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

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Please find the revised version with corrected grammar and punctuation:

It was like I had been given the Golden ticket! I remember seeing the stage play Cats run across the television screen, and no one was home but me. I dashed into my mother’s bathroom, trying to recall the makeup application as best I could. At the time, I was only 8 or 9, but seeing that makeup unlocked a piece of my mind. I went on to be enamored with shows like America’s Next Top Model and many other makeover shows.

In the back of my Spanish 1 class, I would pull my friends to the back and rummage through their purses to put makeup on them like the girls on TV. I continued practicing on friends and family for many years until I had the opportunity to do makeup for someone who paid me. “We’re leaving for New Orleans tomorrow, and you need to be ready to beat some faces,” Francesca said. She was the regional coordinator for the Miss Plus America pageant and also a makeup lover! I would be at her house for hours, playing with makeup and wigs until she felt I was ready for the next level! I learned so much from her, and those ladies are still my clients to this day!

Eventually, I went on to work for MAC Cosmetics as the first African American male artist at the counter. As excited as I was for the opportunity, it felt like being in university. Being surrounded by those artists on a daily basis gave me so much confidence and motivation to create beautiful looks. I had a yearning inside of me to reach the highest heights of makeup artistry, but that would involve me leaving MAC behind. I remember the look on my manager’s face as I brought in my two weeks’ notice. It was just time to move on to the next chapter of my journey in beauty.

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As makeup artist for almost 15 years now I feel that makeup has unlocked a part of my brain that I never fully understood before.

The saying goes that when you look better you feel better ! And I deeply understand that now. From the overflowing of tears so the confidence in their strides I know that makeup adds a certain level of confidence that you just can’t get with anything else.

I have women who are speakers, executives, presidents of companies and what I know for sure is that what I’m able to give them with makeup truly amplifies the power within them.

Doing makeup on them lead me to the conclusion that they needed to be able to hone the skills of makeup for themselves just incase I was unavailable or if they wanted to recreate the look for a special occasion. So I started my 1 on 1 makeup lessons to help them sharpen their skills.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I believe that we all have a voice that needs to be heard ! But unfortunately social media is a very high traffic medium and the ways in which we interact with people have to be strategically aligned to create true impact.

My biggest tip is “ figure out who people need you to be for them “ do they need a teacher ? A coach ? A friend? Once you get clear on that funnel your information through that channel.

I decided I wanted to be a coach for my clients and followers so started to create videos where I would simply share information they could implement immediately after the video.

Another huge tip is FREQUENCY; the more you show up the better odds you have of being seen and heard. This creates the idea that you’re consistently providing value. This strategy also helps to support your brands sales because they now see you frequently enough to have connection to want to buy what you’re selling.

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

The biggest unlearning experience for me was thinking that I could only do one thing. Now don’t get me wrong it’s important to master one thing, be known for it and create a system that makes it PERFECT.

But there are no limitations on what other things you can do if you truly have the desire and passion to accomplish it.

Earlier on in my makeup career I had to learn to create content because it was the only way I could get people to see my work. Fast forward to now I’m doing content consulting because I’m able to understand the strategies business owners need to implement in order to achieve their goals.

You literally can do whatever you want. The voice you’re hearing isn’t your own it’s just doubt trying to keep you safe .. but we know nothing good ever comes from a comfort zone other than a good nap !

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mhbeauty.com
• Instagram: mikeymakeup
• Facebook: Michael Brandon Harris

Image Credits
Mlashellphotography