One of my favorite parts about blogging is getting the chance to meet extraordinary females. It's inspiring to see fellow young women chase and achieve their dreams...and I won't lie, it really helps to be able to ask for advice from someone else who's experienced the ups and downs of starting your own brand, since it can be slow-going on the road to success.
For this reason, I've committed myself to doing occasional "Spotlight segments", to not only showcase talented women that I feel deserve some recognition but to also lend inspiration to anyone else who's considered starting up their own company and wants to learn more about what it takes to make the leap.
Today I've sat down with founder and CEO of Seven Seven Cosmetics, Emily Jimison, who has graciously agreed to answer all of my annoying questions about what took her from being a successful Los Angeles makeup artist to deciding to launch her own line of beauty products. Here's what she had to share:
Q: So Emily...tell us a little bit about yourself. What made you decide on a career in the beauty industry in the first place?
A: If you would've told me 10 years ago that I would be in the profession that I am in I would've laughed at you. I had always been in love with all things beauty, but never in my wildest dreams saw it as a viable career. I'd graduated from the University of Arizona and pursued business; had your standard entry level desk job.....and realized that this was NOT going to make me happy in the long term, despite how "reliable" a job path it was. It took me sitting there, bored to death all day, to realize that I needed to pursue something that I loved waking up to every day. I worked at a local makeup counter after that and already felt one step closer to being in the right field. Since I was walking into work genuinely happy to be there, I knew that I was going to go after this profession. I was ready to go all in -- so I enrolled back in school, got my license as an aesthetician, and within 6 months had moved down to L.A.
Q: What were your initial thoughts about the industry?...It's a lot of work and can be discouraging, did that ever scare you since you'd abruptly changed careers after graduating from college?
A: Honestly, I was scared out of my mind! It's a really intimidating world to be in. Luckily I went into it knowing that it'd BE hard but I still had to learn how to not take things personally in a city like Los Angeles. I think that anyone who moves here to pursue their dreams learns that pretty quickly....there's just a lot of competition. My experiences here helped shape me--I had to chase my dreams out here with confidence; something I've always felt strongly about. It's so incredibly important to be confident, no matter what that means to you-- for a lot of people, beauty is what makes them feel confident--and there are so many different versions of beautiful. I encourage people to find what makes them feel like the best version of themselves through what I do. Then I quickly realized that it wasn't actually about makeup it was about making someone feel beautiful and confident....I was instilling that in them...no matter what that meant to them. And that started an undying love for this industry.
Q: What was makeup artistry like when you first started off? What have been your favorite moments in the industry? What have been the hardest?
A: Starting off there was a lot to learn. And a lot to do. Like I said, I'd had to get my license and plan a move to a new big city, since L.A. were where the jobs were. Early jobs consisted of assisting other makeup artists....cleaning brushes, carrying luggage, organizing products, the list goes on....I had to work REALLY hard to achieve the success I did. It was from those odd jobs assisting that I finally started to earn the better-paying gigs. Networking....people I'd assisted giving me a good recommendation, etc....those things are what really launched my career. It definitely didn't happen overnight.
The coolest parts have definitely been seeing other artists I look up to use our product and actually believe in it as much as we do! Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I feel so humbled to be supported by some of the world's best artists. Other than that the best part has honestly been learning-- learning from the artists that let me work under them....seeing their techniques and what of their's works for me and what doesn't. The most challenging part was patience....and flexibility! There are moments where you need to be able to drop everything and travel to a location with minimal notice. It's exciting but can be frustrating in real life.
Q: So you then were inspired to launch your own line of cosmetics... Where did you get started and what's it been like so far?
A: Starting the line was a dream of mine for a long time! The logistics of it were a little terrifying in the beginning, but the reward of giving people the right, healthy kind of products in the end definitely trumped the fear. My goal was to teach customers that makeup doesn't have to be complicated and that it can still have multiple skin benefits. I started by finding a chemist that understood my vision as well. Once the formula was perfected (and that took about 12 tries, haha) we had to find designers, writers, photographers, and an entire team of people that got our vision too. Like with anything, there have been setbacks.
Q: Your debut product is Natural Glow: Finishing Mist.....what are some other products that you have in the works and when can we expect them by?
A: Our Finishing Mist was in the works for over a year before it finally debuted. I didn't want to have just another product on the shelf--I wanted to create something that was lacking in everyday makeup kits, and I wanted it to be perfect. It had to keep your makeup lasting from the time you walked out of your door until the time your head hit the pillow and then some...
This product keeps your makeup fresh while hydrating your skin and protecting it from harsh UV rays. It decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and is on-trend with multi-use products that are taking the place of an everyday complicated regimen.
We are currently working on a face primer, eye primer and lip conditioner that you can expect to be healthy and multi-functional as well. We are expecting to launch these this summer. I'm most excited for the Lip Conditioner to debut-- it's so creamy and makes your lips so incredibly soft-- haha, it's life-changing! I always keep this product on me.
Q: Thank you so much, Emily, for taking the time for Spotlight....before we finish, are there any bits of advice you want to give to other aspiring artists or entrepreneurs? Or anyone thinking of a career in skincare or beauty....
A: Just get out there and go for it! Dive in headfirst and don't look back. If you want something, go get it! Know that you are capable of achieving anything you want in this world if you are willing to work for it. Learn as much as possible about your craft of choice and never become complacent with it. Become a sponge and soak in every tip and piece of advice that someone throws your way; tying everything back with confidence. 'Cuz it all comes back to confidence! Believe in yourself and what you are doing. If you do that, you cannot fail! ....and good luck!
To check out Emily's new line, Seven Seven Cosmetics and try out a healthy approach to makeup you can visit them online here where you'll receive (if I do say so myself) one of the cutest-packaged goodie bags (boxes) in the mail, like, ever!
Do you know any fierce female entrepreneurs that deserve a Spotlight?....Tell me who they are and why you love their product and maybe they'll be selected for next month's segment! Message me directly or leave your email in the comments below for more details. And.....Happy Hump Day!
❤︎,
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