Meet Rudy Miles

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rudy Miles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rudy below.

Hi Rudy, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

It’s interesting to me that I got my work ethic long before I ever started working. Watching my parents go to work on a daily basis seemed exciting to me for some reason. I remember at a young age telling my parents i’d rather work than go to school and I remember them telling me soon enough I would be doing both. What stuck with me was their consistency and I liked the idea of making money in exchange for doing something whereas with school I perceived it as all work; again I was young.

Once I got the opportunity to visit my parents at work and see them in action, I was even more in awe of them. They worked at a mail filling house long before automation took over that filed. My mother would stiff envelopes and lightening speed and my father was one of the no nonsense managers of the facility.

When I entered the workforce, it was the team around me that built my level of professionalism and performance but my other elements were already in place; attendance, punctuality, communication, accountability.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Originally, my start in the world of beauty and fashion was an aspiration to be a model. I’m originally from Chicago and I did get some exposure as a model there. There was a model search at which an agent mentioned to me that if I was ever in NYC to look them up. I took that to mean I should move to NYC and in 1995 I did just that.

It was my youth that encouraged me to move to NYC with no job and $1,000 to my name. It was also my youth that knew I had to make it work. Because I soon needed money meant I also needed a job. I begin working at the Aveda Corporation at one of their retail stores. It was there that I really developed my customer service skills as well as begin to learn makeup artistry. I ws able to visit every continent except Australia and Antartica through my work travels.

My career at Aveda allowed me to grow from starting on the retail floor in 1995 and leaving the company as Director of Makeup in 2010. Upon leaving the company, I started branding myself as an advertising and editorial makeup artist under the name beautybyrudy.

Now as a makeup artist and esthetician, my work covers many aspects of the beauty industry. As an artist, I enjoy doing makeup and making women “feel’ beautiful whether it’s photo shoot, fashion show or wedding. My skincare knowledge is often invaluable as I have to have skincare conversations so often with the talent in the chair. Many confuse what makeup can do and what skincare can do.

In the space of beauty, I have also launched limited edition beautybyrudy products like lipstick, lip glosses and face powder. Makeup and skincare brands also hire me as a consultant for product development, marketing, and education content.

Lastly, I also very proud to be a Volunteer National Trainer and Workshop Facilitator for the Look Good Feel Better Foundation since 2014. This amazing free program allows me to use my makeup and skincare knowledge to assist women going through the appearance related side effects cancer treatment.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I can imagine that studying the history of your craft has validity in any industry. In makeup, it’s crucial to know the history of makeup; not only the artists that have shaped the industry but also the evolution of products and ingredients/safety. So, I guess this is speaking to knowledge of your field and truly being a subject matter expert.

Next, use your voice. Looking back, I can remember the exact moment that I started using my voice on set and how it shifted how I was seen and heard on the job. In this space is also the release of the expectation of everyone agreeing or even my ideas being implemented. The point is I’m on record for saying my peace.

Learning never ends. Always be a sponge because you can wring out what doesn’t work for you. Again, I can imagine in most industries there are changes that shape the industries; technology alone is such a game changer. Be aware of these movements so that you can speak on them and even have a perspective of your own about them.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

One of my favorite books is The Four Agreements written by Miguel Ruiz. These universal concepts help to navigate any aspect of my personal and professional life.

Be impeccable with your word. I have found this to be so important in building trust, which is such a building block for any relationship. Professionally, I have found that I’m often called back by clients because of my consistency and reliability.

Always do your best. Yes, there have been times in which perhaps a client’s expectations didn’t connect with what my hands delivered as an artist. But I always ask myself, “Did I do my best?” This is such a freeing approach because also allows for the reality that your best is never the same each time and art is subjective.

Don’t make assumptions. This concept requires my constant consciousness around my thought and thought pattern. This allows me to relieve anxiety around things that have not manifested and usually never do. More importantly, it allows me the opportunity to ask questions for clarity and opens conversations that usually all parties involve also wanted to have.

Don’t take anything personally. This is the last agreement and I offer it as a bonus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beautybyrudy.square.site
• Instagram: beautybyrudy
• Facebook: beautybyrudy
• Linkedin: Rudy Miles
• Twitter: beautybyrudy
• Youtube: Rudy Miles
• Yelp: Rudy M.

Image Credits

Ricardo Louis