Meet Trailblazer Vanessa Baum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Baum.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have ALWAYS loved makeup. I was the girl playing with all of my mom’s makeup, sitting at her mirror, dreaming of the day when I would have my own beautiful collection.

Fast forward 20 years, I am a stay at home mom, I have two boys. I am very BUSY, way busier than I ever thought I would be with children. As my kids have gotten a little bit older and out of the baby stage, I found that I had less and less time to think about myself and my appearance. When it came to makeup, you could find me at Target way too often, or if I was lucky at Sephora but with my limited time and budget I was quickly overwhelmed with all the options and makeup application techniques. And don’t even get me started about fumbling through my drawers and drawers of makeup products to find that ONE foundation!!!

So, one day (this is 100% a true story), I was scrolling Instagram (as I am sure many of you do) and saw this STUNNING before and after photo, read the comment, and saw it was also a busy mom of boys. I thought-ok I need to check out what she was wearing, what was she doing that I was MISSING!?

I watched her apply her makeup in under 6 minutes, and it ALL FIT IN ONE COMPACT. My MIND was BLOWN.

I was in. So, here I am seven months later, NOT a professional makeup artist, just a regular mom that wanted a fast simple routine sharing it with the rest of the world. And now, I can proudly say, I am a Maskcara Makeup Artist.

Has it been a smooth road?
My journey to becoming a makeup artist has not been a straight and easy path. I went to ASU for Interior Design, quickly learned that I didn’t have as much as an art background as was needed, and switched majors to Design Management. I was able to take business classes while still taking some of the design classes I enjoyed. During this time, I worked in retail at a clothing company for about five years. I thought I would end up doing retail management forever. Then, an opportunity came up for me to manage at a call center for a major retailer. I enjoyed that side of the business but felt like I wanted something more. Fast forward five years and I found myself saying goodbye to corporate America and becoming a stay at home mom. This was great, but after four years, I needed something for myself. Enter Maskcara Beauty.

So, if you are just starting your journey, remember, be flexible, be ready for change, and be sure to adapt to change quickly because you NEVER know where your life will end up.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I work for a network marketing beauty company called Maskcara Beauty. I love this business because it is just that, a business. In order to be successful, you need to work. I am talking, long hours, late nights, weekends, no time off work. But, when you find something that you are passionate about, it really doesn’t feel like you are working. I have always enjoyed makeup and I am so proud of this company I work for that is 100% debt free and woman-owned. Our CEO Cara was a single mom who worked multiple jobs and struggled to raise her kids as a freelance makeup artist until one day she decided to make a huge scary shift in her life. She wanted to build a product that was easy for women to connect with and have a personal experience with it. I am so proud to work for a huge group of women who are passionate about kicking butt and making other women feel and look gorgeous.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I feel like today, women are kicking butt and taking names. In the beauty industry, more and more women are starting their own businesses and having tremendous success. I feel like this is why it’s so exciting to be a part of makeup now. As a wife and mom, the biggest barrier to me is to balance and figuring out how to make it all work. Have I figured it out, heck no, but I have an awesome support system to help me get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vanessadoesmakeup.maskcarabeauty.com/en/shop/party-33529/23
• Phone: 4803322980
• Email: baumlifestyle@outlook.com
• Instagram: @baum.life.style
• Facebook: @baum.life.style

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