Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Heckenast.
Paula, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I ended up giving a friend a ride to check out the makeup school before she decided to register and while we were there I decided to sign up as well. I was excited because makeup had always been something I was interested in. I remember in high school I would end up giving my partner on projects a complete makeover rather than doing the actual school work.
Has it been a smooth road?
The beginning was easy only because I wasn’t taking myself very seriously. I completed makeup school and upon completion, I started doing makeup for free or very cheap. I was using inexpensive products and my talent was nowhere close to the level it is now.
Aside from developing talent, I had to grow as a business person and professional. I have learned so much from putting myself out there and trying. I remember the days I spent working in a cubical daydreaming about being able to work for myself. If you knew me back then you knew I was always talking about how badly I couldn’t wait to “quit my day job”.
I was working a full-time office type job, my daughter was in full-time daycare and I was taking any makeup jobs I could after work and on the weekends. I remember driving to Indiana from the south-west suburbs of Chicago for $150 for an 8 hour day. As someone who can now make an average of $750 per day (when I am working in the field), it is truly amazing to look back at how far I have come.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
City Lights Makeup is a company made up of myself and other fabulous freelance artists I hire for many different opportunities ranging from weddings and prom to high-end productions and celebrity private clients.
I am very proud of where the brand is today. I have a real passion for making people look amazing. It is one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever had. To give a person confidence is to lift someone up. I have had people sit in my chair and cry because they are so filled with joy. Absolutely a job I won’t have an issue coming into every day.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago is absolutely a wonderful city for professional makeup artistry, however, the industry is very saturated. I think to prevent this we can add more requirements before a person can practice. I find that many hobbyists are taking over the market and this kind of throws everything out of wack since they aren’t professionally trained.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.citylightsmakeup.com
- Phone: 7089690680
- Email: paula@citylightsmakeup.com
- Instagram: @citylightsmakeup
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/citylightsmakeupartistryinc
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/MUAchicago
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/city-lights-makeup-artistry-worth-3
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