Pursuit 365 Day 10: Holly Decker

Holly Decker is Fresh Magazines Beauty Editor and a professional make up artist who specializes in editorial, bridal, tv and film.

What makes an opportunity exciting to you – in business or in life?

What makes an opportunity exciting for me, either personally or professionally is the unknown of what’s to come from this opportunity. I am not an over-planner in life, but I do like to set goals for myself. I always like to have things to look forward to and new opportunities create that anticipation. I’m excited by the newness, the growth, the learning, and creating.

The beautiful thing about any opportunity is that it usually opens the door to another one, and that’s even more exciting!

What has been the greatest shift in your career or life and how did you navigate through it?

The greatest shift in both my life and career was going from being a stay-at-home mom, married and living in White Rock, BC, to being faced with a divorce, single motherhood with three boys and starting fresh.

My life was turned upside down both personally and professionally.

I moved provinces, back to Saskatchewan, where I created a new start for myself and my boys. Starting over was definitely scary, especially being in my mid 30’s and just starting to build a career. Rebuilding was definitely a process of extreme highs and lows, failures and successes. I would love to say I had a “navigation” plan, but I didn’t. I trusted my gut and took leaps and chances.

Looking back, I realize the key for me in navigating was who I surrounded myself with. I had a team of my trusted advisors that were able to get me through the very tough times. My Aunt Jini, my Mom, my Dad, and my best friend B made up that team. I am separated from all of them by location, but phone calls with each of them were lifelines for me in steering through this time in my life. My Dad was definitely my greatest trusted guide. He always gives the best advice, and he explains things in a way that calms me and gives me strength to keep going.

I also built a strong community of Saskatchewan women around me. We have some amazing talent here, and the best community, and they continue to uplift and inspire me. I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful community.

So, having a tribe of people who truly believe in me was my way of navigating through everything; and my boys, always them. They gave me strength.

What has been your favourite experience that you love to share?

I am blessed to say I have so many amazing experiences that I love to share.

In my professional career I have had the opportunity to meet some really incredible people. Being backstage, working on photoshoots and television shows, I have had so many cool moments.

Whether it’s been sitting on a couch with Magic Johnson, hanging out in a trailer waiting for showtime with Andre De Grasse, or doing makeup for one of my idols, Arlene Dickinson, for her magazine cover shoot. Or watching a Dad tear up seeing his daughter all dressed up in her bridal gown for the first time. It’s the moments, the intimate, real conversations I get to have with people. Those are the experiences I love to share.

One very memorable moment for me was having the opportunity to work with someone I have the upmost respect and admiration for. I was called to do makeup for General Romeo Dallaire. It was a special moment for me as I had read all of his books and his story truly impacted me, he is a true Canadian hero. It was the first time in my makeup career that I felt nervous and a little like a ‘fangirl’ meeting him. It was a definite highlight of my career to have the opportunity to be in his presence and get to do his makeup.

What are you up to right now that people should know about?

We all have used the words “pivot” or “shift”, especially recently, and I have been able to embody these concepts with my business. Before the year 2020, I had an online presence, but with the reduction in physical interactions, time opening up, and an emphasis on the importance of digital presence, I was able to create even more of a platform.

That shift took the form of creating online makeup lessons, which also enabled me to work with people from all over the world. This truly opened my eyes to the opportunity of a digital expansion.

I created an online program for women looking to learn how to do makeup and lighting for Zoom and online presentations. So many professional women have had to shift into new means of conducting business and social interactions and makeup, lighting, and set up can seem overwhelming. I took the opportunity to step up and help with all of these things so that women all around the world are empowered to create the best online presence for themselves

I’m looking forward to all my virtual classes and workshops this year with so many amazing women. Plus, I’m always working on something new, so stay tuned for the next new launch!

holly