sick, wear a mask, reach out and communicate with us as we understand things happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pangolinlashes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pangolin.lashes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574881985024
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pangolin.lashes
- Other: https://www.vagaro.com/pangolinlashes
