Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Bohannon
Hi Cat, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Like a true cat, I sometimes feel like I have lived nine lives to get me where I am today. From a background in government to being a Professor of Ethics, Philosophy, and English, to getting my Ph. D. in Public Policy – to now being a Hair & Makeup Artist! Wheh – it was definitely a journey!
Something I see across all of these endeavors, no matter how different they seem, is how people-centered they are. I was always chasing a career that I thought would be rewarding, only to end up just twiddling away in a day-to-day environment not really making any strides toward a future where my profession gave me so much internal fulfillment. From the moment I had my first happy client in my chair, thank you to my family and best friends, something in me was ignited. An immediate fulfillment that I hadn’t really ever experienced especially as they were stunned I could create such looks.
I had also taken an interest in this career from my research as a doctoral student. My study is currently covering the effects of false advertising on young girls, specifically ads altered in the beauty/cosmetic arena, and the lack of regulations for advertising within this industry. Think pore erasing, waist-cinching, etc.
I thought, “how can I make a change in an industry if I’m not actively a part of it?”
Fast forward to today, I am wrapping up my study soon and will be publishing my research in an effort to safeguard young girls’ self-esteem from false advertising in beauty/cosmetic ads. As a small business owner myself in this industry, I feel like it’s my mission to provide education to women on these false advertisements as I meet with them for our hair and makeup sessions; even adult women are not aware of the level of photoshopping in their “inspo” photos. As I complete my Ph.D. in Fall 2022, I’m looking forward to connecting with lobbying groups and non-profits that share a similar mission of safeguarding young girls’ self-esteem from false advertising and holding these organizations accountable for contributing to the rise in eating disorders and self-harm in today’s young adult population.
Business-wise, my current goals now include educating and empowering women and men of all ages to create timeless hair and makeup looks they love and to ultimately feel more confident with themselves. Makeup is not necessary to feel beautiful, but it certainly helps in today’s world of impossible standards. I have such a passion for educating and working with others and feels like lessons and education are now my callings! Whether you’re an artist, bride, or everyday girl, I would LOVE to connect with you on how to create the hair and makeup looks of your dreams!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Any notable journey is filled with bumps along the way, after all, a smooth sea is never made for a skilled sailor. One of the most difficult aspects of this “nine lives” observation within myself is the perpetual starting over and reinventing myself for each job. Year after year, spent growing bored of a career that I thought would be so rewarding, only to find out it was another dull end. I can say I have yet to regret leaving a job I feel stuck at (minus my awesome coworkers) and my intuition has never let me down so far! And with that, I listened to it even harder after some soul searching across the pandemic and took a leap of faith into the sea of the beauty industry.
Today, my biggest struggles are constantly perfecting my artistry and being a true business owner for the first time in my life. Luckily being an online professor felt like a crash course in this as I had to learn grit pretty quickly and what my boundaries are, especially when representing Makeup X Cat LLC as a company.
Don’t even get me started on the taxes and legal documentation! But in all seriousness- please get me started so I can tell my hacks for managing the marketing/business end without actually losing your mind in the process!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a makeup artist in the Austin, Texas area focusing mostly on bridal clients, I am known for my airbrushed soft-glam makeup as well as romantic curls and boho/undone updos. The typical motto for a client in my chair is “yourself, but elevated.” I never want someone leaving my chair to feel like they don’t look like themselves, but to also feel more upscale than what a typical day in the life looks like for them. While I can whip out a full glam and polished hair look, my passion is in teaching a range of soft glam makeup and tousled hair looks for the everyday girl (get it, @everydaygirl_essentials ??).
I’m most proud of my ability to teach others. Yes, that means you can do these beautiful looks at home and for your future occasions! I feel like I see a glimmer in my client’s eyes as they see themselves made over, and even more so when they realize how possible it is with a few lessons here and there!
When considering the question, “what sets me apart from others?” I feel like it is predominantly on the business side of this career. Like myself, so many of my colleagues are constantly perfecting their craft and spending thousands on the latest makeup/hair products or class releases to ensure we are consistently offering our best in knowledge, skills, and top-notch products to every single client. There’s no real education in a school of any sort to teach you about taxes, EINs, LLCs or S-Corps, and the annual renewals. I absolutely get it. It’s not as sexy as a makeover, but I feel like my background in the private and public industry helped me learn it in a way that I can make it both interesting and relatable to other artists I meet – especially those looking to go into this career full-time.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Across the pandemic, I learned the value of a solid support system. Yes, this idea is nothing new, but I genuinely did not realize how much I relied on mine without the Covid-19 crisis. In 2020, I was a full-time doctoral student starting an adjunct professor job working a minimum of 45-50 hours a week and getting paid about $8 an hour – the pressure was certainly on. While I had a few panic/emotional attacks here and there with the whole working my life away while the world was also ending, it was my circle that pulled me out of my own spiraling head. I think we all had a breach with the dark side wondering about the fate of our lives and what the “new normal” would entail across those long few years, but they never allowed me to dwell in this despair, always reminding me of the many things I was so grateful for.
Today, that same support system, made up of my family and best friends, is responsible for my success as a graduate and entrepreneur. From practicing my interview questions with friends for my dissertation study to having them as hair or makeup models in my business, I have never felt that I’m alone on the journey. Their constant encouragement, especially in my times of doubt or imposter syndrome, are the reason why my dreams never seem too far out of reach.
Contact Info:
- Email: makeupxcat@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaygirl_essentials/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af_bhhrsJRk&t=369s
Image Credits
All photos taken by Cat Bohannon
