We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Castaldi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Diana, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I have always been a fan of the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken” in which a traveller is forced to choose one path over the other. The traveler is unable to see down both paths but trusts the one he chooses. The becomes a metaphor for making the right decision at the right time. In much the same way, I have a diverse background and often do not look like other industry professionals; I have a B.A. in Biology, a Master’s Degree in Education and taught in the classroom while doing bridal makeup and hair on the weekends. I know that I can do hard things and I know that every experience, good and bad is teaching me something. There is a certain excitement that comes along with having the set of skills that I have. It has served me well by allowing me to talk with my clients about a wide range of different experiences. I view my background as the road I traveled and it has made all the difference.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the owner and operator of Diana Marie Makeup Artistry specializing in soft and romantic bridal makeup and hair. I have been doing makeup since 2007 and started in Southern California before moving to Texas in 2017. I have worked for major cosmetic brands including Benefit Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics before going solo and starting my LLC. That experience helped me hone my skills working on people of all different walks of life and taught me various skills I’d need to run my own business. When I’m not working on weddings I specialize in Boudoir beauty. This is a new specialized niche, but one I am having a lot of fun with because it allows me to flex my creative muscles and keeps things interesting. In both bridal and boudoir I love the transformation the client has from start to finish. With bridal the transformation is into the bride they always imagined they would be since they were a little girl, which is really special; their smile and sparkle is unmistakable. In boudoir, the transformation typically is into a woman who feels confident and powerful, but also looks drop dead gorgeous. The response I get is typically women who never thought they could ever look and feel as amazing and empowered as they do. It’s really special to be able to work with both types of clients.
I am based in Waco, but open for travel in Texas and beyond. I have a great group of talented individuals I pull from to work with me on larger jobs and I look forward to working more in other places, not just Waco.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The skills I feel are important and have been integral to my journey as a bridal makeup and hair artist are artistry skills, organization, and a growth mindset. I am constantly wanting to learn and practice to perfect my artistry skills. Famously, coach John Wooden said “when you’re through learning you’re through” and I truly believe that. When you stop learning so do you and I’m always trying to strive to be better than the day before. Organization is important because being a small business owner isn’t for the weak, it requires systems and strategy to grow and run your business. A growth mindset is essential because business is unpredictable and it’s important to be able to learn from mistakes and mishaps and move on ready to embrace more challenges.
If you’re just starting out my advice would be to practice your skills on as many people as you can get your hands on. Ask to apprentice with established artists in your area to learn and develop your skill set. I also recommend investing in a business coach because they can really help set you up with systems and the business acumen to be successful. If you don’t currently have a budget for a business coach, getting your hands on as many free resources as possible like library books on business from industry leaders and gurus, free resources like downloads, and YouTube videos and going to help educate you and get you out there. Most importantly, never give up and never stop believing in your ability to be whatever you want to be in this world!
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I have read a lot of books on achievement, mindset and spirituality and business. I think the book Gary V wrote called “Crushing It!”really opened my eyes to the power that we all possess with a strong vision and a cell phone. He discusses the importance of social media and our ability to use platforms to promote and grow our businesses through paid ads and organic reach. He discusses his own journey as an immigrant to America and how he was able to use determination to sell baseball cards at a young age and how with the power of YouTube grow his family business considerably in a short amount of time. Gary is a visionary and advocates dedication, documentation of everything even if you think it’s boring, and being genuine and true to who you are. Gary shares so much throughout the book (the audio book is excellent because he reads it and sprinkles in more wisdom), but the message about doing what you’re passionate about and documenting it to share that passion should be the motive behind everything you do.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.dianamariemakeupartistry.com
- Instagram: @dianamariemakeupartistry
- Facebook: @dianamariemakeupartistry
- Youtube: @dianamariemakeupartistry
Image Credits
@roamingwildphotography_ @wordphotoandfilm @houserdesignco @petranovak_boudoir_wacotx @savannahgrayphoto @soulfire.photo
