Today we’d like to introduce you to Pia-Jasmin Stehle
Hi Pia-Jasmin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Pia-Jasmin Stehle and we are a family from Germany. My husband, Tobias, our two boys (6 & 10 years old) and I finally moved to the US a month ago. Since July we are the owners of the Deka Lash studios in Greenville (Woodruff Rd) and Anderson (near Clemson Bvld).
Last year my husband and I have already decided that we want to move to the US. Thinking about the move and also dreams in our life we agreed that both of us want to travel the world once in our life as well. Therefore we decided to sell everything in Germany and start a travel around the world in January 2024. There was no defined time of how long the travel will be, but a clear goal that the journey should end with moving into the US.
During our journey (each of us only had a backpack full of clothes) we visited many countries and gained wonderful impressions. We could teach the kids a lot about different cultures, religions and also the beautiful wildlife & nature. We visited great parts of Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, the Middle East and also the US.
To get the legal ability to stay and work in the US as a foreigner there are only a few options to apply for a Visa. One of them is to make a substantial investment in the US which also creates jobs and has a significant influence on the US economy. This must be an investment on risk. This means that you need to invest the money before you could even apply for the Visa. At the beginning of June 2024 we arrived in Charlotte NC and started our road trip in the US. Travelling through North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia we have been always looking if we see a chance to invest in a business which fulfil the requirements and especially one in which we totally believe in.
Finally we found Deka Lash, the second biggest Franchise for lash extensions, lash lifts and brow services, in mid of June 2024. In the main the open concept (no separate rooms), the own R&D department and the quality (self developed products & own Lash Academy) convinced us over others. When we walked in the studios in Greenville & Anderson we directly got the feeling that hearts beat faster. Since I, Pia-Jasmin, am also a beauty fanatic and can identify myself with this sector and all of the above mentioned reasons we decided to buy the studios and already take them over in July 2024.
During the Visa approval process we needed to leave the country and lead our team remotely from abroad. Due to the time differences and also not being present it was not always easy, but we made it. End of September 2024 we finally got the approval of our Visa and we directly booked our flights to the US. Since this time we are living in the area and now can be present at our studios several days a week.
Now, after we set-up everything, I will take care of the studios on a daily basis and my husband starts over again to work at his former profession. I enjoy meeting my team, our new family, in person now and also develop a stronger relationship with them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Totally not. It was like a kind of rollercoaster ride of our nerves and feelings on a daily basis. We had lots of successes, but also “loses” even within a day. Since we needed to buy the business before we had the Visa it created a lot issues. Without the Visa you can’t get a SSN and without a SSN you can literally do nothing in the US. You can’t open a bank account, can’t make contracts with energy/gas/water providers and so on. So there had been a lot of obstacles, but we always focused on our big goal and overcame all of the obstacles. We have been always convinced and still are that our studios are great and will be successful. So we never stopped and made it.
We’ve been impressed with Crazy4USA LLC / Deka Lash, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our company name is Crazy4USA LLC and we are the owner of two Deka Lash Studios in Greenville and Anderson.
Deka Lash is a retail studio that provides high end, semi-permanent Eyelash Extension services at an affordable price in a high-end salon environment. Deka Lash combines this with our outstanding focus on technology and our own research & development.
We offer attractive introductory pricing to attract new customers to a trial and offer multiple options for monthly maintenance based on our client’s lifestyle.
We, as Deka Lash owners, offer a Classic Line of lashes that are the most popular and provide a nice full look that is very natural. We also offer a line of volume lashes that support customers who want to add that extra fullness and pop to their lashes. TrueXpress was meticulously developed as a way for us to give you the lashes you love while giving you more time for yourself. Our newest lash application method creates full lashes in half the time of traditional services, without sacrificing quality.
With its ability to provide a full set within an hour (and a refill in just 30 minutes!), TrueXpress is the only service of its kind – anywhere. Perfect for anyone looking for a naturally full look, and for anyone looking to save on time.
Pia-Jasmin Stehle has long-standing personal and business experience in the beauty sector. Her best friend has been running a successful lash studio for 10 years and she supported her continuously. She has also worked in B2C customer care and sales. Pia-Jasmin is the general manager and owner with full responsibility for the financials, marketing and calculations. Tobias Griebel as a co-owner with 14 years of business experience as a CEO, Business Development Manager and Key Account Manager will assist by defining the strategic direction. He finished his MBA at the University of Louisville in Kentucky in 2014. Combined, we are highly focused on the customers’ needs and know how to advertise the studios.
How do you define success?
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. (Albert Schweitzer)
We are sure we need to do the things with love, motivation and energy and then we will be successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dekalash.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dekalashanderson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdekalashgreenville%2F
