We were lucky to catch up with Azeeza Adam recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Azeeza, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
My optimism comes from my religion. I come from a Muslim household where Islam is the religion of practice (for those who do not know). For years, I’ve had a negative mindset and thought the worst of myself. My love for my religion was found through actually making the effort to learn about it and applying it to my life. Whenever I feel the lowest of the low, somehow my religion always gives me hope.
I always saw myself running some sort of business from a young age however unaware of what industry. My religion keeps me optimistic because everything I have, I have prayed for. I feel as if the key to success is through prayer and hard work. Although, I am not my version of successful, my religion keeps me dreaming big, working harder than I did yesterday and no obstacle or challenge in life comes to you without any good coming from it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Azeeza Adam and I am a makeup artist based in Sydney, Australia. I have been a makeup artist for almost 3 years. I’ve started playing around with makeup when I was 13 years old. I recently turned 22. As a 13 year old, I spent some of my time watching Bretman Rock doing his makeup while being to school and always found him funny. My passion grew from watching videos and playing around with paintbrushes and kids eyeshadow palettes which, back then, I took from my baby sisters.
One of my goals about running this business is to make people feel special when they have an event. While looks isn’t all we should care about, when us women feel like we look good, we feel good about going to wherever we’re going. Usually, not all of us have events to go to every weekend thus, we get our makeup done occasionally. So, the last thing I want is to be a client’s makeup artist horror story that they tell to other makeup artists.
The most exciting part about this business is that I meet women from all walks of life. This job has allowed me to be more open-minded and appreciate how different we all are.
The most special part about running a makeup artistry business is seeing people’s reactions to my work. I always feel nervous about doing a face and even sometimes disappointed when I have a look in mind and it doesn’t turn out the way I wanted. Another exiting thing is getting opportunities such a brand collaborations, magazines, and photoshoots. Although, I’ve never worked with a huge brand or person, I have this belief to take every opportunity as they come as I never know who will see my work.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I hope this is useful advice!
Quality – Confidence. This is something I still struggle with. I mainly struggle with this due to comparison of myself to other makeup artists. Alas, this is important to have. No confidence means that we are constantly clouding our own judgement and consistently blocking ourselves from reaching our true potential. So, the only person in between you and success, is YOU. Don’t let failure or rejection ruin your confidence either. If you don’t fail at least once, you will never learn. Life is way too short to ponder upon whether we should do something or not.
Skills – Feedback. One of the most important aspects to running a small business. My service is dedicated to making people feel special so knowing about not only if my makeup has lasted throughout the night, but also if my service has made them feel safe and comfortable is also my priority.
Skills – Relationship building. It’s so important to build relationships with my clients, not only will they recommend you to others but they will keep your business running by being loyal. Additionally, it is also important to build relationships in the creative industry. Thus, your business can get more exposure.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I feel as if social media was my biggest area of growth. One thing I wanted to focus on last year was building my page and getting into the habit of posting regularly. I feel as if the more I posted, the more opportunities rose and I started receiving clients. Even to this day, consistency is one of my biggest struggles because I get so mentally overwhelmed with social media. But my whole business is ran on social media and I have to suck it up. Additionally, if I do not put anything into my business, I will not get anything out of it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakedupbyz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cakedupbyz
Image Credits
Azeeza Adam
