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

Betsabe, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I was a professor for 10+ years. I went and did my phD and a postdoc. But the biggest risk I took was to leave my lifelong profession and go back to school to start a new career and my now bridal business. Sitting in a chair listening to someone else teach a class was hard, I hadn’t been in that chair for so long! I remember the fear and the anxiety I had. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was doing this, I kept thinking that people would judge me for leaving a very promising career for a “hobbie”. However, for the first time in my life I also felt fulfilled! I had always loved art, ever since I can remember, it was always my first love. I had chosen education because that’s what I was taught I had to do in order to succeed. This “risk” gave me freedom, gave me the ability to express myself in new ways, and not only that, but to dream bolder and bigger. It gave me freedom to take days off when I want to, to spend time with my loved ones and to live my childhood dreams of creating beautiful masterpieces! My bridal business has given me all of that and has also allowed me to combine my love for teaching. I still giggle inside when my clients tell me “you explain it so well, just like a teacher!”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started B.A.R. Beauty right at the end of the pandemic because I wanted to explore my creativity more. I had been teaching for quite a few years, and even though I loved it, I was not happy anymore. Therefore, B.A.R. stands for my name, but also for Bodacious, Authentic and Radiant; this is how I want my clients to feel when they leave my chair! This year I have mastered my signature look, which is a combination of the SoCal glow and South Asian glam. I specialize in Natural Bridal and Modern Indian Bridal. The difference with traditional Indian bridal is that I keep my brides’ natural beauty at the center of the makeup, and I only highlight eyes or lips to go with their bridal outfits. I am a teacher at heart, and I love taking my clients on a journey from the moment we meet, until their wedding day. I don’t expect my brides to know about makeup and hair; I provide for them guidelines or checklists to get their skin and hair ready from the inside out. Most of my clients, if not all, do not wear makeup on a daily basis, and that’s why I’m here for them, to help them achieve their dream look in the best way possible.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

First of all, I think my personality has helped a lot in building my reputation. I am a very friendly person and I am not afraid to meet new people. When you’re starting your business you need to be able to put yourself out there and find people with similar mindsets to be able to succeed! Second, practice makes better. I spent most of my first year practicing my craft and creating my signature look. I want people to notice my work because it is good! I want people to look at a picture and say “this must be Betsabé’s work”, but that takes a lot of time, patience and practice. I still feel like I’m learning and becoming better with each day; however, it is so rewarding to go into my Facebook or Instagram account and find messages from clients or non-clients saying things like “Betsabé is the queen of natural makeup” or “Betsabé is the best at Indian bridal”.
Third, professionalism is at the core of my business. I don’t see my business as a hobby. I do my best to learn about social media, marketing, website building, etc. There is so much going on behind a reel, a post or an email. I have invested not only in materials and tools, but also in training. For me, education is the basis of my business. I wouldn’t be here and know what I know without investing time and money in learning more about bridal business strategies.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Because I am a fairly new artist, my goal last year was to show my work on social media. I posted as much as I could to draw people in. This year, I’ve been focusing more on bringing in my ideal clients, so I have been posting only the makeup and hair looks that I love and that I want to do. This strategy has been very effective in bringing the type of clients that I want and that will invest in my services.
I have also started getting referrals from my past clients, which is amazing!
In general, I think what has grown my clientele though, is the quality of my work and the relationships I build with each of my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: Betsabeapteroman.com
• Instagram: @b.a.r._beauty
• Facebook: Betsabe Apte Roman Beauty
• Tiktok: @b.a.r.makeupartist
• Others: Contact Info: info@betsabeapteroman.com

Image Credits
Rene Salvador Annalisa J La Loba Photography Indigo West Xi Zeng Victoria Perez Carrie Anne Kelly