Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diane Held. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Diane, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think it takes resilience and the constant want to be better to be successful. Success is never a straight path, oftentimes it leads us to places or moments that test our will and our passion for our craft, and that’s where resilience comes in. Another thing I have learned is to be adaptable and to know what the market needs and wants, depending on where you are and who you serve.

Diane, 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?

My name is Diane Held and I am a makeup artist, and I also work for the travel industry.

Makeup was always my passion. I remember being in 6th grade, and our school required girls to wear a bit of makeup to look “presentable”, and my classmates would ask my help to do it. After college and finishing Communication Arts, I graduated from doing my classmates’ makeup to taking client outside of school. And this was in the Philippines in 2009, so things were different and social media was not that big, but somehow I was able to meet great connections that eventually lead me to do makeup for shows like Philippine Fashion Week or our local TV stations.

In 2014, I pursued higher education in the beauty and makeup industry by going to Los Angeles California and attending Cinema Makeup School. Being here propelled my interest with special effects makeup, and after this course, I honed my skills more by taking up Cosmetology at Los Angeles Trade Tech College. After finishing those, I met the owner of a production company based in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and thanks to her, I was able to stay in LA to do makeup in independent films and many more.

Eventually I met my husband in Los Angeles, and together we have pursued many adventures – such as moving to 5 different areas in 4 years – and we eventually landed in his home state of Minnesota. Currently, I am very fortunate to get to work with other artists and salons and I do work for them as a makeup artist, while at the same time, working for Travel Beyond – one of the best luxury agencies in the US and the top African Safari outfitter in the World for 2022 (according to Travel and Leisure magazine).

It truly has been an amazing adventure for my career and now that I have dipped my toes in a different industry than makeup, I am learning to not be afraid of change and to be more adaptable. Whether it be doing a bride’s makeup or helping someone with their dream vacation, I take pride in my work ethic and ensure that I give the best quality service to my clients. This is what helps me be successful – consistency, patience and adaptability.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For 12 years I have worked as a makeup artist, and I did not imagine myself doing anything else. For years prior to my trip to Los Angeles, I dreamt of becoming a Hollywood makeup artist, bumping elbows with celebrities and carrying my country’s flag (a bit too much, I know). When I finally did get the chance to work and live in Hollywood, I realized that not everything was as I imagined it to be. That, and the pandemic that changed the world, ultimately made me reevaluate what is important to me.

When I was younger, I thought fame was the most important thing. Being able to make my parents proud, my country proud – these are all the things I used to pressure myself to achieve my Hollywood dream. Now that I’m older, and hopefully wiser, I realize that life is more than just the likes on social media or the number of followers you have, it’s about the connections we make and the things that truly make us happy.

This realization lead me to look inward and find what I love and enjoy, aside from the career I’ve had all these years. Thankfully I found, and was welcomed, by an amazing Travel company that sees my potential and love for travel. At first, it was hard to accept that I was doing something else, especially since I was so comfortable in my industry. But now, I have found a way to mix both of them and enjoy them. Change may be scary, but like I said, adaptability is an amazing skill to have to be successful in any business you want to be part of.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe in quality service and in listening in what my clients want. Oftentimes, I would hear from other people that as “experts”, artist would almost be imposing to the clients instead of catering to what they really want. Don’t get me wrong, I love to educate my clients on what I think will work best, but if they are not comfortable with wearing eyeliner, I am not the kind to push that on them, especially on special events such as weddings and such.

Being open and transparent to my clients, and at the same time setting good boundaries, I think ultimately helped me build my network and meet the people that have given me opportunities. I also like to believe I am a woman of my word, and I keep my commitments to others. I treat every client regardless of who they are, almost like a friend and I believe that’s what makes my clients want to keep coming back.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dianeheldmakeup.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dianeheld.makeup

Image Credits
Glenn Peter Perez, Francis Gum, Marissa Murdy, Diane Held