Nicole Guthrie
THE LASHBOX
Nicole Guthrie is a driven and accomplished makeup artist and entrepreneur. Nicole holds a B.A from The University of Toronto and has a background in commercial insurance, however, she made the decision to follow her passion for makeup artistry in 2017. Despite having no formal training, Nicole's natural talent quickly caught the attention of the industry, with her first editorial spread being featured in Canada's leading bridal magazine, Today's Bride. Since then, she has worked with a number of notable clients such as CBC, TD, and HBO, as well as actors, models and professionals in the industry.
In 2021, during the pandemic, Nicole was faced with the challenge of not being able to provide makeup services. Instead, she took the opportunity to innovate and invest in creating Ontario's first automated eyelash retailer, THE LASHBOX. Her eyelash vending machines can be found in Scarborough Town Centre and Pickering Town Centre and her lashes are also sold in fashion retailer Shop20. This creative solution not only helped her business adapt to the pandemic, but it also revolutionized the way beauty products can be purchased. With her unique approach and undeniable talent, Nicole continues to push the boundaries in the beauty industry.
As a top-24 semi-finalist who will get to pitch, what does this opportunity mean to you?
Extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pitch my business to the Rise Up Exec Team/ Judges and community at large. It can be so difficult as an entrepreneur to locate the right resources and tools that actually help nurture and support your business growth and development. To think I have the opportunity to secure funding that will help scale my business, and provide access to an additional community of viable resources is nothing short of amazing.
What has been a highlight for you in participating in the Rise Up Pitch Competition?
The Rise up Workshops and business exercises have been the most valuable. The workshops really helped me hone in on key areas of my business. It helped me understand and define my business needs and our value proposition.