Today we’d like to introduce you to India Henderson.
India, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I took cosmetology while in high school and obtained my cosmetology license upon graduating. I worked in the hair salon on the campus of the University of Houston while living on campus and attending school. After leaving college, I honestly had no plan of ever using my cosmetology license again. I moved to Atlanta, GA and after being there a few years, I decided I wanted a part-time job. With my regular work hours, I needed something in the evenings and on weekends but I knew folding clothes at a retail store was not for me. I applied for the fragrance department at Macy’s but was offered a position at the Clinique counter. I wasn’t a big makeup wearer and had never applied makeup on anyone before but I decided, why not? After being at the Clinique counter for 6 months, they opened a MAC counter in Macy’s and the manager asked if I would like to switch to MAC.
I was a little more familiar with skin care by this time but not even close to considering myself a makeup artist. After joining the MAC team, my love for artistry began to grow as I was exposed to true artistry. This is when I decided to take things a little more seriously. I began to study my craft and educate myself on the ins and outs of the business. I made the decision of what I wanted my area of specialty to be. Once I developed my skill enough and was comfortable offering my services as a freelance artist, I began to learn about the business side of things. I worked for MAC for 7 years before becoming a freelance artist. I’ve had the opportunity to work for a news station, on movie sets, music videos, and a plethora of photo shoots. It wasn’t until I moved back to Houston, that I decided to open my own Makeup Studio. I’ve been in my studio for 14 months now and I absolutely love it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been absolute struggles along the way. The uncertainty of entrepreneurship is a struggle in itself. Then there’s the struggle of maintaining focus, the struggle of impulse control, the struggle of comparison, and the struggle of saying no, just to name a few. I had a huge issue with follow through. I had all of these amazing ideas for my brand on paper but never walked them all the way through to manifestation. You have to stay focused. What starts off as a productive day can easily turn into 8 hours of wasted time. It’s also easy to get overwhelmed and then nothing gets accomplished. You have to take on things a little at a time. You have to create a system that works for you. My system was to create a master “TO DO” list. Break that down with monthly deadlines. Then break down the monthly list with weekly deadlines, then create tasks for each day of the week, and so on. This was the only way that I could see a progression and not just movement.
The struggle of saying no wasn’t hard for me to get over. Once I learned my value, I was not discounting my skills. You have to accept that everyone is not your customer. No shade towards those who are, but I am not your $35-50 full face makeup artist. I identified my market and that’s my target audience. Most entrepreneurs want to serve so it’s easy to find ourselves saying yes or giving in to the pity stories of those who want our services but don’t want to pay for them. Sometimes we feel that saying “no” is being mean. Your time is very valuable. It is your most precious resource so select your charity work wisely.
Comparison is truly the thief of joy. It is very easy to look at our peers and feel as if they are further along than we are. This isn’t wise. You don’t know how long someone else has been working towards their goals. Stay prayerful, Trust God, remain focused and enjoy your journey.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into CANVAS makeup artistry story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a professional makeup artist. I specialize in beauty makeup. I consider myself the Queen of Natural Glam. My goal is to enhance a woman’s natural beauty by adding a touch of glam. My looks are usually clean, classic looks that will forever be worn. I will meet my client’s need by providing whatever they request, but I have a signature look that makes my work stand out from others.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
According to a 2017 study by Lee Hecht Harrison, “Elevating Women in Leadership,” most organizations see this as a problem but haven’t been successful in fixing it. Family responsibilities are usually on women, some believe that women are emotionally driven, and others feel that women don’t have the experience required to lead an organization. These are all barriers to female leadership.
You would think that the beauty industry would be female dominant, but it’s not. There is more reputable male makeup artist than women. In my industry specifically, I think it could be due to jealousy, competition, and comparison. Woman are more comfortable with a male seeing them bare-faced than another female. There is a fear of possible judgment. I’ve even heard that a female makeup artist isn’t going to make another female look better than her, and for that reason, the client would rather a male artist. I whole-heartedly believe that females have the knowledge and ability to lead in any industry. 60% of bachelor degrees in America are held by females. The education is clearly there. If we can just push past the gender bias and elect leaders for their true ability, we would have more females in leadership positions.
Pricing:
- In Studio makeup services $85
- Mobile makeup services $150
Contact Info:
- Address: 6223 Richmond Ave. Ste. 101
Houston, TX 77057 - Website: www.canvasmus.com
- Phone: 832-464-4630
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/canvas_mua
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/canvasmua
Image Credit:
Dexter Coheniei
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
