Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Scotia Boyd, founder of Scotia Boyd Makeup Artist Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a solo freelance makeup artist working for the film & television industry. I help bring character concepts to life on screen, where they live on film forever!

Tell us about yourself

As someone who’s always been drawn to art and beautiful things, the creative aspect of transforming faces and creating characters drew me to makeup artistry. The other side of the makeup industry is helping to give the people that sit in my chair confidence. It’s so special to be able to provide that service to people, making them feel good and empowering them to put their best foot forward into the world. Makeup can be so powerful in that way, and that is something that inspires me in my day-to-day work.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have always been a Disney fan! A few years ago, I was hired to do makeup on my first Disney Princesses. That was definitely one of the biggest moments for me because Disney was a huge part of my childhood. Watching Disney as a kid has honestly shaped me into who I am today. It made me believe in magic and following my dreams, so that was a full-circle moment for sure. I wasn’t as big into Batman and Robin growing up personally. However, I can still appreciate how cool it is that I got to work with those characters in the DC Universe.

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner and freelance artist has been designing my career in such a way that I can now choose to take on projects that I’m really excited about. I can also choose when I want to enjoy time off.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Being a freelance artist is a bit of a hustle, honestly! It’s knowing that you have to get out there and fight for yourself each day because no one else is paying your bills. Your livelihood depends on you and you alone. Especially when you are starting out, you play the role of everything when it comes to booking jobs, setting your rate, marketing yourself, maintaining a network, and keeping your skills or services cutting edge so that clients will want to keep coming back.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Go for it! You’ll be surprised at how well you can succeed when you strive for the extraordinary. I’ve found that people tend to compete for mediocre jobs because everyone thinks that the big successes are too unattainable. That means there’s less competition for the ones that go for it. I’m not saying it’s not going to be hard, but it’s not as hard as you think! Especially once you break down your long-term goal with short-term actionable steps. Focus on the “doing” that gets you towards the “being.”
  2. Be relentless. We see people’s successes, but we often don’t see all of the failures they made before getting there. Something that I’ve lived by in my pursuit is “not giving the universe another option.” Stop giving yourself crutches to fall back on if things don’t work out, and pursue your goals wholeheartedly. My Dad always taught me from the time I was a little kid that if you don’t succeed, try and try again. Did you send an unanswered email? Send 30 more. Keep knocking down doors. With this kind of perseverance, eventually, something is going to stick.
  3. Be open to criticism, and change what isn’t working. Once you start to achieve success, don’t close yourself off to growth and constructive criticism. The world is changing quickly, so you will get left behind if you’re not adapting and learning. Not that you should be operating out of fear, but I think that the constant learning and growth mindset are what keeps us passionate the whole way through and foster positive momentum. If you become a leader of your own company, always be open-minded to criticisms coming from the team below you. Newbies to an industry bring fresh perspectives that can lead to innovation and growth.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Stick with it! There are going to be days that you’ll feel like giving it all up, trust me. You’ll wonder why you opened up this door for yourself and want to crawl back to your easier and more comfortable life when you relied on other people and the status quo. It can be scary to rely only on yourself suddenly, but I think what scares you is worth pursuing. Otherwise, you’ll only experience regret. Write down the worst possible outcomes, so you realize that this is not life or death. You’ll be able to go back to your old life if you want to. But what would be the cost to your emotional well-being if you never went for it?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.scotiaboyd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scotiaboydmakeup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotiaboydmakeup/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotia-boyd-b075ab5b/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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