Important Career Advice From Badass Women in the Beauty Industry

Updated 12/22/18
Women's Equality Day

Women's Equality Day is a special day for commemorating the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920. We also use the occasion to celebrate everything women have accomplished over the past century and to find solidarity in the strength of the community. In honor of Women's Equality Day, we've gathered some of the most empowering pieces of career advice from badass women in the beauty industry. These tested mantras helped each trailblazer get to where she is today—so study up on the sage advice of these successful women to improve every facet of your life, starting with your career.

Head below for a hefty dose of inspiring words from some of our favorite beauty bosses.

Be kind to everyone. Nurture your relationships, and be humble.

Young people starting out in their careers can sometimes overlook the importance of learning from others. They want to prove themselves or be original thinkers, which is wonderful, but the experience of those around you can't be underestimated. When I first started out, I knew nothing. I tried to absorb and learn from people who had experience, and I still consider it one of life's greatest lessons.

I think it's important to have regular brainstorm sessions with not only my beauty colleagues but with my hardworking, successful friends in other industries. It's motivating and inspiring to hear what others are working on outside the beauty bubble.

Work hard and follow your dreams.

My best piece of advice is: Know what you don't know. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are in different areas and learn from them. There's no need to ever pretend like you know it all.

Say yes, then figure it out!

Back in the day, I was an intern at Glamour, which was part of this amazing program run by the American Society of Magazine Editors. One of the people who ran it told us, 'don't tell your boss that you can't do something.' It's something that's stuck with me for many years. What she meant was that there are people who will try to find an answer and give up quickly when it's not easy; be resourceful, and empower yourself to find the solution.

Don't say, 'I,' say, 'we,' which I learned from my very first client when I was 25. Everyone knows you mean 'I,' but you sound more gracious.

I am not in control of life's weather that blows my way; I am in control of how I respond to it.

Interested in a career in beauty? Check out a day in the life of a Byrdie beauty editor.

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