What It's About
A college student that puts the "blush" in "blushing bride."
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Caitlyn wouldn’t be earning her extra $2,100 a month if she didn’t take a risk in launching her side hustle. She puts it succinctly when she says “if you can dream it, you can do it. So dive right in. Don't wait until the moment is right because that moment doesn't exist.” She knows firsthand that excuses can pile up, but Caitlyn also is a great example that starting somewhere (anywhere, really) will help the rest of the pieces fall into place.
Fun Fact
Makeup and cosmetics go way back. All the way back to early civilization, with the ancient Egyptians being among the first in recorded history to use makeup. Cleopatra allegedly soaked the sails of her ships in perfume so that people would be able to smell her arrival. How’s that for a signature scent?
Notes from Chris
Episode 539
28-year-old Caitlyn Tuzzolino didn’t act on her dream immediately. Upon graduating from college, she dove head first into the corporate world. Since then, she’s created and led marketing departments for an accounting firm, a software company, and an automated manufacturing company, where she helps raise brand awareness and drive sales. Caitlyn was busy, but she still found herself wishing for more. She noticed that she increasingly started to begin sentences with “I wish…” Then she realized that it was time for her to stop wishing and just get to work. What would she do? Well, she’d always been good at doing makeup. So good, in fact, that her friends would always enlist her to help them do their makeup, too. The former competitive dancer honed her skills in high school. Then in college, she was constantly asked to do her friends’ makeup before they would go out on the weekends. Every situation helped her see that she had a talent that people wished they had. It also made her realize that she could, and should, do something with it. So a bit later, when she longed to do something more than just her corporate job, Makeup by Caitlyn Michelle, was born… or shall we say, made up. Caitlyn knew that lots of weddings took place in her area of Rochester, New York, so that seemed like a good starting point for her side hustle. She started practicing on anyone and everyone she knew. Friends, family, friends of friends, you name it… everyone except her dog. After practicing different types of makeup looks on different face shapes, she took photos so she could begin building a portfolio that she could then use to showcase her talent. She also began to take her portfolio to local hair salons to ask if they would be willing to refer her to their wedding parties. To her surprise, two salons agreed. She now serves clients throughout New York State and books 20-30 weddings per year. Caitlyn balances her 40 hour work weeks with weekends spent on her side hustle, in the form of makeup trials, weddings, or events. Since her first days of taking any and every client that came her way, Caitlyn has been able to build her skills and reputation and now requires a booking minimum of six people for a wedding day. After about one year of starting her side hustle, Caitlyn became booked for weddings almost every weekend of the year - and it's been that way ever since. Not only is she able to make more money doing something she loves, she gets to help people feel confident as they celebrate a special day. And, to Caitlyn, that’s half the fun. Caitlyn doesn’t know what the future holds for her or her side hustle, but she does know that she eventually wants to take her side hustle full-time within the next few years. And, in the meantime, she wants to continue to learn new skills like lash extensions, microblading, spray tans, and a lot of other things that I don’t know the first thing about. And that the only thing she’ll be winging is her eyeliner.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Makeup by Caitlyn Michelle: Dum-dum-da-dum dum-dum-da-dum—check out Caitlyn's full portfolio over on her website!
- Wordpress: Caitlyn used Wordpress to setup Makeup by Caitlyn Michelle, and here you can learn how to install your own Wordpress site in 5 minutes
- Tales of a 15-Year-Old YouTube Makeup Artist: An Australian teenager learns to express her passion for makeup by posting tutorials on YouTube
- Michigan Social Worker Creates SexC Cosmetics Line: After struggling with insecurities, a woman takes charge of her life and creates a cosmetic brand designed to boost confidence
- 17-Year Old Canadian Makes $7,000 from Holiday Pop-Up Shop: Having grown up with an interest in entrepreneurship, a high school student starts a holiday pop-up shop that earns $7,000 in just one month
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Resources
CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE
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Quote of the Day
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To infinity and beyond,
