We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isa Strawberry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isa below.

Isa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Being an independent worker, and an artist, I ask myself this question on a regular basis! I LOVE everything I do. I love the connections I have with my clients. But living from my passion means I probably will never take any vacation. I can’t be sick. It’s very tiring at times. At the end of the day, I don’t think one path is necessary better than the other . They both have their advantages and disadvantages, so you just have to embrace it

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a very diverse artist. My main expertise, for which I am most known for is makeup. I do makeup of all sorts, from corporate, to events like weddings, to photoshoots, performance artists, and films. I am known for my very artistic looks. I also do lash extensions, I perform burlesque and I make candles. I think the common denominator between all of these expertise for me is the special opportunity I have to make people feel empowered. I don’t have a very traditional mentality when it comes to « artifice » . I encourage people to be who they truly want to be, without shame or fear of judgement. Nothing makes me feel more fulfilled than to see a person celebrate themselves unapologetically.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I would say that at least 90% of my clients/bookings come from social media. Posting organically about what I love makes people see my passion for it. Even when my goal is not to book people or to sell a product, but merely to share my experience and my love for it, that’s when I get the most messages of people curious to book either a makeup session, buy a candle or hire me as a performer. I think we love seeing people being passionate about what they do and it makes us want to be part of it.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Most of the things that I do, especially makeup, are very seasonal. Which means it constantly fluctuates, and I will always play with my schedule and reevaluate where I’m putting my energies. October is such a busy month for me for makeup and performances (Halloween), as opposed to January and February, where I’ll be focusing more on candles and lashes.

Contact Info:

• Website: Hazeshop.ca
• Instagram: IsaStrawberry
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@IsaStrawberry?si=CTRo3gvgGmGpoHN2
• Other: Tiktok @isa.strawberry

Image Credits
Main image and 3rd and 6th secondary images are from Lexa One 1st secondary picture is from Frank Lam 7th secondary picture is from Narcissus Photography 5th and 8th secondary pictures are from @tae.leb