Are you offended when someone questions your abilities? Prior to my emcee event last week, the client informed me that they would provide me with their preferred stylist/makeup artist. Being quite African American (LOL), I requested a quick phone call with the professional. If I can be honest, I had every intention of hiring my own makeup artist at this point.

Cindy L. Kyle was amazingly friendly on our call. When I asked her if she did much work on African American skin, she could have chosen to be offended. Or, she could have done what many other hairdressers, OB/GYNs, etc. do and assured me there is no difference between what I needed and her average customer needed. This is actually not true and is a recipe for disaster. However, she listened to me and waited until I was done speaking. Then she shared that she had worked with many women of color. She named a few well-known women and then asked me about my favorite makeup brand. I shared that I use mostly MAC. She then stated, off of the top of her head, what two compacts I would likely use, based on her viewing my pictures online. She was right! I actually jump between the two she named, based on the time of year.

Fast forward to the event, Cindy was already there when I arrived–and I got there 20 minutes early! She steamed and lint-rolled my clothes. Regarding my makeup, she gave me a natural glow with a pop of color. This was no small feat as I was suffering from a sunburn ON MY FACE. She made sure I stayed looking fresh and that I was comfortable the entire event. Not only that, she was a ton of fun to talk to!

I learned a valuable lesson from Cindy on how to address doubts and convert prospects into raving fans.

Side note- Cindy had on her mask y’all. She took if off for the pic. 😉