I moved to London when I was in my teenage years; I was born in Sri Lanka and raised in Germany. I studied and graduated with a BSc Honours Degree in Biology and Psychology. And then went to London College of Fashion and qualified with a diploma in Hair and Make up Styling. Although I am based in London, I work all over the world. I have always loved makeup, and makeup artistry. I did not want it to be a hobby anymore, and thought about how I can turn it into a profession. Being a Sri Lankan, we didn't have many makeup artists in our community, so I decided to work in our industry and slowly made a name for myself. Sometimes it is best to follow not just what you 'want', but rather what people 'need'.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
10 years ago, there weren't many social media platforms, and it was hard to get my name out there or build a clientele. It took me much longer to get to where I wanted.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits? How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
Being from a Tamil background, my career choice was not deemed as reputable, and my family were quite embarrassed and not very supportive to begin with. So it was very hard to go against their wishes and carve out my own path. But I was persistent and showed them how passionate I was. My happiness in what I did, made them understand how important happiness is when building a career.
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
The support of my father.
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
Not to share your plans and goals. It is better to show and share once you have achieved them.
What advice would you give to an upcoming young and old entrepreneur locally and internationally?
Don't ever compare yourself with other. Only with the person you were before.
