We were lucky to catch up with Dominique Walton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Dominique thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I am a makeup artist so my goal for every client that sits in my chair is to help boost their confidence. I strongly believe in if you look your best then you feel your best and if you feel your best then you will definitely do your best. When I look good I feel invincible. I feel like the spotlight is on me and I am not afraid of it. I feel like I can conquer anything! When I was younger I always felt like the ugly duckling. I never felt I was pretty enough. When I started wearing make up I realized my beauty with and without the makeup. I realized how beautiful I looked when I put it on then I started to realize my beauty even when I took it off. So my mission with my business is to help build or rebuild confidence in women. Women go through so much and often times they forget about themselves and the beauty they posses.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Dominique. and I am a makeup artist and a owner of a wedding team servicing Georgia, mainly middle Georgia area but we do travel. My journey into makeup began by me just wanting to cover up my blemishes on my face. Then it went into me wanting to add a little more oomph to my looks for when I dressed up at work. I use to work in a corporate office and at the time I was fairly young and I was just so inspired and mesmerized by the other women there that would come in with their heels and suits and face done. So of course I wanted to look the part so I started doing my makeup. and by the end of my work day my makeup would look terrible!!! It would be runny, creasing etc. so I started watching YouTube videos to research how I could help my makeup look better and last longer throughout the day. Once I watched one YouTube video it was over after that! I never set out to be a makeup artist. It just happened. I learned each step in makeup one at a time. I started off just doing my foundation then I got into doing my eyebrows, then highlighting and contouring and the last thing I learned was eyeshadow.
I truly believed that this is the path I was meant to be on. I always wanted to be in the beauty industry. My first love was doing hair. I had been doing hair since I was 9 years old on myself and my sisters. I had just got accepting into Paul Mitchell cosmetology school but then I got fired from my job so I couldn’t go to the school. So while I was unemployed my makeup journey just grew more and more. By the time I had found a new job I was knee deep into doing my own makeup. I had gained an audience and so many people request me to do their makeup but I didn’t believe I had what it took to do others until I started practicing on my sisters and seen my potential. and it just went from there. I appreciate the clients that trusted me to make them beautiful for their important day.
I am now walking into my 7th year of doing makeup. I have accomplished so much! Met some amazing people. I think what sets me apart from others is my gentleness, my kind heart, I am relaxing and I create an experience for my clients. And as I am walking into this year I definitely want to create a different and much more experience for my clients. I love seeing how their attitude and posture changes as I am doing their makeup. their mannerisms change. they hold their head up higher, chest out, some women even cry when they leave. to see their original beauty enhanced gives them the boost they need to do.
Last year I created a wedding team. My wedding team has 5 makeup artist , 2 assistants, a hairstylist and a barber. I love LOVE. and weddings are just so beautiful yet stressful at the same time. My goal with team is to help cut back on the stress and time. Women are always at the venue early mornings. ALL day. I wanted to cut back on that so that they can have a relaxing time before the party starts! we offer male grooming as well. I have a barber on the team because wedding days aren’t only for the women. men deserve to be catered to and feel special on this day as well.
I look forward to seeing what all God has planned for me on this journey.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
My business started out as a side hustle. I was working as a medical dispatcher overnight. I was still living at home with my mother so I barely had any bills to take care of. Most of the money I made I saved up and would use to funding my business like buying products, equipment and finding different ways to bring in different streams of income. I started selling lashes and that as another way for me to make more money.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to realize is that everybody is on a different journey. Everyones path isn’t the same. What may work for one may not work for the next. I had to stop comparing myself and my journey with others. Comparison is the thief of joy. You have to realize that you are your own unique individual and that what God has planned for you is for you. Live in your life and focus on yourself and the path that you are on. I think it’s important to know who you are as an artist and what you bring to the industry. Also being confident in knowing that your work is good and it’s okay for you to not to be for everybody.
Contact Info:
- Website: StrokeOfTheBrush.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/strokeofthebrush_
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/muahnique