Vanessa Perkins’ Bio
Before starting Everyday Glamourhood, Vanessa was traditionally employed and worked in marketing for 4 years. After welcoming two babies into the world, she took a step back to evaluate what she wanted. She knew she didn’t want the corporate 9-5, and with welcoming their second child, she decided to pivot to being a stay-at-home mom.
After some time, she realized that wasn’t quite what she wanted either. She wanted to be home and have flexibility, but she also wanted something to work on. With a passion for makeup, she then started offering her services to friends. Quickly that hobby turned into full-time employment working with models and professional photoshoots, to brides for pictures and wedding day as well as other events.
Imposter Syndrome
Early on, Vanessa was nervous about deeming herself a “professional” makeup artist. It stemmed from a hobby, so how could she call herself professional? At some point in our journey of entrepreneurship, we may all struggle with the same bit of imposter syndrome. Especially when it’s a self-declared title.
But giving yourself that title and owning it is a crucial step in your success. Call yourself what you want to be. You’ll live up to the title and perform accordingly and people will see that what you have to offer matches your title. Because, like Vanessa said, “If you’re good, you’re good.” It doesn’t matter how you got there. People are more concerned with your product than on how you arrived there.
Once you’ve done that, you may find that there are layers of imposter syndrome, maybe even stages. But think of it as though you’re taking that next step and already treating yourself like you’re there. As you work through conquering the imposter syndrome, you’ll get to a stage where you may start to push back on what someone is requesting of you. Because you’re the expert!
As you communicate your advice and knowledge and maybe even talk someone away from what they were asking for, they’ll respect you and your opinion because you have the experience and expertise.
“Own what you are good at. You have an expertise. If it’s not going to work for them, you need to be able to say that. -Vanessa Perkins
On that vein, don’t be afraid of defining your business and offering to be specific. It may seem daunting, like you’re cutting out a large portion of the market you could serve. But when you’re starting, it’s important to start small. Nail it and then scale it. So don’t be afraid of getting a niche. Saying yes to everything can be to your disadvantage. Start thinking, what do you need to start saying no to?
In fact, think about Warren Buffet’s thought exercise, but let’s tweak it to apply to your business. What are all of the things you’d like to provide/build/do? List them all out. Once you’re done, circle the top three most important. Then avoid the rest. Get those three under your belt, solid. Then you can think about revisiting your list and expanding your product or services. And maybe this leads you to hire employees!
COVID-19 and minorities
The virus has not only hit minorities hard physically (more minorities contract it and die from it) but also financially. Many are in industries or positions that have been let go due to the economic downturn.
Because we’ve also seen a lower barrier to entry with venture capital and other business funding, we’d like to provide some hope and a path forward for these individuals.
As a minority business owner, Vanessa’s biggest piece of advice is one we hear from everyone no matter the situation. Get moving. To that we’ll add that you and your ideas are valuable and desirable. Diversity in thought and background lead to better products and services.
Congratulate yourself for everyday you get off of the couch. Congratulate yourself for every day you call yourself a professional [fill in the blank]. Congratulate yourself everyday you call yourself an entrepreneur. Because it’s not always smooth sailing. There’s a lot of self doubt. There’s a lot of external obstacles. But you’re a professional and you can overcome the odds.
3 Takeaways
- Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Reach out. Give yourself that title. Own it. Don’t let imposter syndrome take over.
- Know your worth. As a first time entrepreneur it can be easy to underestimate the value you deliver. You may end up under pricing your services. It’s ok to learn, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth. Stick to your guns. People will haggle, but if they’re the right customer, they’ll stick around and still purchase your product or services.
- See what the need is in your industry and be proactive. Being part of a good movement is great, but it can end up being reactive. Constantly look for the ways that you can be ahead of the curve and do the right thing. And then make sure you maintain that moving forward. Or, for parents of young Frozen lovers, “do the next right thing.”
How to connect
Facebook: Everyday Glamourhood
Instagram: @everydayglamourhood
Website: under construction
