Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Suzanne Sabat. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Suzanne , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I think differently now because hindsight..but when I first started my career at 26 I truly thought I was too old to be entering an industry that most people begin at 18. It was something I always wanted to do but had a lot of family and friends who didn’t take the beauty industry seriously. they thought I wouldn’t be able to make any real money..because who spends money on getting makeup done?! Turns out a lot of people do! My path into the beauty industry was detoured when I got pregnant with my son at 22 years old. at that point I think I was more focused on becoming a mom than perusing my dreams. I stayed focused on my family and added another baby girl 2 years later. Thats when I realized putting off my dreams and being a mom didn’t need to be done! I was not too old to follow the path I knew I would be good at. I could be both…a mom and a business woman. thats when the opinions of the small minded people around me meant nothing and I had a bigger vision. I also had two little humans watching my every move. I wanted to prove to them and myself it’s never too late to become who and what you want. Moral of the story, I listened to my passion and ever since other peoples opinions of what I chose to do with my path didn’t effect the timing of anything in my life. It’s not easy balancing both but I can say I am very happy doing it. I had my last baby 2 years ago and within those years I have booked some big jobs that have been on my “goal” list all while I added to my family. Timing was never a factor, just me choosing to listening to my gut!

Suzanne , 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 got into the industry at 26 years old freelancing. I started off mainly focusing on bridal makeup. Over time I realized I love the more creative side of makeup and that was when I did New York fashion week for the first time. it lit a fire inside of me. the fast pace and the all around vibe of the glam areas was fueling me. I think that something that sets me apart, is no matter the energy in the room I can maintain mine being positive and thats something clients and brands appreciate. if I leave a job or client and they felt good about themselves or the energy around them I did my job correctly. Thats what I love about my job, I can make people see themselves better even with minor enhancements of makeup. I love hyping up whoever is in my chair. being in this industry there are a lot of people who don’t take it seriously, I had to learn over time that and to make sure I got what I deserved on jobs while protecting my brand. that meant working with people who have similar moral values as me and working on projects that meant something to me. I think thats what I am most proud of. I found the common ground of being taken seriously and people knowing this is my job and passion not some “side hustle’. What I would want people to know is there are SO many talented people in this world and supporting each other in industries will never take your talent or accomplishments away! there is room for everyone and my services are for everyone! My brand is really me as a person and the glam is a perk.

I am always learning and looking to other artists, brands and creatives to be inspired. I have a lot of goals on my list some are very big but I will never stop until I reach them. whether thats a new creative shoot, being on the set of a tv show or assisting a celebrity makeup artist. the learning and inspiration will never end!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think a lot of people who are not in a creative industry or even sometimes freelance may not understand this is how we support our lives and some of us families. so when we are asked to do a job for the “experience” or “publicity” that will not pay our bills. There are obviously some exceptions to to this but being asked all the time to lower are rate or give a discount for social media posts hurts us in so many ways. our time, our craft and our supplies are worth the rate we charge which is how we come up with our pay. we just want to make a living doing something we love like so many other people but this is still our job even if its “so fun”. A lot of effort goes into it for every single client or project and it can be draining just like any other job.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I follow a lot of artists who built their careers from the bottom up. One of those creatives and hair stylist, Jen Atkin. I watched her work on reality t.v for a long time. but once social media came I got to see her as a person. she released a book called “Blowing my way to the top”

This book talked about how hard she had to hustle to make it where she is today but also how she realized she needed balance for her personal life. which is something I think a lot of creatives have a hard time doing. we are always on and reaching for the next opportunity.

she really set the standard for woman building more business off her creative brand. she had collaborations with brands that align with her morals which I’ve mentioned before is something that is super important for me too.

she really infused this manifest mentality for goals and life. ever since I read her book I’ve made sure to pay attention to those for myself and to make sure my passion intermixes with who I am as a woman, mom and wife.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://suzannesabat.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: suz_sabat_mua
• Facebook: makeup by Suzanne
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-sabat-45b2b9275/

Image Credits
Hunter Peterson Take Care Photos- Caroline gehrke Gabriella Francesca photography