As we approach Mother's Day, we celebrate the inspirational women who not only excel in their careers but also navigate the joys and challenges of motherhood. In honour of these incredible ladies, we have reached out to five talented makeup artist mothers who are part of our community.
We asked them to share their insights on the beautiful balancing act of running a business while nurturing their families. Their experiences, wisdom, and heartfelt reflections serve as a testament to the extraordinary dedication and resilience of mothers everywhere.
Dana
How many children do you have and their names and ages?
1, Hunter and he's 1.5 years old!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since becoming a mum?
Live in the moment, time goes by so fast. One day you've got a newborn, the next day you've got a toddler that's walking and talking. I still feel like Hunter should be a newborn.
How has being a mum influenced your approach to leadership and business decisions?
I've learned to say no and step back when something doesn't align with my goals. I now prioritise what is most important both personally and professionally, focusing on what will best support my goals for the future.
What’s the best piece of advice your mum gave you?
I have a couple of goodies from mum. If you never try to chase your dreams, you'll always wonder what could've been. And you don't have to buy a new outfit for every event.
How do you navigate challenges unique to working mothers in your industry?
Always reach out for support and ask questions and lean on those closest to you. You can't cancel a wedding, when they need a tribe it's true.
Tess
How many children do you have and their names and ages?
Lara 6, Hardy 4 and Carter 7 months
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since becoming a mum?
Unselfishness! Naturally your world revolves around them. Best lesson ever.
How has being a mum influenced your approach to leadership and business decisions?
In every way. You think about everything you do/say and display them as a role model for those little sponges. It's incredible how much they take in and you only want it to be amazing.
What’s the best piece of advice your mum gave you?
Not gave me but showed me - patience which I am definitely still working on. I admire her patience and care. She was a stay at home mum so I think naturally you have a little bit more patience without deadlines, running a business and coordinating everything else. But she demonstrates it and I try so hard to still be like that as much as I can.
How do you navigate challenges unique to working mothers in your industry?
I love that my industry is so driven by so many other women with the same challenges and they fully support each other. I bring my babies. I always have to shoots and do jobs where my clients have their kids as well. They are so understanding. It's so hard but being surrounded by similar minds/ hard working mums makes the juggle so much easier when they get it. But also having a support system of other artists in the industry to fall back on is so important if kids are sick etc.
Sharni
Congratulations on your pregnancy - how many weeks are you?
I am 28 weeks pregnant with my first baby
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since finding out you’ll soon be a mum?
Everybody has an opinion or something to say when you mention you’re pregnant, the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to be kinder to myself & not take what anyone else says too seriously!
How has being a soon to be mum influenced your approach to leadership and business decisions?
Being a soon to be mum has definitely made me put myself first in my business more than ever before, prioritising rest & no longer over booking myself that’s for sure!
What’s the best piece of advice your mum gave you?
I am so blessed to be super close with my mum, she’s my assistant on almost all bridal bookings! The best piece of advice she’s given me is to follow my dreams & she’s actually the reason I started my business 9 years ago! She’s always been my biggest supporter
How do you navigate challenges unique to pregnant mothers in your industry and how has your perspective on beauty and makeup evolved since becoming pregnant?
I’ve found running a business while pregnant has been a real test, I was always one to put business & clients before myself but since growing bubs it’s really taught me to be kinder to my body! The long days on my feet & little to no lunch breaks definitely had to change. Throughout pregnancy I’ve had days I feel incredible & days I’ve felt a-little worse for wear, it’s those days a-bit of extra makeup adds some sparkle to my self confidence. But ultimately my perspective on beauty has always been it comes from within & how you feel is way more important than what you look like.
Lou
How many children do you have and their names and ages?
I have one! Her name is Billie and she one year old.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since becoming a mum?
That in the grand scheme of things, nothing else really matters. The things that felt so big to me before suddenly feel so little and insignificant.
How has being a mum influenced your approach to leadership and business decisions?
I think becoming a mum has made me a better business person, the stakes are higher now. Everything I do is for her and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more driven than I do now and it’s because of her.
What’s the best piece of advice your mum gave you?
Mum always backed me and told me I could do whatever I wanted to do. When I was younger my dream was to be an actor, she would drive me from eisteddfod to eisteddfod every weekend and fully support my dreams (lol, yes I was a drama geek). It didn’t change when my passion turned to makeup and then to starting a beauty brand. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her unwavering support.
How do you navigate challenges unique to working mothers in your industry?
My audience has always loved my honesty, so when motherhood has been challenging (like early postpartum when I was struggling with breastfeeding and recovering from a traumatic birth), the launch of my lashes was a bit delayed because of this. I was just super honest with my followers and let them know where I was at. Everyone understood and was happy to wait a little while longer for the lashes to be launched. I just have to remind myself that they’re all human and they’ll understand.