We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shani Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shani, 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?
My work ethic definitely comes from my father. As a kid, he would take me to the Houston Airshow, held every year, when I was a little girl. I was so amazed to see how the jet pilots perform synchronized high speed maneuvers. Since then, I have wanted to become a pilot. My dad always taught me to work hard and to never give up my dream. The best training was to join the military, but didn’t quite meet all of the requirements. I was discouraged but still optimistic about other opportunities. I decided to become a Mechanical Engineer to design missiles for jet aircraft. I’m honored and grateful to have my father to teach and encourage me to do my best and to never gave up.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a Professional Makeup Artist and the owner of True Beauty & Co. Makeup Artistry, in Tucson, AZ. I specialize in Natural/ Bridal/Red Carpet glam and believe in enhancing beauty to my clients. I have been a makeup artist since 2015 and have been loving ever since.
I’m a part of the WeddingWire team and love meeting new brides and preparing them for their “Big” day. I like to understand what their dream looks like and make it my priority to make it happen. I LOVE SKIN and working with all shades, so matching complexion is my speciality. I host makeup classes for those interested in learning how to do their own makeup, as well as private lessons.
I’m launching 10 new matte lipstick shades, Spring 2024 and preparing for a soft launch in a few weeks, with a new website. Follow me on Instagram @truebeautyandco for more details on my upcoming launch.
I’m looking to grow my business in Arizona and across the country, teaching my clients how to enhance their beauty.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Never compare yourself to others, continue to improve on skills that you feel you are not confident in, and enjoy the ride. When I started as a makeup artist, I attended every class from Senior artists from all over the country to learn everything I could about makeup. I increased my knowledge, confidence and made lasting friendships.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents always taught me love, how to always fight for whatever I believed in, keep my head up, have good credibility with people and continue grinding. My dream was to always make them proud of me and I hope I met their expectations.
