Artist to Artist

This is the final episode of the Artist to Artist podcast. After 60 episodes, I'm putting the podcast on hiatus to focus my mentorship energy inside the membership, where I can go deeper with artists building sustainable careers. In this episode, I'm sharing what I learned this year building Artist to Artist, and having to rebuild my business from the ground up, why I'm ending free content in 2026, and the truth about hosting masterclasses without a massive social media following or brand support. I'm also talking about the invisible gap between free Instagram content and expensive masterclasses - and why nobody's teaching the professional infrastructure that actually keeps you working. Plus, the strategic decisions I'm making for 2026, including stepping back from weddings after 20+ years and focusing my energy where it can have the most impact. If you've been listening to this podcast and getting value from it, this is your invitation to join me inside the membership where we can work through your actual business challenges together. Join the Artist to Artist Membership: $20 CAD/month, 7-day free trial Connect with me on Instagram: @artist2artist.co (artist education) and @angiedib (client work) Thank you for listening. If you're ready to build a career that survives industry shifts and actually pays you what you're worth, I'd love to work with you inside the membership.

Before you set any goals for 2026, you need to assess where you actually are right now. Most makeup artists skip this step and wonder why nothing changes year after year. In this episode, I'm walking you through the four-category audit framework: Infrastructure - Can someone with money actually book you easily? How does the back end of your business run? Confidence - Are you apologizing for your rates or pricing without market knowledge? What is the client perception of who you are and what you offer? Visibility - Who with money actually knows you exist? Momentum - Are you creating opportunities or waiting for them? You can take this framework and do the audit yourself. But knowing what's wrong isn't the same as fixing it. Inside the Artist to Artist membership this December, we're going deep on passive vs. active behavior and the identity shift required to actually take control of your career. It's $20 CAD/month with a 7-day free trial. If you've been waiting for the right time to join, this is a perfect way to head into the new year. Join the Artist to Artist Membership: https://www.artist2artist.co/offers/Cji3RZiC/checkout Connect with me: https://www.instagram.com/artist2artist.co/

If you're waiting until January to start planning your next year, you're already behind. December isn't downtime, it's when pro MUAs lay the groundwork while everyone else promises to "start fresh" in the new year. In this episode, I'm breaking down why the quiet season is your biggest competitive advantage and how to use it strategically. The Planning Mindset Shift For years, I stayed stuck because I was reactive instead of intentional. When you have a clear goal, you stop reacting and start directing your business. While you're getting organized in January, other artists who planned in December are already executing. Three Focus Areas for 2026 Your portfolio is your currency. Audit your book and ask: Does this represent the work I want to be doing? Treat creative shoots as career-building days, not just practice. Pay attention to the details that make clients say "this person is working at my level." Your network opens doors you can't see yet. Think about who you want to stay connected with heading into 2026 and find low-pressure ways to check in. A lot of your business needs attention now. Clean your kit, update your website and Instagram, review your pricing, and audit your year. Which jobs energized you and which drained you? Professionals rebuild in the off-season. Your 2026 Action Plan Create a mood board about the work you want to be doing - the style, the clients, the energy. Then ask: What needs to happen between now and next November for this to become reality? Put time in your calendar right now to think about what would make 2026 a success. Pick one thing you can do this month to move toward that. Planning isn't about predicting the future, it's about preparing for it. Your dream career doesn't pop out of thin air ... it starts with intention. Ready to plan your 2026 with support? Join the Artist to Artist membership for guidance, feedback, and accountability. Seven-day free trial, $20 CAD/month. https://www.artist2artist.co/offers/Cji3RZiC/checkout

If you've been sending DMs to photographers and vendors and getting nothing back, this episode is going to change how you think about networking forever. Most makeup artists give up after their first ten messages go unanswered. They assume networking doesn't work, or that they're doing something wrong, or that nobody wants to work with them. But the truth is, they're just playing the short game when they need to be playing the long game. In this episode, I'm sharing my biggest networking failures from when I was starting out - including the years I wasted reaching out to people who were completely out of my league and wondering why I wasn't getting responses. I'll walk you through why networking takes a minimum of 18 months to pay off, why your first 20 networking attempts are literally just practice, and how the photographers I work with now are people I met five, seven, even ten years ago. You'll learn the three networking mistakes I see new artists make every single day, what I wish someone had told me ten years ago about building industry relationships, and why the compound effect of staying in touch imperfectly is more powerful than any complicated networking system. If you're ready to stop feeling like networking is pointless and start building relationships that actually lead to bookings, this episode will give you the perspective shift you need. And if you want step-by-step guidance on how to do this strategically, join us inside the Artist to Artist membership this month. We're focusing entirely on networking and career growth - teaching you who to reach out to, what to say, how to stay in touch, and how to turn casual connections into consistent paid work. Start your free trial at https://www.artist2artist.co/offers/Cji3RZiC/checkout

Speed is a non-negotiable in this industry, but it doesn't mean sacrificing quality or cutting corners on hygiene. In this episode, I break down the myths self-taught and new makeup artists believe about working fast, share the moment I realized speed was actually a skill, and walk through the systems that let you work efficiently without ever putting client safety at risk. In this episode, you'll learn why timelines get shorter as you gain experience (and how to prepare for that reality), the three biggest myths holding new artists back from working efficiently, the hygiene gap in our industry and how to build systems that keep you both fast and safe, plus the practical product choices and workflow shifts that help professional makeup artists maintain high standards under pressure. Resources Mentioned: Artist to Artist Membership - Try it free for 7 days: https://www.artist2artist.co/offers/Cji3RZiC/checkout October theme: Speed & On-the-Job Workflow Monthly challenge: The 30/30 Speed Drill Connect: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artist2artist.co/