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

Julie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

The education system is great for some, but it’s also not for everyone. Not everyone thrives in the general education system. In my opinion, it doesn’t allow for a whole lot of creativity, though I’m slowly starting to see bits of this peek through. When I was in high school (several years ago – not sure if this has changed, but I’m going based on my experience), our extra curriculars were pretty generic – like art, dance, cooking, music, etc. They didn’t dive really deep or give students real life experiences until later in your college years. I think the education system could do so much better. Create opportunities for students to explore different talents, interests, etc. Let them shadow professionals in a career they’re interested in and get real life experiences and hands-on activity in that particular field. Why wait until a college internship? Students would be able to truly find something they love to do early on and make a life fulfilling career out of it. If it doesn’t exist, create it yourself!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Hello! I’m Julie – the face of Makeup by Julie Hirji. I’m a hair + makeup artist based in Los Angeles, servicing all of Southern California + destination locations. Over the last decade, I have worked on a number of different clients in the bridal, fashion, beauty and entertainment industry. Bridal is where my true passion lies. My goal is to bring out the most beautiful version of each of my clients while still having them remain true to who they are, both inside and out.

Born and raised in the heart of LA, it was always my dream as a kid to become a makeup artist. At 5 years old, I would sit my mom and grandmother in my living room and force them to let me do their makeup. Growing up, I always told myself that I would become a makeup artist. How I was going to get there – I had no idea! After high school, I struck a deal with my dad; if I took a few business courses at a community college then he would help me pay for half of makeup school. Well, a few business courses turned into a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management at Mount St. Mary’s University and immediately after that, I enrolled in an Esthetics program to get my CA state license as an Esthetician. After passing the state exam, I decided to work at Sephora for a while. I helped open a new store location and then, I decided to start my own empire. Since 2013, I’ve gained experience in so many different fields of makeup (and for five + years now, hair); for example, fashion photography, headshots, red carpet, the list goes on. But my true love when it comes to this art is bridal. Something about working with my brides just puts me in a happy place and I enjoy it so much. It makes long days of work fly by. I can truly say that my work is my hobby and for that I’m grateful!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media was my kryptonite. In fact, it still is – haha. I am not the person that cares about followers, likes, subscribers, etc. My motto is quality over quantity. At the moment, I have maybe just under 1,000 followers on my business account, but each of those followers are 1. REAL people, or 2. Clients and/or industry vendors in my network. I’ve curated my social media to create business for me. I don’t try to create content for people who will heart my image or video and keep scrolling just to never look back or see my name again. I post my work (raw and unedited) and content that will relate to my clients and vendors I work with. Past, present and future clients see my work and book me time and time again. They remain loyal to me and refer me to new clients. Vendors (such as wedding planners, photographers, and venue owners) see my work and recommend me to their clients because they see that my work is consistent. Do you see where quality comes in? My followers keep my business going for me. I’m able to connect with them all directly (because there’s not a million of them) and establishing a good relationship with people is another way to spread your name. One friend refers you to the next three friends, who refer you to their photographer, etc. It’s a domino effect. Let your social media work for you and don’t feel like you need to make it your only focus all day every day.

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

I think reputation in the wedding industry comes down to 4 key factors: Honesty, Reliability Professionalism, and Talent. When a company is honest, clients tend to trust them. Building a trust factor is key with clients in this field. No client wants to feel taken advantage of. When you’re honest and you build trust, it goes a long way. Reliability is so important. I can’t tell you how many clients have messaged me and said their Artist cancelled on them last minute and they’re stressed and desperate to find a replacement. It’s understandable when emergencies happen, but this isn’t always the case. I’ve seen people cancel because they’ve received bigger job offers, etc. This ties in with professionalism. Be reliable for your clients and be professional. It helps build your reputation in the industry and clients will be more inclined to feel secure booking your services. Talent is the obvious factor. Clients need to like your work to want to book you. Everyone has their own perception of talent and I think as long as you’re knowledgeable and consistently bettering yourself, the talent comes hand in hand. These are the four factors that I believe to have built and maintained my reputation in the wedding industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.makeupbyjuliehirji.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeupbyjuliehirji/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/makeup-by-julie-hirji-mid-city
• Other: SBSN Bride – https://www.sbsnbride.com/makeupbyjuliehirji The Knot – https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/makeup-by-julie-hirji-los-angeles-ca-982586

Image Credits
Meg Marie Photo Phillip Matthew Cali Roots Designs Glamorous Events and Decor Vinuthna Garidipuri ShopKynah Aisha Rawji Tululla Beauty Wanderlust Creatives Flwrs Frm Haven Anomalie Whittney Retter Vishaka Iyer Jasmine Marie Photo Brubaker Floral Co. Brittany Cox Destiny Ng Lasoie Bridal Hope Lavine Alicia Hill Hannah Riley Christina Santini Abba Binns Tanya Doveton Kaitlyn Stober Everlasting Floral Katie Apibunyopas