Who is Anu Taneja, could you please introduce yourself?
Hi my name is Anu Taneja, I am a professional makeup artist and a mother of two young boys. We moved to Oakville in 2020 after living in Tokyo for almost 10 years.
What is your business and when did you start?
I’m an International Makeup Stylist. After having a successful 7 year stint across Asia and working with various South Asian celebrities, Miss Singapore, Mrs. Singapore, a Tamil main stream movie shot in Japan and learning and teaching Special effects makeup for halloween in Universal Studios Singapore, I finally moved my base to Oakville, Canada in June of 2020.
What inspired you to start your business?
I’ve always been creative and into painting even when I was young, and found a creative outlet in makeup. I treat each face as a fresh canvas and giving my clients a makeover is my zen. I can paint faces for hours at a stretch without breaking a sweat.
What were the challenges in the initial stages of your business and how did you overcome them?
As any new business my initial challenges being in a foreign country where very few people speak English was to get noticed and make my brand and services known to people and build a solid clientele. I worked with a lot of foreign photographers who were in a similar boat and we built our network and made our portfolios stronger together with amazing creative work, a lot of which you can see on my website. This helped me spread my name and then clients automatically started pouring in and recommending me further.
What motivates you about your business?
The smile on my clients faces when they see the final result of their makeovers and the appreciation that I receive for my work by all my friends and followers on social media platforms especially Instagram as I am most active on that.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Be patient, know your worth, do not compromise on quality and respect your client’s time.
Interesting fact most of the people do not know about you?
I can speak 3 languages including a bit of Japanese.
The best business advice I ever received was…
Stay consistent and never stop learning more.
My definition of success is…
When my creative freedom allows me to have financial stability and I can work around my lifestyle and not the other way round. The smile on my clients’ faces is another form of success for me.
If I could go back in time when I started my business, I would tell myself to…
never doubt yourself, you are enough and better things are around the corner.
Three books I recommend for entrepreneurs are…
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
How Money Works by DK
Secrets of Six Figure Women by Barbara Stanney
My personal tagline is…
Everyday is glam up day!
