RTDM: Leslie Hernandez
Leslie Hernandez
Creative Director of Backstage Makeup Professionals
Dallas, TX
We want to get to know you! Briefly tell us about yourself: Where you came from, where you've been and how you're living your dream?
I discovered makeup when I was 10 years old and it changed my life. I started with a caboodle that I would fill with samples from my mother's and aunt's purchases from Estee Lauder and Clinique. It was fascinating the small blushes and eyeshadows. I would do makeup on my Cabbage Patches and one of them had a retractable pony tail that I could style short or long. When I was a teen my aunt gave me the best makeup tip that I still use till this date: pencil the inner eye rim with brown or black pencil, now a days is called tight lining. When I wore it my classmates and teachers will notice something in my eyes, but couldn't figure out. I was asked several times. I realized that makeup is powerful and it's every women's secret weapon. During college I opened my own beauty salon in Mexico and operate it for 8 years before moving to Dallas. I fell in love with Dallas makeup scene and diversity. I loved the transformative power of makeup and the confidence it can give a woman. I started working at MAC to learn more about makeup in Dallas. It was the best and most convenient way to learn product knowledge and client relations and get paid at the same time. After less than a year with MAC I was ready to have my own business like back in Mexico. I love the artistic part of makeup as much as I love to take on a business.
How do you define success?
Success for me is having a peaceful mind and a joyful heart. In every decision that I take I rationalize it, but also feel it and listen to my body.
What did it take to make your dream happen and how do you make it sustainable?
This is not an industry where you just sit around and talk about what you want - you have to go out and get it and make it happen. Take action is always on my mind. Before putting myself out there I had to decide my aesthetics. What makes me unique and differentiate from the rest. Deciding and staying true to my definition of beauty makeup on the Instagram era can be a struggle sometimes.I believe that my client should look perfected and flawless where you can see the effect of the makeup, but not the makeup.
What are you most proud of? Go ahead, boast a little!
I am proud of leading Backstage into a company with a unique organizational structure and an established market presence in the beauty and makeup community. Every decision we make about our business is aligned with our core values and I am proud that in a very short period of time we have positioned Backstage as a leader in makeup artistry and the only makeup studio bringing celebrity makeup artist to teach makeup classes to our Dallas makeup community. We opened 2 locations within a 6 month period and and our team of trained makeup artists has tripled.
What was your biggest obstacle/fear and what was your turning point?
I find challenges being internal and not external. I believe in myself and my purpose so as long as I stay true to myself and the message of my brand it will resonate to the right people. I can not control the environment, what I can control is how hard and how smart I work. I overcome my internal fear my reading and educating myself and give myself time to focus on being creative and implementing knowledge as I learn it.
What’s the best advice you’d give to a younger you?
To believe in yourself and to commit with all your strength to achieve the goals. Surround yourself with trusted, competent and top-notch people in every field. Be open to feedback because it will make you grow and don´t take anything personal.
How do you stay motivated and purposeful when you feel overwhelmed?
When I don´t feel like doing anything or lack the drive to put my goals into action I always go back to my WHY, I keep my planner close to me and see my goals easily, I talk to myself with kindness and be my own cheerleader, and the last, listen to my playlist that makes me feel powerful, decisive, and in hustle mode.
Tell us a time when a perceived failure was actually a blessing in disguise or served you in a surprising way.
I’ve always thought what is meant for you is meant for you. The universe is always working for you, but you have to be in the energy of overflowing and deserving. So the failures I’ve had are wins or life events that needed to be there to enjoy success. I think you experiment failure in every success. For example, if I got emails from 10 brides requesting info and out of those brides only 7 hire me, then 3 of them were failures. It is part of business. So I have a habit of recognizing an opportunity for gratitude and not cling to people, things and situations that are not in my highest good.
What is your favorite vice/guilty pleasure/strange habit? Come on now, we all have them!
My guilty pleasure is watching makeup tutorials of makeups that I know I am not going to do on myself or my clients. Some people watch The Bachelor, I watch unrealistic makeup videos to appreciate the art and the technique.
What's the smartest investment you’ve made for yourself?
Makeup trainings to master my skill. It increases my confidence and I grow as an artists. I am a true believer in education because when you stop learning, you stop growing. As for personal growth I invest in books because when I grow, everything around me will grow.
What’s MOST important to you right now?
My family, they are my WHY.
Share 1-2 books that have impacted you the most:
The 4 agreements from Miguel Ruiz and Return to love from Marianne Williamson
What have you learned to say no to?
To pleasing people. By saying no to someone´s agenda, time, issues, etc. I regain my power.
What's something surprising about you?
I don´t want to have kids and I am very happy with my decision.
Who is a Risk Taker Dream Maker(s) that has inspired you?
Andrea Fox @missafox
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