The face of Business Woman and Principal of D’Marie Institute, Dawn Marie Lindo, lights up when she speaks of her early days. It is as though those days were a life-giving force that gave her memories that she would hold on to like the vow “till death do us part”. Hearing her speak of those early days suggests that they have sustained her through all the experiences she has had to date. Those days taught her to be humble but still grateful, also how to be an astute business woman. They taught her to be “thick-skinned” and persevere amidst challenges and to humbly soar in her success and keep going. Intrigued, we sat down with Dawn to understand more about those early days, the last 20 years and today as a successful woman of God in a career choice that one would deem to be quite secular and why the early years are of such significance to her.
Dawn: I am a country girl; as country as you can get. I am from Point Hill (rural community in Jamaica) and it is far-far! [she laughs]. Growing up I had to learn how to cook, wash, clean house and I like to mention that because a lot of times people see you when you are dressed up and believe you are untouchable and I have to correct that situation. I have tied out goats, I have had to go to the “gully” to catch water and so, I am from quite humble beginnings. I actually appreciate my beginnings because it has shaped me into the person I am today. You know that quote that goes
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything” well my early start showed me how to stand for something and has served me throughout my life. I studied General Education and Counseling Psychology, so I never really sat in a formal classroom for make-up artistry. I wear many hats: Principal and C.E.O, teacher, makeup artist. I also wear hats outside of the work environment. I’m heavily involved in church – I’m a licensed minister and speaker and I take pride in that because it is the foundation of who I am. D’ Marie is a Christian institution and all of our values – our core values, our mission, our vision – everything is grounded on the foundation of who I am as a person and as a Christian woman.
My life’s motto is to educate and empower. I have three absolutely amazing children and have raised many. My daughter Anya-Jade is sixteen, so you know she is the diva. She is a hard worker and a talented artist. I will be launching a clothing line with prints from her illustrations so it’s going to be very exciting for both of us. My eldest son Sergio sings on the Kingston College (High School in Jamaica) choir, he is thirteen years old and then my youngest is Samuel who is a drummer and he is just someone you would fall in love with.
TBWM: You mentioned you were never formally taught make-up artistry, how did you get involved in makeup artistry and where did the inspiration to start D’Marie come from?
Dawn: This year I celebrate twenty years in the business. In March 1998 while living in Florida I went to a Burdines store to do an interview in their makeup department. The interview went well and I started the Monday morning in their Clinique department. I get emotional every time I share this story because here is where I underwent a transformation, A woman that would be considered obese came in to do her makeup and I noticed that while her makeup was being done she would constantly allow her face to fall, suggesting self-esteem issues. During the application there was no mirror present and so when it was completely done and the mirror was handed to her this woman sat upright and started fixing her hair then says “I will take it all”. The bill was five hundred and fifty dollars. At that time this was equivalent to a manager’s salary. It wasn’t the money so much that got to me but the fact that this woman transformed in front of my eyes and it just hit me hard that day. I wanted to know more and (having studied psychology); I needed to know the psychology behind the makeup and the difference in the woman’s behavior. And that’s where the journey began. I stayed in Clinique, underwent significant training in all aspects of skin and makeup, then went on to manage Estee Lauder Cosmetics, and the journey continues. That’s how I got into makeup artistry, but D’Marie Institute started when I returned to Jamaica in 2009. Having sent out resumes pretty much everywhere looking for a job in admin or management, no one replied. In September of the same year I remember it was about 3 am and I was in devotion and you know the Spirit just kept saying giftings and I knew it was the Spirit of God. He reminded me that I was a trained teacher and also that I knew make up. I remember that morning thinking “make up school in Jamaica”, who would want to pay me for that?
I questioned myself thinking how does one get started then I got an idea. There was a school in Spanish Town, Jamaica called Solid Base Group of Schools and the owner was one of my pastors from the church I attended. So I called him, and I asked him if he rented classrooms. I remember him laughingly asking me if I thought I was still overseas. I told him I was very serious and that I wanted to teach make up classes. He told me to have a look and if I found one suitable then it would be mine to use, and of course I found a room I could use. I did flyers by myself and I placed them in every hairdressing and barber shop; everywhere that has to do with beauty. I would walk to these business places and I would introduce myself leaving the flyer with my number. October came and one girl showed up and I was very excited. I remember the first day of training she was just in awe and she explained to me that she had been doing facials for about ten years and never knew about the different skin types and I could only think – there is a market for this. She paid me $6,500 Jamaican dollars and I used it to make business cards. That is how I got started – in a grade one classroom in October 2009 at Solid Base Academy.
Today we have over nine hundred individuals internationally trained and certified. It has really been a journey and you do have those closest to you who will laugh or will criticize saying you are lazy because you refuse to work for people. I would remind myself that this is bigger than me especially when there is a class where students would be crying when we touch on something because each class starts with a motivational video or a let’s grow video or something inspirational.
TBWM: You are much more than just a regular school then. Dawn: We operate from a holistic approach. There is no sense in teaching individuals how to become a make-up artist without knowledge of money management, customer service, grooming to attract clients, bookkeeping and generally what to expect. We are not preparing them for a nine to five but we are preparing them to become CEOs and business owners and we structure our programs to this end. TBWM: It could not have been an easy journey in terms of where you started and where you are today. Is there anything that you can pinpoint that helped to move from Solid Base to where you are now?
Dawn: It is sad to say that being a woman in business has been tough. I have had to form really good associations deliberately. There are people in your phone contacts that you need to get rid of and there are people that need to be added to your phone contacts but aren’t there. Here’s one of the things that I did when I recognized what was happening and what I needed: when I go to events I go intentionally and purposefully so now it wasn’t just about showing up at an event. It is about building my connections and especially my associations with the men in my life. It is a sad thing when a woman doesn’t have the covering of a man beside her. I am a humble woman that understands the role of a man in my life especially as it relates to my business. And so I shy away from all these women empowerment things, and feminist preaching. I mean, are we preaching that we don’t need men because we need them. There is a big difference with a woman who has a man supporting her and having him by her side in business versus a woman trying to do it alone. People walk all over you and take advantage of you. I hope we will get to the place where we start giving the women the respect that they need in business from everyone especially their female counterparts.
TBWM: Do you feel there is any competition in your chosen field of makeup artistry or do you have your niche and so are comfortable where you are?
Dawn: I am nowhere, absolutely nowhere. Of course I have made significant strides in my goals for my business but I don’t ever want to get complacent. I do not want to ever feel comfortable. This is an ever-changing industry and that alone prevents us from thinking like that. Excellence is our standard here and I want to build a business that is so amazing that if I cease to exist people are going to miss me. With that being my guideline and measuring goal/objective/benchmark I can never get complacent. D’Marie is a constant movement and growth. I still travel for make-up shows every year and go to different countries to experience their culture. I need to keep abreast of new developments in the industry so I can take it back to our students. Our programs are internationally certified through City and Guilds which means that anywhere in the world that one goes to that is offering for e.g. level 2 in make-up, it’s the same curriculum and the same product. This means I have to ensure that the standard of quality assurance is up to par with London and therefore I can never get complacent or feel satisfied and safe with what I am offering at D’Marie. We are always working.”
TBWM: Getting back to you the individual, what is it that Dawn does for herself as a woman in order to harmonize her career, family and church?
Dawn: I have my devotions and do motivation every day. I have a default diary and if you look at my 5 am to 6 am slot you will see time carved out for prayer and meditation on the Bible and motivation. I feed my mind through reading. I want to read stories of people who have been and are where I am going. I want to read their success stories. I can’t change the weather or the things around me but I can change me. Knowing this is a game changer for me along with my commitment to my devotions with God and my commitment to myself and this helps me to harmonize. And even if my surroundings are not saying it; I wake up every day saying “I can, I will and I must” as taught by motivational speaker Eric Thomas.
TBWM: So, where’s the fun? I mean I understand you feeding your mind but what do you do for fun?
Dawn: I read, I work out and read. I’m on pause with some things. Over the past three years I have had to take a step back to evaluate where I am, where I am going and to just cut some things from my life. So right now there’s not much fun so I make
TBWM: Earlier we mentioned the lack of support female entrepreneurs like yourself have received from the top level, established core, but what about women on the same level, do you find that we support each other?”
Dawn: I haven’t really had that either. I mentioned earlier how strategically intentional I have been with this process because I understand the matter of association. So the support that I get is from strategically aligning myself with certain women that I know I will need and I develop a relationship with them. Outside of that I think we are still at a place where we feel we have to prove something all the time. I feel we compete rather than collaborate and this does not mean that I don’t have great women in my life who support me but again that’s because I have strategically put them there.”
TBWM: You do not hide the fact that you are a woman of God. Howdo you reconcile that with operating in an environment that mostwould consider secular.
Dawn: There is a part of scripture that says a man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before kings. The first thing I had to do was understand that others are already thinking what you asked – she is a minister and doing make up and the two don’t go together. So I have that understanding. Number two is understanding what that means to God and I know that make up is the tool that God has given me to impact His people. Had it not been for makeup I would not have touched the lives I got a chance to – I refer to both clients and my students.
Knowing that, I did not need to convince anyone that I am a woman of God. I think from the Spirit of God and this does not mean that I am perfect. I think sometimes people think because you say you are a Christian you don’t make mistakes, you don’t make errors and you don’t find yourself in low places. It is none of that. I simply recognize that when I get to the entertainers, when I get to the dancers and hear their stories,
I get an opportunity to minister to them. Therefore, every time I am asked this question I remind people that a man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men. Make up has transformed so many lives in my eyes. I have seen it over and over again and at the end of the day it is not about the makeup but the effect that it has on people. When I just started out one of my concerns…
Continue Reading here
