We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Monica Halligan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Monica below.
Monica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My mother truly is my idol! She is the hardest working human I know. To this day she is hustling, climbing ladders, evolving, it is pretty cool. I got to grow up watching my mom go from working 4 am at the post office to becoming a CEO. That naturally instilled good work ethic in me. My mom was also a hairdresser at one point. So I was brought up with heavy influence in the beauty industry. My mom always embraced my beauty stages. From too much makeup to green hair, she was and still is always going to support it. I am very lucky to have a parent that has embraced my artist lifestyle, I know that is not always the case.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into the industry honestly since I was a child. My mom has a home video of my birthday and I got a makeup palatte as a gift. Screaming with excitement at the top of my lungs and jumping up-and-down. I would put makeup on people and play with anyone’s hair or eyebrows, any chance I got. My older sister. And her friends were attending prom and formals. So I would do their hair and make up when I was in junior high. I continued in high school doing my friend’s hair and make up for prom and formal. Eventually working my way up, and was working weddings by the time I was in college. I grew up an athlete and played collegiate sports for 4 years. Having roommates/teammates gave me so much access to people to practice on. I have always tried to put makeup on anyone who would lend me their face. After college I began my professional career and became a licensed cosmetologist in 2009. I was living in Washington DC at the time and started taking private makeup lessons from a wonderful couple called the Jokester’s. They were my very first mentors and are still incredibly supportive to this day. This helped me land an apprenticeship with an incredible SPFX Artist named Gregory Hewitt in North Carolina. Gregory immediately took me under his wing and got me on film sets. I still call him for advice today. This helped lead me to Los Angeles and a wonderful company called Senna. The owner Eugenia Weston really helped me hone in my skills and taught me everything there is to know about eyebrows. Leading me to where I am today as a makeup artist and eyebrow specialist. I have been lucky in my makeup journey to have lived and worked in so many different states and in so many different areas of the beauty industry. Working and getting to experience so many different cultures and styles, I feel like I can handle anything. If the job takes me to a wedding, onset, or even just an eyebrow clean up, I am ready to rock and roll. Growing up an athlete made me tough. So no matter the situation we are going to get through it. I believe teamwork makes the dream work. And I love working as a team with my clients. They’re input matters to me. And I like to make sure we are on the same page. Especially For huge events like weddings. I am truly proud of how hard I work. And at the end of every day I get to make people beautiful for a living. To me I could not imagine it any other way.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I have lived and worked all over the United States. I started with proms in Arizona, to weddings in North Carolina, to becoming a hairstylist in Washington D.C. to where I am now, a makeup artist and eyebrow specialist in Los Angeles. Having worked in the beauty industry for decades. Each city has brought me different opportunities. Having these life experiences and always having to adapt to new surroundings has made me very resilient. I know no matter where I am living or what area of the beauty industry I am working in. I am going to always have resilience.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I am good at what I do and work time efficiently. I pride myself on always being on time. Time is the one thing you can never get back. So I do not only want to make you look good, I also do not want to waste your time. My first makeup instructors the Jokesters taught me that, “you can be good, but if you are good and quick… you will get rehired everytime.” I have never forgotten those words and have found them to be true in helping me build my clientele throughout my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monicahalligan.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/monica.halligan?igshid=M2RkZGJiMzhjOQ==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-halligan-bb972b5a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
- Other: Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@monica.halligan?_t=8hkCwEqsHRG&_r=1