We were lucky to catch up with MaKall Fabrizio Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.
MaKall, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I got my resilience from having no other choice but to BE resilient! I have had many times in my life where it was time to sink or swim as I like to say. Makeup has always been a big reason as to why I can stay resilient and pull myself out of dark times.
I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Born and raised in small town Utah, as a child, I had a childhood one can only dream of. Up until I was a teen, my life had no real hardship. One day, the mansion I called home, was raided. I quickly learned my parents had been in a heavy addiction for years. I had no knowledge of this addiction especially given the fact my parents were successful and I had everything. The rug was ripped out from under me and we moved from the only town I had ever lived in for 15 years, to a town 6 hours away on the other side of Utah so we could start fresh.
I really dove into makeup at this time of my life as it seemed it was the only thing I really had control over. I had no friends, no familiarity, and no confidence. But one thing I DID know was makeup. Makeup had always been a part of my life since I was a dancer from the age of 2! I started to get better at it and I gathered the confidence to make an instagram and start posting!
It took me the better half of a year to start making friends, and to gain my confidence back. After I had done that though, I flourished! I was doing makeup for all of my friends and realized I could really make a career out of something I love!
After high school, I quickly started saving money to be able to go to an accredited makeup school. My dream was to go to California! But once Covid hit, and the value of a dollar REALLY started to sink in… I realized California, alone, at 18 years old was slightly out of reach. I still worked on saving money, but you can only save so much as a Starbucks barista during Covid! I ended up stumbling over a makeup school in Las Vegas in May of 2020 and 4 months later I found myself in an awful Vegas apartment, but so excited to learn!
My schooling was 9 months long, and I had a minimum wage job that I worked under 10 hours a week at. All in all I had NO money, and no idea how to use the money I did have. Thank God, my husband (boyfriend at the time) had decided to make the jump to Vegas with me. He picked up any work he could find and carried me through school. I will forever be grateful to him for all the hard work he put in, and still continues to.
Once I was done with school- I had one of those sink or swim moments. I had quit my minimum wage job, and I knew if I didn’t start doing makeup soon, I wasn’t going to be able to stay in Vegas! So, I reached out to any agency or team I could find, and started pushing to join the team. To my surprise, I was accepted into 5! I started working as much as I could. For the first 3 years of this work, I never said no to a job or gig. Regardless of pay. Regardless of if I was tired or didn’t want to. I booked my calendar up and did that for 3 years straight.
Fast forward to present day, I now have the freedom to build my own schedule and have a calendar filled with my own clientele! I also am beginning to dive into my love for educating other artist and am in the process of holding my first masterclass!
I’m living proof that it doesn’t matter how bad or how hard life gets. You have the choice to decide how your life goes! I still face hardships today, but because of the foundation I have built for myself, I am able to bounce back quickly and continue on!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Because I started doing makeup at such a young age, I feel like it has never not been a part of my life. I love the creativity makeup brings and also the opportunity to make others feel beautiful.
My first experience with makeup, was on the bathroom counter with my mom. She had every MAC product known to man. She let me use her makeup and she taught me how to do my own makeup. She also gave me my very first brush set which I still have today!
Because of my mom, I had the confidence to start doing makeup on my friends. I was the go to girl for proms and graduation, or if you just needed a little bit of help putting on those stubborn eyelashes!
I strive to cultivate that same experience in my professional business now. To give the feeling that you are getting ready with one of your best friends! Since I am a bridal specialist, I feel that is one of the most important things about my business. While I am a talented and skilled artist- that isn’t why my clients book me. My clients book me because of my personality and the energy I bring to our conversations and ultimately our appointment!
I just love what makeup can do for a person. I don’t specialize in making my clients look like a whole new person- but rather their elevated self. I started to realize that so many of my clients came to me saying, “I just have no idea what I am doing with makeup!” I started to offer 1 on 1 makeup lessons because of this and have been able to help so many women become less intimidated by makeup! My main focus during my 1 on 1 sessions is to keep it simple! Makeup can so easily become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be!! I can teach you how to do a full face with your fingers and one brush! Makeup should be enjoyable- not a chore.
From my 1 on 1 sessions, I learned I had a love for education as well! I love to educate new artists, share my tips and tricks, and teach women how to do their own makeup every day! That is why I am hosting my first masterclass for artists on August 12th, and have a group class in the works for those who want to learn how to do their own makeup!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When I look back, the 3 most important moments are moments I thought I failed but got back up anyways.
I realized I wouldn’t be able to make it to California for schooling, but I kept searching and found Vegas. I’ve now made a home out of Vegas and can’t imagine leaving what I have built here!
I remember while in school, I had so many model days where my model DIDN’T SHOW UP!! I once had a timed final, where a model didn’t show up. I scrambled to find a model quickly and landed on my husband. He left work and came to be my model! I started my final over an hour late, and had only 4 hours to do a complete head to waist special effects makeup. To this day- the look I created is still one of my favorite looks and one I am most proud of!
Lastly, I’ve been fired from 3 beauty industry jobs. One in particular was about a year ago and it was with a company that was bringing in the most work for me. When they let me go I was DEVASTATED!! But, I again, had a sink or swim moment!! I completely rebranded my business, started learning how to market myself on social media and also on a budget, and started really pushing to build my own clientele. Present day, I have grown my social media, 99% of my work is personal clientele, and my business stands on its own!
My piece of advice for people just starting their journey, is to not be afraid to fail. I know- it’s easier said than done and I should really take my own advice sometimes!! It sounds cliché… but one door slams on your face another one opens. With opportunity you didn’t even know was possible! Advocate for yourself, build something your proud of, and keep doing what makes you happy and what feels right in your heart!
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I feel like both can be true!
In my industry you hear EVERYONE say to niche down. For the first few years I rolled my eyes at the thought of niching down. I wanted to be known as the artist who could do everything! This past year I realized that it’s not really that impactful to be a jack of all trades- but a master at none. I started to lean into the style that I was being requested to do most. Which I call the “Natural Glam.” Once I was able to show that I was a specialist in this type of look- the bookings started flowing in! There is a client for everyone, and that is what my clients are looking for! However, niching down doesn’t mean you can’t do the other styles you love! Collaborations are one way I keep my creativity flowing to avoid burn out!
I also want to mention that if you lack a skill that could be very beneficial to your business, it is worth investing in! While I am primarily a makeup artist, I noticed 90% of my clients were asking for a hairstylist as well. I also took note that there are only a handful of artists in my area that do both hair and makeup well. I learned a small bit of hairstyling in school but I hated it- because I wasn’t good at it. I swore off hairstyling for years and pawned it off to other hairstylist. I realized though that if I would just take the time to become good at hairstyling- I could double my income and become extremely valuable and convenient to my potential clients! So I am now a hair and makeup artist! I still work and practice hairstyling as I haven’t been doing hair for as long as I have been doing makeup! But, it has been a substantial investment in myself and my business!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bymakall.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bymakall
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bymakall
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/vyBxzmDPgd
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bymakall?_t=8oIIuYjnmpC&_r=1
Image Credits
Personal Photo- Kim Willoughby- Photos By Sote
Other photos
1st- Tessa Marie Photos
2nd- Kyra Beatty- Risky Exposure Photography
4th Photo- Capture Your Legacy
5th Photo- Lexie Mikayle Photography
6th Photo- Sunny Dee Foto
7th Photo- Kim Willoughby- Photos By Sote
8th Photo- Karyssa Costa Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
