Meet Bailey Whitlow | Brow Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bailey Whitlow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bailey, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
My work life balance has changed a lot over time. Coming from working in a corporate retail setting for so long, it was hard for me to break away from the mindset that I owed all of my time to my job. Starting a business was scary, so once mine finally started to take off, it seemed like I needed to be full speed at all times in order to keep the momentum going. Once I became a mom, all of that changed. Right before having my son, I felt the stress of my work schedule set in. I realized that over working myself left me feeling uninspired and unmotivated. Now, I have allowed myself to be okay with not thinking about work 24/7. As much as I love creating brows and its artistic outlet, it is not all that I am. I’m a wife, a mother, a friend, a daughter. A healthy work life balance has given me the opportunity to enjoy all of the roles I play in my life and therefore makes me a better brow artist in the end.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
How I became a brow artist is a question a lot of my clients ask me. My career path has not been what you may expect. When I first got my esthetician license, I was actually unsure of where it would take me. I pursued a career in esthetics originally because I thought I wanted to be a makeup artist. Going to school for esthetics opened the door to a world I never knew existed and I spent years wearing many hats in the beauty community. I started out doing facials, moved on to makeup artistry and even tried lash extensions for a short time. Eventually, I found myself wondering what my calling truly was. One day during my time at Ulta Beauty as the skin therapist, I was offered an Arch Expert position with Benefit Cosmetics. It was 2014, a time when brows were just starting to become prominent in the beauty community. I nervously accepted the position, knowing I was going to be learning as I went. I never imagined that I would fall in love with the artistry behind creating brows for my clients. I also would have never guessed that I would one day join the PMU community and tattoo brows for a living. The past 10 years of my career have not always been easy. There have been plenty of trial and error moments, self doubt and uncertainty. I’ve had to break out of my shell and try new things. Although my path has had its ups and downs, it has lead me to where I am now. I appreciate everything I’ve learned along the way and I’ve never forgotten where I started.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I spend most of my time visiting local parks with my two year old but I do love a good brunch spot. Catbird, Paradiso and Hugo’s Lost Colony are all great restaurants I have recently visited. For a more family friendly outing, my family and I like Grandscape in the colony!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband Tanner has been my biggest supporter since the beginning. Years before I was brave enough to step out on my own, he would encourage me to start my own business. He always believed in me. Without him, it would have taken me a lot longer to realize I could turn my dreams into reality.

Website: www.bwbrowaesthetic.com

Instagram: bwbrowaesthetic