We’re looking forward to introducing you to Anniessa Burke. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Anniessa, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’m loving this season of early motherhood and watching my baby boy grow. Taking time off to stay home with my son has been a blessing and I’ve been surprised by the way it has changed my perspective over the last year and a half. Before I had my son, I was very career-focused and always thought I would want to be a full-time working mom. And while I still love my work and have big career goals, I was surprised to find that my focus and desires were to stay home with him and soak up every fleeting second with him while he is still little. It has been a tremendous privilege to be able to do that part time and still work on my dreams. Truly the best of both worlds!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Anniessa (uh-nee-sah)—a pro makeup artist, licensed esthetician, and the founder of Blend Beauty & Skin. With over a decade in the industry, I’ve worked on red carpets, editorial shoots, and countless wedding mornings.
Outside of work, I’m a wife, a mom to three doodles and a sweet baby boy, a true crime enthusiast, and an iced coffee aficionado.
Something unique about me is I am breaking the rules of traditional esthetics and going virtual. After providing in-person services for so many years, I was looking for a way to show up for my clients without having to work 12 hour days or be chained to my treatment room. Plus, I know that what clients do at home consistently each day matters way more than what we do once a month during a facial. So, I decided to launch my virtual 1-1 skin coaching business for women who need support and want to transform their skin with their every day skincare routines.
My personal journey with severe acne fuels my passion for helping others feel confident in their skin. I understand the overwhelm that can come with skincare and beauty, and I aim to provide solutions rooted in education, artistry, and empathy. As a Face Reality certified Acne Specialist, focusing on helping clients with acne is extremely rewarding and redemptive for me.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think the same thing that creates the strongest bonds between people is what breaks them when out of balance: our values. It makes sense that we would gravitate to people who are similar to us in interests, the way we see the world, and how we think. Whether we realize it consciously or not, that happens through the lens of our values.
Many of us have close bonds with people who are most like us and share our values. But when we someone acts out of alignment with those values, the trust or connection can be broken. When suddenly we see behavior that threatens who we thought someone was, it creates that disconnect that can drive a wedge.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I almost gave up on my business when I moved from California to San Antonio. I had to close down my salon, cancel contracts, and return almost a full year’s worth of service deposits. It was a really hard choice and left me really lost when I arrived in a new city with nothing, knowing no one, and having to start over from scratch. I was faced with a nagging “now what?” in the back of my head.
My confidence in myself at that time, not just as an artist and practitioner, but as a business owner, really suffered and I decided to take a corporate job. I told myself it was temporary until I could figure out how to rebuild what I had before we moved. But I stayed at that job for two years, only doing freelance work in my beauty business on the side. I told myself it wasn’t possible to start over and rebuild to the level I was at before.
But over the last couple years since I quit that job and have stayed home to raise my son, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and think about what’s important to me. I’ve been confronted by how fast time really goes and the fact that time is the only resource I can never get back. I can always pivot with my career, my main focus, and make more money, etc. But I can’t get back my time, which is why I now feel so convicted that life is too short to give up on what you really want.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
A big lie the beauty and esthetics industry tells us draws a parallel to a lie many of us tell ourselves, which is that we always need the newest thing. The latest and greatest. Chasing bigger, better, newer instead of sticking with what we know works.
In esthetics, it’s always about the latest technology and the most innovative treatments or formulas. And while it makes sense to be results-driven and want the best possible outcome for our clients, it’s a slippery slope because it also feeds this idea of chasing never-ending trends.
It is much more exciting and marketable to chase new fancy things than to stick with “boring” (but effective) basics. I love going back to basics and revealing to my clients that they are better off being strategic with a few powerful staples in their skincare routine than they are trying every new treatment that comes on the market.
One path is supportive and rooted in promoting actual skin health, while the other is mostly about status and chasing an unachievable ideal.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
I hope that without my achievements and possessions, I would leave a legacy for my family and friends that could make them proud to say they knew me. I strive to be a person of integrity, empathy, and service to others. Treating people with respect and making them feel special and cared about is how I want to be remembered.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theblendbeauty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclarityskinblend
- Other: personal instagram: www.instagram.com/makeupaswego
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