Front Row Turns 2

"July 1st 2016 I decided it was time to get out of the house and open a studio in downtown Raleigh." For some reason, this sentence makes me laugh even though it is my own and it is true about how FR started.

The birth of Front Row Cosmetics

One of my good friends, Niki McNeil, went out on her own recently to take her passion and skills of creating a Interior Design Company to the next level. She is also a blogger with a ton of credits, but her recent blog "What I've learned in 3 months of entrepreneurship" sparked me to write about my experience.

" I don't know" is by far the most frustrating and infuriating answer, more so when the information is readily at our finger tips. I have always been a person that will research, read and will dig till I know as much as possible about a subject. Needless to say, I have a lot of interests. Before venturing into makeup artistry I used my accounting degree to lock down jobs as a bookkeeper and purchasing manager for some large corporate companies. Managing a business always came very natural to me. I think its because I grew up in an environment of constant tribulations, obstacles and nay-sayers; being hard headed worked in my favor to overcome challenges of running a small business. Till this day I get a tingle of excitement when I have to meet a goal or have to solve a problem.

Front Row is technically 2 years old, however I started this adventure in 2012. I was on my first horror movie set and I was surrounded my vegans, naturalists and yogis. I have already been a professional artist for 6 years mostly in NYC, 4 of those years working for MAC. So when the actresses asked me what were the ingredients to my MAC kit, my answer was simply "I am not sure". After doing some research I got annoyed that it was so complicated to not only find answers but when I found answers I didn't recognize 98% of the ingredients. I thought "makeup should be simple", "simple ingredients, simple packaging, just simple". I knew the MAC story, like all MAC artist. Two guys, both named Frank created makeup in their kitchen for friends in the theater. That's how I learned the basics, in my kitchen! From there Front Row Cosmetics was started because I want to bring excellent and clean makeup to my clients.

I could go on about my story, but the goal of this post is to show other people working full time jobs that want to venture out into being your own boss is 100% possible. In life we are told to think things through, to walk before we run, and other sayings that push precaution. I say "screw precaution, and leap. What's the worst that can happen? You fall and you get your ass back up and try again". Falling teaches us what not to do.

I get it, you live on your own, you have responsibilities and you need to make a living. You have a 9 to 5 job that fulfills the adult checklist. Rent? Check. Car Payment and Insurance? Check. Food? Check. Bills? Check.

Now go get a side hustle that you love! You're a You-tuber, graphic designer, artist, etc. You love it! Then somewhere in your brain your side hustles becomes something you want to do everyday and makes you happy. Responsibility is stopping you. Your going to hate me for saying this, but that's bullshit. Fear is stopping you. We live in a technologically advance world, use it to your advantage. Work your butt off & reap the benefits. Becoming your own boss is freeing, inspiring, and freaking difficult in an awesome way.

Why not make your passion, or side hustle, and make it your life? You can do it, I believe in you. '

Melissa S.