We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Wight a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

My journey is not linear, I discovered my passion for makeup about the same time I discovered I was having my first child. A 20-year-old without a clue how to run a business, my dreams and goals were always huge. I know this because I could see on people’s faces when I shared, the reactions were always the same wide eye and slow nodding. Great for my confidence lol. I spent the next decade working for MAC cosmetics, it was the foundation being laid for what was to come….only I didn’t know it yet. I moved to Seattle in 2012 while still working for MAC and they put me on a team that was working with Seattle Seagals NFL cheerleaders. Once I had a taste of the freelance world there was no going back. Of course i had no idea how to actually get my own clients, after all MAC handed them to me for a decade.

I was also having an internal crisis, feeling the pressure mounting that I couldn’t possibly leave MAC and be a success on my own. I need a “real job” the next 8 years I spent working at a hospital doing administrative work and freelancing on the side, I worked with a few amazing bridal teams, looked up to women who were already laying the path and succeeding.

in 2018 I built my own website, I created my own logo, I volunteered for dozens of free gigs so that i could have enough content to put on a website, my husband turned our basement into a make shift studio that I could host clients in, I started a business social media and closed the year with 23 clients.

In 2021 after living through a pandemic and wanting to live my life with purpose and intention I left the hospital and committed to growing my business, I listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts, I rented a studio space that I could host clinets in, i reached out to stylists i knew and asked if they were interested in working with me during wedding seasons.

I was in building mode, you can’t do this alone support is needed. I brought on a VA, we created process and systems to create amazing client experience, I invested almost everything back into the business, trained my styists, offered continued education, took branding photos, got published in Magazines, did multiple podcast interviews, was featured on the local news station, I was all consumed in building my brand and the business and I was on the fast track….I had four kids to take care of and I just quite my job that I could fall back on for the last 8 years.

In 2022 I opened my very own studio, we now have a team of 17 stylists and will close the year at 200 weddings, we are working not only with bridal but commercial, editorial, boudoir, event, corporate and celebrity.

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.

Second-generation Mexican-American. Female business owner. Mother of four. Michelle’s background has been a direct influence over her dream of creating a welcoming and inclusive space in the hair and makeup industry.

That dream has manifested into a world of approachable elegance — a world where everyone is invited. Michelle and her team purposefully do not have a signature look that they create, because beauty is simply not meant to be one-size-fits all. Today, her team and client base continue to expand as she gains recognition in the industry.

Outside of the artistry, Michelle enjoys spending time with her big family, Pure Barre, and getting wrapped up in podcasts — her favorites are a healthy mix of business and Bravo.

Michelle Wight Makeup Artistry is a true reflection of Michelle’s values, and she couldn’t be happier for it to be such a monumental part of her beautifully busy life.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I worked a second job for 8 years and said yes to every single freelance job offered to me.

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

I had to stop listening to all the voices and opinions of well-meaning people around me and believe in myself that I was going to succeed, only I knew what I was capable of and how committed I would be. I listened to the worries and stress of others and prioritized it over what I knew I could achieve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.michellewight.com
• Instagram: michellewight.hmu
• Facebook: Michelle Wight Makeup Artistry

Image Credits
alexandrae.photo