“Authenticity Leads to Profitability”

I stepped out on faith and… well, not so great.

They say “nothing beats a fail but a try” and that’s very true. What they don’t tell you is what are you to do with the emotions associated with the “failure”. Hello, somebody?! What do you do when you know God gave you something great, and you put it out to the world and get crickets. Let’s get real and transparent here, shall we?

I’m a makeup artist by trade and have a beauty and wellness brand in which recently I rebranded. When I was in the process of seeking God on my brand’s direction he told me “Authenticity Leads to Profitability” I was like “Yoooo, God!” That’s good!!! I used to be the type of makeup artist that wanted to duplicate any artist’s aesthetic to ensure I would always be a number choice since I could deliver ANYTHING. That left me in a very unhappy place with my career and clientele because my brand lacked identity. There was nothing to set me apart. What that revelation helped me discover is that even though I’m apart of an overly saturated market there is only one me and that’s what will clear my path and avail me to opportunities that are most suitable for ME. Here’s what happened next:

1. I created a signature aesthetic to attract the clients I wanted.

2. I changed my mission to include my gift of empowerment.

3. I gave my brand the look I knew would attract those clients, and even set my value at a rate I knew my clients expected to pay for a luxury service.

Annnnnd, VOILA! Success! My rebrand was well received and I’m booking the types of clients I want and even sold out my very first makeup class! Talk about a winning season!!!

Well, then I decide- “Who else can benefit from the message God gave me?” I knew “Authenticity Leads to Profitability” was too good to keep to myself so, I created an apparel line featuring that statement. In a week, not a single shirt sold. I even heard some feedback from a 3rd party that people don’t understand the message. Talk about crushing! I’m writing this blog because while I know I’m still in this test, there’s still a testimony.

I just knew that day 1 there would be sales. Since there wasn’t, I doubted myself and whether God was speaking to me only. Was I disobedient? Then I remembered a sermon I listened to where this particular preacher had written a book in obedience to God and it didn’t do so well and after 5 years God promoted his influence and it became a #1 seller. I started to gain encouragement from that. Let’s pray it doesn’t take me 5 years, lol! However what I did take from that memory is hope. Instead of accepting the feeling of defeat the enemy tried to get me to surrender to I’m going to pivot. Here’s a few things I plan to do:

1. Create content that explains my message encouraging others to live in their authentic identities in Christ.

2. Do a short video explaining my journey to authenticity and how it was profitable for me.

3. Simply wear my brand as a conversation starter.

I believe sometimes we think just because something came from God that it’s supposed to manifest easily. There’s nothing automatic about God’s will. You can accept or reject it. My answer to God forever and always is “YES!” Stay encouraged, my friends. It’s very true… nothing beats a fail like a TRY!

-Nicole Perkins