Bowling Green is no stranger to sprawling businesses and entrepreneurs looking to make their presence known.

Owensboro native Demetria Crowe and her business, Beauty Boss, a salon specializing in mink eyelash extensions, are no exception. As a 27-year-old black woman, Crowe said she hopes her role as a business owner serves as an example.

“I wanted to bring inspiration to our young black generation,” Crowe said. “When you get closer to this side of Kentucky, you don’t see too many people being examples of a young, black entrepreneur. I wanted to become an inspiration.”

Crowe moved to Bowling Green a year ago to be near family and continue building her brand, which she established in Owensboro and Lexington since starting in eyelash work over two years ago. She first realized she wanted to inspire young women like herself after catching inspiration from fellow students at the University of Kentucky.

While heading to a homecoming event with a group of women, Crowe noticed they dressed in jackets to brace the fall weather. She hadn’t considered the option.

“When it was time to go out the door, all the other girls had on leather jackets, and here I am — one of the only few shivering,” Crowe said. “Where I’m from, we just go out the door cold. It was a moment like that that inspired me and let me know that I’m around young women who I could be inspired by.”

Since then, Crowe has committed herself to providing eyelash extensions the “boss” way. However, this is not without its challenges.

“It’s hard being an entrepreneur,” Crowe said. “It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding. Anything rewarding and worth having — you’re going to have to fight for it. If it was easy, everybody would be an entrepreneur.”

She added that people often “pick popularity over quality,” which makes social media branding for Beauty Boss particularly frustrating.

“I might post something, and it only gets three likes and one share, and one share would be me,” Crowe said. “But somebody who may be starting out and doesn’t have the amount of training I do would post something that they are doing, and the post just blows up.”

Bowling Green resident Madison George said Crowe’s status as both a great eyelash technician and person keeps her coming back. The 19-year-old was one of Crowe’s first customers when she moved to town.

“She really lives up to her name — she’s a true boss with everything she does,” George said. “She’s become a sister to me.”

Fellow client Emma Brogli, 19, has worked with Crowe since before she operated out of a storefront location. She said her work is always top notch.

“I’ve been with her forever,” Brogli said. “Being with her through her journey, I’m just very proud to see where she is now. I think her work is well worth it.”

Darlene Collins of Bowling Green first received eyelash work at Beauty Boss. She said Crowe made the experience easy.

“I have always wanted to get my lashes done … I was scared of being an older lady, but she made me feel comfortable,” Collins, 60, said of Crowe. “She went into details with what she was doing and even told me the quality of the lashes. I felt extremely relaxed and confident.”