We were lucky to catch up with Liz Wegrzyn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Liz, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success to me has taken a turn with what I once thought I needed, to be successful. For me, it used to be about “who” I was working with and who knew about it… once I realized that was all ego, and changed my perspective, I was able to move my business into a completely different category of success. It all changed when I grew up and realized that to be successful, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself, value yourself and work hard to get to where you want to be. I didn’t have that mentality when I was first starting out, but I truly believe that if you want something bad enough you can make it happen by believing in yourself. That doesn’t come without it’s challenges, but I believe discipline, confidence and hard work can manifest success.

Liz, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started my business as a professional makeup artist in my early 20’s when I was still on the brink of emotionally falling apart because I was 20 and trying to find myself as an artist. I always knew that I would do something in the arts, as that was what I was most happy doing, I just didn’t know how I was going to go about it. How would I make money being an artist? This is a tough job to get into, because you have to prove yourself to people to get booked. You have to prove that you are good at your craft, be punctual, professional, up on trends and likable! If you had all those skills then it was a green light on the long road to success!
Because I always held a paintbrush in my hand ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I would be painting in some way or another when I was an adult so it was just a matter of how and what avenue I would take. My medium was mostly acrylic but sometimes watercolor, and I loved to paint abstract paintings with lots of color!

Makeup artistry was always fascinating to me because it felt just like painting a canvas but on an actual person who would fall in love with their face painting once it was completed. It’s a very gratifying experience to apply makeup on someone and have them see themselves in a light they have never seen themselves in, before. That’s when I realized makeup artistry was where I wanted to focus my energy. It was the feeling I got from seeing the transformation.

To begin this journey, I started to reach out to photographers to see if they would work with me and my small makeup kit. All it took was one beauty photographer to give me a chance and I was able to learn the process of what went into a photoshoot. The lighting, the models, the clothes, the hair. I needed to learn it all! I was still learning how to do makeup well, while I was doing test shoots at least once a week with different photographers. Some would pay me, but these shoots for the most part we’re unpaid. Trade shoots is what we called them. The trade was free work for free photos. I can’t tell you how much I worked for free when I was starting out! I maybe had $100 in my bank account if that clears it up. I worked part time as a nanny, a receptionist, front desk at a hotel and freelance catering while I was building my portfolio in makeup. I worked so hard at it and built so many relationships with photographers, hairstylists, models, videographers, producers, clients etc…
I have never stopped doing makeup since I started back in 2001. I went from doing free photo shoots in peoples basements, to working with some of the top photographers in my industry in beautiful locations all over the world! My work grew, my talent grew and my love for this career grew even more. It was exhilarating and beautiful.
I included weddings into my expertise back in 2002 and that has been something I didn’t expect to truly fall in love with. Its an amazing feeling to make someone feel their most beautiful on the most special day of their life! I have been doing weddings since then, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
I really love doing all types of makeup artistry as they are all very different from the next. Bridal makeup is pretty specific with the color pallets you use, the longevity is really important and the flawlessness about it, takes a certain kind of skill. Editorial makeup is another passion of mine as you get to be a little more creative and throw around more color, maybe some glitter and jewels or even earth matter! It’s really fun and helps me step out of the box more. Commercial work and tv is another ball game. I have done some shoots where the makeup was so minimal, (powder and chapstick) but the role is important because with every take there could be too much shine or a sweat drop that needs to be removed from the models face. The details have to be well looked after, and that’s where I come in! Tv and film are probably the most stressful because you really have to make sure you are paying attention at all times on set. With all of these avenues and different job opportunities makeup artistry has brought me, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. My passion for this industry and the ability to understand how to run a business because of my experience in all of it, has really shaped me as the woman I am today. I feel proud of where I have been, and what I have made of my business today!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think that being authentic and kind to people is part of building a reputation but also showing face. Going to industry events, parties, meetings, having coffeee dates. All of it counts! Really making an effort and committing to a certain amount of marketing of my work helped to build my reputation as well.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing clients is to make an impression on each person I come in contact with. Building relationships with every person I work with has lead me to more and more clients. Sending a thank you or a reminder is another way to build your clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.facesbyliz.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lizweg?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Faith Wright Shelly Anderson