We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sheena Rae. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sheena below.

Hi Sheena, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I had ever taken was jumping both feet into working full-time as a hair and makeup artist. In January of 2020, I was working as an architectural designer at a job that I went to school for over 5 years for. I was working part time as a makeup artist at this time. I was balancing both jobs, taking time off from my day job to do makeup jobs. It came to the point where I had to pick. I wanted to follow what made my heart happy, and that choice wasn’t sitting behind a desk from 9-5. I decided that the next day, I was going to hand in my resignation. I didn’t have a savings, or even a plan. In my head, I kept telling myself if I don’t try now, I never will. Everything was amazing, then unfortunately COVID had shut down the world in March. I was left with my business shut down. I had no idea what to do, feeling lost. I then decided that this was my chance to grow my business. I decided to take a couple of online hair courses and learn hair styling. I never thought that it would blow up my business the way it did. I took the months that I was off of work and decided to go fourth in my business and enhance my skills. I never knew what the future looked like that January, but it was still the biggest but best risk I had ever taken.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Sheena, and I am the owner and lead stylist of Sheena Rae Beauty.

I got into makeup artistry when I was studying to become an architect. I landed on the world of beauty YouTubers in 2016 and decided that I loved the art of makeup. I would spend all my free time filming content for YouTube and taking pictures of my makeup looks for Instagram. Eventually a friend of mine was getting married and had asked me to do her wedding makeup for her big day and it snowballed from there. I decided that I loved the feeling of helping others feel like their best selves so I ended up taking a makeup artistry certification in 2019. Fast forward to today I am running a beauty business, a team, traveling the world doing what I love most, helping people feel beautiful and creating art every single day.

Sheena Rae Beauty provides hair and makeup services for all events you can think of, education for beginners all the way to professionals who want to continuously keep learning. Later this year, I will be launching a certification course. And I get to travel the world providing these amazing services to clients. I am also a social media content creator, sharing my everyday life, beauty and fashion.

The problem that I solve for clients is breaking down the basics of hair and makeup. Teaching them the basics and as well as teaching my clients the best way to apply their makeup or style their hair to suit their face shapes or their hair texture.

The thing I am most proud of is the amount I have grown Sheena Rae Beauty, I am booked for over 50 weddings per year, running a team of 6 artists, coaching other artists, helping clients feel their best, and giving clients confidence that they never knew. There is nothing better than watching clients faces light up when you finish glamming them up, Whether its a natural, soft glam or full glam makeup look.

If there is anything that you should know about me it is that I will do anything and everything for my clients. I am known for being an all around person to have. Whether its tying a tie, steaming your dress, or even witnessing your wedding, I will do it all.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started my Instagram as a makeup influencer back in 2017. This was when I where I was sharing all my makeup looks. Back then this was the rise of the full glam 2016 heavy makeup. (very different from my style now). A couple years ago, I started sharing more of my personal life, my journey as a makeup artist, my gym journey, and my fur babies.

If I have any advice for people starting a social media presence today, it would be to just be yourself and share the things that make you, you. The thing that I have learned the most is that you are your brand. People will love you for simply being you. Also post the content that you enjoy. I started off just posting makeup looks, but as I started building these personal relationships with my clients, they became my loyal followers and love the updates on my life and especially my dog Frankie.

Just remember that you are the brand! Your business is a part of that.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the biggest thing that built my reputation in the industry is truly just being myself. I strive to have strong relationships with my clients, and it snowballs from there. When a client has a great experiences and they love you and your work. They will tell everyone and anyone about you. Ensuring your clients are happy, and going the extra mile for them means so much to them.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sheenaraebeauty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheenaraebeauty/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenakozak/

Image Credits
1. Carissa Marie Photography 2. Lewis and Co 3. Christy D Swanberg Photo 4. dxb creative co 5. Holly Honour Photography 6. Olivia Ryan Photography 7. Brooklynn Caroline Photography 8. dxb creative co