As part of The Post’s initiative, the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream is showcasing various Americans sharing their interpretations of the American Dream in 2026. One of the contributors is Anastasia Soare, the founder and CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
In the U.S., the American Dream is something you can truly attain…
I’ve spent half my life in Romania and the other half in America.
Honestly, the first six months here had me in tears daily. I missed my family, and it was tough. The language barrier was significant. I still remember my first trip to the supermarket. And there was this moment, I wanted to pick grapes, thinking it’d be easy. My husband looked at the price and said, “Oh no, that’s too expensive.” And I realized, I had grapes in my backyard back home. We were in a compact apartment in Sherman Oaks, just starting out, and I barely spoke any English.
One day, I approached the owner of the salon I worked at and mentioned that there was a gap in the beauty market. Nobody seemed to care about eyebrows…
I knew then that I had to start my own business…
By 1994, things took off. Since I was the only one focusing on eyebrows, my client list grew rapidly, including many celebrities…
My appearance on “Oprah” triggered a flood of calls for six months. It became a huge success.
In 2007, my products reached Sephora and Ulta and expanded into 2,500 stores across the nation, including Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, eventually going international.
By 2018, the company was valued at $3 billion…
No other nation provides this level of opportunity… It’s not an easy path; it requires hard work and determination. But here, you can indeed reach the American Dream. I head to work each day, loving what I do.
The American Dream Video Project shares genuine stories that highlight the route to opportunity. This series, established by the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), contributes to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is a fresh cultural institution in Washington, DC, featuring interactive exhibits and narratives about realizing the American dream. For further details, visit: mcaad.org.
