It all began with an idea.......
Several years ago a young artist called me frustraited. She recently moved to Los Angeles and quickly realized she had no idea how to promote herself. She felt that her school taught her the art of makeup well, but she still had no clue on how to start her career. Unfortunately, it was something I could relate to myself.
I started my career in the mid-ninites on the east coast, and in 2000 I decided I to pack up my apartment and headed west. I left a studio job and decided to take a gamble with Hollywood. It was then I quickly realized I was going to have to start my career all over again and boy was it ever maddening! I went from being the department head for three shows on Discovery to working at a makeup counter in a department store. I didn't have any connections, the portfolio I had was not up to speed with this competitive market, and no one wanted to help me. I just kept thinking, "There has to be an easier way to do this." Every bit of head way I made on my career had come out of pure trial and error. The road was long and it wasn't until I took a sales job where I learned the art of self-promotion. At the time I hated the day job, but it taught me some valuble skills on business and marketing. One day the light bulb went off and I realized I could apply the same skills I learned working in outside sales to getting myself work as a Makeup Artist. You see, in the marketing world, it doesn't matter what the product because the process will remain the same. You will always be making cold calls, sending out promotional materials, trying to get a meeting, and following up with people after you do. So I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and started promoting myself full time. It was then that I started to get work practicing the art I love.
Because of everything I went through to jump start my career and because of young artists asking for help, I began to piece together a vision I had for self-employed hair and makeup professionals. That vision became The Hair & Makeup Artist Network, "One Resource for All Your Freelance Business Needs." So now, no one will be left to just figure out the business side of their craft. Everything you need is right here at your finger tips.
I started my career in the mid-ninites on the east coast, and in 2000 I decided I to pack up my apartment and headed west. I left a studio job and decided to take a gamble with Hollywood. It was then I quickly realized I was going to have to start my career all over again and boy was it ever maddening! I went from being the department head for three shows on Discovery to working at a makeup counter in a department store. I didn't have any connections, the portfolio I had was not up to speed with this competitive market, and no one wanted to help me. I just kept thinking, "There has to be an easier way to do this." Every bit of head way I made on my career had come out of pure trial and error. The road was long and it wasn't until I took a sales job where I learned the art of self-promotion. At the time I hated the day job, but it taught me some valuble skills on business and marketing. One day the light bulb went off and I realized I could apply the same skills I learned working in outside sales to getting myself work as a Makeup Artist. You see, in the marketing world, it doesn't matter what the product because the process will remain the same. You will always be making cold calls, sending out promotional materials, trying to get a meeting, and following up with people after you do. So I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and started promoting myself full time. It was then that I started to get work practicing the art I love.
Because of everything I went through to jump start my career and because of young artists asking for help, I began to piece together a vision I had for self-employed hair and makeup professionals. That vision became The Hair & Makeup Artist Network, "One Resource for All Your Freelance Business Needs." So now, no one will be left to just figure out the business side of their craft. Everything you need is right here at your finger tips.
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