We were lucky to catch up with Paige Sanderson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paige, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am absolutely and completely thrilled with being an artist/creative. I most definitely do wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job, but if I’m being honest… more often than not that means feeling sorry for anyone stuck in that rabbit race! In my opinion, every single human is different therefore everyone’s happiness and contentment with their lives looks very different. For some, the predicability of a “regular” job does bring them happiness and contentment, and I think that that is wonderful! However, just because it is the right path for some does NOT mean that it is the right path for all. I think we are all conditioned to be at least fairly afraid of straying from the “norm”, the “regular” jobs, etc. When I was making the choice to pursue my creative career, I did recognize that I had to still make a smart decision that would allow me to be able to support my family, however, I did not want to be an example to my kiddo that he would have to settle with a career he is miserable in just to survive. I do not buy into that. I have had success as someone in a creative career just the same as anyone in a “regular” job could and I am so happy that I made the choice that I did!

Paige, 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 am an on-site, event hair and makeup artist! I specialize in bridal hair and makeup, boho hairstyles and neutral, soft glam, as well as full glam makeup looks! I graduated from the Douglas J Aveda Cosmetology Institute in July of 2020 and became a licensed cosmetologist just a couple short months later. Although graduating in July of 2020 has proved to be QUITE the challenge, I haven’t looked back once. Even though I was never much of a “girly-girl” growing up, I did always have a burning passion for hair and makeup. It did not come as a shock to anyone who knew me when I decided to pursue cosmetology school! I found the bridal hair and makeup industry in the spring of 2021 and immediately knew that I had found my place. I couldn’t be more certain that I am exactly where I should be in my career – my passion for what I do has only grown along with my skillset. I believe that what sets me apart from other hair and makeup artists is truly who I am as a person as well as my passion for what I do. What I mean is that, I am SUCH a people person. I have never had a client not express how much of a calming presence I bring to every appointment and working one-on-one with people is hands-down one of my favorite parts of what I do! This is especially an edge within the bridal industry because, as most of you probably know, wedding day can be a little stressful/chaotic! I know that having myself there with the bride/bridal party brings a strong sense of calm and confidence to my client and everyone else who I have the opportunity to work with. And then there is my PASSION. Getting through cosmetology school as a 20 year old single mom of a 1 year old, while also working to support us, was one of the most challenging things that I have ever experienced in my entire life. I also come from lots of poverty and trauma, so to have the opportunity to make a name for myself and pursue a career that I genuinely love, is of the highest of privileges to me. It will never be lost on me what a blessing it is and I know that that shines through in my work. I also pursue continued education diligently, so that I can continue to best serve my clients as the current trends evolve and change! All of this I believe truly sets me apart from any other artist within my industry.

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

A lesson that I have to unlearn would be that I need to pursue all of the same things and do all of the same things as what I see others in my industry doing, in order to produce success in my own business. This is an easy trap to fall into because when we are trying to grow our business/grow within our careers, we are searching for resources and information on how to do so. Which I think is a great thing! However, I believe that we need to take in all of the information with a grain of salt if you will. Just because someone is in the same career as you and has had success, does not mean that copying their process will produce the same success for you. Not only is every person different, therefore we all learn differently and work differently, but there are also so many more ways than one to achieve success. I think that when we begin to try to copy the same things we’ve seen someone else do, it narrows our vision and we are not as open to other options, other paths and resources, etc. Additionally, within the cosmetology industry, your location and niche are SO relevant. The demographic of people that you work with and the current trends in your area have to be considered when you’re figuring out how to grow your business and get your name out there. Plus, I genuinely believe that authenticity shines through and produces success if we hold onto that!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I believe an example of my resilience within my career is that I graduated cosmetology school in July 2020, (directly after the initial COVID lockdown). When you graduate cosmetology school, you are supposed to begin working on building a clientele so that your business can succeed. The cosmetology industry is of course a very hands-on, in person type of job to have, so trying to pursue a career like that when everyone was terrified and unsure about them/their loved ones becoming sick, was incredibly challenging. It felt as if I was supposed to be being a clientele but there was no clientele to be built! It would have been easy to give up and justify it by saying that this career just wouldn’t be realistic in this post-COVID world. However, I didn’t give up! Getting through cosmetology school was so incredibly challenging for me as a working, young, single mom and I was not about to throw that all away. I won’t pretend like COVID hasn’t affected myself my business, my career, and especially the rate at which I am able to grow. However, I kept my head down and kept on pushing, staying true to myself and what I do I wanted for my career. I am very proud of myself for that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://paigeesuzanne.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigee.suzanne/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paige-suzanne-styling-ypsilanti
• Other: THE KNOT: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/paige-suzanne-styling-llc-ypsilanti-mi-2069113 WEDDINGWIRE: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/paige-suzanne-styling-llc/17a6ce00a10f1fd2.html