We were lucky to catch up with Jessie Yarborough recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think everyone has a different view on success, and mine has constantly changed. When I first was starting my career as makeup artist, to me success was working full time in the entertainment industry. As I built my career and worked full time, my idea of success was the amount of money I was making. At this point in my career, balance between my work and personal life, taking care of my mental and physical health, and not allowing my career to be my whole personality is success. I see success as being as able to afford the lifestyle I love, while prioritizing myself, and work not running my life. I don’t equate more jobs, to more success. I equate my happiness to success.
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.
My name is Jessie Yarborough and I am a makeup artist and mens groomer. I grew up in North Carolina and moved to LA when I was 19 years old with barely any money to my name, two suitcases, and a one way ticket. Being a makeup artist has been in my plans my whole entire life. I have always known it was what I wanted to do. I am most proud of the career I have created with purely just my own drive and determination. A lot of people thought I was absolutely insane to pursue a career that I had no connections in or any idea of how to make it. I moved to LA with nothing, and created my dream life within 5 years. I had nothing to fall back on, no financial support, no idea of how it would work in anyway, but I made it happen. I took the bus for the first two years, shared rooms in dingy apartments, barely making enough money to eat, and I never saw quitting as an option. I have created a brand doing what I love, and curated a community and clientele that I adore. I have created an aesthetic of natural soft glam, which easily carried over into my mens grooming career as I am a very light handed makeup artist and it transferred well when I started working with men. I am the makeup artist for people who want their skin to look like skin, who want to feel like themselves but elevated. I don’t like to cake on makeup and make someone who they are not. I want to create the best version of you, while making you look and feel like you.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
When I first began my makeup career, I was craving advice from anyone and everyone and a lot of people gave me the advice to never say no. I understand where they are coming at the beginning of you career, where every opportunity is one that could lead to the next big one but as I became established, I had to learn that just because I’m saying no doesn’t mean I’m missing out. I am allowed to say no to things that don’t align with my aesthetic or journey.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think most of my story from the start has been resilient. I moved to LA at 19 with barely any money, no car, and no connections. Even once you “make it”; the resilience doesn’t stop as a creative. You constantly are trusting in your self and your art that there will be a next job. Most of my industry as a whole has shown so much resilience in these last three years with going through a pandemic and a strike. We are constantly pushing forward and believing in our craft and getting creative on how to make ends meet along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.jessieyarborough.coma
- Instagram: @makeupbyjessiex
Image Credits
Meredith Morris Paris Visone