We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ferggie Coll a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ferggie, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’m so excited to be here, thanks for organizing this! I have been living out  my passion for about 4 years now, which has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, but it was an extremely challenging journey to get here! I’m not the same person I was when I started this journey. You have to be open minded, willing to learn and adapt, and learn quickly from your mistakes. When you’re driven and working on your passion it’s an exhilarating ride.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I lived in Venezuela until my early 20’s. I was in law school at the time to become a lawyer, while working in a court as an assistant to a judge to earn money. Unfortunately Venezuela is not a safe country, and definitely not a country of opportunity, so I immigrated to the US in late 2015. I came with no money, little English, and no prospects. It was very hard for me.  I got a job as an assistant in an office, but I was unhappy, and knew it wasn’t the right fit for me.

I always felt that beauty and makeup were my brand. Growing up in Venezuela, I would always get compliments on my makeup and style, and I did so without the choices of makeup brands we have here in the US. I remember at one point I spent all of my money on a vanity, one of the ones with the hollywood lights. At that point in my life doing my makeup was an escape from reality.

At one point a coworker saw some of my makeup posts on social media, and asked me to do her makeup for an event. I didn’t charge her, but asked her to send me some of her friends. I did makeup for 3 women, and I made $150. I was so proud! People saw those posts, and messaged me on social media to do theirs. Soon, I was earning more in a few hours than I was in a whole day in my office job, and my side hustle became my main focus.

But I still had to hustle! Practicing makeup on myself, learning how to create and manage content on social media. I had no experience, but I had a drive. I would watch youtube videos to learn new styles and techniques, and keep up with new trends. I loved every second of it.

Eventually I grew a team, and my brand became a business. I’ve gotten the chance to work with many celebrities, which has been a great opportunity to showcase my work. Thankfully I have an amazing team which has helped me to scale and manage all of this new business, so that I can provide the best glam experience for anything from music videos to bridal parties and so much more. Being around other creatives inspires me, and I continue to strive to be the best I can be.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is tough. There’s a lot that goes not just into what people see on the outside, but engaging behind the scenes so that Instagram or TikTok algorithms keep me at the top. It’s almost a full time job in itself, and I don’t feel comfortable hiring a manager – I still want my fans to engage with me, not somebody pretending to be me.

I’ve worked for free, collaborated with other influencers in photography and modeling – not just to drive content but to connect with people in the industry. If your art is good and you can get well connected then you’re in a good spot.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think it’s that I never get bored! There is always a new client, a new look, product, or trend. As an artist I get to help bring a vision to life. There is always something unique you can create that nobody else can. I also love the feeling of giving a client a new look, and watching them transform into the most confident person in the room.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @byferggie