We recently connected with Shay Bailey and have shared our conversation below.
Shay, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I’ve been a creative for as far back as I can remember. My love for art as a child fueled my interest in the industry and helped me transition into a creative space professionally once I graduated from college.
Knowing what I know now, my process was designed at the perfect speed for me to succeed. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Advertising with the intention of going into Public Relations. Even-though I ended up going in a different career path, my degree gave me foundational skills that I’ve used consistently throughout my career. When I think about skills that have been most essential, I have to say communication is at the top of that list.
Studying communication gave me the confidence to express myself, along with giving me the compassion to understand and relate to others. These are essential skills I use daily in my business. My only obstacle has been my commitment to having balance in my life. For me, this is one obstacle that has aways been a non-negotiable. For me, balance is necessary. I am a wife and mother of 3 girls. I must take time for myself and my family. That time has worked against me professionally at times, however I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For those who are getting to know me today, I started my professional career as a makeup artist and beauty educator almost immediately after graduating college. I’ve been in the beauty space for almost 15 years. I began with a small brand based in Ohio, LaChae Cosmetics. One year later, I went on to work for M.A.C Cosmetics for 13 years. While at M.A.C, my career in beauty grew to include brand management, sales, retail operations, employee training and development.
Today I work with creatives, brands, and retailers providing personal and professional brand development, creative consulting, marketing and education within the beauty space.
I also own a beauty tech startup brand. My Beauty Kit® Mobile App is available in beta testing now with Apple and Google Play. An extension of this app is the My Beauty Kit Brand. Here we retail specialty beauty accessories promoting a less intimidating experience with beauty for consumers.
My beauty work has been featured in Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, Jet Magazine, MTV, Who’s Who, NFL half-time shows, and film. My passion for art and creativity drive me to maintain a small clientle who desire hands on makeup application and beauty education.
I am most proud of the relationships I’ve been able to build. I currently sit on the Board of Directors for two beauty organizations (Sanitation Conversation and Detroit Beauty Collective) and have affiliations throughout the industry.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Early in my career, I wish that I’d taken advantage of building a community outside my immediate work family. Have a strong network is a valuable resource. Looking back, I had opportunities to build relationships by attending industry events, joining professional organizations and by building a personal brand outside my title. I didn’t take advantage of this until I started my constancy and that was a mistake.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my view, society can support artists and creatives by introducing creative careers to our youth at an early age. I often work with college bound youth who have no idea that there are creative careers that fit their individual passions and areas of interest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shaybbeautiful.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaybbeautiful
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaybbeautiful
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shay-bailey
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shaybbeautiful
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC35b2LXSOZk8OlKSQ-L768g?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits
Image Credits: Navy B. Rae Photography