Immigrant Entrepreneur Builds $1 Billion Beauty Empire Against All Odds

Anastasia Soare, a 67-year-old immigrant from Romania, has built a billion-dollar beauty empire, Anastasia Beverly Hills, through sheer hard work and determination. In her new memoir "Raising Brows," Soare recounts her harrowing journey to the United States and the challenges she overcame to achieve the American dream.

Soare arrived in the US with her one-year-old daughter Claudia, with not even a single cent in her pocket. She was terrified of being sent back to Romania, but she was determined to build a better life. Soare began working in salons and eventually decided to open her own business, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Salon, in 1997.

Building up her client list was a monumental effort, but Soare never paused to take stock of her achievements. "Since I came here, I worked so hard," she tells PEOPLE. "I never sit down to think about it, to go back and look at my life... it was like running a marathon, and I couldn't stop, because that was the game."

Soare's compassionate nature and extensive beauty knowledge eventually drew a roster of A-list clients, including Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Naomi Campbell. Their support and belief in her work gave Soare the confidence to never give up.

Soare hopes that her memoir will inspire other immigrants and reassure them that "the American dream is still alive." She believes that with hard work, determination, and resilience, anyone can achieve their dreams, just as she did.