We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany “Tia” Short recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany “Tia”, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Many times as Entrepreneurs, especially Creatives, we tend to think that we have to grow our businesses alone and spend the majority of our time creating our products or delivering services. The primary mindset at initial business kick off is to only focus on generating revenue and satisfying customers to establish the brand. This mindset can be detrimental to any entrepreneur, especially a creative, and this was the toughest mindset for me to break.

Initially, my business grew organically but I faced challenges when desiring to expand my reach and scale. This was partly due to my limited knowledge of expansion and business in general. As a creative, I was mastering my craft but had deficits in business acumen that stunted the growth of my brand. After recognizing and admitting to myself that I did not have a sufficient skillset to grow the brand, I then began to research coaching programs that could assist.

The major turning point for TiaTori Artistry was when I made the best investment of my career, and hired both a Business Coach and a Creative Coach. Having a coach for both sides of the business enabled me to identify opportunities for growth, develop my business acumen, enhance my craft, and remove blockages that were preventing growth. After receiving coaching, I was able to sell the value to our services, increase our booking rates, perform my craft at a higher level of expertise, and choose the clients that were ideal for my brand.

Investing in Coaching can be very costly but when the lessons are applied accurately, the business will reap the success and growth it desires.

Tiffany “Tia”, 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 was born to create! As a child I was artistic and kept busy with various kinds of art such as drawing, painting, crafting, and fashion design. My love of art followed me into adulthood where I received a degree in Textile & Apparel Management from North Carolina State University, as my original goal was to be a fashion designer. Although, I actively pursued a fashion degree, performing hair and makeup services was something that I had always been interested in and did for extra money while in school.

Post graduation (2006), I decided to pursue formal training in Makeup Artistry and started my business as a freelance Makeup Artist. I later received my license in Cosmetology and today TiaTori Artistry is one of the. leading Beauty Firms in North Carolina providing services for Bridal, Special Events, and Photography. We are an award winning Firm and have served clients all over the country and the Dominican Republic.

In addition to our beauty services, we offer Beauty Business Coaching to Artists/Stylists and Beauty Courses for enthusiasts who want to learn tips and techniques to perfect their own looks.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Makeup Artistry is more than a revenue generator as it’s a creative outlet and at times therapeutic. I live for the transformation that the artistry gives and it’s an immediate self-esteem booster for the client. I live for the moment when a service is complete and the client views themselves in the mirror. I have had clients display a range of emotions and have been fortunate to witness tears of joy, excited screams, and pure happiness!

I get the greatest reward when clients are able to visualize their intrinsic beauty externally. They get to see how I view them and the enhancements that are made on their best features. The reveal moment is what keeps me coming back client after client!

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

One of the greatest lessons I had to unlearn was the concept of following trends. It’s very easy as a creative to get caught up in what other artists are sharing from a trend and content perspective. The assumption is that if one audience enjoys a particular style or type of content another audience will also. When this happens we begin to see a whole segment of creatives who are regurgitating the same creations.

I have learned that diversity in your craft and being who you are authentically will attract the right audience of people to you and your craft. As a creative, I want my targeted client to be attracted to who TiaTori Artistry is based on the values we believe, the services we offer, and who our Artists genuinely are as people. Not following trends and breaking away from the status quo allows Creatives to live more freely and without judgement while delivering their products and services.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tiatori.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tiatori_artistry
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theacademybytia