What we can learn from the entrepreneur story of Joyce Yeo Makeup, is the ability to follow your passion despite obstacles or even deadlocks along the way. An entrepreneur must constantly rethink, re-innovate, and find possible ways to improve the business. Most important of all, we must envision our own future!
With a strong passion for making people look good with her makeup skills, Joyce ditched her corporate communication job of nine years and focused entirely on expanding her business as a professional makeup artist.
Entrepreneurship is About Doing the Things You Love to Do
“I believe in hard work and manifestation. Without hard work, there’s no sweet reward to enjoy. But one has to mentally be ready to receive it as well. While I did not graduate with my NTU degree knowing I would be a makeup artist, I willingly joined a makeup interest volunteer group and have visualised many times being a full-time makeup artist. And because I visualise so, I proactively reach out to do more jobs and market my services until I transited over. I personally feel when you manifest it hard enough and work hard for it, even luck will swing to your side. It’s only a matter of time.” — Joyce Yeo, Founder of Joyce Yeo Makeup
Being the heroine of her own story, best described Joyce Yeo, the founder of Joyce Yeo Makeup. Since graduation from NTU, Joyce started her corporate stint in corporate communications, events, and business development. During this time, she was given the opportunity to help out as a volunteer to do makeup for the NDP, Chingay, and cultural events participants from her Buddhist organisation, Soka Gakkai Singapore (formerly known as Singapore Soka Association).
Since then, she has developed a passion for makeup and hairstyling. She felt that a beautiful personal makeover improves one’s appearance and increases confidence and self-esteem. Hence, she found her calling. To master her craft, she took up a part-time diploma programme in bridal hairstyling and makeup at a local makeup academy. She also took up some freelance makeup projects on the weekends.
In 2014, Joyce was ready to take her dream to the next level. She ended her corporate job and set sail on her entrepreneurship journey. However, during her initial years as a sole proprietor, her ‘ship’ was cluelessly sailing in the cruel seas. Besides doing what she loves, she was overwhelmed by the not-so-fun part of business management – such as admin, marketing, and especially finance accounting. To the point that she did not track her revenue and expenses, she almost exhausted the savings that she accumulated during her corporate years.
Fortunately, she was hired as a resident makeup artist for a friend’s newly set up bridal studio. This is where she could get paid by learning the ropes of the business and the ins and outs of the bridal makeup industry. However, after three years, due to the change of management, she left the bridal company to focus entirely on her own brand again. But this time, she was more well-equipped and prepared for any challenges, come what may.
In recent years, Joyce was interviewed by an industry professional. In the interview, she was called the expert in wedding hairstyles. People in the industry who know her very well love how she can make individuals with different hair lengths and textures stand out. Hence, she has more customers who engaged her for hairstyling services than makeup services.
Create Added Values for Your Customers
“Make clients your priority. Whatever business you are in, you are always in the people business. Listen to what clients want and work with them to deliver the solutions.” — Joyce Yeo, Founder of Joyce Yeo Makeup
Joyce believes in value-adding to people and empowering them with the proper knowledge. Hence, when it comes to doing makeup for her clients and if time allows, she would make it a point to share personalised skincare and makeup tips with them. During the makeup and hairstyling process, she will also explain the steps to her clients so that they will also gain valuable tips when they try on their own next time. Occasionally, Joyce would also conduct personal makeup classes to help others gain self-confidence with makeup.
Her value-added services make her well-loved by her clients. Most of the customers who engaged her bridal makeup services came back with referrals. While some of them even re-engaged her services for their maternity, family, and corporate photoshoots. One memorable opportunity given to her was to be the only makeup artist for Hollywood celebrity Charlie Cox during a Netflix promotion event in 2016. She also felt motivated whenever her students showed her their progress in terms of personal makeup.
Joyce also loves to impart her skills and knowledge to young makeup artists. One crucial value she likes to see in her makeup artists is the value of accountability. She believes that a professional makeup artist must always take ownership of the client’s problem(s) and deliver the solution(s) for them. At times, some clients may share concerns or insecurities due to issues such as thinning hair or pigmentation. Joyce will constantly reassure them that she will still make them look the best despite the problems. She wanted her makeup artists to consistently deliver more than what a customer may expect. Moreover, it is also vital to communicate and reasonably manage the customers’ expectations.
Envisioning Your Future
“Entrepreneurship is like a roller coaster, with plenty of ups, downs, and surprises to keep you wondering, “what’s next?”. But at the end of the day, you will be super proud of yourself that you have experienced the whole journey and discovered new things along the way.” — Joyce Yeo, Founder of Joyce Yeo Makeup
As an entrepreneur, it is quintessential to consistently paint a clear picture of what and where you want your business to be in the future.
During the initial circuit breaker periods, personal services such as makeup services were put to a halt. As the situation seemed bleak, Joyce’s income was affected adversely. It was during this time that her friends from her business networking group encouraged her to rethink the business and explore additional revenues of income.
Hence, she shunned any negativity, rolled up her sleeves and work even harder on her business reinvention.
She began to work on makeup video tutorials; as well as expanding her network with event organisers, photographers, and videographers for collaboration opportunities once the restrictions were lifted.
In 2021, she co-founded Terra Headshots, a leading headshot and makeover company in Singapore, with her hubby. While most makeup artists would back off setting up a studio due to the high rental costs in Singapore, Joyce wanted to do it differently. She believes that by combining her makeup and hairstyling skills with her hubby’s photography expertise within the comfort of a studio, she can add more value to her customers.
She aims to build a team of like-minded professionals who can provide quality makeup services and empower the customers through personal makeup coaching.
Joyce also wants to encourage her team members to volunteer by mentoring underprivileged women job seekers who need basic grooming lessons for their job interviews.
Learn more about Joyce Yeo Makeup
A version of this story first appeared at SME STORIES SG