Her journey to empower other women empowered her with self-love and acceptance in the process.

Standing in the parking lot of O’Reilly Auto Parts, she looked around, wondering if she could possibly be in the right place. A bright young woman in her early 20s approached her asking, “Are you here for lashes?”, waving her hand to the trunk of her car. “What can I grab for you?” 

For Kim Jaynes, founder of Borboleta Beauty, little moments like these were the early steps toward changing the eyelash game. “I fell into creating a product line because I was desperate to give premium products and service to my clientele.” But, it was always about more than providing high quality eyelashes that would make her clients look and feel amazing. It was about elevating a new industry and women in general. Kim envisioned a brand that would embrace the beauty of diversity by giving artists a new standard in education and premium tools to fully express their artistry and empower them to achieve their life goals. 

“In the beginning, I was working 80 to 100 hours a week. I would hire my friends and my friends would hire their friends.” While they were admittedly lost at times, they were having fun. And, in the midst of the ups and the downs that come with building a business from nothing, Kim never lost sight of her determination to raise the standard in a new industry, while helping other women build their careers and find their passion.

The company moved out of Kim’s three-bedroom condo and, over the next few years, Borboleta built a new team and developed a distinct culture, while Kim rode her vision to become a student of her own company, listening to and learning from everyone around her. 

“I became a different Kim. The way I looked at myself changed. Everything I hated about myself, I started to accept and love.” 

Now, one of the leading eyelash extension brands in the world, Borboleta is known and loved by artists all over the globe. In addition to developing cutting-edge eyelashes and tools, Borboleta runs the industry’s largest education program, training artists around the world.

Kim’s story illustrates that you cannot force success, but you can hold tight to your vision, build a dream team, and empower them to take everybody to new heights. It starts with a leap of faith and hustle, but as Kim Jaynes has shown, if you lead with your heart, even something as small as an eyelash can fuel the inspiration, education, and success of thousands of women across the globe. The world calls this the butterfly effect, but for Kim and her team, it is simply the Borboleta way.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT KIM

“Kim is the most unique founder I have ever worked with. She is tenacious, driven, focused, open, eager to learn, and aware of others. I am at times caught off guard by these little moments where I realize she is making moves aimed far beyond the scope of herself.” Brooke Dearth, vice president of product for Borboleta Beauty