We were lucky to catch up with Monique Hazellief recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Monique, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

It was about 12 years ago and I had got a job at a career based college as an admissions rep. The pay was way more than I had ever earned, but to be honest, I hated it. I didn’t believe in what I was basically “selling”. Imagine sitting at a desk, making at LEAST 100 cold calls a day, 90% of which either weren’t answered, or were answered and then swiftly hung up in our face. Long story short, my disdain for the job showed up in my performance, and I was let go. First and last job I was ever fired from! Shortly after, my girlfriends came over for a girls night to cheer me up and during our many many discussions, I asked for advice on what I should do next. Without hesitation, they all said I should really try to pursue doing makeup. I mean what did I have to lose? So I applied for a beauty advisor position at Macys Lancome counter. The retail makeup venture lasted for close to 10 whole years! I’ve worked for Lancome, Dior, Sephora, and many brands in between, and over this time I gave learned so much. Not only product knowledge, but I’ve been able to really understand how to successfully service a client while remaining true to myself. During this time, I’ve also been able to start growing a business on the side. PreGlammor by Monique is my “beauty consulting agency”. I’ve had the pleasure of doing makeup for everything from short films, photoshoots, weddings and all types of special events! Just recently I have made the leap of pursuing this full-time!

Monique, 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?

My name is Monique Hazellief, I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and migrated down to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2004 smack dead in the middle of my senior year of high school. My dad had got laid off from his job back home and got the opportunity from his mentor to be a Unit Director for the Boys in Girls Club in Pinellas Park. So they packed up the uhaul with our entire lives and moved! I did NOT want to move! I was really active in high school, playing sports and writing for the school newspaper and of course I had friends and family I did not want to leave! So they let me stay with an aunt for awhile, but honestly, I missed my parents, so I finally followed them down. My dad gave me a part time job at the center and literal DAYS later, my now husband came walking into the building for open gym and I figured I might have a reason to stay after all. I have always loved drawing, coloring, painting, doodling and all that, it is still to this day, my happy place, and doing makeup became a way for me to make a living off of art. I also love watching a person see themselves in the mirror after I finish and seeing that look for love for self in their eyes. Literally the best feeling ever. I have also been able to provide freehand calligraphy services for signs as well which has been fun! (think of mirror seating charts for weddings, or welcome signs for baby showers.) I think what makes me unique is I really try to put myself in my clients shoes. Getting someone ready for their wedding day is a really intimate moment, this could be the best day of their lives! When I do a wedding trial before the big day, this is the opportunity for the client not only to have a preview of what they are going to look like, it also is a chance for us to bond. That way when I show up day of, we feel like we have known each other forever, and I am just here to enjoy this day with them. My clients are my friends. This honestly might be what I am most proud of. When a former client reaches out to use me AGAIN, that is how I know. I even have a few that I’ve serviced for their wedding, then a maternity shoot, then family first pictures, and just been able to watch their lives grow, all because we bonded on their wedding day. Young ladies I’ve started from first homecomings to senior pictures and proms. I want people to know that I do this because I love seeing them feel beautiful and confident and although sometimes I’ll push them out of their usual comfort zones, because I can see the end result, I will also follow their lead. At the end of the day, when hired, I work for them, but it is also a team effort, them and I.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my opinion, the best form of promotion for me has been word of mouth. Someone telling someone else about me! You really trust a friends opinion. In this new world, social media is the key to almost everything and to be honest that has taken some getting used to. Maybe I’m old school. But when I post something, it gets a certain amount of views, but when it is shared, that view count can almost triple! Also, there are a lot of facebook groups out there with people looking for services, and when someone recommends I get the real inquiry almost every time. So just tell a friend, share for a friend, and promote the services you’ve loved. Give the review if you can.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have two kids, my son Julian, who is 11 and my daughter Maliyah who is 5. I don’t want them growing up believing that they have to work for someone else to be successful. If they want to take that road, I’ll of course support it, but I want them to grow up knowing, they can do whatever they want and be happy. It took me a long time to see that myself. My husband and I both grew up with parents who worked very very hard and still lived paycheck to paycheck, so of course, we seen that as the way of life, but after a lot of lessons we learned that being happy means a lot more. If I build something solid and successful, I can one day pass this along to them. I am to my core a very hard worker, I have always been, and it was time for me to put all that energy into my own pocket for a change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @preglammorbymonique
• Facebook: PreGlammor by Monique