We were lucky to catch up with Mayra Zepeda-castillo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mayra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I love working at Sephora located in the Oak Park Mall. My creative side loves how we can use makeup to express ourselves freely & use new/different techniques. In the last year, I have had to (unfortunately) cut my hours back at Sephora as I have two daughters to support & need childcare for. Due to that, I have been working with Open Minds Child Development Center since April of 2023. I am now currently one of three Training Managers. I have always had a passion to help kiddos grow & to support them in any way I can. My mission has always been to help the kiddos in my care know that they are loved, heard & cared for by me. While I love working with children, I am still true to myself by working on my passion in makeup at Sephora.

Mayra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was going to ESU in 2017 to become an Elementary Education teacher. Due to many things, I had become a single mom & had to put my education at a halt to work full-time. In 2018 I had the opportunity to work at a childcare center & have been loving this field ever since. I do have two daughters which is also how my passion for working with children started. I currently work at Sephora on the weekends while I work at Open Minds during the week. It was a tough transition but I wouldn’t dream of leaving Sephora as that is where I can truly express my creativity with makeup. Most of my coworkers for both sides will probably tell you that I am a hard worker & they can tell that I love what I do – which is very true!

How did you build your audience on social media?

My TikTok is slowly growing, but it does take time to build your platform. My best advice would be to post as much as you’d like with content that YOU want to do. After all, it’s YOUR page!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I love helping others. It may sound cheesy, but it’s true. When I first started on my makeup journey, I had no idea what a primer does or how it helps your makeup. I just wanted to be the person that anybody & everybody can come to for advice so I can help them achieve their goal. It’s certainly not hard to be kind to one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@mayra.izc?_t=8qDNjaxo9Zi&_r=1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mizc.makeup?igsh=MXc3NHMwMWYwNnNncg==