We were lucky to catch up with CHRISTINA FLACH recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, CHRISTINA thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I always say that you should do what you love and then find a way to make money doing it. For me, I love meeting new people, traveling, thinking creatively, and making people feel and look like the best versions of themselves. Being a makeup artist allowed me to design my life around the things that I love and in turn, give me a life of bliss. For me, bliss is a feeling of inner peace and joy. Everyday and everything is not always perfect, but in these times I remind myself that I am surrounded by love and blessings. I am extremely grateful for everything I have, including a successful career.
While I love my life today, maintaining a state of bliss was not always easy. Life has thrown many curve balls right at me, from the unexpected loss of my son and my husband to a wrongful death lawsuit that spanned years. I was facing inexplicable sadness that I do not wish on anyone.
Although I have faced many tragedies in my life, I do not consider my life to be tragic. Time is not guaranteed, so you have to live everyday to the fullest and love big, which includes loving both yourself and the people around you. I feel my best when I make other people feel their best and while being a makeup artist naturally lends itself to creating outer beauty, I have integrated inner beauty into my career. I pride myself on being able to read my clients and know what they need to change their mood before they step in front of a camera. I try to exude energy that will positively impact my clients. I want every single person who leaves my chair to feel like the best version of themselves on the inside and the outside. We underemphasize inner beauty and underestimate the connection between how a person feels on the inside and what they show the world on the outside. In today’s world we often forget the importance of human connection yet it is so important to treat those around you-and yourself-with kindness and love.
Prioritizing wellness and nutrition has been instrumental in improving not only my physical, but my mental health as well. I have created a life filled with balance, where I laugh and have fun but also exercise, drink my green juice, and rest my body. Making the time to take care of ourselves can be difficult, but with discipline, consistency, and time management it will help you achieve seemingly impossible goals. Society often stigmatizes self care as selfish, when in reality it actually gives you the energy and clarity to take better care of the people around you. The kinder you are to yourself, the better you and the people in your life will feel, and the more likely you are to cultivate a state of bliss. It is imperative to me to set a positive self care example for my children because if I can not show them a life of fulfillment, love, and happiness, how can I expect them to achieve it themselves?
If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, I would tell her to be kinder to herself and not stress over uncontrollable or unrealistic outcomes. If you utilize a positive mindset and focus on the outcome that you want, it will happen. Not always the way or how you expect it to happen, but manifestation will enable you to design the life you want. Napoleon Hill once said, “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” You are the only one in charge of your life and if you are not doing what you love, you may end up looking back with regret. So many people are afraid to fail but I truly believe the only failure is when you do not try at all. Every failure is a lesson learned that leads us to where we belong. Things that may appear to be happening ‘to us’ are actually happening for us. If I had never taken a chance on my career as a makeup artist, who knows where I would be today. Building this career took a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice but I would not change a single thing. I have enjoyed every milestone and every misstep along the way because it has led me to who I am. If you cannot enjoy your journey and only focus on your destination you will end up burnt out and resentful. I truly love my life and every opportunity that comes my way. I am so excited for what the future holds and what I will achieve in a year, five years, and this lifetime. Finding your bliss can and will be a bumpy road, but you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable to make your dreams a reality. Dream bigger than you can possibly imagine and never stop reaching for new heights. You’d be surprised at how much you are capable of.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Christina Flach is a celebrity makeup artist, CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup and coming soon in 2023 her brand I’m Too Busy Skincare & Makeup, Mother of 5, philanthropist, on air Beauty Expert on California Live NBC, Sepsis Awareness Advocate. Her motto is Beauty from the inside out. “I will only hire people that I trust and believe in. I never micromanage or question people’s abilities because I think people deserve the space to flourish and succeed without having someone stepping on their toes. I also think it’s important to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth. I want my employees to give me their honest opinion and thoughts, and not say yes just because they think that’s what I want to hear. A company does best when there is open communication and everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas.”
As a celebrity makeup artist and devoted mother, I was constantly on the go. Between shuffling kids to school and meeting with clients, I found that there was never enough time during the day to touch up my makeup. Each lip gloss I owned wore off within a few short hours of application or a simple sip of water. For months I tested dozens of lip products, looking for a gloss that could withstand even my busiest days. When my search came up empty, I decided to take matters into my own hands and thus, Pretty Girl Makeup was born. My mission was to develop a formula that was not only long lasting, but also anti-aging, moisturizing, and hydrating. I launched my line with colors that looked good on many skin tones so that every girl could be a pretty girl. Being a makeup artist was the perfect way for her to work, but also to be able to help in her kids classrooms, drive on field trips and give her children that mean everything to her 100% while they grew up.
faced while starting your business, and how did you overcome them? I think that my success has stemmed from my resilience. I am an extremely motivated individual who learns and grows from their mistakes instead of letting them define or stunt me. I value honesty, hard work, loyalty, and a sense of humor. I hold myself to these qualities and I think they have helped me achieve the level of success that I have. Being self-funded from the beginning, the challenges have been competing with celebrities that have started makeup lines with an instant built in clientele. The constant change of social media,
influencers , and the deep pockets of other brands. I have learned to ride the waves of change, take what some would call “failures” as lessons, and being open to opportunities that often times turn out to be better than the plan she had first thought was the road to travel.Building a career is never easy. Within the beauty industry, things are constantly evolving and you have to learn to stay on top of them. A decade or so ago, beauty editors, publishers, and stylists held the majority of the power. Today, influencers run the industry. It is important to be willing to change your marketing to appeal to consumers while still staying true to your brand.
Prioritizing wellness and nutrition has been instrumental in improving not only my physical, but my mental health as well. I have created a life filled with balance, where I laugh and have fun but also exercise, drink my green juice, and rest my body. Making the time to take care of ourselves can be difficult, but with discipline, consistency, and time management it will help you achieve seemingly impossible goals. Society often stigmatizes self care as selfish, when in reality it actually gives you the energy and clarity to take better care of the people around you. The kinder you are to yourself, the better you and the people in your life will feel, and the more likely you are to cultivate a state of bliss. It is imperative to me to set a positive self care example for my children because if I can not show them a life of fulfillment, love, and happiness, how can I expect them to achieve it themselves?
My work has been featured in campaigns with nearly every major news outlet, department store, and designer, however, I still believe that every client I books is still exciting.I was very blessed to be the makeup artist for Rita Moreno for People Magazine as well as Condoleeza Rice and Time Magazine were two of the most amazing moments for me as a makeup artist. I have loved working with Tyler Florence as his makeup artist for the Great Food Truck Race on Food Network. In regards to Pretty Girl Makeup, my proudest moment was seeing my lip gloss line in INSTYLE Magazine, right next to a feature on Miley Cyrus. It was really amazing seeing my product in print next to a major celebrity. All of the time and effort that it took to create a product that I was genuinely proud of was worth it at that moment. While I have had many amazing accomplishments to date, my goals & work is nowhere near finished. I am currently working with NBC as an on air beauty expert for California Live, which is something that terrified me doing “live” TV spots is a lot of pressure!
Figure out what you love doing so much that you would do it for free, and then figure out how to get paid well! Never go into a business with a goal of making a billion dollars, because if you don’t love what you do and the process, you will fail, because it takes more money, more time, more effort than you can imagine. It’s key to wake up each day excited and motivated to give it your all. If you don’t truly love what you are doing, you will resent putting so much into something you hate and inevitably will fail.
If you utilize a positive mindset and focus on the outcome that you want, it will happen. Not always the way or how you expect it to happen, but manifestation will enable you to design the life you want. Napoleon Hill once said, “Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” You are the only one in charge of your life and if you are not doing what you love, you may end up looking back with regret. So many people are afraid to fail but I truly believe the only failure is when you do not try at all. Every failure is a lesson learned that leads us to where we belong. Things that may appear to be happening ‘to us’ are actually happening for us. If I had never taken a chance on my career as a makeup artist, who knows where I would be today. Building this career took a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice but I would not change a single thing. I have enjoyed every milestone and every misstep along the way because it has led me to who I am. If you cannot enjoy your journey and only focus on your destination you will end up burnt out and resentful. I truly love my life and every opportunity that comes my way. I am so excited for what the future holds and what I will achieve in a year, five years, and this lifetime. Finding your bliss can and will be a bumpy road, but you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable to make your dreams a reality. Dream bigger than you can possibly imagine and never stop reaching for new heights. You’d be surprised at how much you are capable of.
Prioritizing wellness and nutrition has been instrumental in improving not only my physical, but my mental health as well and is key in my setting goals that are realistic but dreaming BIG and manifesting the goals I have for myself and company. I have created a life filled with balance, where I laugh and have fun but also exercise, drink my green juice, and rest my body. Making the time to take care of ourselves can be difficult, but with discipline, consistency, and time management it will help you achieve seemingly impossible goals. Society often stigmatizes self care as selfish, when in reality it actually gives you the energy and clarity to take better care of the people around you. The kinder you are to yourself, the better you and the people in your life will feel, and the more likely you are to cultivate a state of bliss. It is imperative to me to set a positive self care example for my children because if I can not show them a life of fulfillment, love, and happiness, how can I expect them to achieve it themselves?
Networking and building relationships is incredibly important in my work life as a makeup artist and CEO. Both of my careers help the other and everyone I meet, teaches me something , connects me to a new idea or a new client.
Giving back to the world is incredibly important to me. I have been blessed with so much in my life and it is an honor to be able to give back to causes that I am passionate about. Education and nutrition are very important to me. My son Beau passed away on Christmas Day 16 years ago and my husband Ken Flach in 2018. The Northern Light School in Oakland California is a magical school that teaches it’s students, “That Nothing Is Impossible!” I started the Baby Beau and Ken Flach educational funds to keep their memories alive through the students. My son Ben, Beau’s twin, for the past 7 years has participated in The Vida Blue Celebrity Golf tournament to raise money for these funds. He has raised of $150k playing in the tournament in honor of his daddy and twin. I also started the Beau Friedman Outdoor Classroom with my friend Lisa Zimmer at the Edna Maguire School in Mill Valley California. I believe that if children are exposed to gardening, cooking, harvesting fruits and vegetables from a young age, they will make healthier food choices the rest of their life. My husband who was a former professional tennis champion and Olympic Gold medalist died of Sepsis in 2018, since then I have been a Sepsis awareness advocate, speaking on TV, Radio and podcasts on the signs and dangers of Sepsis.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My son Beau passed away 16 years ago and my husband Ken Flach, a former world #1 Tennis Doubles Player passed away 5 years ago. After both of their passings, I had to get myself out of bed, even when it felt like I couldn’t even lift my head. I had to keep it together for the sake of my kids, because they had been through so much and if I was a mess and of of control it was going to affect my children and I couldn’t be that selfish and subject them to more turmoil. I was blessed that my job brought me so much pleasure and joy, so that did help make even the hardest days easier. Having a job or business that you are excited and inspired to wake up to defiantly helped get through the difficult dark days that didn’t seem to end. Happiness is a choice and I choose to be happy and positive. Trust me, I have hard days, but I have learned that those challenging times are moments. I try to not beat myself up and treat myself as kindly as I treat others. I check in with myself, have I eaten, am I tired, thirsty, have I worked out and what am I grateful for. There are days, that I just need to walk out of my office, and go get some fresh air, take a walk, get my nails done.
Giving back and helping others brought me joy and also took the focus off of me. There is always someone with a much worse situation than your own. Not putting huge pressure on myself at such a huge level and just taking one step at a time. Each day, the pain will soften and your new normal will appear. Your old normal no longer exists, but that doesn’t mean your new normal can’t be wonderful, yes, it will be different then your old normal, and thats when being grateful for what you had not what you don’t have comes into play.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think non-creatives would defiantly struggle with how I have zero idea when, where or if I am going to work as a makeup artist.I could work daily, twice a week, or not work for a few weeks.. That doesn’t happen too often but let me tell you, it has happened. But that’s why I have plan B in place. On days I am not being a makeup artist, I am being a CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup. So my plan B turns into plan A. What do I love about having 2 full time jobs? My life doesn’t get boring and I can have flexibility to do both jobs that I am equally passionate about. My beautiful sister Stephanie has a very successful corporate career, she knows when her days off are and can plan vacations with out the chance of having to cancel like I often times would have to or actually want to cancel . I am never going to turn down working with a celebrity to go on a trip. I work many many hours a day, but if I am not on a set, I can sometimes take a break during the day to go on a hike or meet a friend for lunch. There is no right or wrong, or one career is better than the other. Everyone has to figure out what brings them happiness and success. I would feel like I am going to jail, if I had to go to an office job that I couldn’t leave until 5;00 pm. Not that I take off that much time, but I like the feeling I can if I want to. I have found my sweet spot with both my full time jobs. That is my wish for everyone. Figure out what you love doing for free and then figure out how to get paid well!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.christinaflach.com www.prettygirlmakeup.com
- Instagram: @christinaflachmakeup @prettygirlmkup
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christinaflachmakeup?mibextid=LQQJ4d https://www.facebook.com/Prettygirlmakup?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-flach-1185825
- Twitter: @Prettygirlmkup
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCcVtNZKNiXCtQwqp8kz7fPg
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/christina-flach-makeup-artist-corte-madera
Image Credits
Richard Shiu Photography Amanda Graham Makeup Artist for Christina Flach