Meet Tania Jolley: Founder of Lashes of Change

We were inspired by chatting with Tania Jolley, the founder and CEO of Lashes for Change, whose can-do attitude and unwillingness to settle led to founding a great company built on purpose, sustainability and empowerment. We know you’ll love reading her story and tips for success.

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What makes you come alive, Tania?

Just about everything wonderful, I think.

Being by the ocean, with my beautiful family, spring & summer time, being with amazing friends that fill my cup, travelling the world and solving problems by developing better solutions.

I’ve just entered my 5th decade on this planet, and the older I get,  the more in tune I become with the passion, purpose & legacy I want to leave behind. And then have the confidence to get out there and do it!

Did you always know that you wanted to become a CEO?

Probably deep down, I did. My parents were self-employed accountants, so I was raised knowing I could become my boss if I wanted to. I’ve always been a bit of a leader, putting my hand up to help out and help others at an early age.

I started working for a few other businesses before being offered the opportunity to take on my first business at the tender age of 26. I found that I thrived in situations where I could make decisions rather than follow the lead of others.

I’m incredibly passionate and have become a bit of a warrior when I can get my teeth stuck into a big problem that needs solving. I think this makes me pretty unemployable these days lol… I get frustrated easily when surrounded by people who plod along.

Tell us about the story behind Lashes of Change…

It all started in 2015 when Clarins discontinued my favourite mascara of 22 years!!

I mean, seriously – why would you do that after such a long time when it was always so popular…it’s just rude!!.

That’s when the frustration started for me, and I discovered I wanted something that didn’t exist – a customisable, refillable mascara. Everything I tried and tested in searching for my next ‘new BBF’ mascara came up with a big fat fail, and it was an expensive and tiring process.

I figured that if no one else was going to do this, it was up to me.

So the journey started, and it has been an enormous learning curve for me – and a great experience to learn and work with others outside my comfort zone.

During development, I started to ask how much more disruption we could incorporate into this one simple product. And the answer turned out to be huge. I also always had a deep desire to one day start my foundation where I could contribute to society on a greater level and leave a legacy that would benefit many others in future generations.

At the time, my Dad was fighting a brave but ultimately short battle with bowel cancer. Sadly we lost him in 2016. Then just 15 months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My world shattered, and everything I was working on came to a complete halt for about 18 months whilst I dealt with this.

I picked myself up in 2019 and promised myself that before I died, I would give this mascara thing a big push and see if I could get it done. So I took myself off to Hong Kong and went to the world cosmetics expo, where I met my manufacturing partner.

During covid, we worked online over an 18mth period, testing and refining my design to ensure it worked with all the moving parts. It took way longer than I had ever hoped it. Along the way, I lost a business partner who backed out; and we tried three different engineering companies in Australia before I looked overseas, and Covid reared its head. But ultimately, it gave me the time and space to push this project to a stage where I could launch.

Has your success and experience in business to date been more linear or jungle gym in evolution?

I don’t think anyone’s journey is linear.

I’d say I was probably a late bloomer as for much of my life, I was bullied and told I was dumb (even though I was the youngest in my class to graduate); and as a woman, I couldn’t do it blah, blah, blah….

Thank god this rhetoric has changed massively in the past 15 years. Age has granted me wisdom and confidence. I feel like my success has come in fits and starts but is a slow underlying burn.

How important have mentors been in your career?

I didn’t even know the word mentor when I was growing up.

Kids in the 70/80’s weren’t spoken to in these terms. It wasn’t until I was in my late 30’s that I realised I needed one or more and went looking for them. I had undoubtedly idolised many people in the past, looked up to them and aspired to be like them – but as an official mentor, I didn’t get one until I was closer to 40.

I had a cheer squad in the background (my family) who always encouraged me to go for what I wanted, but I didn’t have anyone showing me the way. I feel it was quite a messy path that I have walked and, in many ways, fallen into situations that I have turned into opportunities.

What has been your most significant learning since the pandemic arrived?

That time is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Having time to think, time to reflect, time to connect with our tribe, time to be with family, and time to be thankful for our blessings is critical.

Where do you looking for inspiration and motivation?

I’m blessed to have many amazingly successful women as friends, and I have been looking to them lately. They inspire me and show me that IT IS possible to dream big and succeed.

That their ideas can change the world we live in, so why can’t mine?

If your collective business experience was in a handbag, what key pieces of advice would you carry with you every day?

My perfume of choice would be CONFIDENCE. My lipstick colour would be PASSION pink, my mascara would be BOLD black, and I would carry an eye shade that would allow me to DREAM.

Plus…

• The book I’d be reading would be called LISTEN, LEARN AND GET ON WITH IT.
• Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable – if it were easy, everyone would be doing it – but they’re not.
• Follow your vision with passion, and don’t listen to those who haven’t succeeded with anything in their lives, as they’re probably just jealous!

What are you reading or listening to now?

I listen to podcasts only as I need to multi-task….who has time for reading?

• The Roadmap to $50K from Shopify
• Unstoppable E-commerce on how to set up an online store
• Lisa Jones +CO, Eureka Report podcasts on finance and small business BIG marketing podcast.
• From a personal perspective, I listen to Brenee Brown, Opera, and many other inspiring and wonderful women.

What are your exciting plans for the future?

Yes – Just that I want to take this brand global, raise buckets of cash for cancer research and help to find a cure.

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You can connect with Tania on Linkedin.