We recently connected with Hailee Clark and have shared our conversation below.

Hailee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have always been very supportive of me and never told me to settle. They had a huge impact on my journey because they always believed in me and never held me back from anything. When I told them I wanted to drop out of college and move to Nashville to become a Celebrity MUA, even though they were hesitant at first, they still supported me, and I think in the back of their mind, they knew I would accomplish my goals. I’m so happy they have always stuck by my side and now I’m able to repay them back.

Hailee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am originally from a super small town, graduating with only 23 people in my class. I have always been an artist, learning from my grandpa very young. He’s a professional painter and retired art teacher. I was an Art Major in college and took a theatrical makeup class and realized that class was the only one I cared about. My teacher took me to the side and said I had a gift and to get out of there. So I did. I dropped out and moved to Nashville by myself at 19. I attended a makeup school and then got a job at MAC Cosmetics right after. I did my first celebrity the same year I moved there. I built my following on Instagram and that helped me a lot in gaining clients. I think what sets me apart from others is my range of artistry and clientele. It goes from Country to Love & Hip-Hop, to Gospel, Wrestling, Touring, Grammy’s, Adult Entertainment, Special FX, & more. I don’t like to limit myself to one type of look because I hate telling someone no I can’t do that. I’m always learning and gaining more knowledge. As a creative, you never stop learning.

One thing I am very proud of myself for being is independent. I definitely put my career first and don’t let anything hold me back. I’m so thankful for everyone I have met along my journey, and I’m so blessed for every opportunity.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started building on social media it was when Instagram was first becoming popular with makeup artists and beauty influencers. I jumped on the bandwagon when you could grow super quick from brand shout outs, and I was constantly doing giveaways and S4S (shoutout for shoutout) to help build my page. It’s definitely not the same anymore though, and I will say it’s harder to grow quickly. Right now, I think Tik Tok is the best place to grow your page the fastest. Staying consistent and keeping up with trends will help so much. I also think just being real and relating to your followers helps create an authentic audience. This will turn your name into a brand.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

It costs $0 to share an artist’s post. If you have a friend who is just starting in any kind of creative business, post them, share them, and use word of mouth. Support your friends or even people you don’t know. I always say it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. I always recommend different artists to help spread business around too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18172570
• Instagram: @makeupbyhailee
• Facebook: Makeup By Hailee
• Other: Tik Tok- @_makeupbyhailee

Image Credits
Joie Chavis Jelly Roll & Bunnie- Photo by Meme Shahan Alexis Reeves Hardy & Caleigh Ryan Madelyn Clark LaShan Dixon Ellie Ottoway Josi & Roman Josi Israel Houghton & Adrienne Bailon Houghton