Courtesy of Lauren Bernstein

Spanish teacher Lauren Bernstein promotes SeneGence tinted lotion to potential customers. After this year, Bernstein will be leaving the education field to pursue sales for these cosmetics. “This really provided an opportunity for me,” Bernstein said. “I do [feel empowered], both on the business sense of things and [the personal].”

After 14 years of educating, Spanish teacher Lauren Bernstein is leaving the field to pursue her new-found passion in SeneGence makeup and skincare sales. She started selling products for the company in April 2017 to fund her own cosmetics buying habit.

“I had absolutely no idea I would even be able to do anything within sales, it just happened,” Bernstein said. “I needed to support my own habit, so [I figured] if I can sell a couple and break even, great. And then, I was making a profit. So now I have the itch, which is why I decided to leave teaching after this year.”

The company has been around since 1999 when they released their premier product, LipSense. SeneGence focuses on long-wear waterproof makeup. The price range of their products is $20 to $80, which is more accessible than some more popular brands.

“I wanted [to promote] something that I could talk to everyone about,” Bernstein said. “You have to be willing to pay that, but you are also paying for the anti-aging that is in the makeup, anti-aging that is in the skincare, stuff like that. So all of that together makes it a really easy thing to talk about. I also just love the stuff.”

Bernstein has had a passion for makeup since childhood and loves the ability to express herself through cosmetics.

“I just think it’s fun,” Bernstein said. “It is such a touchy subject because people think you have to wear makeup to look your best, but I didn’t wear a stitch of makeup yesterday. I was in sweatpants, outside, playing with my kids. It’s not something I feel like I need, I just think it is really fun.”

The whole experience has empowered Bernstein: she is thriving in the new concept of working for and only answering to herself while she explores this new passion. She wants to spread this empowerment to other women.

“I just love the idea of helping other women have that flexibility and freedom. Working for yourself, being your own boss, feeling accomplished and empowering them to take their life into their own hands,” Bernstein said.

She is hoping to help all of her customers feel better about themselves as well.

“It has been really neat to talk to other women about it and help them feel like they know what they’re doing and have fun with it. And remind[ing] them that it is just makeup,” Bernstein said. “[Makeup] is not what gives you confidence. [I want women to have confidence] intrinsically.”

However, even with all the positive influence SeneGence has had in her life, Bernstein is struggling with the thought of a life without West.

“The decision to actually leave was not easy…it’s going to be hard to leave [my students]. This is such a great place to work and I love Spanish,” Bernstein said. “Spanish was my first love, absolutely.”

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She hopes she will be able to fill her need to educate people by training her sales team and teaching women how to take care of their skin. SeneGence will also soon be opening shop in Mexico, and Bernstein is looking forward to the possibility of having Spanish-speaking team members.

“I don’t think anyone is surprised that I’m not really leaving teaching. I’m just doing it in a different way,” Bernstein said. “I’m not leaving because I [dislike teaching], I enjoy teaching. I’m leaving because I really want to explore this other opportunity.”

This decision was not a risk-free one and, beyond Bernstein’s goals to help others, she also wants to decrease any financial burdens for her family.

“I have pretty specific goals. To start out, I would like to make what I made as a teacher. [My husband and I] could be taking a pay-cut, so my first goal is to match my teacher salary,” Bernstein said.

SeneGence has several products, some of which Bernstein is not a huge fan. And she is not afraid to say so. The company offers a satisfaction guarantee and she does not ever want to sell people a product they will not like. She believes in building a loyal customer-base from honest sharing, which is something she has always done.

“I guess I’m good at sales, but I think that is just because I like to talk about things I love,” Bernstein said. “[On social media] I talk about products that I enjoy that have nothing to do with makeup. I figure if I like it, then someone else probably will, too.”

Overall, Bernstein is hoping to inspire other women to pursue their passions and do what is the correct thing for them at any given time. Empowering women, including herself, is her greatest new job perk.

“Over time, when you’re feeling successful, you are developing a team, you start to have a better sense of self and a higher self-confidence that extends to other aspects of your life that you didn’t expect it to. Feeling like you can accomplish something and help others accomplish something really can boost self-confidence no matter what you’re doing,” Bernstein said. “Seeing other people being successful because you have helped them, is empowering. And it was not expected. There is a huge difference between [me] five years ago and now.”