Today we’d like to introduce you to Yazid Smith.
Hi Yazid, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am an entrepreneur and aspiring influencer. I developed an interest in make-up in high school. Before make-up, I grew a strong interest in skin care because I suffered from acne and I was so insecure about it. I literally tried every drugstore product and natural remedy that you can think of at the time to get rid of my acne, but nothing worked for me. So, I turned to make-up to cover my acne and acne scars. While watching tutorials on YouTube to learn different make-up techniques, I discovered Aaliyah Jay, Stahr Milan, and Jackie Aina (just to name a few), who inspired me to have the aspirations I have now in regards to entrepreneurship and influencing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I will say I am proud of myself for achieving one of my lifetime goals, which is launching a cosmetic brand. It has not been a smooth road. I have had doubts and still have doubts. I think people give off the impression that just because you launch a business, you’re going to have thousands of people ready to support you. In some instances, that may be true (if you plan & execute everything correctly), but in some cases it’s the actual opposite. Although I have had a tremendous amount of support upon my launch, it’s challenging to keep that momentum. It’s important to know who’s your target audience, if you’re reaching them effectively, and making sure they’re returning customers. It takes a lot of time, strategy/planning, and financial investment. My goal is to have a business that’s bringing in revenue consistently everyday. However, right now, I’m not at a point where I am able to do that. Therefore, I am taking a step back to do more research and invest more into my business. I’m at a point where I want to rebrand, improve quality, and choose the most effective marketing/promotion strategy to make my cosmetic line what it deserves and is destined to be. One day soon, everything will fall into place as it is supposed to. But, I know right now isn’t the time. I want everyone to know these things and thoughts are normal when being an entrepreneur, but always remember to never give up. Keep going until you get it right and be patient with yourself. Things are just trial and error and take time sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up, and NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At heart, I am a creative. Anyone who knows me or has been watching or following me for a while knows I love make-up. That was one of the first ways I expressed myself creatively. I was always fascinated with the numerous things you can do with make-up. I liked that make-up could be used not only to enhance your natural beauty, but how it can be used prosthetically for movies. However, I am more into hair at the moment. It’s something about a silky bone straight 30-inch bust down middle part, a loose layered curl, or a defined beach wave that is so pleasing to my eyes! Recently, I realized hair was my first love. Before I knew anything about make-up, I wanted to play with barbie dolls and do their hair as a child. I also always wanted hair. I have this distinctive memory of me putting t-shirts on my head as a child pretending it was my own hair. For anyone that does not know, I am a transwoman. Therefore, I was so envious of anyone with long hair and what they were able to do with it because I was taught that as a boy, I’m not supposed to have hair. Now, I’m leaning more into that inner child and making those wishes a reality. Locally, I’m always complimented on my hair and asked for suggestions on where to get a good quality lace (as they did when asking about the best make-up techniques and products). So I’ve been leaning more into the influencer space & plan to make hair the majority of my content. Plus, I’m always looking for top notch hair when it’s going on top of my head, so why not share my finds with others? I have not been taking social media influencing seriously as I should have in the past, but now I think it’s time to really show the girls!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support me by simply following me on my social media accounts and interacting with me (especially on Instagram). I don’t think people understand how important engagement is when you’re supporting someone. subscribe to my YouTube channel (Yazid Smith) if you are interested in following my transition journey. For collaborations, you can contact me at contactyazidsmith@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: yazidsmithcosmetics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msyazidsmith/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/yazidsmith
