Say Yes to Every Opportunity | Featuring Faye Smith
Today we are excited to introduce Faye Smith on our blog, owner of the hair and makeup team we book for all of our newborn, maternity and family photo sessions!
One of the most rewarding parts of being a female entrepreneur in the beauty industry for Faye Smith, founder of Faye Smith Agency and owner of Primp & Proper salon in Vancouver, BC, is the ability to support other artists in growing their career.
Faye vividly remembers how hard it was coming out of school and not knowing where to begin. Now, after many years of doing hair and makeup, she sees first hand how much work is available and hopes she can help inspire other artists to keep going.
Faye’s advice to aspiring artists, “Say yes to every opportunity until you become so busy that you can turn work away. Until then, hustle!”
Early in her career, Faye quickly realized that she didn’t have enough hands nor hours in the day to take on all the bookings. She needed a team and began to outsource her wedding bookings to other talented artists. With the growing demand, the solo artist turned into a leading entrepreneur and Faye Smith Agency was born in 2015, with now over a 100 hair and makeup artists on the roster spanning Vancouver to Toronto.
Photo Credit: Dawn Stenzel Photography
Understanding that quality service goes beyond artistic skill, Faye finds reliability and great communication to be equally as important as talent, and that’s what her team all have in common. Communication is everything! It makes it easier to make sure a client is happy when both parties are communicating well.
In 2020, Faye jumped on the opportunity to combine forces with longtime friend Joanna Keller to open Primp & Proper and Joanna Keller Beautique under one roof. Naturally a women-led space was born in the heart of Gastown, Vancouver, sharing the vision of “Real Queens fix each other’s crowns”.
There is never a dull day for Faye. On other days, Faye could be working on a photoshoot, commercial, teaching live workshops, or filming material for her Instagram or Youtube channel. Let’s not forget the full works of maintaining a business - taxes, marketing, management. She loves the variety each day brings.. If it’s peak wedding season, her and the team could be starting their day as early as 2 or 3 in the morning and not getting home until 7pm. A little tiring, yes, but nobody said this was a 9-5. And the client’s big grin when they first see themselves in the mirror stunned is priceless!
Earlier this year, Faye Smith Agency had the pleasure of becoming Kim Forrester Photography’s exclusive hair and makeup team, specializing in maternity, newborn, and family photo shoots. The focus being on the family’s story, the makeup is kept natural and simple to compliment the client rather than distract. Together, they were able to help capture the important stories of women navigating pregnancy through the pandemic, as was featured in the Vancouver Sun. What Faye loves most about working with Kim is how seamless the whole process is, and that everything is mutually communicated and done with a smile!
Photo Credit: Kim Forrester Photography
Running a business is no easy feat. Your business is your baby, your passion, your everything. This is both fulfilling and challenging. Faye’s biggest lesson coming out of Covid lockdown, which had temporarily shut the doors to her salon and services, was to find a better balance between work and rest, reminding her that she is more important than her career. Faye now has regular days off (with of course the occasional shuffle), which she loves to fill with some sort of adventure, such as recently paragliding with her hubby Brandon on their 10 year anniversary trip to Nelson, BC.
After over a decade of being in the industry, Faye continues to say yes to opportunities! She applied for and was lucky enough to receive a BC grant to fund the creation of Faye Smith Academy, an online school for professional hair and makeup styling lessons for artists looking to further their creative careers. Faye began teaching in person and online lessons in 2015 after she won the BC Weddings Awards Best Wedding Hairstyle, and she is beyond excited to take it worldwide with Faye Smith Academy, which officially launches on September 15, 2021 with registration now open to the first course, Updos for Beginners!
Keep saying yes and see where it leads!
Photo Credit: Dawn Stenzel Photography