We recently connected with Libby Rochelle and have shared our conversation below.

Libby , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the toughest things about progressing in a creative career or as an entrepreneur is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

How many times have you looked in the mirror and felt that sad feeling creep up, the one we all hate so much so we try to avoid acknowledging it in entirety, you know the word: insecurity.
It’s a scary word to me. I say that probably bc of the industry am in.

The industry that has their claws sunk into me and affected everyone in entirety.
Well I’m referring to the beauty industry of course. .

Unexpectedly, I’ve had to face prejudices, jealousy, secrecy, hate, crime. fear, pain and so many other things that have come with the territory.

To cover all the many unexpected challenges we’ll have to run through my time line of events that got me tangled in a spiderweb surrounding that word.

Starting strong, In June 2020, i attended a very well known beauty school: Piviot point academy where I thought I would learn hair and be catapulted into this world of glamour.

Cut to 6 months in and I’m having panic attacks everyday. contemplating suicide on my lunch breaks, and running on no sleep to makeup hours of missed class from months before.
In January of 2021 i contracted Covid, mono, a bad cold and stomach flu within the span of 2 months and was in and out of the hospital more times than I could count. I had class from 9-10pm 5 days a week, and the only money I would make would be a little to nothing tip. This would go on for my last 3 1/2 months left of school. My financial advisor said I wouldn’t be able to make up the time, and I would owe the school $20 per hour of every hour I owed them in earning my license past my contracted date.
I remember her saying “IF”, I could make it, I wouldn’t owe anything.
“IF” . That word right there- I decided, watch me. I graduated in July of 2021 , one day past my contracted date that I disputed paying bc I had proof It was an inaccurate absent .
This was the beginning of that rejection. And it pushed me to be determined in a way i was about to need

Upon graduating I took a job at Sephora
Where I was a L.B.A preforming makeup & skin services, Sephora was an insane environment that was an experience im eternally grateful for. I ultimately had to leave to get back to hair. I tried a couple different salons before landing at one where my 40 some year old boss said I looked bad behind my back, Lied continuously to me and ending up firing me with no warning due to “not enough payroll” .

Id like to note she promised to help me launch my career and all I launched was gmail, chrome and Folgers coffee grounds into the coffee filter each day. I thought she’d come around, even when she hired my replacement just before firing me.

Did I mention the replacement was also an old school mate I said she’d be “cool” to hire upon her asking? I look back on that moment now, and feel so clueless.

The ugliness of beauty school and the prejudice’s i faced regarding my health. Let alone the exhausting pain of job searching & apprenticeship failures,
Everywhere I tried applying it was:
“We aren’t taking Assistant positions”
“Well let you assist, (do laundry) for no $) “
“We’re only hiring seasoned stylists”
“We’ll hire you and train you on front desk to start”
“We’ll hire you and throw you on the salon floor with back to back haircuts you don’t know how to do”

If it wasn’t a lame boss, crappy job offer , lack of education/experience, it was wicked girls Stuck in adult body’s jealous, talking about you, behind and even in-front of you.
The jealousy, pettiness, hate and doubt started to cripple me.

It honestly felt like I’d never be accepted let alone appreciated.
If you were to ask me now, I never realized how much I’d be stretched to the capacity I am each day. And knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Everything difficult and triggering shaped and molded me into this fierce butterfly built of indestructible material, ready to fly across the world and showcase my colorful wings.

Having the experiences and opportunity to work with all people of all backgrounds, color, skin-types, sexuality and identity is truly a privilege and I’m honored to use my artistic, personable and professional skills to make others feel like the beautiful person they are. That’s my magic. That is my art.

Knowing that I can connect and relate to a woman 30+ years older than me because she too loves the color pink, and thinks my blush is adorable! Suddenly we’re 35 minutes deep in a conversation and she circles around to blush again, mentioning how her ex bf used to tell her she looked ugly in blush and you can see her expression and body language change in a way that saddens you instantly. Very quickly I recommend a blush I think would make her gorgeous blue eyes pop, and there she is. lit up again.

And for those 20-30
Mins. 3 hours or 30 seconds, you 2 share, you’re both recognized for the true beauty you are and not that ugly word on the back burner in your mind.

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 back background and context?

My name is Libby. I am a 20-something hair stylist, makeup artist, gal-pal therapist, artist & magician (on some days ). I offer makeup/hair services and am currently transitioning to a temporary apprenticeship role with a stylist through my same company, I am ecstatic as it is an amazing opportunity to learn, be supported and payed for my time and craft. I am eager to preform and provide the best results to my guests.
Determined to work my magic, I’ve grown up in a home where my mom would always say;
“What we lack in money, we’re rich in love. “
I never understood when I was younger, till I grew older and realized- how much $ we never had, but love we always did. My family has enstilled in me the importance and value in love, compassion , empathy, dedication and commitment. And while I’ll try and keep it short and sweet, this is important to note. I have realized in the course of my life that I still have so much yet to enjoy, i already have everything bc I have that love.
And that-dear reader, is where the fire comes from…

Everything I create, envision and design. No matter where I invest that energy, it’s coming from a place of passion and love. A place where any pain and struggle I’ve faced, can be alchemized.
I will not let anything stop me. I know my power in life is connecting to others and making them feel beautiful & special in so many ways. To chalk me up to only one thing- one service- one “career” is simply too hard to do. I cannot be categorized
And I cannot understand how I could ever be : “just a stylist “ or “just a Makueup artist”
I know, I know, I am not curing cancer.

But to that I say what my educator told me in my 2nd week of beauty school, and that was: “you’re the only people licensed to touch someone other than medical professional, remember that.”

Knowing that even though I never “cured” anyone, I made them feel seen or “pretty” in a way they never would’ve considered.
All because I was there to make them feel better, with yes, my touch. Whether that be a scalp massage, or maybe the facial I give my guest before their makeup application- it worked a magic somehow some way where you feel special in way you couldn’t before- not before me.

I wish i had a million words to emphasis the importance of human connection and how special it is show compassion and humility with others. I have had the privilege of getting to connect with so many people. But mainly women, I will say. All colors, all skin types. Any kind of Ms. Mrs., and/ or Ma’am’s You can imagine and I must say we are all just people looking to feel good, believe it and own our lives as our best selves. The power of a certain lipstick, blowout, balayage I’ve seen do for others and even myself is something worth mentioning. It’s also where I probably started the narrative that is, “conquering the world starts with good hair! “

When I get ready in the morning I know that I’m putting on pink blush with a blue undertone bc I love that in contrast with my Snow White skin, and when I leave for the morning and get to work, clock in and 3 guests later my guest Melissa comes in. She asks me what blush I’m gonna use on her skin. She’s fair skinned, and feels insecure about it since tanning is all the rage, however her mom won’t buy her bronzer drops for $65. I analyze her face. I know her skin is the same as me, I reach for that complimentary pink color, and I begin to notice that she would feel the most gorgeous if I just made her look a little less fair. I reach for my contour powder. bronzing her up a bit. adding the rich coco shade to her high cheekbones . She’s stunning. She’s young and full of color and blooming into being a woman and seizing her life. Tonight she’s off to her senior prom, where she’ll have one of those “few “princess” moments us women have in life, and you know that for that one moment you made someone’s dream come true, you were inspired and created something for someone exactly right. That’s my art. That is what I do and how I express myself.

I have been invested in my craft and passions since I was very young. I joke very often that I came out the womb in lipgloss- I know the power of beauty combined with my artistic vision, creativity and drive is a rarity, and even something fearsome.
People hate to see a powerful woman and especially so young be so fierce. To that I say, hear me ROARR…..

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I am so beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to have a platform where I can share one of my hearts deepest wishes.
Ultimately I would love to be in a position financially where I can give back to others. It is my dream to start a foundation for those struggling and less fortunate to be able to receive these services for free. Haircuts for homeless. Beauty makeovers for women who are domestic abuse survivors. Foster kids self care workshop, and haircuts!

Since people are part of the driving force and inspiration behind my magic, I’d love to continue to show my connection and human appreciation by showcasing that hard work in a physical way so that anyone can give and grow, just as myself, business, career and of course heart.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There’s a running joke in the beauty community that you never learn anything in beauty school. Not so much a joke when it’s very true. I thought school would set me up to feel confident and successful. Able to trust myself and be in-complete control of that service.
Boy did I learn the hard way.

Awhile ago I was in a class led by my educator who has been doing hair for 22 years. Class is always an open space and productive teaching. We all were sharing stories, and I mentioned anxiety and insecurity I face behind the chair. I go on to say that I just wanna feel “in-control.”
she stops me right there.

She tells me about how many years ago she accidentally put black hair color on a bright blonde, and by the time she noticed she was freaking out internally. She mentions how she’s terrified and riddled with fear after her plan went south and reveals you’re never going to be in “control “ , it’s all about what you can do in that chaos.

To have yourself loose control and remaining confident and comfortable in that chaos, it’s something I’m still learning. Something I don’t believe stylists get enough credit for. We’re expected to provide your exact inspiration everytime based on some rough idea of something a guest has seen once or twice in the back of their mind.
How many times were we way off from our client and consult and what do we do in those moments we realize we need to re-group and remain decisive and definitive in our next actions Everything you do. Your every move being analyzed and sized up for them to potentially pick you apart.

Chaos has to happen for you to learn how to grow through it. That will always be relevant in a booming industry constantly progressing. I see now the only way to keep up with the heat in the kitchen, is to become a top chef.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @libbydabaum
• Twitter: @urfaceisniceee
• Other: Tik-tok: libbydabaum