Daily Inspiration: Meet Brittany Fishman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Fishman.

Hi Brittany, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a little girl, I used to get into trouble for always stealing my mother’s lipsticks. There was always something drawing me to her makeup counter – it was like Christmas every morning whenever I would run upstairs and grab as much makeup as my hands could carry. People always ask me how I got into makeup and my answer is always the same: “I didn’t get into makeup, makeup found me.” I have been playing in makeup for as long as I can remember. In high school, people would think I was crazy for showing up in full makeup every single day, but I loved waking up super early and seeing what new eyeliner trick I could wear. In college, I was the friend who was always doing makeup for everyone for fun nights out. Some nights I would do all of my friend’s makeup and then stay in my dorm. It wasn’t the going out that was fun for me, but making everyone excited about how their makeup looked was all the excitement I needed.

As soon as I graduated with my Psychology degree from Kennesaw State University, I packed up everything I had and drove across the country to Los Angeles. At the time, I had no job, no apartment, and only knew one person out West. It was new and scary for a girl who had come from a small town in Georgia, but my eyes saw stars. While I had done some makeup work in Atlanta, I never thought of myself as a Makeup Artist. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a job and found myself bouncing from job to job, trying to find something that fulfilled me. While in California, I would glam my friends and talk about how much I loved doing makeup. In Los Angeles, makeup is seen much different than it was in Georgia back in 2014. Mind you, Instagram had just been taking off and YouTube didn’t have ads (’twas a different time). All of my friends encouraged me to follow my passion and cheered me into the confidence I needed to grow as a working Makeup Artist. It was then that I decided I would put my business hat on and take myself seriously as one.

I decided to leave California and come back to my home state and focus on my artistry. Over many years of hard work, learning from experience, and never saying no to an opportunity, my company grew to a level I never could have imagined. The road was winding and scary, but my friends and family were behind me 100% of the way. Looking at where I am today, I have a long way to go. Having said that, I look back at where I once was and am very proud that I was able to control the fear and push myself towards my dream.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to where I am today was riddled with curves and bumps. Rejection is always difficult, especially when it comes to something that you consider to be your life purpose. At the beginning, there are a lot of learning curves I had to go through in order to learn what it was like to do makeup as a business. When I first started doing makeup professionally, I was still going to school full time to get my bachelor’s degree and working in retail to pay the bills. It was very hard balancing everything as I soon learned I needed to become an accountant, marketing specialist, bookkeeper, scheduler, and an artist. I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be an artist. As supportive and confident in my work as they were, they were (of course) nervous for me. Both of my parents worked in the medical field, as well as my sister, and I was the first person in my entire family to say I wanted to do art professionally. I was determined to show them that I could create a business out of makeup, and they are the most supportive people in my life.

Once I moved out to California, the competition was fierce. In LA, everyone is an artist, and a great one at that. I had gone to school for makeup in Atlanta at Industry Makeup Academy and was confident in my skills that I obtained there. With my friend’s encouragement, I decided that I would do my best while in the city and learn as much as possible. The market was hard to penetrate, but I would not take no for an answer. I reached out to models and photographers daily. I worked for free. I took any opportunity I could to learn as much as I can. The field is a very hands-on one, and sometimes you have to mess up in order to learn how to improve.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Makeup Artist. I work specialize in glamour work – TV appearances, red carpet events, gala’s, and all things glam. I am known for making skin look flawless. Skin prep and foundation work are my absolute favorite part of the makeup process. I am most proud of working Access Hollywood’s Entertainment Tonight’s red carpet with Cassie DiLaura as well as working with MTV on upcoming projects. But most of all, I am proud to have my work appreciated by my clients. There is nothing more gratifying than creating art and having it be appreciated.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Networking in this field is everything. Contact everyone, introduce yourself, take people out for coffee to get your name out there. I truly believe that working with others and getting to know other industry professionals is key to growing in the field. This has always helped me when it comes to growing as a makeup artist. As there are so many different paths you can take in makeup, I would recommend finding your niche and then meeting as many people in that niche as possible.

Contact Info:

• Email: brittany@balancebybrittany.com
• Website: www.balancebybrittany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishmannn/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfr5Vr8Q0dyvFJQYVBqGcNg

Image Credits:
Cassie DiLaura (ET photo) Kate Barone (hair dresser) Katie Canham (influencer) Ansley Fromm (influencer)