Rising Stars: Meet Brandy Rich

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandy Rich. 

Hi Brandy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Thank you for having me! Well, when growing up, we were pretty poor. I was constantly picked on in school as I grew up in a small town in Michigan and everyone knew everyone else’s business. I had a terrible self-esteem as a teenager. I think ultimately, that’s what drove me to pursue a career in the beauty industry.

I started in the beauty industry when I was still in college. I worked remotely for a company called Alpine Access at the time, doing marketing campaigns for brands such as Bare Escentuals (now known as Bare Minerals) and Proactiv. From there I started working at Nordstrom in cosmetics and worked at the Kiehls and Prescriptives counters. While at Prescriptives, I learned how to custom blend foundation and powder, which means that I mixed foundation and powders from scratch to precisely match someone’s skin. There was a lot of color theory involved, something that has been invaluable in my career as a makeup artist. I loved working with people to help them find solutions for their makeup and skincare needs. I worked there for about two years while finishing my Speech Communications degree.

Shortly after graduating college, I was offered a job in corporate America with Dex Yellow Pages. Working there made me realize how much I missed working with people in the beauty industry. After struggling with my mental health for much of my time at Dex, I decided to go back to the industry I missed. So, I left, started my own freelance makeup artist company, and enrolled in school for esthetics.

When I started esthetician school, it was never my intention to do anything esthetic-related. I was mainly going to be in compliance with Colorado’s laws in order to charge for makeup as a service. It was while I was in school that I realized that I loved and enjoyed a lot of the components about being an esthetician.

Unfortunately, the school that I went to had some unethical practices and I was suspended for a few months before being allowed to come back. After completing the esthetic program, the school wouldn’t honor their end of my scholarship. As a result, I was not allowed to take my state boards to obtain my license for three years, until the school closed. Fortunately, the state permitted me to take my state boards based on evidence proving I completed the esthetics program.

Finally having my license, I was able to form my freelance makeup business, focusing mostly on bridal and special event makeup.

After working in a salon for three months, I moved into a salon suite at Sola and started my own spa. I initially built my esthetic clientele from online deal sites and offering to rebook the same people on a special deal. I still see quite a few of these clients regularly today. Through the growth of my makeup and spa business, I moved into a bigger location almost five years ago with a friend of mine that is a licensed massage therapist.

I have now been a licensed esthetician for more than 10 years and a professional makeup artist for around 18 years. My makeup clientele has expanded to include group and individual makeup lessons, production work, and makeup for film and photography. I am also currently an educator for Elleebana and train other licensed professionals on lash lifting, brow lamination, and brow henna.

My favorite part of my job is helping people feel better about themselves.

When I am not working, I enjoy the automotive industry and cars. I like to wrench on my own vehicle and drive in autocross and time attack events. I enjoy pushing the boundaries in a male-dominated industry. I also enjoy traveling the world and experiencing other cultures and cuisines.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. I’ve already mentioned some of my challenges, but the industry can be difficult. For instance, I experienced weight discrimination and constant negative comments about my appearance at the salon I briefly worked at after getting my esthetics license. Both are things which I have always been very self-conscious about.

Also, makeup application did not come easy to me in the beginning of my career. I was very determined to learn and be a really good makeup artist. As a result, I apprenticed and assisted other makeup artist peers, along with taking makeup classes around the US so that I could better learn my craft.

As with most small business owners, I struggled when I was initially trying to grow my clientele. I had to borrow money to stay open and pay bills and expenses for about the first year. I have also had people leave false online reviews under my business, attacking my personal and professional integrity, which is never helpful when trying to attract clients.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned not to take anything for granted and to have multiple streams of income. My industry was hit pretty hard in 2020 due to the nature of our business and I was forced to close for 3.5 months. It motivated me to learn how to generate revenue without having to be in person, which is the basis of the beauty industry.

I have learned a lot as a small business owner and grown both personally and professionally as a result. One of my biggest lessons has come from working with teens and how to effectively communicate with them. It has been very rewarding to be a part of special moments like senior photos, dances, and graduation.

A lot of colleagues didn’t make it through the pandemic and ended up having to close, so I am very thankful for my clients and their support. They’re the ones we do this work for and the reasons why we’re able to stay open.

Contact Info:

• Email: Brandy@brandymrich.com
• Website: www.brandymrich.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/brandyrichmakeup
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandyMRichMUA/

Image Credits
Jamie Rich Photography
Kara Mullane Photography
Brandy Rich