Well guys, the first week of 2019 is coming to a close! I don’t know about you but the New Year motivation has me feeling some type of way and I feel like I am starting off this year with a serious fire from within!! Anyone else?
In the spirit of starting the year on a productive note, today’s blog is a request from Instagram that I felt would be the perfect way to kick things off. If you’ve followed me for awhile on social media, then you know I have an extensive 13 year background working as a makeup artist & hair stylist in the world of beauty, fashion, and production.
I’ve been blessed with a pretty amazing career that has allowed me to work with the BEST agency I could have asked for, and opened the door to collaborating with several celebrities like this one time I got to work with Mariah freaking Carey, as well as LeAnn Rimes, and Dallas Cowboy Ezekiel Elliot for an ESPN Magazine cover.
Sometimes it blows my mind I can even say those things… and let me tell you, I have learned a LOT in my tenure as a professional artist.
I’ve been able to share my journey and speak at over 100 cosmetology schools to inspire the next generation of beauty bosses and have hosted a number of workshops teaching the way to making your beauty boss dreams a reality, which is something I LOVE to do. Nothing makes me feel better than being able to pay it forward.
TODAY’S blog is for all of my aspiring artists who want to chase this dream and make it happen this year. Honestly, there is SOOOO much more to getting going in the industry (from how to network and land your dream client, to testing and photoshoots, getting signed, when to work for free, and the list goes on) that this could really become it’s own series but for now these 3 tips are what I believe are the foundation of having a career as a makeup artist.
Don’t treat it as a side hustle, don’t let clients know this is a part time thing for you. Make the small investment to at least register a DBA, open a business account so checks can be written TO YOUR BUSINESS, have a website, a QuickBooks self-employed account, etc. The sooner you really own and treat your business as such, the sooner it will become a profitable one.
Professional artist out of New York, Caitlyn Michelle worded this beautifully that, “you can’t just be a good makeup artist, you also have to be a good business person.” It can seem overwhelming to learn all the different areas of running a business but it is a requirement to your success.
One tip to making it easier (and less overwhelming) to do it all came from my friend and fellow artist, Patricia Wisdom out of Vegas, and that is to “surround yourself with fellow artists who are moving in the same direction and who inspire you. You’re influenced by those closest to you so choose wisely & if you ever have business questions or need motivation, these people are in the same or similar industry and can give you a view from their perspective.”
Be about what you want to bring about and sell the image you want to embody one day. Don’t dress like you’re the assistant, dress like you’re the principal. Your energy will command respect from your colleagues and create comfort for your clients. You’ll be seen as a professional and cultivate more clients more quickly that way.
Speaking of being professional, my friend (and fellow artist) Jo Franco said it best, “being on time, having a good attitude, and behaving professionally are things that don’t require talent… in a nutshell, develop yourself as a professional and showing consistency in all the things above are keys to your success.”
Too many aspiring MUA’s hardly charge enough to cover their costs. We are not in business to break even. We are in business to profit. We deserve to make a profit. I see far too many talented artists who don’t charge even half of what they should.
When I was first looking into going freelance and wanted to figure out pricing, I literally called other artists and pretended to be a possible client looking to hire and asked! It is so important to do the research. Get an idea of the industry standard for your area, and then factor in everything from your travel expenses, product expenses, time, experience, etc, to decide where in that price range you fall. Don’t undermine yourself by charging less than everyone else because you don’t think you’re worth it. If that’s what you really think, then you aren’t ready to be servicing clients at all. It’s important to respect the industry standard because charging below that hurts the industry as a whole.
We all need to value the amazing service we provide and the gift that we offer. If you’re still developing, that’s fine, just assist others until you’re ready to take the leap and swim on the deep end of the pool with the big kids!
Have any questions about starting out in the industry that I didn’t answer? Have a major breakthrough or take-away from this post? Drop them in the comments below and I promise I will reply. Can’t wait to see what amazing talent emerges this year!! Go get ’em, tiger!