Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Molly Salerno. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Molly, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
In 2016 I was a young mom working in corporate America struggling with juggling long hours and missing important moments with my then 2 year old daughter. I had been in the trenches of depression and stress while trying to help my mother who was deep in her alcoholism. I was struggling to find who I was and how to find a passion and something for myself that would give me joy. A friend of mine gave me a long lasting lip color (LipSense) by the company SeneGence, and joked with me – “If you put some lipstick on you will feel better.” I can honestly say that was the day I found my purpose. I shared a photo of myself to social media and the rest was history. I was the girl who never wore makeup (or owned any makeup) and that little tube of lipstick gave me confidence and put a smile on my face. I later on that day had dozens of friends asking how they too could try this amazing long lasting lip color that didn’t smudge and lasted all day, so on January 19th 2017 I signed up to start my own business as an Independent Distributor with SeneGence International. The feeling that I had when I first put LipSense on was something I wanted EVERYONE to experience. A small ounce of confidence was all I needed to reignite myself and build a very successful home based beauty business.
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?
Throughout my years of building my beauty business I have gained so much confidence and a community of women who support me. I hosted weekly beauty pop-up shops from 2017-2019 and taught makeup as I was also learning how to do it myself. Being vulnerable and relatable has also been a huge part of my business to show my customers and community that you do not have to be perfect, and you can learn how to do makeup at any age. I am so grateful to God who I give all the glory to that I have found this passion and can share it with others.
A large part of my story is due to my stress as a teenager and young adult with a mother who struggled with alcohol I turned to food as my own addiction and then spent many years struggling with various eating disorders. I had always wanted a way to get healthy and seeing someone very close to me have success with a weight loss surgery made me decide it was time to do it for myself. It was a very personal decision and I have successfully kept off 100lbs for 4 years now. The reason I share about this is so others know that this surgery can definitely change peoples lives and with diligence it can be successful. It was a big part of my journey to learning to love myself again and find my confidence and the strength that I have.
In 2020, my family and I made a big move from California to Texas. We moved at the height of COVID19 and I had to work on rebuilding my business (and maintaining my online business with customers who were still in CA) I spent the early half of 2021 officially going through my first certification program to be a Certified Makeup Artist. In 2022 I was able to complete two more certifications. I earned the title as a Texas State Leader for SeneGence in October 2022 which entails me hosting trainings and supporting other women looking to start their own beauty businesses to make income from their home.
Some of my biggest highlights and achievements in my business has been the ability to help over 75 women start their own beauty businesses since 2017. I have been chosen by the SeneGence corporate team to train at 5 of our global events to teach women all around the world how to grow their online and in person beauty businesses. This past April I earned the title as one of the 12 monthly makeup artists in the company to be featured in our newsletter. I also earned the top 10 in the entire US for personal sales during our 2022/2023 fiscal year. While this success is not always typical in a social selling / direct sales business – I know that with passion, hard work and consistency I made it possible and I know others can too!
My business now thrives on teaching one on one or small group makeup classes out of my home office I call “The Babe Cave” and doing online tutorials daily through social media. I have been certified in all fields of makeup including, natural, glam and halloween/costume looks. All the products I use are made by SeneGence International – a company that has been around for 25 years and is the industry leader in long lasting color cosmetics and patented anti-aging skincare. We are proudly made in the USA, Gluten Free, not tested on animals and follow the EU beauty standard for clean beauty.
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?
Three skills that helped me in my journey has definitely been consistency, relatability and passion. I have been consistent with my business for over 6.5 years and show up almost every day through social media so my community sees me and has the relationship built with me to trust me recommending products and makeup tips. Being relatable is a huge part for me as well, I am not just someone who sells beauty products online. I am a friend first, I get to know my customers and community and I share openly about my life to them. I think this is how you can truly grow your business by being more than just your brand or what you sell. Lastly, finding my passion. I had never thought 7 years ago that my life would be in the beauty industry. I think when an opportunity comes to you and you feel that excitement and want to share it with others it is contagious.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
One of my favorite ways to collaborate is with photographers in my area. I give their clients makeovers before they have photos done (maternity, family, engagement or professional headshots) I am always looking to connect with anyone who needs a makeup artist to work with!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pictureperfectwithmolly.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/pictureperfectwithmolly
- Facebook: facebook.com/groups/pictureperfectwithmolly
