We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ceci Findley. Check out our conversation below.
Ceci, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Every day varies, but summing up the more consistent looking days, here’s a play-by-play. I start my day fairly early, about an hour and a half before starting the morning wakeup routine with my teenage boys at 6am. This is my “me” time where I meditate, pray, and soak in the first light from the sun if I’m able to. Once the morning is in full gear with school drop offs, my day is on “go” mode. This is where on days I am not enhancing clients I am juggling admin/office work, checking inventory for my studio, running errands, working on projects for the studio or other entrepreneurial projects and connecting/networking. When I am enhancing others, it occupies my day and sometimes into the evening/night. Once the afternoon hits and am done with “work mode” it becomes “Family mode”. The Wife/Mom cap comes on and it turns into an update on everyone’s day, figure out dinner, house projects, playtime, attending events or having downtime with watching a show with the family or sitting back and reading. The weekends are dedicated mostly to quality time with family, parents, friends or enhancements for those magical special occasions. So really, the juggling continues, but I’ve gotten to a more comfortable place with balancing the two and not feel stretched too thin. There is always room for improvement though and am always working on that part.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Absolutely! My name is Ceci, short for Cecilia. I own a studio where I enhance hair and makeup through one-on-one connections. Some days enhancements are individual, some days clients come with friends or “plus ones” who also join in on the fun and some days they include family adventures where everyone receives their enhancements. I have created a safe space that allows others to feel welcome and comfortable being themselves. There are days that I fulfill many roles where I could pass as a mental health provider and other times I am the most qualified adult child where the enhancements include karaoke, laughter, bitch-fests, passionate conversations about life and experiences. I am absolutely in love with the versatile world that fits perfectly with my clients as well as the multiple passions and interests that I have, which allow me to connect with others in a way that feels so seamlessly. Sometimes there is so much healing and releasing that happens during our dedicated time together, while also addressing so much of life-ing things with your everyday adventures and there is always a part of me that relates to a lot and heal internally too. I am so grateful for that level of trust! Although I enhance your face with makeup or hair with various services, my main goal is to help enhance you in the best way that YOU shine and help you love yourself a little bit more every time you see yourself in any reflection. I know I personally have struggled with liking what I see in the mirror and if I can help encourage finding reasons to enjoy yourself rather than avoid your own reflection, sign me up! The same applies to those special moments in your life too, like with special occasions or photoshoots of any kind. I love enhancing the best version of YOU as you teach me about your lifestyle while enhancing your natural beauty and encourage how you reflect back to these special moments enjoying what you see. This is where I dedicated a bit more time with my connections for those special occasions. I recognize that a lot of times there are requests that come in and have a type of “everyone works the same” or “this is how it usually is” in the beauty industry, but I definitely don’t fit that mold. I ask a lot of questions and really pride myself in making a good connection to ensure we are a good fit together. This is where I learn the importance and impact my enhancement will need to be in order to fit what you are looking for. Some beauties are very minimal and are looking to be enhanced in a way that reflect themselves when they look back at these memories. Other’s have a much more elevated enhancement request, where they love their favorite features to be more prominent and bold. I relate to this entire spectrum, because I have always loved the ability to showcase my best self that lives in those types of moments (and trust me, I love so many styles), yet still feel 100% like my true self. Needless to say, I love learning about other beauties because it helps me enhance YOUR natural beauty as you embrace the amazing individual you are, especially with my main goal of helping you internalize a level of confidence that is unique to you and FEEL more confident.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship I have with my mom has been the strongest, most supportive and very rewarding relationship that shaped how I see myself. I grew up witnessing how strong, supportive, nurturing, caring and accommodating she always is. Although that came with also witnessing many toxic behaviors of people pleasing and minimizing herself to avoid conflicts, I learned so much of what it meant to be strong for yourself. Not only was she always so accommodating to everyone around her, but she was always a scrappy, gifted and majorly talented woman! She has natural gifts and talents with creating things, which were all self taught, and it’s because of her that I got spoiled with having things that elevated how I felt about myself. She has always encouraged me to own myself more and show up in the ways that made me feel unique and special. Unfortunately I allowed the external world and societal expectations to cloud that perspective for so long and now I am working towards getting back to those basics. We have always been so close and when I moved away after I got married, the distance was so hard to feel that connection continue to stay feeling strong. It took some years to come back together and now that she and my dad live down the street from me, I enjoy every moment we get to spend together. We are making our way back to that beautiful bond and I am in a much better place to understand so many things she’s taught me and believe them without hesitation now.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I’ve been feeling this a bit harder lately. It’s definitely a work in progress and am far from not hiding the pain. I’m starting to voice it out loud when it’s showing up and I wouldn’t say I’m using it as power, but embracing my essence a bit more. What I mean by that is the way situations or circumstances that continue to creep in and bring out that pain, sadness, heaviness, etc. is when I start to acknowledge them out loud. In a way, it helps me recognize that those pain points are what feel foreign and the more I acknowledge them, the easier it becomes to address them, therefore trusting that the more I acknowledge them the less I’ll feel the need to hide from them. At the same time though, that zing of boldness starts to show up a little more every day in which it’s slowly starting to feel powerful and strengthen that power internally.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Technically yes, but honestly I think those versions reflect the audience you’re around. If it’s in the general aspect of how I am at home vs with clients, I totally am the same level of realness. My clients have been reflecting the type of human I love being surrounded by and are “my kind of people”. I have such a broad spectrum of appreciation for the world and get ingulfed in their world, which ultimately reflects my genuine self. Sometimes being in public varies with the audience you are around and that’s what I adapt my behavior to. For example, when I’m at a networking event with fellow entrepreneurs & business people, I’m as genuine as possible while also reflecting the professionalism that is needed in that setting. When I come across those beauties in other settings, it’s not so focused on the professional behavior, yet I still show up in my same authentic self. Then you also get the setting of being at the studio with my clients where I show up the same, but the setting is set by each individual and you get the version of me that is mindful and reflective of the energy shared in our space.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I used to think that was what I always did and not need the validation, but when I reflect back on this I realize that I’m not being completely honest with myself. Long story short, I absolutely do this now, but didn’t use to. I’ll give a small example. One of the biggest things I would do and take such pride in, would be to go above and beyond to prove I am worthy in other people’s eyes and this translated in so many of my previous jobs. (which I recognize and see in so many of us, but that’s a conversation for another time) This particular example was when I worked for a manufacturing company where I would show up daily and execute my tasks, but consistently volunteer my time to help improve or create things/events/activities to help others be inclusive, showcase other associates, and collaborate with other departments. Although I loved and enjoyed so much of it, the underlining would always be in hopes of being celebrated in big ways because that’s what I would see happen to others and associated that with my own value, therefore needing to have that external validation. I would think that it would help me gain more friendships, create more opportunities for growth, provide me with more credibility, but ended up feeling like I would fall flat. The results were always great feedback and then the credit would mainly go to others, helping them shine and take full credit because they were the leader. All while I would get a good pat on the back which then always left me feeling unbalanced, taken advantage of, or taken for granted. It wasn’t until I stepped out on my own and started really re-evaluating where I shared my skills, gifts and talents. It took a really long time to think of myself as that “leader/boss” that I would go above and beyond for, to not knowing what was needed to be done because I was afraid to take charge in making those decisions myself. It’s still something I continue to work on and improve, but am now constantly evaluating what the present moment calls for, what and how I want to serve others that makes the most sense for me and show up in my best self because it ultimately helps me feel satisfied. That fulfilled and satisfied feeling with what I do and the exchange that happens, it always feels like a “win-win” interaction now and there is no need to feel praised because the validation is internal with feeling that joy and fulfillment with who I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cessified.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceci.cessified/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cessified83?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ceci.cessified
Image Credits
The R2 Studio
Grace Marie Studio
