This week I had the honor of being one of the professional makeup artists for the Leading Woman Defined Summit in Dana Point, California. Because I was working the event, doing makeup on many of the panelist and presenters, I was not able to fully take advantage of all the event had to offer. BUT I was able to hear many of the speakers. Including, Tabitha Brown, Alicia Boler Davis,Tekedra Makawana, Misty Copeland and LLCoolJ, just to name a few. Yes!! The eavesdropping was GOOD and the gems they dropped were sparkling!
“confidence in my abilities of makeup artistry has not yet seeped over into my confidence as a self-promoting, 2min elevator pitching, capital seeking business owner”.
Going into the weekend I was met with overwhelming insecurity. Not about my makeup skills. Makeup has always been a safe space of confidence for me. I can‘t really remember the last time I felt insecure about my abilities. Once I hit the 10 year mark of my career I knew I was talented and I unattached the approval from others to be considered a “good makeup artist”. Even if someone does not like what I do, I know, in the core of my being that it does not mean I am a bad artist. We all know the saying “you can‘t please everyone all the time“ so in those moments when someone is regrettably unhappy, though, I will try my best to rectify the the displeasure, it does not diminish my value as a makeup artist in the industry. That client just happens to be someone I am not meant to please in that moment. Am I perfect? no, do I make mistakes?, yes, and I try to have the modesty to learn and from those opportunities for growth, but in no way do those moments take away from the thousands of clients that I have made beautiful. The ones that have loved my work over the 15+ years of my career. This confidence in my abilities of makeup artistry has not yet seeped over into my confidence as a self-promoting, 2min elevator pitching, capital seeking business owner. For the Leading Women Defined summit I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from, be inspired and motivated by such talented and successful women in an array of industries. It was like I was able to turn on the lights in a dark room, and simultaneously given a toolbox to start getting to work.
”Within all the conversations, interviews and moderated discussions, I took away gems that will apply to me along my wanderful journey with Entclés”.
This year’s theme was “Wanderful Journey“ and that phrase summed up perfectly the paths of the panelists that impacted me the most. Hearing stories like that of Alicia Boler Davis whose early career was in a space of engineering for GM and now occupies the seat of CEO for a digital pharmaceutical company. And Tekedra Makawana, her educational background is as a top lawyer, therefore it was not a linear step to CEO of a tech startup revolutionizing transportation. Every woman it seemed started down one path that seemed to have a specific destination only for there to be turns along the way that lead them to remarkable heights. Within all the conversations, interviews and moderated discussions, I took away gems that will apply to me along my wanderful journey with Entclés.
“Breaking myself down to the studs, who am I?”
“Breaking myself down to the studs, who am I? What do I want to do? Do I believe I’m able to do something that has never been done? Can I do this successfully?” This is what one panelist said to herself when she was presented with the not so linear opportunity that switched and advanced her career, Tekedra Makawana. I had those same feelings when I was starting Entclés. I still have those questions. I am an artist, a creator. I have been content in the creation, development phase of Entclés, creating beautiful and functional designs. But has there been a contentment with the being an artist? That freespirted mindset of letting the universe [God] take me [my business] where it is meant to go, been a shield so that I don‘t have to shoulder the responsibility of failure or success? There was a lot said in those five questions of self reflection. The answer to which will determine how one, [I], will approach life, [my business] going forward. She mentioned, “sitting in the humility of opportunity“. WOW never thought of that before. But she’s right, It is humbling to have potential greatness in your hands. Those questions of doubt, and self reflection can be your worst enemy or your biggest motivation. Tekedra said it best when she stated “It’s ok to question your qualifications but know who to question them with”. The only way for those questions of self reflection to be motivating is to ask them in the mirror of truth, whether internally with yourself or with trusted confidants. It was a smack in my face to realize I had been questioning my qualifications of greatness with the algorithms of social media. An inanimate man-made technology that doesn’t even know me. An outlet that will never let anyone be “good enough”. The nature and meaning of algorithm itself makes new and never-been-done irrelevant because without comparative data or a box to put something in, it‘s discarded as unlikeable, unprofitable, useless. Knowing not to question oneself with this faceless machine, but with ONESELF is the most powerful and humbling asset a business owner can possess. The most filtered place one can be is not the place to tell anyone what they are capable of.
As essential as attaining confidence is to embarking on one’s path to greatness. It is just as important to remain flexible. LLCoolJ stated, “You need to be flexible, things happen in the in-between, rigidity is death.” Another panelist said it great when they expressed how they have given themselves the permission to keep learning. When we stay humble we let go of the ego that can override the opportunity to learn, grow and reach our goals. Unfortunately social media and cancel culture has made this flexibility more difficult. Through social media we see our worlds so filtered, manicured and seemingly perfect. A blip of time that was composed just so. But what if you were to pull back in it’s frame just a little more, show a little more of the scene? The audience would see all the frayed imperfections off to the side, the spills, the shadows, the bumps and the trash. But of course , why would the algorithm want to promote something so free and attainable, imperfection.
“we set the matrix ablaze”
So my biggest takeaway from the Leading Women Defined summit is this: By allowing ourselves to be “good enough”, allowing ourselves to not know everything, allowing ourselves to pivot, we essentially toss out the fear of failure. A fear that suffocates innovation, growth and success. In releasing that fear and we set the algorithm on fire!! Our accelerant is trying, by trying without fear, ready to learn, we set the matrix ablaze and let the flames carve out our wanderful journey toward our definition of success.