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Raven Anderson in Baltimore, Maryland
welcome to Operations Unfiltered, the
podcast that takes you behind the scenes
of influencer and talent management.
I'm your host and your favorite
marketing project manager, girly Zuryna.
I love when two worlds collide,
and today's episode is just that.
We're talking all things
beauty meets marketing.
I'm joined by Mariah Phillips,
a PR professional turned founder
of Brainiac Beauty Events.
I actually met Mariah a few years ago
at Baltimore Creator's Accelerator
Network event, which makes this
full circle moment even sweeter.
We talked about everything from
career pivots, the beauty of having
a community and how her corporate
background helped her build a creative,
structured and thriving business.
Mariah shares how she took her love of
artistry and turned into SIP and pretty
makeup tutorial parties, which are fun,
beginner friendly experiences that blend
beauty, confidence, and connection.
We also chatted about some of the
challenges of entrepreneurship like
delegating, navigating through slow
seasons, especially as an event curator.
So whether you're a creative, a founder,
or simply just figuring out how to
turn your passion into profit, this
episode is definitely one for you.
So without further ado, let's
get into this week's episode
of Operations Unfiltered.
thank you so much for joining.
I always like meeting with guests that
I have a little bit of a, a history or
I've done some research on, and the fun
fact is I met you some years ago at a
Baltimore Creator's Accelerator Network.
I don't even remember what
year, but that's why I love
living in small Baltimore.
Right?
But that's the beauty
of living in Baltimore.
So welcome to Operations
Unfiltered, Mariah Kelly, thank
you so much for joining me.
mariah: I'm happy to be here.
Thanks for inviting me.
Zuryna Livermore: Of course, of course.
Now, speaking of the fact that we met
so many years ago at that accelerator
journey, what are you doing now?
What's up with Mariah?
All things business
personal, how are you doing?
Give us an update.
mariah: Yeah, things are going well.
I would say definitely in a
different business place than
I was at the time that we met.
But there's still some similarities.
I think back then I was more focused on a.
and promotion for other
people's companies.
And you know, now I'm doing
it for my own business.
So, it's exciting.
It's exciting times.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes, definitely a pivot.
Definitely a pivot.
Now, because we met in that
creator's accelerator network.
The, the vibe was all
about community networking.
Building your resources in that regard.
So can you talk a little bit about
the importance of community building,
especially as a founder and creator of
your own business, brainiac Beauty events?
Correct.
That is the correct name.
I don't wanna mispronounce it, but yes.
Talk about that as the
founder of that business.
mariah: Yeah, so I think the importance
of having a commu, well, first I'm
gonna say for me, and I, and I know
for a lot of people that I, that I
talked to who also founded things and
you know, have special projects that
they've dedicated a, a special portion
of themselves to, it's important to have
community because it can be a lonely
journey if you don't, you know, with
when you are focused on making sure.
thing that you created, whether it's a
business, whether it's a work of art,
a project is the best that it can be.
You sometimes have to sacrifice other
things you know, that you may want to do
or other thing other times where you may
want to be a little bit more frivolous,
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: And so I think that being in
community with people who understand
you, you know, you don't necessarily
have to be a business owner.
can be a creator, you can be
somebody who has a special interest.
But being a community of
people who understand that is
very important because one.
We're humans, we need connection.
Zuryna Livermore: Absolutely.
mariah: You can be inspired by
somebody else's determination to
keep going when it gets hard for
you to keep going on your own.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: because I don't know,
it's just it's fun, like
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: is fun.
I.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes, yes.
And honestly, this is so
off topic, but on topic.
I used to work in person for so many
years and building that community,
even though it was annoying, the
commute, but having the flow of ideas
readily available or even co-working
with people, that's something that I'm
missing in the, in the virtual world.
So definitely that.
So I, I love that analysis.
Now you mentioned your career
pivot since the time that we met.
Can you talk a little bit about how your
journey has evolved and, and how you've
landed at Brandy Eye Beauty events?
mariah: Yeah, I think when we met,
I had just moved back to Baltimore.
I am from Baltimore, but I had
lived the tri-state area up in North
Jersey and New York for some years.
'cause I went to college there.
Then I stayed up there.
To start my career in public relations.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: And then I moved back to
Baltimore 'cause I'm like a family person.
My niece was just born lada da da.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: so when we met, I was working
at an EdTech company and I was in their,
basically their development department.
So it was my responsibility to
develop contracts with health systems
and all sorts of things like that.
And then I eventually moved to that
marketing department, which was helping.
Universities, like American and Syracuse,
improve their SEO, their search engine
optimization ranking so that they
could attract more student admissions
leads for their master's programs.
And so before I got back to Baltimore,
before all of that happened, like
I said, I was in public relations.
And I had just, I just love like
discovering like new, fresh ideas or like
exciting cool things and then seeing how
many people I can help find out about it.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: I had, if I recall properly,
I had come to the BCAN event because.
It was something like that was going, it
was like a networking thing or something.
And I think all of us kind of had that
same entrepreneurial spirit in a way.
Zuryna Livermore: Yep.
mariah: and I think
that's where we first met.
And then
Zuryna Livermore: I think we bonded or we.
mariah: a lot going on after that, so.
Zuryna Livermore: Uh, no.
I was gonna say, I think we bonded
over, or commiserated rather over our
mutual education experience because
I was working in higher education
or going tour higher education.
So yeah, I remember that our, our
conversations during that little class.
mariah: Yeah.
Yeah.
And V can had a lot of, oh my
God, that was like pre COVID.
They had a lot of really, they
still do, if I recall, because
I still get their emails.
But they had a lot of great
opportunities for people to connect
and gain really good skills before
the events market started booming.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes, yes.
I'm, I'm gonna have to check in with them,
see what they're doing Since then, but
since then, you've pivoted across a couple
of different jobs, both professionally,
but in your entrepreneurial endeavors.
I would say, what do you feel like are
some transferable skills that you've
learned in your corporate journey?
I put air quotes around corporate.
And what do you think that, how, how
do you see them transferring over
into your brainiac beauty events?
mariah: Yeah.
So, a lot,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: I'll say, I'll take it back
first to when I was younger and then
I'll kind of bring it up to date.
'cause I think it connects in some way.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: I remember when I was like
eight years old and I told, 'cause I was
obsessed with doing my sister, I have
a few sisters and I was obsessed with
doing their hair and I was like obsessed
with makeup and obsessed with the doll
heads that you buy and curl their hair.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: but I was like,
I'm gonna be a hairdresser.
Like I wanna go to Randallstown
High for cosmetology.
And my mom was like, no.
Like you're going to go to the school.
I have you going to and
you're gonna go to college.
And I was so upset because.
Zuryna Livermore: Isn't that the plight of
black girls though, or girls in general?
I wanted to do the same thing.
I think I wanted to be like
news reporter or something,
and my mom was like, girl, no.
Go get you some, make
some, make some coins.
So, right there with you.
mariah: to college
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: you know, you might as well get
the cosmetology program out your head.
And so for a long time I
was like, upset about that.
'cause I'm like, this
is what I wanted to do.
But now that I look back the
corporate experience that I
have gained was so valuable
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: able to run
Brainiac Beauty because.
In order to, you know, as an artist,
you don't want any boundaries.
Like you want to be free flowing like
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: it's limitless, you know, rules.
What are those?
Zuryna Livermore: Yes,
mariah: I
Zuryna Livermore: yes.
mariah: know, being in corporate
and having had a career in public
relations and I did marketing.
recently I've been in the
fundraising development world doing
Zuryna Livermore: Mm.
mariah: galas, you know, sponsored
events individual donors learned
about major donors, grant writing,
Zuryna Livermore: Oh wow.
All the things.
So you are the person to go to if
you need help asking for money.
That's what I'm hearing.
mariah: if you want money,
I specialize in asking for
Zuryna Livermore: I love having a
person like you on the In the Rolodex.
Yes.
mariah: Because the thing about money
is you can't, you can't live without it.
And it's especially in America you
know, it's just really important.
And so I think one of the things that
having worked in the for-profit world,
then working in the nonprofit world,
really I got a good financial background
as far as what money can do for people
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: money can do to help
people's lives and how can it
improve people's lives and how
it works on a foundational level.
And I think that was really important.
When it came to transitioning,
not only the money skills and
understanding of economics, but also
the structure that God knows, bored
me to death and corporate, but the
structure that like corporate provides
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: important to creating
this business because.
All the while, while I was in
corporate all those years, I
was also an artist on the side.
And
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: when I decided to create brand
Act beauty events, I was able to look at
it from a bird's eye view and say, okay,
how can we take the, make makeup artistry
and make it something where eventually
we can create jobs for makeup artists?
You know, where we create these events
that serve multiple people at a time
and where we can create these events
where yes, people are investing in them
because they want to improve their lives.
So
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: without that corporate
experience, I wouldn't have been able
to bring as much structure to this
business in order for it to be able
to grow as quickly as it's growing.
Zuryna Livermore: Oh, I love that.
Okay.
You sound like you have your hands in
quite a few things and I'm a marketing
project manager so all day project
planning is my, my thing, I have multiple
notes, multiple to-do lists, calendars.
So what tools or technology do you
use to keep yourself organized?
Are you like a tech person or are you
a pen and paper type of girl or both?
mariah: my gosh.
definitely not a tech person.
I wish I was like, I wish I was.
I'm definitely a pen
and paper type of girl.
I still do the numbers for.
Like each class and
expense on a spreadsheet.
I'm trying to like transfer to these
apps, but that's one of my goals in the
near future is to hire somebody to do
that because I feel like your forte is
your forte and software is not mine.
Zuryna Livermore: I know that's right.
mariah: yeah, will say I do use zero
to you know, help with accounting.
And then I use, literally just
use my phone when it comes
to managing my own schedule.
I use.
when it comes to managing like mass emails
to send out to and attendees and people
who signed up for the subscription list.
But that's about it.
Like a lot of it is pretty
manual still, just because we
also sell tickets on Eventbrite.
So Eventbrite automates
a lot of stuff for you.
And then I, you know,
manage the social media.
So right now a lot of the
marketing and stuff is done by.
simple tools that automate for you,
and I wanna leave room for someone
who really knows what they're doing to
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
I love the foresight though that
you have, and I love the key pieces
that you're not afraid to delegate
when it needs to be delegated.
'cause I know that working with a
lot of small business owners, that's
something that they struggle with.
And even myself, I struggle with,
I wanna hold everything close.
I wanna do it.
Can't nobody do it like me, but.
Mental fatigue is real,
overstimulation is real.
So
mariah: And I'm like, there's, there's
literally thousands if not millions of
people who can do things better than me.
Zuryna Livermore: yes, yes.
mariah: why not let somebody
come and do that, you know,
Zuryna Livermore: No, I totally get it.
Yes.
No, I totally get it.
And I love that approach.
And I wonder for you, do you
consider yourself a content
creator or an influencer, or both?
Because you do create the content,
you're selling tickets, but
what do you consider yourself?
mariah: I would say that I never
thought of myself as either, really.
But I will say that if there's
anything that I would be proud to
influence, I'd like to influence
with the things that I create.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: as opposed to seeing myself as
an influencer, I don't, you know, I kind
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: as I like to create
things that influence people to
do good things for themselves.
So
Zuryna Livermore: Ooh.
mariah: say my creations, I
would consider to be an influence
versus, like myself personally.
If somebody does something because I
did it, then, you know, I hope that it's
because they saw me do something good
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: you know, and worth emulating.
But I, I, I would definitely just
say I like to influence with the
things I create for the world.
Zuryna Livermore: Ooh.
I love that.
So brainier beauty events,
what is your specialty?
And we've talked about it briefly,
but for people who are still unsure,
unclear what it is that you offer.
Give us a little background
about the services.
mariah: Yeah, so, so I created a.
A type of makeup class called SIP
and pretty makeup tutorial parties.
And so that's what our
first service that we offer.
And then I recently added on
SIP and pretty skincare clinics.
And we're gonna start bringing in
estheticians on those because we want
latest to take care of their natural skin.
And then also at the seven
pretty makeup tutorial parties
you take care of the makeup.
You learn artistry.
So circling back to the SIP and
pretty makeup tutorial parties and
those, you learn as a beginner.
You learn how to do a full face of
natural makeup in 60 minutes and
Step by step.
So it's, I break it down
into four 15 minutes steps.
And you, we focus on,
foundation concealer.
How to get a contour, eyeshadow, lashes.
It's really fun and it's more of a
seated party versus a serious makeup
class because I just feel like
makeup's one of those things where I
personally enjoyed, I think some people
are really scared of it, and I think
it's because for a long time, makeup
was sold as something that was like.
You know, a negative thing
that's supposed to bring positive
things to your life, like it was
Zuryna Livermore: Hmm.
mariah: if you don't like the
way your face looks, then you're
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah,
mariah: to learn how to do makeup.
Zuryna Livermore: they make it
seem like such a chore, like it's.
mariah: right, exactly.
You're gonna have to learn
how to do this on your face.
And it's no, like you're
supposed to enjoy it.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: You don't go to a sip and paint
class to draw sunrise and you know, get
upset that you're about to have to do it.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: tutorial parties, like
the atmosphere is one where
it's fun, it's lighthearted.
We laugh, we joke, and you
look pretty at the end.
Zuryna Livermore: Ooh, I love that.
mariah: like, what?
What more could you ever wanna do in a
Zuryna Livermore: Exactly.
The perfect night out.
mariah: Exactly.
And when speaking a perfect night
out, you know the locations we usually
have 'em in, like after you leave,
you can literally go out to eat.
You can go to you can go do something
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
It's like a grab and go experience.
I'm a stopping your
overall night experience.
You're filling a gap or
adding to people's experience.
I love that.
Oh my gosh.
Now event planning is such a
nerve wracking feel for me.
And it's crazy because I'm a project
manager and I manage these high budget
marketing projects at these big companies.
But planning events is something that
literally makes my skin crawl and I'm
slowly putting my foot in the water,
mariah: Yeah.
Zuryna Livermore: I'm nervous.
mariah: Okay.
Zuryna Livermore: is your
event planning process?
What does that look like?
Talk specifically talk about the
collaboration piece, 'cause that also
scares me, but just talk about what your
overall event planning process looks like.
mariah: Yeah.
So for me, I think because I consider
myself an artist before anything
else, I usually try and feel what the
customer's gonna feel when they come.
So.
don't, I'm terrible at
planning on, on paper first.
So like I have to create
the experience at home.
Like I create a, before I offered
the sipping pretties, I did a sip.
I did it at home.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: mirror and I just.
Had tools and I figured out, okay,
hey, how can we do this in 60
minutes, if somebody's a beginner.
So I think everybody's gonna have
their own natural bend as to how they
go about it, but my personal way of
doing it is I create and have the
experience first and see what feels
good and natural, and then write it
down in a more structured way on paper
after I know it feels good and natural.
And I will call my, usually my sister
and freak out over it because I'm
like, I dunno if this is gonna be good.
And she is like, why?
It doesn't have to be perfect.
And I'm like, you're right.
So,
Zuryna Livermore: This is true.
That is honestly, I feel like
that's the imposter within us all
that negative self critic, because
honestly, I'm a perfectionist too.
I'm like, no, so I get you.
I, we are here.
mariah: Yes.
And when you do makeup, it's
because I was a makeup artist
for so many years and still am.
And it's it's just the type of
profession where you can't mess,
you know, as the artist who getting
paid, no one's paying you to mess
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah, that's gonna
be a problem if you mess up, you know?
mariah: but Simone's like Mariah,
you're not helping these people
get ready for their wedding.
You're teaching them their beginners.
You're gonna have to give them room to.
Be flexible and make mistakes and
you can bring 'em back on course.
And I'm like, oh
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: You know, you kind of have
to get people who remind you of why
you created it in the first place.
'cause I always just wanna
deliver people a perfect product.
And so I kind of learned how to shift the
perfect product from being the result to
the perfect product being the experience.
And if you can create.
A very good experience and excellent
experience, then the result that they
achieve is gonna be perfect regardless
because the experience was well curated.
And so when I do events, I
usually try and feel it out first.
Put it on paper, talk to
somebody who you trust
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: you can talk out the good ideas.
'cause there are bad ideas, like the good
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: and like the bad ideas.
Like when I first started of my classes, I
was like, oh my God, why do we have tacos?
And that was the worst idea ever.
Zuryna Livermore: Oh girl.
Not with the tacos.
mariah: While they're doing their makeup,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah,
mariah: like you have to.
Zuryna Livermore: but I
see what you were doing.
I understand.
You know, people get hungry.
I saw.
mariah: I'm glad you saw the vision.
If I had talked to somebody first,
they'd be like, Mariah, I don't know.
So feeling it out, writing it
down, talking to somebody, trust
about it, to weed out what it,
could work and couldn't work.
And then as far as the collaboration
part, I usually just really.
To your point earlier about networking,
I just, I consider myself a natural
I like being around people and so
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: I even knew I was networking,
I just always made sure to stay
in places with people that I
bobbed with and got along with.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: I think when you go about it
naturally, it doesn't feel so like, oh
my God, I'm impeding on this person.
What if they say no?
So like when I went to collaborations,
I'd be like, who do I know?
Oh my gosh, she sells ice cream.
People like ice cream and makeup.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: this friend has a boat, and then
sometimes when you think about stuff and
you think it's a really good idea, at
least it happens to me a lot the time.
I'm like, I think this
would be a really good idea.
And I just hold it in myself and I'm like,
I think this would be a really good idea.
And the person literally reaches out
to me without me having to do the work.
Zuryna Livermore: A manifestation,
that energy you put out.
Okay.
I, I feel it.
Yeah.
mariah: hold the idea and you, you keep
it in a good place in your mind, you
know, and within yourself, and you just
keep doing what you know you need to do.
And then it, it, sometimes it
happens without you having to do too
much, but as far as like actually
reaching out sometimes when you
don't know if the person's gonna
want to collaborate, always try to.
Visit a place or visit a, somewhere
where you actually get to get to know the
person before you do the collaboration.
Or if you can't do that, to have somebody
who vouched for the person or the product.
Because I was in public relations
for so long, I pitched things
all the time and I know that, you
can have a good idea and you can.
Vibe with a person on an idea level,
but you don't vibe with each other
on a creative level or collaborative
level or you know, it's just
Zuryna Livermore: exactly, yes.
mariah: of, I thought
this would be a good idea.
So
Zuryna Livermore: Right.
mariah: I kind of do your your
investigation sounds intense,
but kind of like you're scouting
when it comes to collabs and
then I literally just reach out.
I'm like, hey.
I do, SIP and pretty makeup tutorial
parties and I usually try and
make it a benefit for them too.
'cause everybody's busy, everybody they're
trying to get their thing off the ground.
Zuryna Livermore: Yep.
mariah: right now with small, local
cosmetic brands if I collaborate with
them, I either say, Hey, you wanna
sponsor a party and include one of your
products in the tutorials, or, some
people will pay a fee to have their
products included in the tutorials.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: Yeah, you reached out to
them so that they can collaborate
because you want this thing that
your idea to be greater than what it
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: making sure that you're helping
their thing be greater than what it is in
return, so that it's worth their while.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah, just making
sure everybody has a, it's a mutually
beneficial experience for everyone.
And of course with all the good,
there's bad, how do you navigate
during slow seasons I mean,
Baltimore has no shortages of events.
So how do you.
Cope when there's a lot going on and,
and your stuff isn't selling out, or
have you been blessed in that regard?
And I'm sure you have, 'cause I've seen
the picture you've been sold out, but just
how do you navigate during those times?
mariah: Yeah, so I would say in
the summertime since we've been
around, since January 20, 24, well,
we're year and some change old.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: so I've read, definitely noticed
like in the hot months where like you
don't even want anything on your face.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: You know, it's, it's, it's not
as easy unless you're doing like an ice
cream social, which I did that sold out.
It's not as easy to get people
in for the makeup classes unless
you're doing something that is
related to them cooling down.
So I think that with, when you're trying
to make sure that your stuff gets noticed.
Amongst a bunch of noise.
Like you really just have to
understand your audience and
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: what they need and be aware
of the times, like what times are
we in, what's the season like?
What are some things that are gonna
attract people beyond your product
because your audience is gonna tell
you what they want and what they like,
and you're gonna see some patterns
and what they want and what they like.
So you can just keep, can just
keep giving them what they want
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: If it's hot and people
don't wanna come out , give
'em something to cool down.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: just making sure it has to
make sense is, I guess is the point
that what I'm getting to is like when
you wanna stand out above the noise,
what you're offering people has to make
sense for them to pay attention to you.
And usually that's a very simple
thing that's, I know for myself.
As someone who is creative, I
have to always refine my ideas
down to something very simple.
So to the other artists out there who get
a little wacky and elaborate, I get you.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: Sometimes it's like
just making sure it makes sense.
Zuryna Livermore: you are heavy marketing.
'cause I hear that p you know the
product price promotion, positioning.
I hear you heavily on that
positioning, so I'm like, yes, come on.
Marketing brain, PR brain.
I love that.
Now you mentioned that you hosted the ice
cream social and it's sold out period.
I know these next event sold
out and I know you partnered
with an apartment complex.
On a, a recent makeup event.
All these events have such cool elements.
But in your mind, what is the most
memorable event or the event that
you're looking forward to the most?
mariah: Well, I would have to say the most
memorable one was the first one because.
the first one was January 20th,
2024, and it was at Stem and Vine.
A plant shop in bar in
Baltimore, Maryland.
And the night before it was a blizzard.
Zuryna Livermore: Oh no.
mariah: these tickets the
night before it was a blizzard.
I said, this candy.
So I finally did all of this.
I did the promotion, selling tickets
for the first time is not easy.
So, I just didn't know
if it would work out.
And, it did.
So Baltimore City got the
streets cleared very quickly.
And then I had people coming up from
like PG County and, and Virginia, which
still to this day, people come from
Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
A lot of people come to the parties as
a destination as well as local people.
But so people had come out, and at this
point I just wanted to have a makeup
party and have fun with other ladies.
It wasn't a business and I
wasn't trying to make it one.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: so, it was memorable because it
worked and I didn't know if it would.
And maybe three days after
the Baltimore Business Journal
reached out and they asked to do.
A feature on upcoming black
owned businesses in Baltimore.
And I was like, I don't know why
they reached out to me 'cause
I just hosted a makeup party.
There was no business idea in, in sight.
And then so when the reporter, and I
also thought it was a prank and my sister
was like, you overthink everything.
Call, like text that, even that lady back.
And so because
Zuryna Livermore: I to unpack this, we
gonna have to have a pow wow 'cause my
imposter syndrome with yours, listen.
mariah: Yeah, it's a lot of girl,
please, know, things are working out.
You have to believe that they are.
So, the reporter called and we did
the interview and she asked for the
pictures and the way that she wrote
about the event helped me to see how
it was actually a business and how.
the experience I had in the past
as a makeup artist and in corporate
had somehow come together and
created this really good product.
And so I would say that was the most
memorable because it affirmed that this
was something that I could keep doing
and actually turn into a business.
Zuryna Livermore: Well you, you have
turned, it let's, you have turned it
into a business and you are thriving.
So you mentioned partnerships,
opportunities that you have.
What is your dream partnership
or dream collab if you have one,
whether that be with a dream content
creator or even a makeup brand.
mariah: Yeah, so I, I feel like maybe
a month ago I would've answered this
question a bit differently because
I had my site set on something
different, I have a new belief that
I prefer to grow with people who are
in the same position that I'm in.
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: who are also creating really
great things that maybe don't have
the funding to make it as big as it
could, as quickly as you could do it.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: dream collaborations
are really with local.
Business owners, women business owners,
people of color, business owners, in
the cosmetic field, in the wine field,
who are really grinding and really doing
their best to put good things out in the
Zuryna Livermore: Mm-hmm.
mariah: I feel like brand egg beauty, our
sip and pretty makeup tutorial parties
are a place where commerce happens.
So I would say my dream partnerships
are with is just with people who
are doing really great things and we
can do really great things together.
'cause I think there's so much magic.
And doing things with other
innovative people who are at
the same point that you're at.
And I think that, whoever became an
Ulto or Sephora or you know, any sort
of brand that a lot of us see in high
regard started off at a small place.
And that magic grew over time.
So I'm excited to see the magic that I
can create and grow with, with people
who are in the same spot as me right now.
Zuryna Livermore: Love the collaborative
energy because it, it propels us forward.
Honestly, that's the only way that we'll
ever be able to build back our block
like they always say, is by collaborating
and, and investing in one another.
So I love that you're doing that, and I'm
happy to support in whatever way I can.
I have my PR brain back on
whatever I can do to support.
Forward thinking, foresight
forest through the trees.
Where do you see brainiac beauty
events in the next three to five years?
And do you exp, do you envision
expanding beyond Baltimore?
mariah: Yeah, I definitely do.
In the next three to five years, we'll
definitely have a fleet of makeup
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: Because the Reason that I'm,,
so passionate about refining the parties
is that I want it to be something that
other makeup artists can use and, can
make money off of the whole, the brand to.
Make more job options for artists
and for makeup artists because one,
a lot of people still don't take
artistry seriously as a real job.
You know, the general public is like you.
'cause I, you know, I've
been a fundraiser and
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: marketer and when you say you're
a fundraiser, you get a very different
response when you say you're an artist.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: The, one of the
missions of the company is to.
Change the perception of what artists
can be and what artists can have.
Because artists Art
Artistry keeps people alive.
Artists bring really
good things to the world.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: I wanna create this where other
artists, can license the the brand, and
I can teach them how to host the parties.
And, it's another source of income
for artists outside of having to
market their hands-on application.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: It's like a tough position you
get put in when you're a makeup artist,
because if you wanna have kids, if you
wanna have a family, you just can't focus
on that promotion like that you used to
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: you know, it's very much an
entrepreneurial job and then you have
to go to the client and then if you're
doing a wedding, if you could be at
the, with a client for five hours,
Zuryna Livermore: yeah, it's
not, you can't, you can't stay.
That's not sustainable.
mariah: That's not sustainable.
So the goal of brain egg beauty,
of course, we're serving everyday
women to help empower them to be
creatives of their own reality and, and
improve their makeup artistry skills.
And in tandem with that, we're
empowering artists to give artists
job options because let's say you
are a makeup artist, you just had a
kid or you started a full-time job.
'cause you don't, whatever your case is,
you can license Braniac Beauty and we
can teach you how to host these tutorial
parties that we've already refined them.
And you can host, a couple of classes
on a weekday or once a month, or twice
a month, however you want to do it.
And you can have income.
And so I think that's really
important , but also in that
you're not restricted to a desk.
Because I'm like, that's the thing is yes,
I, I myself was able to bare my, you know,
grind my teeth and go through corporate
for the amount of time that I did.
'cause I do think there's a
lot of benefit in corporate.
I
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: you know, I'm not a
corporate bachelor at all, but it's
like when you're a makeup artist.
Or a nail artist.
So somebody who's just very in that aura.
Some people they, you can't like,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: can't, you cannot
be sitting at a desk.
And so you need options where
you can have structure and you
can make money, but you also.
Can be yourself and that's the thing
that I really wanna create by refining
and then licensing these parties
is creating spaces for artists to
be themselves and to make money.
Zuryna Livermore: It's giving candy,
you know, Kandy from Real Housewives,
how she started the whole bedroom
candy model and just, she helped
empower women to be their own bosses.
That's the vibe you're giving.
So I love this.
I love this.
Oh, I have this.
mariah: candy, but I don't know, I
didn't know about the bedroom candy.
I gotta look it up.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
That whole model of like the Avon model
I always tell people they need to think
of themselves as project managers and
entrepreneurs, but having something like
this really would empower them to do that
because truly, it's your choice whether
or not you wanna make the money or not,
mariah: Exactly.
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: or not you wanna make the
money, but then you're also not
having to take on the whole risk of an
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: venture because that's a lot
of, I mean, per, it's a lot of work and
it's exhausting and it really takes.
Something out of you that sometimes
you just don't have the room for.
I mean, right now I don't
have children, so I have.
The room to, give of myself in a way that
ladies who are populating our earth and
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: next generation of people,
have given up themselves in a big way.
'cause they're mothers and I'm just like,
they shouldn't have to give up their
dream of working for themselves and being
artists because they also wanted to live
out a dream of being a mother and, you
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: a dream of something else.
So like you're saying, I just want
to make being an entrepreneurial
something that is doable, even if you
don't want to be a high risk person.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes, I, I appreciate
you so much because at Live More agency,
I started it for that very reason.
I wanna make sure that people have the
right people, processes, and tools.
So that is the.
Exact reason why I want, just
because you had a kid or you took
some time off from school, or you
changed your major and now you don't
do anything that has to do with it.
Doesn't mean that you can't pour
into yourself and be an entrepreneur.
Let me help you.
You know?
I love that.
mariah: Exactly.
You're there to help people.
It's like your dream's not over
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
It's
mariah: I.
Zuryna Livermore: just begun.
Yes.
But you mentioned that you
were, you're a makeup artist.
You still are.
If you could give your younger self.
Who had all these dreams and aspirations,
who was doing makeup, wanted to do hair.
If you could give her one piece of
advice, what would it be and why?
mariah: Yeah, I would just say
explore, keep going and trust
yourself to figure it out.
My sister makes fun of me
where I get addicted to
self-help books because I think
Zuryna Livermore: That's a
good thing to be addicted to.
I'm, look, you could be like me and be
addicted to Pringles, like that's bad.
mariah: I'm also addicted to wrinkles
and a lot of things that I should not
be addicted to, like cheese stick subs.
But
Zuryna Livermore: Also the addiction.
I, we don't have to talk.
mariah: trust yourself to figure it
out because you were born with the
answers already and it's because
we go through a school and begin,
and our school's a good thing.
Please learn to read and write, you know?
But because we go through
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: these systems and we
have life and we have these
things that get in the way and.
We live in America and
making money's important.
We have these self-help books telling
us how to be productive and how to
get to this and how to get to that.
But when do you trust your own voice?
Zuryna Livermore: Ooh.
mariah: if you don't give yourself time to
trust your own voice, you'll be frustrated
for a long time because you're trying
to tell yourself something, you know
Zuryna Livermore: yeah.
mariah: yourself room to hear it.
And so I would say give yourself
more space to get quiet and
to hear yourself and you know.
Zuryna Livermore: At me.
Okay.
You yelling at me.
Alright.
I'm do it.
mariah: It's okay.
I, you know, I have, I pay my
therapist a lot to yell at me, so it's,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: so I guess the result
is other people catching it,
but it's it's not easy to do,
Zuryna Livermore: especially
quieting the noise.
That's why I'm, I'm really big on creating
a village of like-minded individuals,
people who you want to emulate and
they don't have to be millionaires.
It's just people that are
living in their truth.
I'm being intentional about surrounding
myself with that so that by way
of surrounding myself with that, I
can then will that out of myself.
So, yeah, totally get it.
mariah: get that when we're eight, you
know, when we're five, when we're 10,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: as difficult to,
do it when we're older.
So if I could tell my younger
self something, it would be that.
And it's just if you can hold
onto that from a young age.
You can, you know, I'm not gonna
say not gonna make mistakes 'cause
life is full of mistakes and
that's how you learn and grow.
But the frustration might be a little
bit less 'cause you're just like
oh wait, I'm gonna figure it out.
So.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes,
it is gonna be all right.
Wi Yes.
Okay.
I wanna get into a little bit of
current event slash makeup trends
'cause you are the makeup expert here.
You're the subject matter expert.
mariah: Okay.
Zuryna Livermore: A newbie.
I used to like makeup a lot, took a
break, had a baby, but now I'm back
in the game for all the girls who
are trying to get back into the game.
Makeup game, what are your
top two essentials that we
must have in our makeup kit?
mariah: Oh my goodness.
So I'm, this kind of saddens me because
the company is not doing too well.
I hope they end up doing better.
Win Beauty.
Serena Williams brand
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
mariah: a fantastic, and I mean
fantastic hydrating skin tint.
I have it on right now,
and it's like literally you
Zuryna Livermore: You,
mariah: just,
Zuryna Livermore: you,
you look very sunkissed.
I might have to release the video for
forever because you, you look nice.
I'm just, I'm not even.
mariah: you, but it's just it is,
the formula is just so good because
it literally just melts onto your
skin and people don't know if
you have on foundation or not.
That's the thing.
And then it's a little bit buildable
too, if you put powders with it.
So that's the hydrating skin tint.
And then I would say,
Adriana, Nicole Cosmetics.
So I think she's out
of Richmond, Virginia.
She's an indie brand and she
just makes the most beautiful
eyeshadow palette you have ever seen
Zuryna Livermore: goodness,
mariah: in
Zuryna Livermore: gonna have to.
mariah: life.
Adriana, Nicole, cosmetics and gets,
she has this one shade called ethereal.
You like swipe your finger, you
swipe it on your eye, and like
the whole makeup look is done.
Zuryna Livermore: Oh, oh yes.
Okay.
Those are top two.
What is one makeup trend
that you wanna get rid of?
Like today?
Not now, but right now.
mariah: The makeup trip
I wanna get rid of.
Let me see.
It's tough because it just depends on
who it, 'cause somebody can do something
and they just pull it off so well, and
like somebody else can do something.
I'm like, that wasn't for you.
If I could get rid of wine.
Oh, that's tough.
I will say just be careful when it
comes to the I think it's called
Makeup by Ster or Bake Baster.
It's like a makeup trend.
If you watch, if you
watch love Island Ria,
Zuryna Livermore: Yeah.
mariah: make one of her makeup
artists, they do the heavy pink the
heavy pink blush that literally covers
this whole top part of your cheek.
Zuryna Livermore: Oh, no,
mariah: I think it can be a
beautiful look, when executed well,
when you take your time, when you
really understand what's happening.
Zuryna Livermore: no.
mariah: it's, it's not something
that everybody should emulate
because it can go really wrong.
And the reason I say this is because
blush already has a hard time.
Like
Zuryna Livermore: Yes,
mariah: gets a lot of hate.
I love blush, but blush already gets a
lot of hate because it's a heavy pigment.
People get a little scared of seeing
something, red or pink on their face.
Zuryna Livermore: absolutely.
mariah: with these trends, when
something is viral online, it puts
in people's head that this is how it
has to be if you want to do it too.
And it's that's the thing about
makeup, and that's the thing about
our parties, is that we teach you to
trust yourself to find your own style.
Zuryna Livermore: Ooh,
mariah: I'll say the heavy blush
is makes me have to do extra work
to let ladies know that you don't
have this, doesn't have to be you.
Zuryna Livermore: This does not have to
be your experience, is what you're saying.
mariah: you have options.
So that is like the thing where, I
wouldn't say I get rid of it, but
like I would put like a caution sign
Zuryna Livermore: I
noted we'll accept that.
Okay.
Okay.
Well, how can people keep up with
all things brainy eye beauty events?
How can we follow you buy tickets?
Give us all the details.
mariah: Yeah.
So our handles are at
Brainiac Beauty events.
On Instagram, on TikTok it's
just at Brainiac Beauty.
You can find us@brainiacbeauty.com.
And our name really is because we
believe women have the right to be
smart and beautiful at the same time.
And your intelligence is unique to you
just as your beauty is unique to you.
And so you can find us on brand beauty.com
at Brandade Beauty events on social media.
You can always go on our website where
we announce new events almost weekly.
Zuryna Livermore: I love it.
You have a lot going on.
Thank you so much for taking time
out of your hectic schedule to talk
to little old me and my listeners.
We really appreciate it.
Thank you.
mariah: Thank you for inviting me.
I love what you're doing and I
just, as somebody who's been in
marketing and PR too, I know, how
important it is and how it's not easy.
And so the fact that you're able to
do this for people and move their
vision and their business ahead
in a way that so many people just
wouldn't be able to do on their own.
'cause it's specialized work.
And it's one thing to wanna
do, it's another thing to do
it well and you do it well.
So, thank you for what you do as well,
especially in this local area where it's
not easy to find services like that.
Zuryna Livermore: Yes.
Well thank you so much and thank you for
being part of my Rolodex of resources.
I will definitely be using you.
mariah: Yes,
Zuryna Livermore: Thank you.