CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A young single mom is taking an entrepreneurial step by opening up her own business called LynLashes at 1245 Nile Drive.
Owner Timberlyn Powell’s mission is to inspire other young girls.
Powell said she had never been an overachiever but knew she wanted a hands-on career for her future. From there, she found a passion to become an esthetician.
Powell said another black esthetician in Killeen, Meagan Jackson, took her under her wing and taught her the basics. She practiced into the late nights while taking care of her then 2-year-old daughter and enrolled in Aveda Arts and Sciences Institute in Corpus Christi to learn more about the aesthetics world.
“And I am happy I chose the aesthetics program," she said. "I got deeper into skin care.
"I ended up graduating and by the time I graduated I had enough clientele to be on my own. And now I’m an esthetician, now I offer facials, body sculpting, eyelash extensions, numerous services now,” said Powell.
Meagan Jackson owns Lashing Out Ink Academy in the Killeen area and teaches aspiring estheticians like Powell the art of lashes.
“People like Timberlyn are a story that needs to be told that even when you face obstacles you can still make it," Jackson said. "Practice, practice, practice and she definitely practiced a lot."
Powell said she loves getting to know her clients and encouraging moms to keep pushing when times are tough.
“As tough as it was being pregnant at a young age, that was one of the hardest times of my life I went through depression, I went through a lot of tough things,” Powell said.
“If God never put you through anything, you wouldn’t know how great he was, you wouldn’t turn to him. If your life was just perfect, you would never turn to God. Going through tough times going through rough things is a part of the plan, that's a part of life. It’s going to happen it’s how you are going to deal with those things and when negative things happen you have to find the positives."
Now, Powell's journey has allowed her to become a role model for young girls.
“And I love that I get to be the example for them and show them, I’m a mom, I have a toddler and I still beat the odds," she said. "And my goal is to inspire as many girls as I can."
One girl who has been particularly inspired by her is her daughter, Sumerlyn.
“And I did name the business after her, and it's nice being able to not only teaching her things but showing her by example,” said Powell.
Jackson said Powell's journey can serve as a guiding point for others.
“It’s very rewarding, that's what we do it for," she said. "We are trying to teach young ladies financial freedom, entrepreneurship, and so to see someone be successful it's just you know seeing her dreams come true and letting other girls know that it can happen to them, too."
So, what does black excellence mean to Powell?
“It means a voice, inspiration, it means power," she said. "It gives black people the platform they need to speak. We have a voice as well and our stories are as good as anyone else’s and letting other people know that you can do it. It doesn’t matter where you came from and it doesn’t really matter what you've been through."
Powell says she is looking to expand LynLashes aesthetics in 2022. Click here to book an appointment at LynLashes.