Conversations with the Inspiring Samantha Minkus

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Minkus.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The arts have always been my core motivations for anything I do. I grew up a dancer, which really opened my eyes to the world of makeup and inspired a love for it. Before graduating from the U of A I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to study after I decided Photography was more of a hobby. I took a nice chunk of time off to figure things out. I ended up getting my Aestheticians License and working at MAC for two years. That experience gave me the opportunity to freelance on my own and understand how to run my future business. Real Estate came into play to work more closely with my mom, who has been a Realtor for 39 years. Real Estate is perfect for me because it allows me freedom to run my makeup business and Brides typically are looking for their new home, which just allows me to build such great connections with my clients. Two of the biggest things they will ever do in their lives, and I get to be a part of that! It’s been such a great career combination for me.

After 5 years of working, I decided to go back to school where I majored in Creative Writing and minored in Art History and Studio Art for painting. Both writing and painting are huge creative outlets for me to decompress after a long day and have become a kind of meditation for me to stay centered and ready to accomplish my goals. I am currently painting in a studio at Monsoon Collective downtown and working on writing a book for them, hopefully to come out by the end of this year. I have done many different things in my life and weather it was being the singer/songwriter in a band or moving to Florida to help local business owners expand their skincare business, every opportunity that has come my way has been because I am always open to a challenge and learning something new. I keep myself very busy because I feel that I work best with a full schedule. I could not be more happy with the things I’ve accomplished, but I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’ve been lucky to have amazing parents that have always been my biggest support system. I’ve also been blessed with friends that look out for me and I’ve created my own community and support network of people that absolutely make the bumps less harsh. I have been a makeup artist for 9 years now, but it was always a side job and I had to do a lot of souls searching and summon the courage and belief in myself to actually make it my business. Most of my struggles have been internal, because the second I put the fear aside and took the risks of putting myself out there, I saw rewards. Real Estate was also an intimidating business to get started in, but having my mom there to guide me has been amazing. Finding someone you can trust and rely on is half of the battle.

My advice to any young woman starting out with any business is to put the self-doubt on the shelf in the morning and take a moment every day to tell yourself you’re worthy and success will come with effort. Both Makeup and Real Estate are extremely competitive, especially now with Social Media. The best thing you can do is be truthful to yourself. It’s important to take note of what other people in your particular field are doing to have a competitive advantage, but at the end of the day, people will choose you because of you.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Minkus Makeup and The Minkus Team story. Tell us more about the business.
My mom and I are The Minkus Team with HomeSmart Advantage Group. We have been a team for 4 years now and we specialize in a residential real estate in the Tucson area. Everyone’s sister, cousin, uncle is a realtor so we put our focus into building relationships with our clients and going above and beyond with our listings. We partner with Nova Home Loans in order to make the entire buying/selling process as smooth as possible. My mom, Michelle Minkus, brings her years of experience and expertise in negotiating, while I research the newest technologies and marketing to enhance our services. The mother-daughter team really has its benefits because we work with the utmost integrity and love making the experience a fun one for our clients. It should be exciting!

Minkus Makeup is a mobile makeup and other beauty services business. I work primarily with large bridal parties as well as individuals for events, I also offer technique classes/tutorials for clients that want to have a more personal touch than youtube learning. You do not need to be an Aesthetician to be a makeup artist; however, I believe this sets me apart as I have a broader knowledge of skincare and hair, which allows me to choose the highest quality and best brands of products for my clients. I work efficiently from my years of work at the makeup counter and that helps me when I am working with large parties. My artistry is something I am always pushing to grow by perfecting my techniques over years of experience. I am so proud of building this up and have been so lucky to have a great word of mouth reference system and my following will hopefully only continue to grow. I market myself on TheKnot.com which has also opened me up to Brides that may have otherwise not heard of me. I keep my pricing reasonable and affordable for the professional services that I provide. Another aspect of my business is special Fx makeup for film, tv, and editorial. I love creating sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead and realistic wounds and other monsters. It is not the majority of my business, but when given the opportunity, I will always be ready to create a monster!

It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I love reading nonfiction and learning about the true stories of others. Whether it has something to do with my passions or not I always feel like I learn more from history and am inspired by others’ stories, One of my favorite books that inspired me years ago is called Imagine, by: Robert… this book describes scientific aspects of creativity in the brain through the stories of successful and creative thinkers and companies. It breaks down how creativity builds and everyone has it. It’s all about finding how you work best.

I also love Eric Lawson’s Devil In The White City. That book had everything. I love the spooky element about this serial killer that lives in plain sight during the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. But I was also inspired by the stories of the architects and learning about their struggles to build the white city. It’s motivating when anyone perseveres and finds success, except for the killer H.H. Holmes. 😉

Instagram is huge for me. I am probably overstimulated by all of the artists I follow and it’s just the fastest most accessible way for me to find images that move me. I also love the sense of community that comes with the online platform. I still have a lot to learn about its algorithms, but I really do enjoy working on Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: MinkusMakeup.com . TheMinkusTeam.com
• Phone: 520-907-8666
• Email: samantha@minkusmakeup.com . Samantha@Minkus.com
• Instagram: MinkusMakeup
• Facebook: MinkusMakeup . TheMinkusTeam

Image Credit:
Samantha Minkus, Kelly Rashka

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