I have always had a passion for mentoring people. I have a long list of mentees that are placed all over the industry who are doing quite well. I wanted to think of how to formalize it. One of the reasons I thought I should start with teenagers was because I thought, “What would have happened if I had known as a teenager that this industry existed?” I knew about beauty–my grandmother was a hair stylist–so I knew that part of the business. I knew that you could sell makeup at a counter, but that’s all I knew. But that I could be a decision-maker or create a product? That’s something I didn’t know, and most young women don’t know that.
On what she expects young girls to gain from her camp:
“I love beauty and I’m really glad that I’ve found a way to use my talent differently. As publishing and all these things change, people should start thinking about what kind of legacy they want to leave. What do you want to be known for? And is it different from what someone else is doing? What I love about beauty is it’s so collegial across the board. I thought I was going to be a fashion editor when I went to school but I’ve never regretted a day in the beauty industry. This might not be the career for the [girls who come to camp], but the whole notion of being beautiful for themselves and to understand they have power by saying what [they think] is beautiful, is important.”
Her thoughts on diversity in the beauty industry:
“I think the beauty industry is challenged because there is not enough representation at the [decision-making] table. Instead of complaining about it, I need people to do something about it. They say we can’t find the people [to fill those jobs], so then let’s equip people to do the jobs.”
Read the entire interview at Fashionista.com. The beauty camp is open to everyone and there are still some scholarships available. Go here for information.
article by Ty Alexander via blackamericaweb.com